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1717094

registered interest
date	10/05/2024
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Clothing: Sales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to ensure that clothing sold in the UK is not the product of illegal labour practices from overseas.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	25629
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK is committed to confronting the scourge of modern-day slavery and working in partnership with producing countries to achieve sustainability in all supply chains, including the garment trade.</p><p>The Government's Overseas Business Risk guidance makes clear to UK companies the risks of operating in certain regions and urges them to conduct appropriate due diligence when making business decisions. The Modern Slavery Act requires in-scope businesses to publish modern slavery statements annually including on the steps taken to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains.</p> answering member constituency Havant answering member printed Alan Mak question first answered 20/05/2024 16:27:00 answering member 4484 label Biography information for Alan Mak
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1717169

registered interest
date	10/05/2024
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Minimum Wage: Prosecutions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an estimate of the number of firms that have been prosecuted for not paying the national minimum wage in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	25636
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>Criminal prosecution is reserved for the most serious cases involving deliberate underpayment or reckless pay practices. Criminal sanctions against companies can mean that workers end up waiting considerably longer for their lost earnings to be paid back. Our priority is to ensure that workers receive the money they are owed as quickly as possible. For this reason, in the vast majority of cases, HMRC pursues civil enforcement.</p><p> </p><p>The number of National Minimum Wage prosecutions from 2017/18 to 2021/22 is as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>No. of prosecutions</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018/19</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019/20</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020/21</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021/22</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 20/05/2024 16:02:32 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1716883

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Business: Redundancy
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle companies that make employees redundant without (a) giving notice and (b) following a consultation process.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North East
tabling member printed	Fabian Hamilton
uin	25442
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2024 answer text <p>While we recognise that tough decisions such as redundancies remain a commercial matter, it’s important that employees are treated fairly and that correct process is followed.</p><p>The Government has a robust package of measures to address non-compliance including:</p><ul><li>potential disciplinary action for officeholders who fail to consult following appointment on insolvency,</li><li>a financial penalty on employers who fail to engage with employees and;</li><li>potential prosecution for failure to notify the relevant competent authority when proposing redundancies.</li></ul><p>Whether an employer met consultation requirements for collective redundancy would be a matter for an employment tribunal to decide, having heard detailed evidence on the facts of the case.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 17/05/2024 12:37:47 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	415 label Biography information for Fabian Hamilton

1716885

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Trading Standards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to ensure that Trading Standards have adequate resources to investigate all reports it is provided on the alleged operation of rogue traders.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North East
tabling member printed	Fabian Hamilton
uin	25443
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/05/2024 answer text <p>Local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales are independent from central government and are responsible for determining their resourcing priorities in accordance with the needs of the local electorate.<strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>The majority of Government funding is not ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities including those relating to rogue traders.<strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Department for Business and Trade provides additional funding through the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and Trading Standards Scotland (TSS) to prioritise and coordinate national and regional consumer enforcement in England, Wales and Scotland respectively.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 16/05/2024 15:41:40 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	415 label Biography information for Fabian Hamilton

1716947

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Department for Business and Trade: Food
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what her Department's policy is on the procurement of (a) food and (b) drinks produced in Britain for use in its canteens and restaurants.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	25413
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2024 answer text <p>This information is not centrally held. The Government Property Agency are responsible for the procurement of food and drink for the Department for Business and Trade.</p> answering member constituency Havant answering member printed Alan Mak question first answered 17/05/2024 11:51:37 answering member 4484 label Biography information for Alan Mak
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1717015

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Arms Trade: Israel
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their response to the First Joint Report of the Committees on Arms Export Controls Session 2022–23 Developments in UK Strategic Export Controls, published in January 2023 (CP 775), when, if at all, they intend to review whether their arms and equipment export licences to Israel meet the criteria contained in that response; and what assurances they have received from the government of Israel that those arms exports will not be used to violate international humanitarian law in Gaza.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL4515
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>We are monitoring the situation in Israel and Gaza very closely. All export licences are assessed against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria and are kept under careful and continual review as standard.</p><p> </p><p>As part of the Government’s robust arms export control regime we periodically review advice on Israel’s capability and overall commitment to comply with International Humanitarian Law, which includes a range of evidence. Ministers act in accordance with that advice.</p> answering member printed Lord Offord of Garvel question first answered 23/05/2024 16:39:10 answering member 4931 label Biography information for Lord Offord of Garvel
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1717042

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Construction: Economic Growth
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index, published on 7 May, which showed that construction activity grew at its fastest pace in April for more than a year, what steps they are taking to ensure continued growth in commercial and civil engineering activities within the construction sector.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL4548
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK Government continues to work closely with the construction sector and its clients to support growth. We have published a revised National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline in the March Budget setting out the planned pipeline of investment over the next decade, and are currently working with the industry to update the Government’s Construction Playbook. Total construction new orders also increased by £1,436 million, or 15.9% in Quarter 1 2024, compared with Quarter 4 2023, which will support future growth.</p> answering member printed Lord Offord of Garvel question first answered 21/05/2024 14:55:41 answering member 4931 label Biography information for Lord Offord of Garvel
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1717045

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Trade Promotion: USA
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises to do business in the USA, following the UK–U.S. Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Dialogue that took place in Belfast on 16 April.
tabling member printed	Lord Weir of Ballyholme
uin	HL4551
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the UK-U.S. trading relationship. In 2023, businesses in Northern Ireland alone exported goods worth over £1.5 million to the U.S. The SME Dialogue in Belfast reflects the ongoing commitment from both countries to enhancing UK-U.S. SME trade.</p><p> </p><p>Over 85 SMEs, including many from Northern Ireland, participated in the recent Dialogue in Belfast where the UK and U.S. Intellectual Property (IP) toolkits, to help SMEs protect their IP. The Department for Business and Trade have previously launched toolkits on Doing Business in the U.S. and an E-Commerce Guide for SMEs selling online to the U.S.</p><p> </p><p>The department is committed to supporting SMEs to grow and export, with a dedicated Export Support Service. The Export Academy helps SMEs access free training programmes, 1:1 guidance from International Trade Advisers and in-market insight from teams around the world, including in the U.S.</p> answering member printed Lord Offord of Garvel question first answered 23/05/2024 16:40:58 answering member 4931 label Biography information for Lord Offord of Garvel
tabling member	4970 label Biography information for Lord Weir of Ballyholme

1716401

registered interest
date	08/05/2024
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Overseas Trade: North Macedonia
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has taken recent steps to facilitate bilateral trade with North Macedonia.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	25323
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>Bilateral trade between the UK and North Macedonia was worth a total of £2.5 billion in the 4 quarters to end of Q4 2023, comprising of £1.7bn of exports and £787 million of imports. North Macedonia is the UK’s largest trading partner in the Western Balkans. The UK’s trade relationship is underpinned by the Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement (PTCA), signed in 2020. The inaugural PTCA Joint Committee met in 2022 and we hope to convene the second version later this year. In September 2023, the UK launched the British-Macedonian Business Chamber, as a symbol of the growing trade &amp; investment partnership.</p> answering member constituency Chelsea and Fulham answering member printed Greg Hands question first answered 14/05/2024 08:24:31 answering member 1526 label Biography information for Greg Hands
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1716423

registered interest
date	08/05/2024
answering body	Department for Business and Trade
answering dept id	214
answering dept short name	Business and Trade
answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
hansard heading	Trade Agreements: Gulf Cooperation Council
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many chapters of a prospective free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council have been concluded.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Lloyd Russell-Moyle
uin	25307
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>Six rounds of negotiations have been successfully concluded as part of negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The Department for Business and Trade regularly engages with the GCC at both Chief Negotiator and ministerial level and is making good progress on agreeing chapters including in areas such as Customs, Technical Barriers to Trade and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). The department cannot comment any further as negotiations are ongoing.</p> answering member constituency Chelsea and Fulham answering member printed Greg Hands question first answered 14/05/2024 10:14:56 answering member 1526 label Biography information for Greg Hands
tabling member	4615 label Biography information for Lloyd Russell-Moyle