Written questions by Pinkerton.

Whether he plans to establish a dedicated implementation taskforce to oversee enforcement of the Small Business Protections Bill and wider late payment reforms.

Awaiting answer.

Whether he plans to publish an implementation plan for the Small Business Protections Bill, including enforcement responsibilities, staffing requirements and delivery milestones.

Awaiting answer.

How many full-time equivalent staff in his Department are assigned to monitoring and enforcing compliance with the Payment Practices Reporting regime.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his Department has made of the economic return of additional enforcement funding for late payment regulations.

Awaiting answer.

How many enforcement actions have been taken under the Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations 2017 in each year since those regulations came into force.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact on GDP of reducing average business-to-business payment times by one day.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his Department has made of changes in the UK’s global market share in (a) pharmaceuticals and (b) chemicals since the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of changes in the UK's global market share in pharmaceuticals or chemicals since the UK's withdrawal from the EU.Global market share across these sectors is inherently complex to assess. There is no single...

What steps his Department is taking to support micro-businesses in Surrey Heath constituency.

The government is committed to supporting all small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), including micro-businesses, through the Small Business Plan - the most comprehensive support package in a generation.The plan features the most significant legislativ...

What methodology his Department used to assess the economic benefits of a UK EU mutual recognition agreement on manufactured goods.

Ahead of the UK-EU Summit in May 2025 we explored several proposals with the EU on manufactured goods. To inform these discussions, the government assessed the potential economic benefits of a range of measures, including the potential impact of mutual re...

What estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of a UK-EU mutual recognition agreement for manufactured goods on (a) GDP trade volumes and (b) regulatory costs for UK businesses.

Ahead of the UK-EU Summit in May 2025 we explored several proposals with the EU on manufactured goods. To inform these discussions, the government assessed the potential economic benefits of a range of measures, including the potential impact of mutual re...

What estimate his Department has made of the number of UK haulage firms operating internationally that have entered insolvency in each of the last ten years.

The Department does not hold information about whether UK haulage firms, or UK firms more generally, operated internationally prior to entering insolvency.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of a UK-EU mutual recognition agreement on manufactured goods on the economy.

Ahead of the UK-EU Summit in May 2025 we explored several proposals with the EU on manufactured goods. To inform these discussions, the government assessed the potential economic benefits of a range of measures, including the potential impact of mutual re...

Whether his Department plans to publish an assessment of the potential impact of a UK-EU mutual recognition agreement on manufacturers.

Ahead of the UK-EU Summit in May 2025 we explored several proposals with the EU on manufactured goods. To inform these discussions, the government assessed the potential economic benefits of a range of measures, including the potential impact of mutual re...

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK’s exit from the EU on the rate of small and medium-sized enterprise dissolution since 2021.

Small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) have faced significant challenges trading with the EU since Brexit. This Government regularly engages with business representative organisations and industry stakeholders to understand the implications.The UK-EU Su...

What steps he is taking to support the creation of well-paid jobs in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Department for Business and Trade is supporting the creation of jobs and opportunities across the UK, including in the Surrey Heath constituency. We are doing this by supporting small and medium sized businesses to export, including developing a new Business Growth Service to simplify finding the advice and support they need. We are also supporting high streets by delivering long overdue reforms to rebalance the business rates system. We have also developed the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy and are investing in growth sectors like life sciences, advanced manufacturing and digital technologies.

What assessment his Department has made of recent trends in levels of business confidence in the hospitality sector in Surrey Heath constituency.

While the Department does not produce constituency-level assessments of business confidence, government closely monitors business confidence across the hospitality sector.We have introduced targeted support measures to strengthen the sector’s resilience. These include permanently reduced business rates for eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure properties, a substantial enhancement of the Hospitality Support Fund, initiatives to streamline regulatory requirements, and progress on licensing reform toward a new National Licensing Policy Framework. This framework is designed to offer greater flexibility for pubs and hospitality venues, enabling them to prosper.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2026 to Question 121982 on Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention, what the expected timeframe is for publishing the evidence submitted to the consultation on UK accession to the Pan‑Euro‑Mediterranean Convention.

The government’s response to the call for evidence on UK accession to the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention (PEM) was published on 26th March 2026.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of negotiating UK access into the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention.

In the UK’s Trade Strategy, the government recognised the potential merits and impacts of UK accession to the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention (PEM) and committed to engaging business further. The government ran a five-week call for evidence from November to December last year to understand the potential impacts of accession on businesses. The Government will publish the findings in due course.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential economic merits for (a) the Treasury and (b) UK businesses of the UK joining the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention.

In the UK’s Trade Strategy, the government recognised the potential merits and impacts of UK accession to the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention (PEM) and committed to engaging business further. The government ran a five-week call for evidence from November to December last year to understand the potential impacts of accession on businesses. The Government will publish the findings in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of establishing an economic security agreement with the European Union to mitigate potential geopolitical shocks.

We have continued to enhance our cooperation with the EU on a range of economic security issues of mutual concern since the UK-EU Summit in 2025. The EU remains our most important trading partner, our economies are deeply interconnected and face many of the same challenges and threats, and we share a commitment to upholding the rules-based order. In February 2026, DBT Secretary of State (along with Chancellor for the Exchequer) met EU Commissioners Sefcovic and Dombrovksis to discuss trade and economic issues, including economic security. The UK and EU will hold a second Summit in 2026, where we will seek to further strengthen our partnership on economic security.