Written questions by Cooper.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of acrylate exposure from cosmetic nail treatments on (a) long-term health of people exposed and (b) NHS services.

Legislation is clear that cosmetics must be safe. To demonstrate that a product is compliant with the requirements in the Cosmetic Regulation, a safety assessment must be completed by a qualified safety assessor. This includes examining the systemic exposure to individual ingredients used. The safety assessor must be satisfied that the product is safe before it can be sold.As the regulator for product safety, OPSS is responsible for ensuring that consumer products are safe. We will take effective action where non-compliant products are identified. However, as a department we do not hold information regarding impacts to NHS services.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of regulation on (a) products containing acrylates linked to serious allergic reactions and (b) other aspects of the operation of nail salons.

Cosmetics sold in the UK must meet some of the strictest safety requirements in the world. For products not covered by the Cosmetic Regulation, the General Product Safety Regulations provide a baseline of safety, requiring that only safe products, in their normal or reasonably foreseeable use, can be sold.Nail salons are required to comply with various legislation including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act. This requires operators to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

What steps his Department is taking to support the (a) creation and (b) growth of start-ups in (i) Mid Cheshire constituency, (ii) Cheshire and (iii) England.

We will publish our Small Business Strategy later this year with a clear ambition to promote startups and encourage entrepreneurship, built around the new Business Growth Service.Start Up Loans are available in Cheshire and across England, helping new and early-stage businesses access affordable finance. Mid Cheshire businesses have benefited from 168 of these loans between 2012 and January 2025.Existing support offers include Help to Grow: Management - UK, providing practical ways to enhance small business productivity and growth, and the British Business Bank's Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II delivering a £660 million commitment of new funding to smaller businesses across the North.

What steps his Department is taking to support high streets in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

Revitalising our high streets is a priority for this government. We are taking active steps towards creating better conditions for high street businesses to thrive, including addressing anti-social behaviour and crime, reforming business returns, working ...

What steps his Department is taking to ensure participants in multi-level marketing schemes are protected from misleading claims about the financial benefits of said schemes.

Although multi-level schemes are not illegal, it is a criminal offence to persuade someone to make a payment to a scheme by promising benefits from getting other people to join the same scheme (Fair Trading Act 1973 section 120(3)). Also, the Consumer Pro...

Which regulations govern multi-level marketing schemes; and if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the regulatory framework of such schemes.

Although multi-level schemes are not illegal, it is a criminal offence to persuade someone to make a payment to a scheme by promising benefits from getting other people to join the same scheme (Fair Trading Act 1973 section 120(3)). Also, the Consumer Pro...

What recent assessment he has made of trends in the regional spread of business debt in each of the last five years.

Business debt in the UK is spread across each of the regions, with the biggest proportions found in London, the South East and South West. Please find a detailed breakdown of the changes in the regional spread of business debt in each of the last five yea...

What estimate he has made of the prevalence of zero-hours contracts in the labour market in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

The latest figures (for April to June 2024) from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest that around 1,030,000 people (3.1% of total employment) were employed on a zero-hours contract in the UK. ONS do not publish constituency level data on zero-...

What recent estimate his Department has made of the number of insolvencies of road haulage businesses in each of the last five years.

Estimated numbers of companies with the SIC code 49410 that entered insolvency in the UK in each of the last five calendar years (including 2024 to date) are presented in the table below.Calendar YearCompanies Entering Insolvency (SIC Code 49410 – Freight...

What (a) financial and (b) other steps his Department is taking to encourage the creation of businesses in Mid Cheshire constituency.

The creation of new businesses is essential to our economic success. The Government will boost small business growth and productivity by delivering upon the commitments within Labour’s pre-election nine-point pledge - Plan for Small Business. The UK Share...

Whether his Department is taking steps to help support the Post Office to (a) recruit postmasters and (b) maintain existing post offices.

While Government recognises the important role postmasters play in our communities and for small businesses across the UK, issues surrounding staffing are an operational matter for the Post Office. Government protects the branch network by setting minimum access criteria, and protects services by setting minimum services to be provided at post offices across the country. The Post Office network meets the access criteria at a national level.