Written questions by Griffith.

What comparative assessment he has made of levels of regulation on businesses in (a) the UK and (b) other G20 countries.

The UK is an excellent place to do business, and in 2023 scored in the top 3 G20 countries on regulatory quality according to the World Bank [Regulatory Quality: Percentile Rank | Data]. However, businesses have told us that regulation can be too complex, stifle progress and innovation, with 45% businesses agreeing that regulation was an obstacle to their success in 2022, according to DBT’s Business Perceptions Survey. Our Action Plan for Regulation aims to reduce these burdens for businesses, including by cutting the administrative costs for business by 25% by the end of this Parliament.

What steps he is taking to ensure that small businesses have input into Departmental regulatory consultations.

For regulation to be effective, it must be created in partnership with businesses. To support this, the government initiated the Invest 2035 call for evidence from key stakeholders, including small businesses, providing input on where regulation can be reformed across our key growth-driving sectors to help encourage growth and innovation.These responses informed our Modern Industrial Strategy published last month, as well as the Government’s Action Plan for Regulation, published in March. We are continuing to engage with SMEs, via a dedicated forum chaired by Minister Thomas, which will directly inform our forthcoming SME Strategy.

Whether he has had discussions with devolved Administrations on coordinating business regulation to reduce duplication.

To deliver growth across the UK, and support businesses and consumers, UK Government officials have been engaging with officials from the Scottish and Welsh Governments, and Northern Ireland Executive, on its Action Plan to overhaul our regulatory system, including the target to reduce the administrative cost of regulation to business by 25% by the end of this Parliament. Whilst the territorial scope relates to reserved matters, the Government is committed to collaborating with the devolved governments, including at Ministerial level using intergovernmental structures where appropriate, to ensure that reforms benefit the maximum number of people around the UK.

Whether he has made an estimate of the time spent by businesses on regulatory paperwork annually.

Determining the cumulative administrative costs of regulation that businesses face has not been done for 15 years. That’s why we are undertaking a baselining exercise to understand the administrative costs of regulation to businesses. This baseline will inform how we implement the target of reducing administrative burdens by 25% by the end of the Parliament, as announced in the March Action Plan for Regulation. We have considered different analytical options and looked to identify the most proportionate methodology to calculate the baseline for costs. We will announce a final baseline in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 64503 on British Steel: Scunthorpe, if he will publish (a) the findings of the independent assessment and (b) a summary of the findings of the independent assessment.

The Government does not intend to publish the findings of the independent assessment as they are commercially sensitive.

What recent steps his Department has taken to reduce cross-border trade processes for small businesses.

There are a number of different Departments and agencies with responsibility for cross-border processes. The Government’s Trade Strategy sets out how HMG will continue to work to support business, including through DBT working with industry on initiatives to improve the uptake of Electronic Trade Documents to reduce paperwork and administrative burdens for small businesses trading across borders

What assessment he has made of the lifespan of the blast furnaces at British Steel in Scunthorpe.

British Steel’s remaining blast furnaces were built in 1938 and 1954 respectively and are approaching the end of their operational life.An independent assessment was undertaken in late 2024 to help inform decision-making on their future use.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to parental leave entitlements on small and medium-sized enterprises, as part of the ongoing review.

The Parental Leave and Pay Review launched on 1 July fulfilling our manifesto commitment. It will explore how the system can better support working families while still balancing the needs of businesses.As part of this, the review will consider opportunities to make the process surrounding parental leave simpler for both businesses and parents.The Department has not made an assessment at this stage of any impacts. We will be engaging with groups representing small and medium businesses throughout the review. Any reforms proposed following the conclusion of the review will consider the impact on small and medium-sized enterprises.

Whether the parental leave review will examine options for reducing administrative burdens on employers in managing statutory parental leave and pay.

The Parental Leave and Pay Review launched on 1 July fulfilling our manifesto commitment. It will explore how the system can better support working families while still balancing the needs of businesses.As part of this, the review will consider opportunities to make the process surrounding parental leave simpler for both businesses and parents.The Department has not made an assessment at this stage of any impacts. We will be engaging with groups representing small and medium businesses throughout the review. Any reforms proposed following the conclusion of the review will consider the impact on small and medium-sized enterprises.

Whether he has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the ONS's classification of British Steel as part of the public non-financial corporations subsector.

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade meets with the Chancellor regularly on a range of issues, including steel. Following the passing of emergency legislation in the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 on 12 April, the ONS informed my departmental officials that it would undertake a classification assessment of British Steel Limited. British Steel Limited has been classified to the public non-financial corporations subsector. Further information on this decision can be obtained directly from ONS’s website.

If he will provide indemnities to steel companies for the period following the announcement of the UK-US trade deal but prior to the implementation of lower tariff rates.

The deal agreed on 8 May will protect jobs in the automotive and steel industries. Talks with the US are ongoing to progress implementation of the General Terms of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal and ensure that UK businesses feel the benefits as soon as possible. The US has committed to removing Section 232 tariffs on steel. In addition, it has pledged to reduce tariffs on automotives faced by UK exporters by developing a quota system – which will save thousands of jobs in the UK. We remain committed to working in close partnership with industry to support their needs and ensure that the interests of British businesses are at the forefront of our engagement with the US.

With reference to the UK-US trade agreement, what steps he plans to take to manage the allocation of the 100,000 vehicle quota.

UK imports to the US will now face a lower tariff of 10% for a quota of 100,000 vehicles. The UK exports around 100,000 cars a year to the US - so this quota will ensure most cars entering the US will do so at the preferential rate.We continue to work closely with both UK manufacturers and the US administration as we work through the implementation of tariff relief. Both DBT Secretary of State and Minister Jones have met with industry representatives to discuss development of the quota system. We will provide further detail in due course.

If he will provide indemnities to automotive companies for the period following the announcement of the UK-US trade deal but prior to the implementation of lower tariff rates.

The deal agreed on 8 May will protect jobs in the automotive and steel industries. Talks with the US are ongoing to progress implementation of the General Terms of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal and ensure that UK businesses feel the benefits as soon as possible. The US has committed to removing Section 232 tariffs on steel. In addition, it has pledged to reduce tariffs on automotives faced by UK exporters by developing a quota system – which will save thousands of jobs in the UK. We remain committed to working in close partnership with industry to support their needs and ensure that the interests of British businesses are at the forefront of our engagement with the US.

What representations his Department has made to the Office for National Statistics on the economic classification assessment of British Steel.

My department is currently working closely with both ONS and HMT to determine the classification of BSL. My department's current expectation is for BSL to be classified as a public corporation and that the situation will remain under review by ONS.

What representations the Minister for Investment has received on the decision to end the remittance basis of taxation.

The Minister for Investment has not had any specific meetings on the topic of changes to the remittance basis of taxation.

How many UK-based start-ups raised venture-capital rounds that included at least one overseas investor in each of the last five years; and what the total capital raised in those rounds was in each year.

According to figures recently published by the BVCA, UK businesses raised £9bn of venture and growth capital in 2024 - a 12.5% rise compared to 2023. This reflects the UK’s position as Europe’s leading hub for Venture Capital, attracting investment into our world class technology and innovation. The Government has introduced a range of new measures to unlock more later stage capital from domestic sources, such as the Mansion House reforms and the British Growth Partnership. This will ensure that the British economy benefits even more from its thriving venture capital ecosystem.

What discussions he has had with businesses in the IT services sector on (a) the UK-India trade deal and (b) the Double Contribution Convention with India.

Before launching free trade agreement talks with India, The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) ran a public call for input to help us understand what businesses and consumers wanted. As talks progressed, we frequently engaged with businesses across a range of sectors including the IT sector.Double Contributions Conventions are international treaties designed to eliminate the double payment of social security contributions. The government regularly engages with a range of business representatives to understand their views and concerns in relation to the tax system.

When he plans to respond to Question (a) 47358, (b) 47359, (c) 47360, (d) 47361 and (e) 47362 tabled by the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs on 23 April 2024.

A response was published on 12th May 2025 to Questions 47358, 47359, 47360, 47361 and 47362.

When he plans to (a) lay his Department’s trade strategy before Parliament and (b) provide copies of that strategy to the media.

The Department for Business and Trade is committed to upholding our parliamentary commitments and transparency. The Trade Strategy will be laid in Parliament, making the paper accessible to members of both Houses, in due course and will be made available on gov.uk once it is launched.

What discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of the use of powers in the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 on Government fiscal policies.

The Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 gives Government the power to direct British Steel’s board and workforce, ensure they get paid, and order the raw materials to keep the blast furnaces running in Scunthorpe. We will report regularly to Parliament on the use of the Act. The decision to introduce this legislation had collective agreement. Discussions are ongoing to determine the potential impact to public purse, but the funding required for British Steel will come out of existing budgets and there will be no changes to the Government's fiscal rules. The Department for Business & Trade’s accounts for 2025/26 will reflect the financial support that the department has given to British Steel. We will publish the initial impact assessment in due course, including classification considerations.