Written questions by Rosindell.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of dynamic alignment with the EU on UK commercial competitiveness.

Awaiting answer.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of regulatory alignment with the EU on the UK’s ability to negotiate trade agreements with third countries.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he has taken to prevent small to medium sized businesses ceasing to trade.

Awaiting answer.

How many small and medium sized businesses have ceased trading in a) England and b) the parliamentary constituency of Romford since 2024.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he has taken to encourage the growth of small and medium sized enterprises.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the cumulative impact of increases in (a) business rates, (b) wages, (c) energy costs and (d) animal feed costs on zoological collections.

The Department for Business and Trade has not made an assessment on the cumulative impact of these costs on zoological collections.The Government is committed to supporting businesses and charities. To do so, the Government is introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. This includes zoos and aquariums with rateable values below £500,000 that are open to members of the public. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties.The Government published their full Impact Assessment for the 2026 rates, outlining the potential effects that increases to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage may have on businesses.As well, Ofgem has launched a Cost Allocation Recovery Review to consider how energy system costs can be recovered from consumers, including businesses, in a fairer and more efficient way in the future energy system.

If he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the British Toy and Hobby Association’s report entitled Still toying with children’s safety, published on 23 October 2025.

The Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 require that all toys must be safe before being placed on the UK market, including online. Despite this, we recognise that non-compliant products remain available to UK consumers. The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 provides Government with the necessary powers to update product safety legislation, including to modernise and clarify the responsibilities of online marketplaces. As announced at Budget, we will consult on proposals in early 2026. The Office for Product Safety and Standards takes action to address non-compliant products sold online, including monitoring marketplaces, test purchasing, and taking appropriate enforcement action where necessary.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement on the UK; and if he will publish a report on that agreement since its implementation.

The Department’s impact assessment of the UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement was published under the previous government on 28th February 2022. This impact assessment set out the potential long-run incremental economic impact of the FTA and is available on gov.uk. On a recent visit to New Zealand I saw how the FTA – and the trade advantages consequent upon our membership of the CPTPP – are being used. The Department is currently considering our approach to FTA Monitoring, and we will provide an update on this in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement on the UK; and if he will publish a report on that agreement since its implementation.

The Department’s impact assessment of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreements was published under the previous government on 16th December 2021. This impact assessment set out the potential long-run incremental economic impact of the FTA and is available on gov.uk. On a recent visit to Australia for the CPTPP Commission I saw how the FTA – and the trade advantages consequent upon our membership of the CPTPP – are being used. The Department is currently considering our approach to FTA Monitoring, not least because we want to see how effectively FTAs are being used by UK businesses and we will provide an update on this in due course.

What steps he is taking to regulate online marketplaces to prevent the sale of unsafe products.

UK product safety law is clear: all products must be safe before being placed on the market. However, we recognise that the supply of unsafe goods via online marketplaces is a significant issue. The Government has therefore put in place the Product Regulation and Metrology Act (2025), which allows us to introduce new and clearer responsibilities for e-commerce businesses, whilst promoting consumer safety and ensuring fairer competition.Government has committed to consult on proposals to modernise and clarify these responsibilities at the earliest opportunity, building upon best practice to create an effective and proportionate regulatory framework.

What steps he is taking to hold online marketplaces to account for dangerous products sold through their platforms; and when he plans to launch a consultation on the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025's measures in relation to product safety.

UK product safety law is clear: all products must be safe before being placed on the market. However, we recognise that the supply of unsafe goods via online marketplaces is a significant issue. The Government has therefore put in place the Product Regulation and Metrology Act (2025), which allows us to introduce new and clearer responsibilities for e-commerce businesses, whilst promoting consumer safety and ensuring fairer competition.Government has committed to consult on proposals to modernise and clarify these responsibilities at the earliest opportunity, building upon best practice to create an effective and proportionate regulatory framework.

What progress he has made on negotiations on an enhanced Free Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

The eighth round of negotiations on an enhanced Free Trade Agreement with Switzerland took place in Switzerland between 20 and 24 October 2025. The round saw positive progress and Round 9 of negotiations is set to take place in the UK in early 2026.The UK and Switzerland have agreed a further extension to the existing UK-Switzerland Services Mobility Agreement up to 31 December 2029.An enhanced FTA with Switzerland aims to deliver long-term certainty for UK services firms, building on the £19.5bn of services we already export to Switzerland[1], which is our 6th largest services export market. [1] UK total trade: all countries, seasonally adjusted - Office for National Statistics

What steps his Department is taking to allow businesses to (a) engage with and (b) support the process of drafting a free trade agreement with Canada.

Canada is a close ally and valued partner of the UK, with the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement underpinning around £28 billion worth of bilateral trade last year. There are currently no plans to resume FTA negotiations. However, growing bilateral trade remains a shared priority and we have established the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group with the objective of growing bilateral trade, addressing existing market access barriers and building on existing arrangements.

What steps he is taking to restart negotiations for a free trade agreement between the UK and Canada.

There are no plans to resume FTA negotiations, but growing our bilateral trade remains a shared priority, which is why the two Prime Ministers established the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group with the objective of growing bilateral trade, including by addressing existing market access barriers and building on existing arrangements, including digital.

If he will make it her policy to make 12 July 2027 a public holiday to mark the 1100th anniversary of the unification of England under King Athelstan.

The current pattern of bank and public holidays is well established and the Government has no plans to create a one-off bank holiday to mark the 1100th anniversary of the unification of England under King Athelstan.While an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy is considerable. The latest analysis estimates the cost to the UK economy for a one-off bank holiday to be around £2 billion.The National Lottery Heritage Fund has recently funded two projects that explore Athelstan and his history in Kingston and Malmesbury.

Whether external stakeholders will be invited to provide input into the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group’s consideration of market access barriers.

The Working Group will meet this Autumn and will consist of officials from the UK and Canadian Governments.We are open to the views of any relevant businesses with an interest in UK-Canada trade.

What progress the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group has made since its establishment.

The UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group will meet this Autumn in line with the commitment made between our Prime Ministers in June. Since this meeting, officials have been engaging with the government of Canada at all levels to explore ways to deepen our trading relationship further.Specifically, we intend to work together to address existing market access barriers, to expand existing arrangements into new areas, such as digital trade, and to explore cooperation in the development of critical minerals and sovereign artificial intelligence infrastructure.

What assessment he has made of the safety of (a) over the counter and (b) prescription grade sun cream in England.

Legislation requires that cosmetics, including sun creams, must be safe. To ensure that products are safe before sale, a safety assessment must be completed by a qualified assessor.Sun protection products which have been recommended by the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS) for NHS prescribing for specified conditions are listed in Part XV of the Drug Tariff. Products which are not medicines or medical devices may be prescribed by clinicians. If a sun cream is prescribed that is not classified as a medical device it will still need to meet the safety requirements in the Cosmetic Regulation.

What recent steps her Department has taken to support small businesses in the aesthetics industry.

This Government recognises the immense economic and social value of the aesthetics industry. That is why we have committed to reforming business rates from 2026-27 with a permanently lower multiplier for retail, leisure and hospitality properties, including beauty clinics.The Government will publish an SME Strategy Paper later this year that will set out the Government's vision for all small and medium size businesses. The paper will focus on boosting scale-ups across key policy areas, such as creating thriving high streets, making it easier to access finance, opening up overseas and domestic markets, building business capabilities, and providing a strong business environment. The paper will complement the Government's Industrial Strategy and Trade Strategy.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the ban on Kava on UK-based (a) importers and (b) retailers of traditional South Pacific herbal products.

Since January 2003 the herb kava-kava, and any food containing it, is banned from entry to the UK. This is because of concerns regarding its toxic effect on the liver. The Department for Business and Trade has not made any assessment related to this import ban.