Written questions by Blackman.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade what steps he is taking to engage UK-based Indian alumni networks in promoting British trade and investment opportunities.

I am delighted that many Indian students come to study in UK institutions and have done so for decades, enhancing our educational, diplomatic, political and business relationships, which is why India is one of the priority countries in our International Education Strategy 2026. Amongst other things, DBT’s International Education team has organised four education trade missions to India since 2020. One of the outcomes of this activity has been the signing of the UK-India MoU on the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQs) in 2022, which is seeing a step change in UK-India university partnerships. As part of the International Education Strategy, we engage with the alumni network, led by the British Council, as a further means to promote trade and investment opportunities.

What assessment he has made of the role international students play in strengthening UK–India trade relations.

I am delighted that many Indian students come to study in UK institutions and have done so for decades, enhancing our educational, diplomatic, political and business relationships, which is why India is one of the priority countries in our International Education Strategy 2026. Amongst other things, DBT’s International Education team has organised four education trade missions to India since 2020. One of the outcomes of this activity has been the signing of the UK-India MoU on the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQs) in 2022, which is seeing a step change in UK-India university partnerships. As part of the International Education Strategy, we engage with the alumni network, led by the British Council, as a further means to promote trade and investment opportunities.

What steps he is taking to strengthen educational partnerships between UK universities and Indian institutions.

I am delighted that many Indian students come to study in UK institutions and have done so for decades, enhancing our educational, diplomatic, political and business relationships, which is why India is one of the priority countries in our International Education Strategy 2026. Amongst other things, DBT’s International Education team has organised four education trade missions to India since 2020. One of the outcomes of this activity has been the signing of the UK-India MoU on the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQs) in 2022, which is seeing a step change in UK-India university partnerships. As part of the International Education Strategy, we engage with the alumni network, led by the British Council, as a further means to promote trade and investment opportunities.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the use of non-disclosure agreements during corporate restructuring in safety-critical sectors; and he plans to ensure that non-disclosure agreements cannot prevent employees and union representatives from participating in statutory consultation processes.

The Government is unable to assess sector-specific trends regarding the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) because they are private contractual arrangements, and data on their use is not collected.While NDAs can legally require one or more parties to maintain the confidentiality of certain information, such as trade secrets, there are a range of legal limitations on their use. For instance, NDAs cannot stop someone from making a whistleblowing disclosure, known as making a ‘protected disclosure’ or making a disclosure required by law.

What recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on ensuring employment policies reflect the needs of sectors with high levels of (a) youth and (b) seasonal employment.

The Secretary of State, responsible Ministers and policy officials meet regularly with their counterparts in HM Treasury about a range of issues including on the Plan to Make Work Pay and the Employment Rights Bill.The Bill will deliver significant benefits to the UK, including, better working conditions, more secure work, reducing inequalities and improving industrial relations.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) flexible and (b) seasonal work patterns in the (i) beer and (ii) pub sector the recruitment and retention of staff.

In my capacity as co-chair of the Hospitality Sector Council I regularly meet with businesses in these sectors to discuss the issues they face, including their challenges around recruitment and retention of staff. We have extended our Hospitality Sector Work based Academy programme to a further 26 areas, offering jobseekers training in a working environment, work experience, and a guaranteed interview with participating employers, with the aim of addressing staffing shortages in the sector.

Whether his Department is considering designating Fujitsu as a high-risk vendor, in the context of the failures of the Horizon system.

The High Risk Vendor process is not one that the Department for Business and Trade is responsible for. We welcome Fujitsu’s acknowledgement of their moral obligation to contribute to the cost of the Horizon scandal. Fujitsu have also announced they will voluntarily not bid for new contracts unless requested by Government. The contract with Fujitsu to supply the Post Office Limited’s IT system is time limited - we are working with the Post Office and Fujitsu to ensure the transition is as soon as practically possible.

If he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to reduce imports of software and hardware for key industries from countries that may pose a risk to national security.

Our import controls and sanctions regimes play an important role in supporting the UK's foreign policy and national security objectives including by restricting the import of controlled goods from any source country and specified goods from those countries subject to UK sanctions.The Government does not speculate on future import controls or sanctions as to do so could reduce their impact. We continue to monitor the effectiveness of our import controls and the sanctions regime.