Written questions by Cane.

If his Department will consider suspending all trade between the UK and Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking to support women in the hospitality sector.

The Government is taking important steps through its Employment Rights Bill to protect workers from misconduct in the workplace, including women in the hospitality sector.We are introducing measures that will restrict the use of non-disclosure agreements in cases of harassment and discrimination and strengthen protections for workers who ‘blow the whistle’ on sexual harassment.The Bill will also require employers to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment of their employees and introduce an obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties.

What steps his Department is taking to support small and medium sized enterprises in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency.

Government published its Small Business Plan (Backing your Business) in July 2025, delivering comprehensive support for small and medium sized businesses. The plan outlines five ambitious actions: fixing fundamentals by ending late payments; unlocking finance through a stronger British Business Bank; backing the everyday economy by revitalising high streets, opening international trade opportunities and future proofing business skills through digital technologies and AI.We are committed to providing core funding to a network of Growth Hubs across England. All businesses in Ely and East Cambridgeshire can visit their local Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Growth Hub for free, tailored advice.

What steps his Department plans to take to support the hospitality sector.

We recognise that hospitality businesses are at the beating heart of communities, providing not just a place to socialise but essential services and local jobs. That’s why we’re investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify, aiming to support rural communities, create new jobs and services.In April, we launched a Taskforce to review premises licensing and develop proposals for a more balanced system that safeguards communities while supporting responsible businesses. These reforms form part of the Small Business Strategy, which is designed to tackle late payments, improve access to finance and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens.We are also creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000. We continue to work closely with the sector through the Hospitality Sector Council to address challenges.

If he will take legislative steps to exclude charity subscriptions from the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

The government consulted on the implementation of the new subscriptions contract regime and are analysing the responses, including submissions from the charity and not-for profit sector. Officials have met with relevant representatives and individual organisations to hear their views and we continue to engage with the sector.The government is committed to ensuring that charities can comply with consumer law and claim Gift Aid on eligible payments. HMRC are working through the technical details and will continue to engage with the sector.

TTo ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act on existing Gift Aid regulations.

The government consulted on the implementation of the new subscriptions contract regime and are analysing the responses, including submissions from the charity and not-for profit sector. Officials have met with relevant representatives and individual organisations to hear their views and we continue to engage with the sector.The government is committed to ensuring that charities can comply with consumer law and claim Gift Aid on eligible payments. HMRC are working through the technical details and will continue to engage with the sector.

What steps he is taking to help support businesses to take up digital technologies.

The SME Digital Adoption Taskforce will shortly publish its final recommendations to accelerate digital adoption among Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, and we are launching pilots to test delivery of support.Our Industrial Strategy set out ambitions, informed by the Technology Adoption Review, to increase digital adoption in growth-driving sectors. This includes expansion of Made Smarter Adoption up to £99m for manufacturing SMEs.This complements existing support like Help to Grow: Management which offers training to business leaders (including on digital), National Cyber Security Centre guidance, and implementation of the AI Opportunities Action Plan.

What steps he is taking to support high street businesses.

This government is committed to supporting high street businesses. DBT is working across government to reform business rates, empower local authorities to address vacant properties through high street rental auctions and to tackling anti-social behaviour and crime in town centres through the Crime and Policing Bill.We also provide a range of existing services to SMEs. This includes Growth Hubs – run in Cambridgeshire by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority – providing local businesses with access to advice and support.Our forthcoming SME Strategy will set out the government’s plan to do more to support small businesses across key areas, including thriving high streets.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help SMEs adopt digital technology.

To support more small businesses' digitisation efforts, we announced at Budget 2024 that we would extend the work of the SME Digital Adoption Taskforce. The Taskforce is made up of industry experts and focuses on addressing the challenge of how to support SMEs to adopt and implement productivity-enhancing technologies, such as customer relationship management, accountancy, and resource planning software. We intend to publish a summary of the Taskforce's draft recommendations shortly and their full report will be published later this year.

What steps his Department is taking to support businesses in rural areas.

Rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy. As with all places, fulfilling the needs of people and businesses in rural areas is at the heart of our policymaking.The Government has recently announced our intention to launch a Business Growth Service (BGS), a national service with local delivery at its heart. Over time, it will bring a range of existing core services under the BGS banner, working hand in glove with local and devolved governments and the Growth Hubs network.All businesses can access their Local Growth Hubs, which provide advice and support throughout the business journey, shaping their offer around the unique needs, whether town or country.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of free trade agreements on farmers.

Our approach to trade deals will always consider the impacts and opportunities for those working within the agricultural sector, along with those employed within other sectors of the economy and our Growth Mission.The independent Trade and Agriculture Commission scrutinises new FTAs and assesses whether they are consistent with the maintenance of UK levels of statutory protections in relation to animal and plant life or health, animal welfare, and the environment.