Every parliamentary written question tabled by Dan Norris this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 20 · Department for Business and Trade
What his planned timeline is for reporting on the Call for Evidence into business support for co-operatives and non-financial mutuals.
The Call for Evidence (CfE) was open across Great Britain for 12 weeks and closed on 18th February. DBT’s focus is now on analysing responses and these will inform any potential business support policy for the co-operative and mutual businesses.
What discussions he has had with international counterparts on Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence legislation as part of the Responsible Business Conduct Review.
As part of the Responsible Business Conduct Review, the Government has engaged a number of international trading partners, including countries that have implemented human rights and environmental due diligence legislation. We shall update the House when the Review is complete.
What progress his Department is making on negotiating free-trade agreements.
The government has signed a trade deal with India, the fastest-growing economy in the G20. We have also agreed the General Terms for an Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) with the United States and agreed a new Strategic Partnership with the European Union. We are continuing to make good progress in our negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Republic of Korea, Switzerland and Turkey. We will ensure that our trade deals are aligned with our Trade and Industrial Strategies, to bring prosperity to communities across the country, and fulfil our mission of securing the highest sustained growth in the G7.
What progress he has made on supporting small and medium-sized businesses in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.
The Government’s Plan for Small Businesses, published in July, sets out the measures that the government is taking to support small businesses across the UK. This includes tackling late payments, boosting access to finance, and removing red tape to enable small businesses, including those in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency, to grow and thrive. SMEs can access DBT’s wealth of business and export support via business.gov.uk. The West of England Growth Hub is where SMEs in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency can benefit from specialist business advice and help on how to grow and access new markets.
What steps he is taking to support the hospitality sector in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.
The Government recognises the significant pressures facing hospitality businesses, including those in North East Somerset and Hanham, and the Government is providing support through various measures to help ease these pressures. We’ve introduced permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a ratable value under £500,000, worth nearly £900 million annually, benefitting over 750,000 properties. The new relief rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap so all qualifying properties will benefit. The Chancellor announced a new National Licensing Policy Framework as part of her budget. This sets out a vision for a proportionate licensing system that supports good businesses while continuing to tackle bad operators. We’re also investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify, aiming to support rural communities, create new jobs and services.
What steps his Department is taking to support (a) pubs, (b) bars and (c) venues.
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.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Industrial Strategy, published on 23 June 2025, on North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.
The Industrial Strategy is a 10-year plan to back our strengths and realise Britain’s potential, targeting government investment towards eight-growth driving sectors (IS-8). There are clusters of the IS-8 sectors across the whole country, and the policy package addresses the biggest constraints to growth highlighted by businesses in these sectors.The West of England Combined Authority will receive targeted interventions to support sectors in the area including devolved funding from the Creative Places Growth Fund, £0.8bn Transport for City Regions funding, and dedicated support from a British Business Bank Cluster Champion.To ensure robust and comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of the Industrial Strategy, we have chosen six economic indicators that reflect a range of desirable objectives for the IS-8 and the economy as a whole, which will be tracked at the economy-wide, sector and place level. Monitoring and evaluation of the Strategy will be overseen by the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council who will take a data-led approach.
What recent steps his Department has taken to negotiate trade agreements with other countries.
The government has concluded a trade deal with India, the fastest-growing economy in the G20. We have also agreed the General Terms for an Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) with the United States and agreed a new Strategic Partnership with the European Union.We are continuing to make good progress in our negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Republic of Korea, Switzerland and Turkey.
What steps his Department is taking to help support independent retailers in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.
We’re creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street and supports investment, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties under £500,000 rateable value. The government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all this year.Our recently announced Small Business Strategy aims to tackle late payments, boost access to finance, and remove red tape to enable small businesses, including independent retailers, grow and thrive.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the parental leave review on the gender pay gap.
On 1 July, the Government launched the Parental Leave Review, fulfilling its manifesto commitment.As set out in the terms of reference, the review is scheduled finish roughly 18 months after launch which will be around January 2027.The Department has not made an assessment on the potential impact of the Review on the gender pay gap at this stage. However the Review’s Terms of Reference set out that one of our objectives for the parental leave and pay system is to support economic growth through labour market participation, including tackling the gender pay gap and motherhood penalty.
What his planned timeline is for the reporting and implementation of the forthcoming parental leave review.
On 1 July, the Government launched the Parental Leave Review, fulfilling its manifesto commitment.As set out in the terms of reference, the review is scheduled finish roughly 18 months after launch which will be around January 2027.The Department has not made an assessment on the potential impact of the Review on the gender pay gap at this stage. However the Review’s Terms of Reference set out that one of our objectives for the parental leave and pay system is to support economic growth through labour market participation, including tackling the gender pay gap and motherhood penalty.
What steps his Department is taking to help support SMEs to (a) access finance, (b) innovate and (c) grow in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.
The Business Secretary's announcement of a new Business Growth Service is designed to simplify access, advice and support for Somerset businesses looking to grow, innovate and thrive.Small and medium-sized enterprises in Hanham and across Somerset can access the West of England Growth Hub which offers specialised guidance on scaling up, entering new markets, and exploring various financial support options, including through the British Business Bank Additionally, Innovate UK is the national innovation agency, supporting businesses across all sectors and regions through grants, loans, investor partnerships and innovation procurement.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to the (a) national minimum wage and (b) national living wage on people in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.
The Government published an Impact Assessment for the 2025 National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, which includes a breakdown of the expected impacts by region. Constituency-level estimates are not available due to greater data reliability issues arising from low survey response rates.
What steps he is taking to increase the UK film industry's exports to (a) the EU (b) South America, (c) Asia and the Pacific.
The Department for Business and Trade has a dedicated exports promotion programme for the film and high-end TV industry, which includes providing export support for businesses at major international film festivals and markets. We prioritise growth markets, including the EU, the Asia-Pacific and Latin America, with an overall objective to increase our global exports footprint. We work with the UK film and TV sectors to remove market access barriers to enable businesses to increase their exports and use free trade agreements to grow exports.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the re-structured Board of Trade on small and medium-sized businesses in North East Somerset & Hanham constituency.
The restructured Board of Trade is charged with enhancing support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including those in North East Somerset & Hanham. With a renewed focus on championing UK exports, the Board-comprising experienced business leaders-will help SMEs access new global markets and benefit from trade agreements through serving as ambassadors and advocates for British businesses at home and abroad, supporting and promoting initiatives such as the upcoming Business Growth Service.
What steps he is taking to support small and medium-sized businesses in North East Somerset & Hanham constituency.
Last year the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service which will make it easier for businesses across Somerset to get advice and support to grow and thrive. The West of England Growth Hub is where small and medium businesses in Somerset and the surrounding rural areas can benefit from specialist advice on how to scale up, access new markets and receive financial support through the British Business Bank.Businesses can also access other Government programmes such as the Business Support Service, Help to Grow: Management, the UK Export Academy, International Trade Advisors and the Export Support Service.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the revised UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on North East Somerset & Hanham constituency.
The deal that the Government struck with the EU delivers on what the British public voted for last year. It slashes red tape and bureaucracy; boosts British exporters; and will add nearly £9 billion to the UK economy by 2040. This will benefit the South West of England, whose largest trading partner is the EU, constituting 44.1% of South West exports of goods and 47.8% of imports of goods in 2024.Additionally, we signed a Security and Defence Partnership, which will boost defence procurement opportunities in the nearby aerospace industry cluster.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of trade deals with (a) India and (b) the USA on the economy of North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.
On 8 May the UK government announced a landmark economic deal with the US. This protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - which employ over 320,000 people across the UK. In the South-West alone, these sectors employed 29,450 people in 2023. The trade deal with India is expected to raise UK GDP by £4.8 billion, increase wages by £2.2 billion annually in the long run, and unlock opportunities in every corner of the UK. As a result of this deal South-West exports including lamb, cosmetics, and advanced manufacturing will benefit from reduced tariffs.Together, the US and India deals support UK-wide growth, with the South-West already exporting goods worth £0.6 billion to India and £4.4 billion to the US in 2024.
What information his Department holds on the number of breaches of minimum wage legislation by employers in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency in the last three years.
Data on National Minimum Wage (NMW) breaches by region is available in the published government’s Enforcement and Compliance report at: National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage: government evidence on enforcement and compliance, 2023 - GOV.UK RegionYearJobs paid below minimum wageSouth West2020/2118,0002021/2244,0002022/2331,000
What steps his Department is taking to support small businesses in rural areas in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.
Small businesses are the beating heart of our high streets, our communities, and essential to our economic success. This Government will hardwire the voice of small business into everything we do.Businesses in North East Somerset and Hanham can access support through the West of England Growth Hub, which provides businesses of all sizes and sectors with advice and support throughout the business journey.The Government provides further support for small businesses through Business Support Service, Help to Grow, the UK Export Academy, International Trade Advisors, the Export Support Service, and the British Business Bank.