Every parliamentary written question tabled by Gareth Davies this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 41 · Department for Business and Trade
What assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the response by the British Chambers of Commerce to the Milburn Review.
I welcome Milburn’s clear diagnosis and the British Chambers of Commerce’s endorsement. This is not a temporary problem and partnerships between employers and education providers are critical. We will consider Alan Milburn’s full recommendations in the au...
What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Confederation of British Industry's Growth Indicator forecast that private sector activity will fall by a net balance o
We know many businesses are facing difficulties and the situation in the Middle East is adding to their costs. We continue to promote growth through our Industrial Strategy, regulatory reform and other steps to ensure the UK remains competitive and its ec...
What assessment he has made of the Institute of Directors' finding that 75 per cent of businesses cite UK economic conditions as a negative factor affecting their organisation.
We know many businesses are facing difficulties and the situation in the Middle East is adding to their costs. We continue to promote growth through our Industrial Strategy, regulatory reform and other steps to ensure the UK remains competitive and its ec...
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of business energy costs on private sector activity.
The Government recognises that electricity prices are an important factor in private sector activity of UK-based businesses and is dedicated to bringing electricity costs for recipients closer in line with those charged in competitor countries. We engage ...
What steps he is taking to support SMEs in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) other rural areas with changes in (i) employment and (ii) energy costs.
The government is supporting small businesses, including those in Lincolnshire and rural areas, to start, scale and grow as part of the Plan for Small Businesses.We are delivering our Plan to Make Work Pay by extending the protections already offered by m...
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) European Union’s Industrial Accelerator Act and (b) ‘Made in Europe’ rules on the car and vehicle manufacturing sector.
The EU’s Industrial Accelerator Act, as currently drafted, could disadvantage both the UK’s automotive sector and the UK-EU integrated automotive supply chains, which is why the Secretary of State and I have raised concerns with EU member states, Commissi...
Why commercial laundrettes, such as Johnsons in the Grantham and Bourne constituency, are not included in the Energy Intensive Industry Scheme.
The British Industry Supercharger supports businesses by relieving them of certain electricity policy and network costs. The list of eligible sectors is based on European Commission guidelines, since eligibility was established when the UK was an EU Membe...
What steps his Department is taking to improve domestic manufacturing supply chains for the car industry.
The Government is supporting investment into the transformation of our supply chains through DRIVE35, a £4 billion programme to 2035 funding the R&D, commercial scale-up and industrialisation of zero emission vehicle manufacturing in the UK.This in ad...
Whether his Department would consider the potential merits of including commercial laundry services within the Government’s Industrial Strategy.
The Government recognises that commercial laundry services provide an essential service, supporting the daily operations of key sectors such as hospitality and tourism. The Department for Business and Trade has not made a formal assessment of the sector’s...
Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of including commercial laundry services within wider sector support for hospitality.
The Department has not made a specific assessment of the case for including commercial laundry services within hospitality sector support. Our support for hospitality is focused on businesses directly operating within that sector, including through measur...
Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of capping the price of veterinary prescription charges on levels of pricing by providers who offer prescriptions under the cap.
The Department has not made an assessment of the impact of capping veterinary prescription charges on pricing. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is independent of Government and is responsible for remedies resulting from market investigations.In...
What progress has been made on agreeing a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with the United Arab Emirates.
The UK is negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a whole and is prioritising strengthening our trade and investment relationship with all six GCC countries through a UK-GCC-wide trade deal. The UAE is an important trading partner, the largest within the GCC. Total trade in goods and services between the UK and the UAE was £25.3 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2025.The UK strongly values the UK-UAE relationship and will continue to work to further deepen cooperation in trade and investment.
With reference to the Competition and Market Authority’s final report of March 24th 2026, what formula the Competition and Markets Authority used to determine the cap of £21 specifically for a first prescription.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is independent of Government and is responsible for remedies resulting from a market investigation. In its final report, the CMA set a £21 cap on first prescription fees based on evidence of fees charged across a large proportion of the veterinary services market. Full details of the CMA’s approach are set out in Part B of its final report (pages 262–311), which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterinary-services-for-household-pets-final-decision-report
With reference to the Competition and Market Authority’s final report of March 26th 2026, what the planned frequency of review is on the prescription fee caps on veterinary medicines; and which authority will have the responsibility to review the prescription fee caps on veterinary medicines.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is independent of Government and is responsible for the design, implementation and monitoring of market investigation remedies. The CMA has a statutory duty to keep under review the Order that will set out the prescription fee cap requirements. The prescription fee caps will increase annually in line with inflation, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index. Compliance with the caps will be monitored and enforced by the CMA and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
With reference to the Companies House news story titled Update on Companies House WebFiling security issue, published on 16 March 2026, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of this security issue on the planned roll-out of new identity verification requirements for company directors.
The issue affecting Companies House’s Web-filing service did not extend to other services, including the identification verification service for company directors and persons of significant control. It has also written to customers confirming that no data used as part of the identity verification process, such as passport information, was accessible.
With reference to the Companies House news story entitled Update on Companies House WebFiling security issue, published on 16 March 2026, what steps his Department is taking to (a) identify and (b) notify the directors of companies whose details may have been accessed without consent.
Companies House has written to all companies via the registered email address on a precautionary basis to update them and to advise that they check their registered details and contact Companies House if concerned. This guidance has also been placed on their website and other channels. There is currently no confirmed evidence that any records have been changed.
How many unauthorised changes to company records were (a) attempted and (b) successfully registered before the WebFiling service was closed on 13 March 2026.
Companies House is investigating this from both a technical and customer perspective. Following the initial report, ongoing investigations have found no subsequent confirmed cases of personal data having been (a) accessed without permission as a result of this issue. There is (b) no confirmed evidence that any records have been changed. The absence of any new confirmed cases is welcome although the investigation continues.
What independent security testing of the WebFiling service was conducted prior to its restoration on 16 March 2026.
The WebFiling service was successfully reopened at 9am on Monday 16 March after rigorous testing. The testing was done in accordance with best-practice security methodologies by government-approved testers, including external specialists. Companies House takes the security of its systems and data extremely seriously. It operates an ISO 27001:2022-certified Information Security Management System, demonstrating its commitment to robust, independently audited security controls. This approach aligns with recognised government and industry standards.
With reference to the Companies House news story titled Update on Companies House WebFiling security issue, published on 16 March 2026, what the total cost to the public purse was for the (a) investigation, (b) independent testing and (c) technical remediation of the identified security vulnerability.
Companies House’s investigation into the issue is ongoing so it is not yet possible to provide a total cost. The initial investigation and technical remediation work was undertaken by Companies House staff supported by specialist contractors. Further work is planned as the investigation progresses.
If he will make an estimate of the level of private capital the British Business Bank expects to crowd-in from their investment in Wayve.
The British Business Bank has invested £25 million in Wayve as part of a $1.2 billion Series D funding round, at a post-money valuation of $8.6 billion. Additional capital secured in parallel brings the total value of the raise to $1.5 billion.The Bank has an objective to “support our most promising businesses in the Industrial Strategy priority sectors to scale and stay here.” Crowding-in private capital was not the primary aim of this investment. Neither the Bank nor the Department has sought to assess the influence, if any, of the Bank’s investment in Wayve on the decisions of private co‑investors.