Written questions by Thomas.

Whether he has considered allowing the British Business Bank to a) accept deposits and b) run a pilot scheme allowing it to lend directly to i) businesses and ii) community housing groups in areas where community development finance institutions are less prevalent.

The British Business Bank has no plans to accept deposits and is not authorised to do so. This would require an application to the Prudential Regulation Authority, which regulates deposit-taking institutions.Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) play a vital role in providing affordable credit to underserved consumers and businesses. While it is the case that CDFIs are less prevalent in some areas, they have the potential to serve every part of the UK. The government and British Business Bank are collaborating with Responsible Finance and others on the UK Community Finance Partnership Taskforce, an initiative to grow the CDFI sector substantially over the next 5-10 years.

What information his Department holds on the proportion of UK businesses with dedicated budgets for training.

The DBT Longitudinal Small Business Survey[1] reports that 45 percent of SME employers offer training to their employees. The Department does not hold specific information on dedicated budgets for training. [1] Small Business Survey 2024: businesses with employees - GOV.UK

What grant funding is available to help support the development of commercial and business skills in small and medium-sized enterprise.

The Department for Business and Trade does not provide centrally administered grant funding, specifically for the development of commercial and business skills for SMEs.Help to Grow: Management (HTG:M) is a UK-wide leadership and management programme for SME leaders. The programme is 90% government‑subsidised, with a participant contribution of £750.Responsibility for business skills funding is devolved to local government, with commercial and business skills courses delivered through Growth Hubs funded directly through Mayoral Combined Authorities and local councils.Businesses are encouraged to use the business.gov.uk website to identify relevant local support, including skills and business development funding in their area.

Whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

The Department for Business and Trade offer a variety of financial support to employees. This includes season ticket loans, bicycle advances, rental deposits, house purchase advances (for those relocating and meeting departmental eligibility criteria) and salary advances. In addition, employees can access support for debt management or financial wellbeing through the Employee Assistance Programme.There are no plans to introduce payroll deductions for Credit Union purposes. The Department for Business and Trade is not able to advise on behalf of other agencies.

What further steps he will take to help small businesses take advantage of the UK's trade deals.

Our department is helping businesses take advantage of trade deals through engagement, guidance, and practical support. Events to promote understanding of FTAs have been held in all parts of the UK this year, including during International Trade Week.Guides to ensure business have clear advice on taking advantage of FTAs have been published on recent FTAs, and are being prepared for the UK-India FTA. SMEs can also access support on FTAs through the new Business Growth Service.The Government’s Plan for Small Businesses strengthens the business environment, improves finance access, creates growth opportunities, and boosts SME competitiveness across the UK.

Pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2025 to Question 93633, if he will publish that assessment.

To protect negotiation-sensitive information the Department for Business and Trade will not be publishing a full assessment of the potential economic impact of mutual recognition agreements on conformity assessment between the UK and EU. This Government remains committed to tackling barriers to trade with the EU, addressing areas of mutual benefit to both the UK and EU.

Whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of negotiating improved business travel mobility arrangements with the EU.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1st December to question 93634 (Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament).Improved business travel mobility arrangements with the EU would benefit individuals and businesses in both the UK and EU, likely increasing trade between us and the EU and increasing our GDP over time. The UK government is committed to supporting UK businesses to trade more easily with our biggest trading partner, the EU.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of UK and EU conformity assessment alignment on the economy.

We are aware that UK and EU stakeholders have highlighted that conformity assessment barriers negatively impact their ability to trade since the UK left the EU. Ahead of the UK-EU summit in May 2025 we explored a number of proposals with our EU partners on manufactured goods. To inform these discussions the government assessed the potential economic impact of a range of measures, including a mutual recognition agreement on conformity assessment, which indicated that such an agreement would be mutually beneficial for both the UK and EU. What was announced at the UK-EU summit reflects the outcome of the discussions.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of negotiating improved business travel mobility arrangements with the European Union.

Improved business travel mobility arrangements with the EU would benefit individuals and businesses in both the UK and EU, likely increasing trade between us and the EU and increasing our GDP over time. The UK government is committed to supporting UK businesses to trade more easily with our biggest trading partner, the EU.

How many complaints the British Business Bank received about a) the cost of loans to SMEs, b) debt recovery behaviour by people offering to lend to SMEs and c) fees charged by lenders when lending to SMEs in each of the last three years for which data is available.

Where the British Business Bank receives complaints about lenders' actions on debt recovery, cost of lending and fees charged by lenders, these are referred to the relevant lender. While all complaints are logged, the current system does not include a specific category for debt-recovery-related issues. No fees were charged under the COVID-19 loan schemes, and there are no fees for Start Up Loans other than interest payments.

Whether he will make an assessment of the potential benefits of the mutual recognition of professional qualifications by the UK and European Union.

DBT is continually assessing benefits of opportunities to improve recognition of professional qualifications with the EU. Improvements would reduce market access barriers, address skills gaps, and promote growth.The UK Government is committed to improving recognition of professional qualifications with the EU. At the 2025 UK-EU Summit we agreed to establish dedicated dialogues with the Commission on the relevant provisions in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. HMG is encouraging and supporting UK regulators to work with their EU counterparts, including through guidance and targeted funding.

Whether he has commissioned research from National Institute of Economic and Social Research in the last three years on (a) international lending rates and (b) levels international lending to SMEs.

The Department for Business and Trade has commissioned research on the alternatives to commercial lending in the SME Business Market. The research, undertaken by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, intends to study the characteristics of debt finance and lending markets within and outside the UK to identify market failures in the UK system and potential changes that could support businesses, especially SMEs.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) pubs and (b) other hospitality businesses extending their Bounce Back Loans for (i) an additional five years beyond the current maximum limits and (ii) at the same rate of interest.

Pay As You Grow (PAYG) was introduced to give businesses that borrowed under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) greater flexibility, including extended repayment terms and short-term interest only payments. The Department’s multi-year published evaluation of the Covid-19 Loan Guarantee Schemes indicated that closure rates among BBLS borrowers using PAYG were relatively low compared to others, suggesting PAYG may have had an important role in ensuring the survival of some businesses. The department has not conducted a sector specific assessment in relation to PAYG impact.

If he will ask the British Business Bank to support credit unions to offer loans to small businesses.

The British Business Bank is backing Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) with £150 million of capital through the Community ENABLE Funding programme, to support small businesses that are under-served by commercial lenders.Credit unions play a valuable role in providing both loans and savings, with 2.2 million members across the UK. Unlike CDFIs, which are not authorised to offer bank accounts, credit unions are able to attract customer deposits and are not reliant on wholesale finance. For this reason, the British Business Bank has no current plans to support credit unions to offer loans to small businesses.

What estimate he has made of the number of (a) pubs and (b) other hospitality businesses with outstanding covid-19 loans.

This information is not held centrally by the Department for Business and Trade.