Written questions by Campbell.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2025 to Question 59711 on UK Internal Trade, what progress his Department has made on removing additional obligations placed on GB based businesses supplying Northern Ireland.

I understand that some GB based businesses have faced changes as a result of the updated General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). The Department has issued guidance for those who are selling to Northern Ireland, which we will continue to keep under review. We have engaged with businesses directly to ensure they understand their obligations arising from the GPSR, and to support them in trading freely across the entirety of the UK.The Government is committed to upholding its obligations under the Windsor Framework, and to protecting the UK internal market.

How much and what proportion of the funding provided to the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland has been allocated to businesses in Northern Ireland.

The £70 million Investment Fund for Northern Ireland offers loans ranging from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investments up to £5 million. The fund covers the whole of Northern Ireland, including rural, coastal and urban areas. 100% of the fund is allocated to businesses in Northern Ireland. Of the £70 million total, around £18 million has been deployed to 35 businesses to date, leveraging around £12 million of additional private capital.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2024 to Question 18502 on Consumer Goods: Safety specifically that his Department is supporting businesses to trade freely across the UK, if he will make it his policy that free movement of goods without bureaucratic requirements is applied across the UK.

The Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework and protecting the UK internal market.With respect to the updated General Product Safety Regulation, as referenced in Question [18502], I understand that, for some businesses, the regulation has required changes. The Department has issued guidance for businesses selling to Northern Ireland and has continued to engage businesses directly to ensure that they understand the obligations.

If he will hold discussions with representatives of businesses with government contracts on ensuring that UK residents who are entitled to a UK passport following the passing of the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024 are not excluded from employment because they hold dual nationality.

None planned, as there is no DBT policy in relation to Govt contracts which differentiates treatment of UK residents who are entitled to a UK passport following the passing of the British Nationality Act 2024 from other UK residents.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership on Northern Ireland in its first year of operation.

The UK acceded to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on 15 December 2024.This comprehensive agreement will support businesses by making it easier for them to trade with CPTPP, and all nations of the UK are expected to benefit.It will reduce tariffs on some of Northern Ireland’s most-exported products to CPTPP countries, with tariffs of up to 30% eliminated on UK exports of machinery to Malaysia within five years.Government analysis estimates that the UK’s accession could boost Northern Ireland’s economy by around £70 million annually when compared to 2019 levels, in the long run.

What steps he is taking to support high street retailers to help tackle cyber attacks.

The Government offers free guidance, tools and training to help businesses improve their cyber resilience. This includes a new Cyber Governance Code of Practice to help boards and directors manage digital risks, and the Cyber Essentials scheme which helps in protecting businesses against cyber-attacks.The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is working in close coordination with law enforcement, the Department for Business and Trade and other relevant government departments to support each of the affected retailers. This includes providing technical expertise and strategic guidance which assist with incident response and recovery. The NCSC is maintaining active engagement with the wider retail sector to share threat information and offer mitigative guidance aimed at reducing the risk from further incidents.

With reference to the British Business Bank's press release entitled British Business Bank launches £70million investment fund for Northern Ireland, published on 16 November 2023, if he will publish the criteria to determine whether the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland is successful.

The Investment Fund for Northern Ireland aims to tackle an identified funding gap by increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses in Northern Ireland. The criteria for success includes number of investments, overall deployment of capital, amount of private sector capital leveraged, geographical spread of investments, ensuring distribution across the whole of Northern Ireland, and providing funds to firms that might not otherwise receive investment.In addition, an interim evaluation of the fund will be commissioned during the first five years of the Fund’s operation, and we expect it to assess the gross value added, turnover growth rates, and finance additionality.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42419 on Foreign Investment in the UK: Northern Ireland, how many employees are specifically working with Invest NI to help promote investment (a) before and (b) during the Open Golf Championship at Royal Portrush in July 2025.

Promoting investment into Northern Ireland is a key priority for investment staff across the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and Office for Investment, including the dedicated team of 10 based in Belfast (DBT NI). At present no dedicated member of staff is working specifically on The Open Golf Championship at Royal Portrush in July 2025, but staff are working on wider promotion of investment into Northern Ireland on an ongoing basis that seeks to take advantage of the focus that events like The Open can provide. DBT NI continues to work collaboratively with Invest Northern Ireland on a range of events and initiatives throughout the year.

What meetings he has had Northern Ireland based businesses following the publication of guidance for businesses on the new General Product Safety Regulation.

My officials have been engaging regularly with businesses from across the UK on the updated General Product Safety Regulation in Northern Ireland. Since the guidance for businesses was published, officials have hosted numerous drop-in sessions for businesses, both before and after the Regulation took effect in Northern Ireland. The Department for Business and Trade will be publishing updates to the guidance to provide additional clarity to businesses, reflecting the queries and feedback we have received.

How many employees from the Trade and Investment Hub in Northern Ireland are working with Invest NI to promote investment before the Open Golf Championship at Royal Portrush in July 2025.

At end February 2025 DBT had 76 FTE from across the organisation based in our Belfast Hub. There are 10 people working in the trade and investment team, who all work collaboratively with Invest Northern Ireland on a range of events and initiatives throughout the year.

How many times the Export Finance Manager responsible for Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland visited Northern Ireland in 2024.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) has a dedicated Export Finance Manager (EFM) based in, and visiting businesses all around, Northern Ireland since 2012, along with Regional Heads who oversee the work of clusters of EFMs. UKEF does not provide information about individual officials who are not senior civil servants.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2025 to Question 32942 on Northern Ireland: Investment, what estimate he has made of the private sector investment in addition to the fund.

The British Business Bank periodically publishes updated milestone figures on the Nations and Regions Investment Funds. Updated figures for the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland will be published by the end of Q2, which will include private sector investment.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 February to Question 29416 on Investment: Northern Ireland, how much of the funding already deployed is from the private sector; and over what period he expects the total amount to be spent.

The £10 million already deployed is solely from the fund, private sector investment is in addition to that. The fund expects to deploy the £70m over 5 years, until November 2028.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland since it was established.

The Investment Fund for Northern Ireland was launched in November 2023 with the aim to deliver a £70 million commitment to smaller businesses in Northern Ireland, alongside investment from the private sector. Since its launch, the fund has deployed almost £10 million in debt funding and equity investment to local businesses at differing stages of their growth journey.

If he will publish the (a) guarantees, (b) insurance policies and (c) loans issued by UK Export Finance to businesses in Northern Ireland in 2024.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) produces audited details of businesses supported each financial year as part of its transparency protocols.Details of all UKEF support for businesses for 2023/24 and previous years can be found online at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-export-finance-business-supportedThe corresponding return of all businesses supported during financial year 2024/25 will be published in the summer.UKEF does not publish a breakdown by UK nations and regions.

If he will list the support offered to businesses in Northern Ireland by UK Export Finance in 2024.

UKEF offers its full range of products and services to exporters across the UK, including Northern Ireland. Full details of the UKEF’s product and support offering can be found online at: www.ukexportfinance.gov.uk/products-and-services/. UKEF also has a network of Export Finance Managers across the UK who are valuable points of contact for local businesses and can provide information on the range of support available. Contact details for the EFMs can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/find-an-export-finance-manager.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership on each (a) nation and (b) region of the UK.

The UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is expected to support jobs and create opportunities for business growth in every part of the UK. An impact assessment was published regarding the UK's accession to CPTPP and the potential long-run economic impact of the agreement. The analysis detailed the prospective impacts on all the UK’s regions and nations and demonstrated that UK GDP could increase by £2.0 billion every year in the long run.

If he will have discussions with representatives of the engineering sector on the impact of the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024.

The Department for Business and Trade works closely with businesses in a range of sectors, including manufacturing, construction, aerospace, and automotive sectors, and will continue to. Each Government department engages with relevant sectors where appropriate.

If she will make an estimate of the number of people on the National Living Wage who will become liable for income tax from 6 April 2025.

The department will publish a comprehensive impact assessment on the impacts of the 2025 National Minimum Wage uprating in line with the requirements of the Better Regulation Framework shortly. However, this will not provide an estimate of the number of National Living Wage earners who will become income taxpayers from April 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2024 to Question 11832 on the Living Wage, if the Impact Assessment will provide an estimate of the number of national living wage earners who will become income tax payers from April 2025.

The Department produces National Minimum Wage Impact Assessments in line with the requirements of the Better Regulation Framework. Previous Impact Assessments are available via Legislation.gov.uk. The Impact Assessment that will be published alongside the legislation for the 2025 rates will not provide an estimate of the number of National Living Wage earners who will become income tax payers from April 2025.