Written questions by Josan.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure audit requirements are accessible and affordable for small and mid-sized quoted companies.

The government has announced plans to modernise and simplify the corporate reporting framework and expects to publish its Modernising Corporate Reporting consultation shortly. The consultation will consider financial, non-financial, remuneration and corporate governance reporting, as well as proposals to reduce burdens on business and to simplify the preparation and audit of accounts and reports, including for quoted companies. The consultation will also consider the appropriateness of the UK’s framework for reporting and auditing by small and medium-sized companies.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the burden of annual reporting for small and mid-sized quoted companies.

The government has announced plans to modernise and simplify the corporate reporting framework and expects to publish its Modernising Corporate Reporting consultation shortly. The consultation will consider financial, non-financial, remuneration and corporate governance reporting, as well as proposals to reduce burdens on business and to simplify the preparation and audit of accounts and reports, including for quoted companies. The consultation will also consider the appropriateness of the UK’s framework for reporting and auditing by small and medium-sized companies.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the British Business Bank supports stocks traded on AIM and Aquis.

The British Business Bank’s mission is to drive economic growth by helping smaller businesses get the finance they need to start, scale and stay in the UK.Through its equity and debt programmes, the Bank supports privately held businesses in the earlier stages of their growth journey, helping to strengthen the pipeline of companies that reach sufficient scale to access public markets including AIM and Aquis.Once businesses are traded on a public market, they can access liquidity from existing and new investors by issuing new equity or debt securities.

How many people in England and Wales would have a previous caution or conviction disclosed in a standard DBS check.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) does not hold information about how many people overall in England and Wales have a previous caution or conviction nor the specific nature of those offences which would determine whether they would be disclosed on Standard DBS checks.Only upon receipt of an eligible DBS application does the DBS access an extract of the Police National Computer (PNC) and establish whether conviction or caution information is relevant and requires disclosure in line with the relevant rules on disclosure.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of its current policies in supporting entrepreneurship and the scale-up of UK businesses.

This government is committed to supporting founders and innovative companies to start, scale, stay and list in the UK.At Budget we increased the generosity of our enterprise tax reliefs, to support scaling companies raise finance and attract top talent, and committed to being a better customer to innovative businesses, through the use of advance market commitments and wider procurement reforms.We have also increased the financial capacity of the British Business Bank, enabling them to invest £5 billion into scaling companies over this Parliament.The Government also launched a Call for Evidence on Tax Support for Entrepreneurs, examining how the tax system supports investment in high growth companies and exploring potential options to go further. The consultation closed on 28 February 2026.We have already delivered an ambitious set of reforms to make it easier for firms to list and stay on UK markets, and capital markets are a core pillar of the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, launched at Mansion House.The UK is a hub for growth capital, with UK growth markets providing funding to growing companies from across the world. Over the last 10 years, over half of all capital raised on European growth markets was raised on AIM.The government maintains a range of targeted tax reliefs for growth market shares, supporting capital raising for quoted companies, and investors in those shares. This supports growth in the broader UK economy.Collectively these measures support companies access investment across their life cycle, alongside supporting access to government contracts and talent. We will monitor and evaluate the impact of these measures.

What proportion of (a) basic, (b) standard, and (c) enhanced checks undertaken by the DBS in England and Wales are undertaken on individuals from an ethnic minority background.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) does not collect ethnicity information as part of its checks application process.

What plans her Department has to improve access to finance for small and mid-sized quoted companies.

The UK’s capital markets play a key role in delivering on the government’s growth mission. We have already delivered an ambitious set of reforms to make it easier for firms to start, scale, list and stay on UK markets, and capital markets are a core pillar of the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, launched at Mansion House. The UK is also a hub for growth capital, with UK growth markets providing funding to growing companies from across the world. Over the last 10 years, over half of all capital raised on European growth markets was raised on AIM. The government maintains a range of targeted tax reliefs for growth market shares, supporting capital raising for listed businesses, and investors in those shares. This supports growth in the broader UK economy.

What steps her Department is taking to support entrepreneurship and the transition of high-growth UK businesses from start-up to scale-up.

This government is committed to supporting founders and innovative companies to start, scale, stay and list in the UK.At Budget we increased the generosity of our enterprise tax reliefs, to support scaling companies raise finance and attract top talent, and committed to being a better customer to innovative businesses, through the use of advance market commitments and wider procurement reforms.We have also increased the financial capacity of the British Business Bank, enabling them to invest £5 billion into scaling companies over this Parliament.The Government also launched a Call for Evidence on Tax Support for Entrepreneurs, examining how the tax system supports investment in high growth companies and exploring potential options to go further. The consultation closed on 28 February 2026.We have already delivered an ambitious set of reforms to make it easier for firms to list and stay on UK markets, and capital markets are a core pillar of the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, launched at Mansion House.The UK is a hub for growth capital, with UK growth markets providing funding to growing companies from across the world. Over the last 10 years, over half of all capital raised on European growth markets was raised on AIM.The government maintains a range of targeted tax reliefs for growth market shares, supporting capital raising for quoted companies, and investors in those shares. This supports growth in the broader UK economy.Collectively these measures support companies access investment across their life cycle, alongside supporting access to government contracts and talent. We will monitor and evaluate the impact of these measures.

What assessment her Department has made of the role of tax incentives in boosting investment in small and mid-sized quoted companies.

This government is committed to supporting founders and innovative companies to start, scale, stay and list in the UK.At Budget we increased the generosity of our enterprise tax reliefs, to support scaling companies raise finance and attract top talent, and committed to being a better customer to innovative businesses, through the use of advance market commitments and wider procurement reforms.We have also increased the financial capacity of the British Business Bank, enabling them to invest £5 billion into scaling companies over this Parliament.The Government also launched a Call for Evidence on Tax Support for Entrepreneurs, examining how the tax system supports investment in high growth companies and exploring potential options to go further. The consultation closed on 28 February 2026.We have already delivered an ambitious set of reforms to make it easier for firms to list and stay on UK markets, and capital markets are a core pillar of the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, launched at Mansion House.The UK is a hub for growth capital, with UK growth markets providing funding to growing companies from across the world. Over the last 10 years, over half of all capital raised on European growth markets was raised on AIM.The government maintains a range of targeted tax reliefs for growth market shares, supporting capital raising for quoted companies, and investors in those shares. This supports growth in the broader UK economy.Collectively these measures support companies access investment across their life cycle, alongside supporting access to government contracts and talent. We will monitor and evaluate the impact of these measures.

What information his Department holds on the link between individuals holding a criminal record and (a) unemployment and (b) PIP claimants.

The Ministry of Justice does not hold specific information on the link between having a criminal record and (a) unemployment or (b) Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants. We know that employment can reduce the likelihood of reoffending by up to nine percentage points in the year following release. This is why the Government has committed to supporting ex-offenders into work, including through launching regional Employment Councils, which bring businesses together with prisons, probation and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to support offenders in the community. We recognise that having a criminal record can impact on someone’s employment opportunities, but it should not be an automatic barrier to employment. The criminal records disclosure framework is designed to balance rehabilitation with maintaining safeguarding and public protection principles. Our guidance for employers makes clear that recruitment decisions should be based on a balanced assessment of relevance, context, and risk. DWP also does not hold data on the criminal record of claimants to PIP as this, together with their employment status, does not form part of the eligibility criteria for the benefit. We continue to work across Government to improve data-sharing and build a clearer picture of people’s employment support needs.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of using wasted and stranded renewable energy to mine bitcoin as an alternative DSR capability.

No such assessment has been made.

What research he has undertaken into (a) inequalities in the criminal justice system and (b) the impact of DBS checks on those inequalities.

Equality before the law is a fundamental principle of our criminal justice system. We are committed to working in partnership with ethnic minority communities, stakeholders and delivery partners to seize opportunities and remove barriers to racial equality across the UK and to hear people’s lived experiences.Data First is a pioneering data-linkage, research and academic engagement programme, led by the Ministry of Justice. By making linked data across courts, prison and probation services available to accredited academic researchers, Data First continues to facilitate new research on the nature and extent of ethnic disparities in sentencing outcomes that has not been possible before.DBS checks and the wider criminal records regime must strike a balance between safeguarding and rehabilitation, but we recognise the different ways that they can impact on an individual’s life. Sir Brian Leveson’s recent independent review of the Criminal Courts also highlighted these impacts. On 2 December 2025, the Deputy Prime Minister confirmed in a Written Ministerial Statement, that we are considering Sir Brian’s recommendation, including opportunities to simplify the regime to ensure it is clear and proportionate, particularly in relation to childhood offences.

What demographic data in relation to ethnicity, gender and age his Department holds on convictions and cautions over the last 30 years.

The Ministry of Justice holds an extract of the Police National Computer (PNC) which holds data on ethnicity, gender and age for convictions and cautions since 2000. A breakdown of this information is published annually in the First Time Entrants and Offenders History publication here: First Time Entrants and Offenders History publication In addition, the Ministry of Justice holds data on convictions in the Court Proceedings database which includes details of gender and age from 1984. Ethnicity data is included from 2005 onwards. This information, along with a technical guide for each report containing further details around demographic information, is routinely published in Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK Information on cautions from the PNC extract is also published within the reports.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to prevent UK companies from sell and profit from hunts, in addition to banning trophy hunters.

The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern, which is the most effective approach the Government can take on this matter. The department continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to tackle UK companies profiting from the trophy hunting of endangered animals.

The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. Defra continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined.

If he will publish a national strategy for palliative and end of life care.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of housebuilding.

The government is taking concerted action to significantly boost housing supply in England including undertaking the biggest overhaul of the planning system in decades; speeding up the delivery of stalled sites through our New Homes Accelerator; and making the biggest boost to social and affordable grant funding in a generation.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to support the semiconductor industry.

Semiconductors are one of six frontier technologies set out in our Digital and Technologies sector plan, launched this week as part of our industrial strategy.We will capitalise on our outstanding research base and strengths in chip design, compound semiconductors and next generation technologies including photonics.Support includes a new UK Semiconductor Centre; Innovation and Knowledge Centres to help bring new chip technologies to market; a Chip Design Enablement Programme to boost our design capability, and improving the semiconductor talent pipeline to ensure industry can make the most of growth opportunities in this critical sector.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK's relationship with India.

First, let me express again how deeply shocked and saddened I was by the devastating plane crash in Ahmedabad. The Foreign Secretary visited India in his first month in office. Since then, we have agreed the groundbreaking Technology and Security Initiative, concluded negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement and made big strides towards agreeing a new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Foreign Secretary also visited Delhi earlier this month to discuss our ambitions to further strengthen and deepen our relationship in trade, security, technology, climate and education.