Written questions by Baldwin.

When he plans to initiate the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRAG) process for the UK–India Free Trade Agreement by laying the treaty before Parliament.

The Government laid the treaty text of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement before Parliament on 21 January. The statutory period provided by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 will commence on 22 January. The Government is prioritising bringing the deal into force as quickly as possible. The agreement is expected to significantly accelerate trade between the UK and India – increasing bilateral trade by £25.5 billion every year in the long run. As soon as the agreement comes into force, import duties on UK exports are estimated to reduce by around £400 million, increasing to £900 million after 10 years.

With reference to the press release entitled Joint statement between the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Prime Minister of Canada, published on 15 June 2025, on what date (a) he and (b) the Prime Minister of Canada expect to receive the report from the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group.

In line with the commitment made between our Prime Ministers in June 2025, the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group met over the course of last year in order to identify ways in which the UK and Canada can deepen cooperation, tackle market access barriers and grow our bilateral trading relationship, which was worth £30bn in the 12 months to June 2025. The joint report for Prime Ministers itself is subject to ongoing discussions with the Government of Canada, and will be finalised in due course.

What progress he has made on negotiations towards a UK–Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement; and what issues remain outstanding.

Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are at an advanced stage with a focus on getting a deal that supports economic growth and delivers real value to business. Through ministerial and official-led engagement, we have made significant progress across a wide range of chapters. Outcomes in areas such as goods, services, investment and sustainability remain under active negotiation, and we are working closely with our GCC counterparts to resolve outstanding issues.

What steps his Department is taking to expand UK participation in global supply chains for semiconductors and critical minerals.

DBT is strengthening UK participation in global critical mineral supply chains by leveraging domestic processing and recycling capabilities, expanding international partnerships through trade agreements and financing tools, and mobilising investment to diversify sources and build resilience. As part of the Industrial Strategy’s Digital and Technologies sector plan, the Government is prioritising measures to enhance national security and strengthen semiconductor supply chain resilience, while positioning the UK as a trusted global partner. We work with international partners through initiatives such as the OECD Semiconductor Informal Exchange Network and the G7 Point of Contact Group on Semiconductors to develop shared approaches and solutions that improve global supply chain resilience.

What is the Department's policy on the use of Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanisms in future free trade agreements.

The UK’s International Investment Agreements aim to enhance opportunities for UK businesses to expand overseas, with commitments that seek to limit the barriers they face, make it easier to navigate local rules, and ensure investments are treated lawfully, and protected against unfair or arbitrary action. The UK draws on the full range of investment commitments and international best practice in our international investment agreements to promote growth, deliver our clean energy goals, and continue to uphold the UK’s right to regulate and build strong trade and investment relationships.

What specific steps his Department is taking to tackle non-tariff barriers currently facing SMEs in the automotive sector that export to the United States.

We are committed to supporting UK businesses to trade internationally. In May, under the General Terms of the Economic Prosperity Deal, the UK secured a 10% tariff for automotives within quota, the first and only country to do so - saving hundreds of millions of pounds on UK exports annually and delivering on our Plan for Change.We are now continuing talks on a wider UK-US Economic Deal which will also look at addressing specific tariff and non-tariff barriers, and unlocking new commercial opportunities that benefit both nations - including SMEs.

What his timetable is for the (a) consultation on and (b) implementation of the compensation scheme for steel undertakings referenced in his statement of 10 December 2025.

The Government is engaging with Jingye, the owners of British Steel, to find a pragmatic path forward for the future of the company. The Government wishes to make further progress in those discussions before introducing such a scheme. The Government does not plan to consult on the scheme since the directions in the Act have been applied to only one company.

What proportion of the £274 million funding provided to British Steel has been used to settle outstanding invoices owed to small and medium-sized enterprises in the supply chain; and what estimate he has made of the remaining value of unpaid invoices to such businesses.

Revenue generated from sales funds the majority of British Steel's operating costs, with additional funding provided to British Steel under the provisions of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act to enable safe operation of its blast furnaces and related steel works. British Steel have confirmed it cannot currently disaggregate payments or invoices by SME status; however, all invoices are processed in line with contractual payment terms.

On what date his Department submitted the Impact Assessment relating to the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 to the Regulatory Policy Committee for review.

The request for formal review of the Impact Assessment was submitted on 3 November 2025. The Regulatory Policy Committee responded earlier this week, and the final Impact Assessment will be published in January 2026.

Whether he plans to publish the Steel Strategy before the expiry of the current steel safeguards in 2026.

The Government will publish the steel strategy in early 2026, before the expiry of the current steel safeguard in June 2026.

Whether he plans to reduce the cost of groceries by reducing tariffs on fruit and vegetables not (a) grown and (b) processed in the UK.

As part of the Budget, the Government launched an application window for new duty suspensions on 26 November to help reduce import costs. Stakeholders have until 4 February 2026 to apply for the UK Global Tariff rate to be temporarily suspended on goods which are not produced, or not produced in sufficient quantities, in the UK and Crown Dependencies, including on fruit and vegetables. As a result of the previous application window announced in March 2025, the Government suspended tariffs on a range of food and drink products including fruit juices, pine nuts and raisins.

With reference to the answer of 4 November 2025 to question UIN 86627, has the Minister convened the roundtable together with with the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, the Post Office and key banks on potentially expanding the range of banking services available at post offices.

Together with the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, I plan to co-chair a roundtable with the Post Office and key banks. Due to diary constraints this has not been possible yet but will happen in due course.Exploring opportunities for further collaboration between Post Office and the banking sector remains a priority and I plan to continue raising the issue at all appropriate opportunities, including the upcoming roundtable.

What estimate his Department has made of the time and resources required to negotiate UK accession to the PEM Convention with existing members.

No decision has been made on UK accession to the PEM Convention. As set out in the Trade Strategy, we are now engaging business and PEM partners to consider the potential merits of accession and launched a Call for Evidence on 17 November. A decision to seek to join the PEM Convention will only be taken if it is in the national interest and reflects business sentiment. It would be premature therefore to comment on the nature of hypothetical negotiations or the resources that might be required to engage in them, hypothetically.

Whether his Department has conducted a sectoral impact analysis of the potential UK accession to the PEM Convention.

As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, the Government recognises that PEM accession could bring benefits to British businesses but that the potential benefits and risks will likely vary both within and across sectors. Our Call for Evidence, launched on 17 November, seeks input from business directly to better understand these sectoral impacts. It will end on 15 December.

Whether his Department plans to publish a summary of responses to the call for evidence on the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention on Rules of Origin.

Once the Call for Evidence has closed, the government will review and analyse the responses received and decide how best to proceed and what to publish.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits and risks to UK exporters of joining the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention.

As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, joining the PEM Convention could simplify rules of origin across the UK’s nearest neighbours and increase supply chain flexibility for UK exporters. However, the Government recognises the benefits and risks of accession could vary both within and across sectors. We have therefore launched a Call for Evidence to seek direct business and partner input on the opportunities and risks that might flow from joining PEM. This will run until 15 December.

How many people impacted by the Horizon IT system failure received settlements lower than their original claims.

The Government does not hold this information in a way that allows for reliable reporting. Each claim is assessed individually, and settlement offers vary depending on the specific circumstances of each case. As such, providing a figure would be misleading.

How much the Government paid in its settlement to Sir Alan Bates.

The Government is unable to disclose amounts awarded to individual GLO claimants.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the uplifted Network Charging Compensation Scheme on the UK’s industrial electricity price competitiveness relative to other G7 economies.

Raising the level of compensation delivered by the Network Charging Compensation Scheme from 60% to 90% will reduce electricity prices for the average energy intensive industry (EII) business by a further £7-10/MWh. This increased discount will bring electricity prices in this country closer in line with those in other G7 countries, including France and Germany. This support will provide meaningful electricity cost relief for eligible businesses to help them remain competitive and support them to decarbonise.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the uplift in Network Charging Compensation Scheme relief on small and medium-sized manufacturers not eligible for EII status.

The Government will bear down on costs across the energy system to ensure that the uplift does not lead to a net increase in electricity bills for domestic and non-domestic energy consumers, including small and medium scale non-energy intensive manufacturers. Additionally, in October 2025, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero published a consultation seeking views on the proposal to amend the inflation indexation of the Renewables Obligation (RO) from the RPI to the CPI. This may contribute to this goal.