Written questions by Baldwin.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade of 1 July 2025 in the debate on Hospitality Sector, Official Report, column 81WH, if he will publish reports produced by the licencing taskforce.

The taskforce was co-chaired by Nick Mackenzie, Chair of the British Beer & Pub Association and CEO of Greene King, one of the UK’s leading pub retailers and brewers, and I as Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports. Other members include industry representatives and experts, police and local authority representatives. It concluded on 23 March 2025 and provided Government with ten key licensing recommendations to consider. Government is currently in the process of reviewing these recommendations and will respond in due course.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade of 1 July 2025 in the debate on Hospitality Sector, Official Report, column 81WH, when he plans to make an announcement on his Department’s response to the licensing taskforce's recent report.

The Department for Business and Trade is working across Government to review the recommendations put forward in the licensing taskforce report. This review is currently being finalised, we plan to publish the report alongside the Government’s response this summer.

Whether he plans to continue the children's hospice grant beyond March 2026.

The Government wants a society where every child receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the important contribution that children and young people’s hospices make to care and support for children and young people with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions, as well as to their families. NHS England has provided £26 million in revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26, through what was, until recently, known as the Children and Young people’s Hospice Grant. Integrated care boards will once again administer the funding to their respective children and young people’s hospices on behalf of NHS England. The majority of children and young people’s hospices should now have received their allocations, with the remaining few receiving theirs in the coming weeks. Funding arrangements for 2026/27 will be confirmed in due course.

How much funding has been allocated to the Post Office in each year of the 2025 Spending Review period.

The settlement following the Spending Review provides investment of over £500 million over the Parliament to modernise the Post Office, including £86 million from the Transformation Fund. This will allow the Post Office to implement its Strategic Transformation Plan, including the replacement of the legacy Horizon computer system, and will put the Post Office and the crucial services its network provides on a more sustainable footing. The Spending Review settlement also ensures the Department will have maximum capacity and flexibility to provide full redress to the victims of the Post Office Horizon IT Scandal as quickly as possible. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government set aside £1.8 billion of funding for redress payments from 2024-25 in addition to around £200 million that had already been distributed.

With reference to the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 and the £94 million announced to save the Scunthorpe plant and British Steel, how much further funding has been provided to British Steel since this announcement; and whether that funding was in the form of (a) grants, (b) loans or (c) guarantees.

Funding of approximately £130m in total has been provided to British Steel to ensure continued operation of the blast furnaces.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK–India Free Trade Agreement on his Department.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) worked closely with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and other relevant departments to ensure that the UK–India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) supports the UK’s strategic objectives in science, technology, and innovation. The FTA will complement and bolster ongoing cooperation with India on science and technology through the Science and Innovation Council and the Technology Security Initiative.The FTA includes an innovation chapter, which will allow the UK and India to enhance existing collaboration in research and development. The digital trade chapter will also drive innovation and support emerging technologies through UK-India collaboration, maximising the benefits to both, including through trade. The telecommunications chapter will support fair competition, market access, and regulatory cooperation within the telecommunications sector. A full impact assessment of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement will be published at signature.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK–India Free Trade Agreement on his Department.

The UK and Republic of India concluded talks on their free trade agreement (FTA) on 6 May.The FTA includes a standalone environment chapter that supports the UK’s Clean Energy Superpower Mission, transition to Net Zero and climate goals. It promotes trade in green goods needed to deliver clean power and could boost UK clean energy exports, as well as strengthening cooperation on clean energy. It reaffirms commitments to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement and recognises the right of the UK to regulate in pursuit of our ambitious climate and environment goals. Finally, the FTA will commit both countries to strive to uphold strong levels of environmental protection, and to not waive their environmental laws to encourage bilateral trade or investment.The Department for Business and Trade will publish a formal Impact Assessment of the UK-India FTA in due course. This will provide estimates of the economic impacts of a trade deal with India, including estimates of the sectoral, regional and environmental impacts.

Whether conditions were attached to the funding provided to British Steel to ensure (a) value for money and (b) long term sustainability.

Funding is provided to British Steel under the provisions of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act. This funding is supported by wider powers under the Act to ensure it results in the safe and continued operation of steelmaking. All funding released to British Steel is reviewed and approved in advance, and is subject to the usual value-for-money considerations. The intervention is a temporary measure and work is continuing to determine the best long-term sustainable future for the site.

What steps he is taking to help protect (a) jobs and (b) supply chains which are dependent on British Steel.

Steel is a priority for this Government. As shown with the passing of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act on 12 April, this Government will not hesitate to take unprecedented steps to safeguard the future of steelmaking in the UK, protecting jobs, national security and supply chains.Since the legislation was passed on 12 April, we have acted round the clock to secure the raw materials needed to keep the blast furnaces operating safely at Scunthorpe. British Steel, the UK’s only manufacturer of rail, has secured a new £500 million long-term supply contract with Network Rail, and the statutory redundancy consultation initiated by British Steel’s owners, Jingye, has been cancelled, removing the immediate risk to 2,700 jobs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK–India Free Trade Agreement on his Department.

We are delivering our Plan for Change by striking a new trade deal with the fastest-growing economy in the G20. This comprehensive deal is expected to increase bilateral trade by £25.5 billion, increase UK GDP by £4.8 billion, and boost wages by £2.2 billion each and every year in the long run. Once the deal is signed, we will publish an Impact Assessment as part of the UK’s standard treaty scrutiny process. This will offer a breakdown of the deal’s impact across sectors and regions. This landmark trade deal is a major boost win for our world-class food and drink industry. British farmers and producers of lamb, salmon, whisky and gin can now benefit from lower tariffs and exciting new opportunities in one of the world's fastest-growing markets. The deal also protects sensitive sectors such as sugar, milled rice, pork, chicken, and eggs by excluding them from liberalisation.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on Wales.

Within a year of coming into government, we have secured three new trade deals with India, the EU and the US. Our Trade Strategy is unambiguous in pursuing quicker, more practical deals that deliver a real impact for Welsh businesses. That is why we have prioritised deals with Wales’s largest markets, including the US as our single largest country of destination with over 1000 businesses exporting from Wales. In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 45,000 people across Wales. The Government remains focused on making sure British businesses can feel the benefits of the deal as soon as possible. The Government is continuing discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains. My Department will continue to support the ongoing negotiations with the US, led by the Department for Business and Trade.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the UK-US trade deal on financial services.

The US is our single largest financial services trading partner and relations are strong. As hosts of the top two global financial hubs, both nations benefit from deep, global financial markets and strong trade ties. The General Terms for the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal agreed on 8 May confirm that we will negotiate digital trade provisions that include financial services. The General Terms can be found here. However these General Terms are only the first step in our negotiations on a wider economic deal. The Government will provide further updates as appropriate.

What assessment she has made of the fiscal impact of the US-UK trade deal.

On 8 May 2025, the Prime Minister and the President concluded a landmark economic deal between the United Kingdom and the United States. The deal was defined in the General Terms for the Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD). On 16 June, the Prime Minister and the President agreed further progress towards that goal and the initial implementation of commitments. The Office for Budget Responsibility is the government's official forecaster responsible for assessing the UK economic and fiscal outlook. The OBR will publish its next official forecast in the Autumn.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on his Department.

On 16 June, this Government announced progress towards the implementation of the UK-US trade deal. This now includes tariff exemptions on UK aerospace and automobile industries. As set out in the Foreign Secretary's British Chambers of Commerce speech in March 2025, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office serves as the international delivery arm of this Government's mission for growth. The US-UK deal provides the foundation for a new reciprocal trading partnership with our single largest trading partner which will support our efforts to protect UK jobs, open market access and strengthen co-operation on economic security with the US. I recently hosted excellent talks in this regard for example with the Governor of Virgina and a roundtable of UK businesses.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on her Department.

In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 320,000 people across the UK. In addition, an estimated 260,000 jobs are supported by the auto industry in the wider economy. The Government remains focused on making sure British businesses can feel the benefits of the deal as soon as possible. The Government is continuing discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains. My Department stands ready to support the ongoing negotiations with the US, led by the Department for Business and Trade.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on his Department.

The landmark detail concluded with the US in May this year protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 320,000 people across the UK. In addition, an estimated 260,000 jobs are supported by the auto industry in the wider economy.The Government remains focused on making sure British businesses can feel the benefits of the deal as soon as possible. The Government is continuing discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.The Ministry of Defence will continue to support the ongoing negotiations with the US led by the Department for Business and Trade.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on her Department.

In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 320,000 people across the UK. In addition, an estimated 260,000 jobs are supported by the auto industry in the wider economy.The Government remains focused on making sure British businesses can feel the benefits of the deal as soon as possible.The Government is continuing discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.My Department will continue to support the ongoing negotiations with the US, led by the Department for Business and Trade.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on her Department.

In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 320,000 people across the UK. In addition, an estimated 260,000 jobs are supported by the auto industry in the wider economy. The Government remains focused on making sure British businesses can feel the benefits of the deal as soon as possible. The Government is continuing discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains. My Department will continue to support the ongoing negotiations with the US, led by the Department for Business and Trade.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on Northern Ireland.

In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 320,000 people across the UK. In addition, an estimated 260,000 jobs are supported by the auto industry in the wider economy.For the first time ever, this deal will open up exclusive access for UK beef to the US market. This is a major opportunity for NI farmers to sell their high quality beef to a market of over 300 million people, helping farmers grow their business.The Government remains focused on making sure businesses can feel the benefits of the deal as soon as possible. We are continuing discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on Scotland.

In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 320,000 people across the UK. In addition, an estimated 260,000 jobs are supported by the auto industry in the wider economy. The Government remains focused on making sure British businesses can feel the benefits of the deal as soon as possible. The Scotland Office will continue to work with the sector to understand the impacts, including the Scotch Whisky Industry. The Government is continuing discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains. The Scotland Office will continue to support the ongoing negotiations with the US, led by the Department for Business and Trade.