Written questions by Naish.

What steps his Department is taking to help increase awareness of statutory parental leave entitlements among small and medium-sized enterprises in Nottinghamshire.

Guidance for businesses on supporting employee work-life balance through measures such as flexible working and parental leave can be found on gov.uk and the Help to Grow website. We are also publishing an SME Strategy Paper later this year, which will result in positive and practical support for SMEs across the UK. Paternity Leave and Parental Leave will become ‘day one’ rights through the Employment Rights Bill. We will continue to engage with business, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as these changes are implemented, and through the Government’s Review of the parental leave system.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of export opportunities for UK-produced yoghurt following the signing of recent trade agreements.

The Department for Business and Trade recognises the importance of supporting UK dairy exports, including yoghurt. DBT works closely with industry partners such as the Dairy Export Taskforce and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board to unlock global opportunities.We have agreed with the EU to deliver a Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement that will significantly reduce costs and paperwork for exporting dairy businesses. Under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, tariffs on UK yoghurt and a broader range of dairy exports to Chile are reduced from 6% to 0%, enhancing competitiveness.DBT helps businesses benefit from Free Trade Agreements through tailored guidance, sector insights, and direct exporter engagement. The Dairy Export Programme provides targeted support via export promotion, market intelligence, and in-market expertise.

What recent progress he has made in ensuring that all sub-postmasters impacted by failures in the Horizon IT system receive their full compensation; and what steps he is taking to address (a) delays and (b) discrepancies in payments under the (i) Historical Shortfall Scheme, (ii) Group Litigation Order Scheme and (iii) Overturned Historical Convictions Scheme.

As of 2 June 2025, £1,039 billion has been paid to over 7,300 claimants across the Horizon schemes. This represents a fourfold increase since July 2024, with more than 4,500 victims receiving compensation for the first time.Claims across schemes are assessed by applying the specific facts of the case to established legal principles and other factors which support reaching a fair outcome.We continue to seek the views of the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board to ensure fairness and consider ways we can speed up redress.We are taking a variety of measures to increase the pace of the delivery of redress across our schemes. For example, we recently announced that we are reintroducing facilitated discussions in the GLO scheme – as requested by claimants’ lawyers. This should provide significant help in increasing the pace at which challenges are resolved.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of access to capital from the British Business Bank on rural businesses.

The British Business Bank’s programmes are designed to support businesses across the UK, including in rural areas, to access the finance they need to invest and thrive. Start Up Loans have been issued to new businesses in every UK parliamentary constituency, while the Nations and Regions Investment Funds provide debt and equity finance to businesses in both rural and urban areas outside London and the South East.ENABLE transactions with the likes of Oxbury Bank are helping more rural and agricultural businesses to access lending tailored to their needs.

What recent progress has been made on the appointment of a new chair for the Competition and Markets Authority; and when this position is likely to be filled.

Doug Gurr was appointed Interim Chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) on 21 January 2025 for a period of up to 18 months. The Secretary of State is grateful for the leadership Doug Gurr has shown in re-focusing the CMA on growth, investment and building business confidence while protecting consumers. An open competition to appoint a new permanent Chair will be launched in due course.

What steps he is taking to ensure that websites such as Checkatrade are vetting tradespeople appropriately to reduce the risk of fraud to platform users.

Checkatrade is a private company providing a UK-based online platform that connects homeowners with vetted and approved local tradespeople. Government is not directly involved in the vetting process or checks undertaken by Checkatrade. TrustMark is a UK government-endorsed quality scheme that covers work carried out in or around the home. It was established to ensure that consumers can find reliable and trustworthy tradespeople for various home improvement and repair tasks. TrustMark operates under a Master Licence Agreement held by the Department for Business and Trade. Consumers seeking tradespeople to undertake work in their home should consider checking for TrustMark certification.

Whether he is taking steps with the Midlands Engine to support regional (a) investment and (b) private sector collaboration.

Midlands Engine have undertaken a range of valuable work and have supported collaboration on shared growth opportunities. Moving forward, the government intends to support Mayors in collaborating at pan-regional level and creating convening bodies whose purpose, priorities and membership are decided at a regional level.At the Autumn Budget, the Government announced that it would consult on its minded to decision not to extend funding for the six pan-regional partnerships beyond the agreed allocations to the end of the 2024-25 financial year. We are currently considering the responses received and will confirm a final decision shortly.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the contribution of Midlands Engine to (a) attracting international investment and (b) supporting export growth for Midlands businesses.

Midlands Engine have undertaken a range of valuable work and have supported collaboration on shared growth opportunities. This has included launching the Midlands Engine Investment Portfolio at The UK's Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum in May 2024 and holding a Midlands Wide Kings Awards Event to encourage more firms to export.Following the recent consultation, the Government has confirmed its decision not to extend core funding for Midland Engine and other pan-regional partnerships. We are moving to a different model of economic collaboration, where we are keen to support new models driven by mayors and their partners.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of consolidating dental and veterinary practices into corporate chains on (a) pricing and (b) consumer access; and whether he plans to instruct the Competition and Markets Authority to review these trends.

Under competition law, responsibility for investigating individual and market-wide competition issues, including consolidation, falls to the Competition and Markets Authority ("CMA"), the UK's competition authority. The Government has ensured that the CMA has significant powers and expertise to investigate and take action against businesses that abuse dominant positions in markets by excluding competitors or exploiting consumers.The CMA has discretion to intervene in markets that are not working well for consumers and it is currently conducting a market investigation into veterinary services for household pets.