Written questions by Shannon.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of US tariffs on the UK aerospace sector.

The US has committed to reducing tariffs on UK aerospace goods such as engines and similar aircraft parts from the general 10% tariff being applied to all other countries, to 0% - which is expected to come into force by the end of the month. This means the UK is now the only country in the world to be exempt from the 10% on aerospace.This deal is a win for the UK’s world-class aerospace sector which was facing additional 10% tariffs, helping make companies more competitive and allowing them to continue to be at the cutting edge of innovation.

Whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on the import of hormone-treated beef into the UK.

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade engages regularly with the US. On 8 May, we announced a landmark economic deal with the US, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump.We have agreed new reciprocal market access on beef - with UK farmers given a guaranteed quota for 13,000 metric tonnes of beef exports at a very low tariff rate. Imports of hormone treated beef will remain illegal. Our approach to this trade deal has ensured that any agricultural imports coming into the UK will meet the highest food standards.

What discussions he has had with his international counterparts on potential changes to steel tariffs.

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade regularly engages with counterparts in other nations in relation to tariffs and the international trade of steel. On 8 May, this Government concluded a landmark economic deal with the US, where the US has committed to removing the 25% Section 232 tariffs on UK exporters by applying a quota system. Most recently, the Secretary of State has also discussed steel tariffs with his EU counterpart the European Commissioner for Trade within the context of the conclusion of the European Commission’s review of their Steel Safeguard.

If he will legislative steps to ensure job advertisements do not ask about political views.

Employers should follow a fair process when recruiting. They must not discriminate, in terms of the Equality Act 2010, and they must comply with data protection legislation. Compliance involves being clear what information is collected about candidates and how it will be used for recruitment purposes; and collecting only the information that is relevant and necessary for recruitment.

What progress his Department has made on trade talks with India.

The Business and Trade Secretary travelled to New Delhi to meet his counter Piyush Goyal in February 2025 where they relaunched negotiations.We are continuing to work closely with the Government of India to progress negotiations towards a deal that drives economic growth for every region and nation.

What steps he is taking to improve export capacity within the UK.

We recognise the importance of increasing the capacity of businesses to export and succeed around the world.UK businesses can access DBT’s export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, the International Markets network and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers.As part of our work on a new trade strategy and a small business strategy, we are looking at further proposals to help UK businesses to export more.

What steps he is taking to increase UK aviation exports.

DBT works with UK aerospace companies to open markets, tackle trade disputes, provide SME support, and connect business to export opportunities. Through the Aerospace Growth Partnership and Aerospace Technology Institute, we support industry to increase supply chain productivity, competitiveness, innovation and exports. In defence, we work with industry to develop campaigns to pursue a pipeline of global opportunities. In 2024 the UK aerospace industry exported £23 billion of its production and over 5 years to 2023 on average achieved annual orders of £5.4 billion across aerospace products relating to defence. The Industrial Strategy will set out our further support for these sectors.

What assessment he has made of trends in levels of footfall on high streets since 1 January 2025.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes weekly reports retail footfall traffic across the UK. This data can fluctuate due to factors such as seasonal trends, economic conditions and consumer confidence. Due to the highly volatile nature of the high-street footfall data the department does not estimate footfall trends on high streets. All ONS reports on real-time UK wide retail footfall for each week in 2025 can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/bulletins/economicactivityandsocialchangeintheukrealtimeindicators/previousreleases

What discussions he has had with his counterpart in Northern Ireland on encouraging international steel investment in Northern Ireland.

We believe that our Plan for Steel will be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make a real difference for this industry. It will address the problems the sector faces and create a competitive business landscape across the entirety of the United Kingdom.Supporting the strategy is the Steel Council to which the Minister for the Economy is a member and met in January. In addition, I met with Minister Archibald prior to the launch of the consultation on the strategy in February.

If he will take steps to provide additional incentives to help encourage people to establish small businesses.

The Government supports entrepreneurs with funding and mentoring through, for example the British Business Bank, via Start-up Loans.The recently announced Business Growth Service which is due to be landed later this year, will help businesses access the support they need to grow, whether they are starting out or looking to scale up. One aim is to ensure that businesses can access more targeted support that considers their particular needs.We will publish our Small Business Strategy later this year, setting out how the Government will encourage entrepreneurship across the UK and enable small businesses to grow, empowering entrepreneurs to innovate, export and create new jobs.

What steps he is taking to help protect the chemical industry from (a) site closures and (b) job losses.

The chemicals sector underpins almost all manufacturing in the UK and is fundamental to maximising growth and productivity across the economy to drive forward the government’s missions, including delivering growth for all. Reforms are underway to address planning barriers to growth, channel finance towards growth priorities and accelerate the transition to net zero.This will be supported by our modern Industrial Strategy which will implement targeted policy interventions to drive long-term sustainable, inclusive and secure growth.Last autumn’s Budget announced continued support for Energy Intensive Industries – including chemical companies - through £350M of additional funding across the next two years.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on introducing more flexible paternity leave.

The Government is committed to ensuring that employed parents receive the best possible support to balance their work and family responsibilities.The Employment Rights Bill will increase the flexibility of Paternity Leave. This Bill will make Paternity Leave available from ‘day one’ in a new job and enable it to be taken after Shared Parental Leave.We will also review the parental leave system to ensure that it supports working families. Planning work is already underway across Government, including with the Department of Work and Pensions.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of flexible working patterns offered to enable parents to (a) work and (b) afford the costs of childcare.

We know from reviews of the existing legislative framework as well as the impact assessment of the measures in the Employment Rights Bill that there is clear demand for adequate flexible working arrangements from parents, as there is with other groups in the workforce. Flexible working can help parents manage their childcare responsibilities and reduce the cost of childcare.Through Make Work Pay the Government committed to making flexible working the default except where not reasonably feasible, making it more likely that requests are accepted. Clauses contained in the Employment Rights Bill will achieve this aim.

If he will make a comparative assessment of (a) the UK's regulatory system and (b) those of international comparators.

The Government is committed to delivering a regulatory system that addresses market failures, creates economic certainty, and drives innovation to stimulate growth while protecting consumers and businesses. As part of this, HMG regularly makes comparative assessments of the UK's regulatory system and those of international comparators.

What steps he is taking to encourage international investment across the UK.

Attracting investment is one of the key pillars to the Government’s growth mission and is vital to helping address the challenge of achieving sustained growth, improving productivity and increasing the number of good, well-skilled jobs across the country. At the International Investment Summit, we secured £63bn worth of investments across the whole of the UK, creating nearly 38,000 jobs. On top of this we have launched Invest 2035, our vision for a modern Industrial Strategy “Invest 2035”: a credible, 10-year plan to deliver the certainty and stability businesses need to invest. As an example of the many steps we are taking to encourage investment, we have today (12th November) launched the Clean Industries Bonus which will encourage investment in renewable energy projects.

Whether his Department supports the use of Compulsory Licences to gain access to medicines (a) generally and (b) by Columbia for access to dolutegravir.

The Government supports the Doha Declaration on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and Public Health and, within that, a country’s right to use compulsory licensing, where necessary and appropriate, to achieve public health policy objectives in the case of national health emergencies. We are aware of the potential impact such initiatives may have on access to medicines, market dynamics, and innovation. We are closely following the process undertaken by Colombia and are in regular dialogue with them on this and other regulatory matters.

What assessment he has made of the potential for abuse of voluntary insolvencies.

In recent years the Government has commissioned research covering both corporate and personal voluntary insolvency processes. In 2022 the company voluntary arrangement research report was published and on 17 October 2024 the research findings into Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) was published. Further research into corporate voluntary insolvency processes will be published later this year. The Government will be considering the findings of this research, and along with other evidence, may bring forward proposals for reform in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of interest rates on SMEs.

For SMEs that pay interest at a variable rate, or those contemplating new borrowing, lower interest rates are clearly beneficial.

What plans he has to increase employee protection from unfair dismissal.

The Government introduced the Employment Rights Bill in the House on 10 October 2024. The Bill will make basic protection against unfair dismissal a day one right for all employees, ending the current arbitrary system that leaves employees waiting up to two years to access this right.

What steps he is taking to support manufacturing in the UK.

This government wants to drive manufacturing growth. Manufacturing makes an important contribution to private capital, R&D, and exports, which leads to higher productivity, more investment and more jobs.Building on existing support to industry, government will introduce a new Industrial Strategy to drive long-term sustainable, inclusive and secure growth - through securing investment into crucial sectors of the economy.As announced in the Industrial Strategy Green Paper published on 14 October, advanced manufacturing has been selected as one of eight growth-driving sectors. The Strategy will also look at support for subsectors which provide critical inputs and infrastructure to these sectors.