Written questions by Morris.

What estimate the Department has made of the number of small and medium sized businesses in Northumberland that will be eligible for the new cost-reduction support programmes announced in 2025 following the Willow Review.

The Government is committed to supporting businesses of all sizes in the transition to net zero. We are helping SMEs countrywide access sustainability benefits through initiatives such as the new Business Growth Service, the UK Business Climate Hub (UKBCH) for decarbonisation advice, and the rollout of smart meters Following the Willow Review, £200,000 has been allocated to enhance UKBCH and integrate it with the Business Growth Service. Additionally, £150,000 extra funding has been allocated to the North East Made Smarter Adoption programme this year, to provide Energy Efficiency grants for manufacturing SMEs. The network of local Growth Hubs, including North East Growth Hub, offer tailored support at any stage of a business's journey and can signpost to these new and improved offers.

What estimate the Department has made of the number of small and medium businesses in Hexham constituency that will be eligible for the new cost-reduction support programmes announced in 2025 following the Willow Review.

The Government is committed to supporting businesses of all sizes in the transition to net zero. We are helping SMEs countrywide access sustainability benefits through initiatives such as the new Business Growth Service, the UK Business Climate Hub (UKBCH) for decarbonisation advice, and the rollout of smart meters Following the Willow Review, £200,000 has been allocated to enhance UKBCH and integrate it with the Business Growth Service. Additionally, £150,000 extra funding has been allocated to the North East Made Smarter Adoption programme this year, to provide Energy Efficiency grants for manufacturing SMEs. The network of local Growth Hubs, including North East Growth Hub, offer tailored support at any stage of a business's journey and can signpost to these new and improved offers.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of small and medium businesses in the North East eligible for cost- reduction support programmes following the Willow Review.

The Government is committed to supporting businesses of all sizes in the transition to net zero. We are helping SMEs countrywide access sustainability benefits through initiatives such as the new Business Growth Service, the UK Business Climate Hub (UKBCH) for decarbonisation advice, and the rollout of smart meters Following the Willow Review, £200,000 has been allocated to enhance UKBCH and integrate it with the Business Growth Service. Additionally, £150,000 extra funding has been allocated to the North East Made Smarter Adoption programme this year, to provide Energy Efficiency grants for manufacturing SMEs. The network of local Growth Hubs, including North East Growth Hub, offer tailored support at any stage of a business's journey and can signpost to these new and improved offers.

What steps the Department plans to take to monitor participation in trade promotion programmes by SMEs in the North East.

I refer my hon. friend to the answer I provided to UIN 89172 on 18th November: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

What steps his Department plans to take to monitor participation in trade promotion programmes by SMEs in Hexham constituency.

I refer my hon. friend to the answer I provided to UIN 89172 on 18th November: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

What steps his Department plans to take to monitor participation in trade promotion programmes by SMEs in Northumberland.

I refer my hon. friend to the answer I provided to UIN 89172 on 18th November: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of investor-state dispute settlement provisions on the UK's climate targets.

The UK is party to 78 Bilateral Investment Treaties and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership that contain Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). ISDS provides an independent means to resolve disputes with states where investors believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation. ISDS does not remove governments' right to regulate in the public interest, including with respect to the UK's climate targets.The UK has a longstanding record of supporting foreign investment, including through fulfilling its obligations in international investment agreements it is party to.

What steps the Office for Investment is taking to help increase private sector investment in Hexham constituency.

The Office for Investment is piloting an Investment Opportunities Accelerator in partnership with the North East Combined Authority. This programme aims to facilitate and expedite investment prospects by working collaboratively with regional partners, relevant government departments, and industry stakeholders. The North East’s designation as the UK’s first AI Growth Zone which includes sites in Northumberland, positions it as a national leader in AI innovation. NECA is also receiving support through DSIT’s £30m Innovation Accelerator Fund to strengthen its R&D ecosystem and drive commercialisation in advanced manufacturing, clean energy and digital sectors.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reduced electricity costs for employers on employment growth in energy- intensive sectors in Hexham constituency.

Government delivers electricity cost relief schemes that provide support to businesses in energy intensive sectors across the country, helping UK businesses to remain competitive and protect thousands of well paid, British jobs. The British Industry Supercharger cuts electricity costs for around 550 energy intensive businesses, and Government recently confirmed an uplift in relief through its Network Charging Compensation Scheme from 60% to 90%. This will further reduce the gap in electricity prices between the UK and other countries. Alongside this, from 2027, the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will cut electricity costs for even more businesses.

What steps his Department has taken to improve parental rights for workers in the North East.

Through the Employment Rights Bill, we are strengthening rights for parents by making Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave ‘day one’ rights for qualifying employees, removing restrictions on taking Paternity Leave after Shared Parental Leave, strengthening flexible working rights, and bolstering protections for new and expectant mothers. On 1 July we launched the Parental Leave Review which will consider how parental leave can better reflect modern work and childcare realities and support working families.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 85401 on Public Houses: Rural Areas, what his planned timeframe is for publishing the outcome from the Call for Evidence on Reforming the licensing system.

The Government is inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system. A Call for Evidence ran for four weeks until 6 November. This attracted a significant number of responses and work is now underway to analyse these. We are working at pace and aim to share findings as soon as possible.

What estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of foreign direct investment projects on economic growth in the North East in the last (a) five years and (b) ten years.

DBT’s Official Statistics on inward investment at Inward investment results - GOV.UK show the number of Foreign Direct Investment projects and new jobs created in the North East as per the tables below. 2015-162016-172017-182018-192019-20FDI projects7769695973New jobs2,9914,6092,3792,1882,979 2020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25FDI projects5171616763New jobs1,3735,8433,0474,2962,064 The estimated economic impact is only published for DBT-supported projects at a UK level. This has been published since 2019-20 and is shown below. 2019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25Estimated economic impact (£m)3,0913,8757,0345,7695,7576,041

What review process the Department has in place to assess the suitability of (a) the UK-Singapore Bilateral Investment Treaty and (b) other trade and investment treaties.

The UK’s International Investment Agreements (IIAs) 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. There is no specific review process within such Agreements.

What steps the Office for Investment is taking to help promote Northumberland as an investment destination.

The Office for Investment is piloting an Investment Opportunities Accelerator with North East Combined Authority to unlock and accelerate investment opportunities working in collaboration with regional partners, Whitehall departments and industry. The North East’s designation as the UK’s first AI Growth Zone—with sites in Northumberland and North Tyneside—positions it as a national leader in AI innovation. NECA is also receiving support through DSIT’s £30m Innovation Accelerator Fund to strengthen its R&D ecosystem and drive commercialisation in advanced manufacturing, clean energy and digital sectors.

What steps the Office for Investment is taking to help promote the North East as an investment destination.

The Office for Investment is piloting an Investment Opportunities Accelerator with North East Combined Authority to unlock and accelerate investment opportunities working in collaboration with regional partners, Whitehall departments and industry. The North East’s designation as the UK’s first AI Growth Zone—with sites in Northumberland and North Tyneside—positions it as a national leader in AI innovation. NECA is also receiving support through DSIT’s £30m Innovation Accelerator Fund to strengthen its R&D ecosystem and drive commercialisation in advanced manufacturing, clean energy and digital sectors.

What assessment his Department has made of the level of the UK's exposure to Investor State Disputes in the fossil fuel industry.

Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provides an independent means for investors to resolve disputes with states where they believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory, or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation. An independent Tribunal will determine the level of liability, if any, in Investor State Dispute proceedings. The Government has never faced a successful ISDS claim.The UK has a longstanding track record of supporting foreign investment, including through fulfilling its obligations in the international investment agreements to which it is a party.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of small and medium sized businesses that have secured angel investment in the last 12 months in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle and (d) the North East.

Surveys by the UK Business Angels Association indicate that around 90% of business angels invest using either the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) or Small Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). Therefore, while the Department does not collect data on angel investment directly, usage of EIS and SEIS is a reasonable proxy. These figures are available at a regional level. The number of small and medium sized businesses that have secured investment using EIS and SEIS in the North East, in the last three years for which data is available, is as follows:Year to 31 March202220232024Number of businesses657090

What conversations his Department has had with relevant stakeholders to improve access to finance for small and medium businesses in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (e) England.

Representatives of the British Business Bank’s UK Network hold regular discussions with relevant stakeholders to improve access to finance in the North-East, as well as providing intelligence that helps inform future market interventions. North-East businesses benefit from a range of Government finance market interventions, including the £660 million Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II which provides debt and equity finance. From 2012 to 30 June 2025 a total of 6,442 Start Up Loans worth in aggregate £62.4 million had been issued to businesses in the North East, of which 251 loans worth in aggregate £2.7 million were to businesses in Hexham constituency.

Whether his Department has had recent discussions with representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises on the UK- Taiwan Enhanced Trade Partnership.

My department is working closely with the Taiwanese authorities to embed stakeholder views into the delivery of the UK–Taiwan Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP). This includes industry’s feedback on the ETP from the British Office Taipei’s annual business survey, which includes perspectives from small and medium-sized enterprises.The ETP includes a Pillar on Energy and Net-Zero. My department will continue to engage with offshore wind stakeholders including business throughout the implementation of the ETP, as well as around the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero’s annual Energy Dialogue and the UK-Taiwan Renewable Energy Roundtable.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-Japan Investment Memorandum of Cooperation on the UK’s digital transformation.

The UK-Japan Investment Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) aims to strengthen bilateral investment relations and drive economic growth by creating opportunities for UK businesses to grow and scale in the Japanese market, particularly in sectors such as those driving green innovation and digital transformation.Through the MoC, DBT will champion UK investors and exporters by showcasing success stories, by addressing market access and business environment challenges directly with Japan’s Cabinet Office, and by providing a direct channel for UK businesses to access DBT expertise on the ground in Japan. This cooperation supports the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy, which sets out plans to transform the UK’s clean energy and digital and technologies sectors over the next decade.