Written questions by Madders.

If he will consider conducting a review of electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK.

The Government remains firmly committed to the EV transition and increasing vehicle manufacturing in the UK. This is why we have committed £4 billion of capital and R&D funding through to 2035 for our flagship DRIVE35 (Driving Research and Investment in Vehicle Electrification) programme which will support the latest R&D in strategic vehicle technologies, accelerate commercial scale up, and unlock investment in their industrialisation. We continue to listen closely to feedback from vehicle manufacturers.In addition, we are investing an additional £1.3 billion in the Electric Car Grant, taking total funding to £2 billion, and extending it until 2030 which will mean more motorists will benefit from discounts of up to £3,750.

What enforcement action his Department plans to take against companies found to be wrongly engaging people as self-employed.

Bogus or false self-employment is unacceptable and we are committed to robustly tackling it. HMRC will investigate evidence that suggests companies may have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. Employers can also be taken to an employment tribunal if they seek to deny people their employment rights and avoid their own legal obligations by claiming someone is self-employed when they are not.

What assessment he has made of 1) the challenges faced by electric vehicle manufacturers and 2) the output of electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK.

The Government acknowledges the challenges the EV sector faces due to volatile consumer demand. However, our ambition is to make the UK one of the best locations in the world to manufacture electric vehicles. We engage closely with UK industry on the challenges it faces and how we can ensure the sector remains internationally competitive and a global leader in innovation.Our flagship DRIVE35 (Driving Research and Investment in Vehicle Electrification) commits £4 billion of capital and R&D funding to the British automotive industry through to 2035. It will support the latest research and development, accelerate commercial scale up, and increase capital investment in zero emission vehicles, batteries and their supply chains. In addition, we are making an additional £200 million available for EV charging infrastructure on top of the £400 million committed at the summer 2025 Spending Review.

What steps he is taking to reduce energy costs for vehicle manufacturers.

Our new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will reduce electricity costs by up to 25% from 2027, bringing electricity costs more in line with other economies in Europe, and help level the playing field for British businesses.The scheme will benefit frontier manufacturing industries identified in the Industrial Strategy, such as automotive, as well as foundational manufacturing industries in their supply chains. Responses to the recent Government consultation are currently being reviewed, and Government's response will be published shortly.

When he plans to bring into force secondary legislation contained within the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025.

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, which received Royal Assent in July 2025, enables the government to modernise, replace and simplify regulations. The Act’s powers have already been used to update the Outdoor Noise Regulations and the Government recently confirmed it will use the Act’s powers to update the Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, following a call for evidence. Further reviews of regulations will follow.In particular, as announced in November’s Budget, the Government intends to publish a consultation shortly on major reforms to level the playing field between online and physical retailers, improve consumer safety and streamline enforcement powers.

When he plans to take steps to tackle subscription traps.

The government is committed to protecting consumers who enter into subscription contracts. We consulted on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act and have engaged closely with stakeholders. We are carefully considering the points raised and a government response will be published in due course.

Whether he plans to publish a consultation on the measures within the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 in relation to product safety.

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, which received Royal Assent in July 2025, enables the government to modernise, replace and simplify regulations. The Act’s powers have already been used to update the Outdoor Noise Regulations and the Government recently confirmed it will use the Act’s powers to update the Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, following a call for evidence. Further reviews of regulations will follow.In particular, as announced in November’s Budget, the Government intends to publish a consultation shortly on major reforms to level the playing field between online and physical retailers, improve consumer safety and streamline enforcement powers.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 101404, what assessment he has made of the Quality Franchise Association's effectiveness at enforcing its Code of Conduct.

This Government has not made an assessment of the British Franchise Association's effectiveness at enforcing its Code of Conduct. However, DBT Ministers and officials have recently met with MPs and Fairer Franchisees representatives to listen and understand views regarding practices within the franchising industry. We will continue to remain engaged with relevant stakeholders on this issue.

What steps he is taking to help support the franchise industry.

Our Small Business Plan, launched in July 2025, outlines how we will support small and medium sized businesses, including franchisees, to grow and thrive across the UK.The plan includes the most significant package of legislation in 25 years to tackle late payments; unlocking billions of pounds in finance to support start-ups and scale ups; removing unnecessary red tape; revitalising the High Street as a place to do business; and boosting support for Digital and AI Adoption. The new Business Growth Service makes it easier for SMEs to access the right support for any stage of their growth journey.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 101404, what assessment he has made of the British Franchise Association's effectiveness at enforcing its Code of Ethics.

This Government has not made an assessment of the British Franchise Association's effectiveness at enforcing its Code of Ethics. However, DBT Ministers and officials have recently met with MPs and Fairer Franchisees representatives to listen and understand views regarding practices within the franchising industry. We will continue to remain engaged with relevant stakeholders on this issue.

What assessment he has made of the performance of franchise businesses in the UK since 2022.

The Department for Business and Trade does not hold data on the performance of franchise businesses.

When he plans to introduce consultation on the reduction of membership threshold from 10% for statutory union recognition ballots.

The Government will implement in April the power in the Employment Rights Act that enables Ministers to issue secondary legislation to vary the 10% recognition application threshold, within parameters of 10% to 2% membership of the bargaining unit.We intend to consult on varying the threshold later this year.

When he plans to set out the timelines for the introduction of a (a) consultation on and (b) implementation of secondary legislation contained in Section 24 of the Employment Rights Act 2025.

Section 24 of the Employment Rights Act 2025 will address the misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by employers who want to silence workers about harassment and discrimination in the workplace.The Government will consult on the conditions under which NDAs can still be validly made (known in the legislation as 'excepted agreement'). We will also consult on the individuals that a worker with an excepted agreement can speak to (e.g., police or medical professionals).We will bring forward the consultation shortly. The consultation will inform the policy detail in order to draft regulations and commence this measure in due course.

What steps he has taken to move towards a single status of worker.

The Government is committed to consulting on employment status as soon as possible. The consultation will seek to address issues with the framework which can enable worker exploitation and leave vulnerable workers without core employment protections.

If he plans to launch a consultation on introducing a single status of worker.

The Government is committed to consulting on employment status as soon as possible. The consultation will seek to address issues with the framework which can enable worker exploitation and leave vulnerable workers without core employment protections.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of making the Fair Work Agency a prescribed body under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

The Fair Work Agency will be established in phases. Initially, in April 2026, we will focus on bringing together the current enforcement bodies, delivering a single set of enforcement and investigatory powers, establishing the Advisory Board and ensuring there are clear routes for workers and businesses to get in touch.Once established, the Agency will expand its enforcement role and we will consider any additional functions, such as whether it should become a prescribed body for whistleblowing disclosures.

When he plans to introduce the draft code of practice on electronic and workplace balloting for statutory union ballots.

The consultation on the draft Code of Practice on electronic and workplace balloting for statutory union ballots recently closed on 28 January. Officials are in the process of reviewing the responses, and we will publish a formal response in due course.A final draft of the Code of Practice will be laid in Parliament alongside the statutory instrument to enable these new voting methods to take effect in August 2026.

For what reason the introduction of electronic and workplace balloting was moved from April to August 2026.

The government will introduce electronic and workplace balloting through a statutory instrument under Section 54 of the Employment Relations Act 2004. Section 54 contains strict requirements that must be met in relation to ensuring that those entitled to vote have the opportunity to do so, the risk of malpractice is minimised, and ensuring that votes are cast in secret. This means the statutory instrument is complex and must be sufficiently detailed in order to meet these requirements. Therefore, to ensure we get the detail right and to minimise the risk of unintended consequences, there will be a short delay and these measures will now take effect in August 2026.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of protections for franchisees from changes to their terms and conditions made by franchisors.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) recognises the challenges franchisees can face and is monitoring this area closely. I understand that you recently met with Minister Bryant to discuss this matter, and we anticipate further meetings to take place in the future involving DBT officials. The franchising industry currently self-regulates through the British Franchise Association, which has a Code of Ethics, and the Quality Franchise Association provides a Code of Conduct.

If he will make an estimate of the number of franchises operating in England and Wales between 2015-2024.

The Department for Business and Trade does not hold data on franchise numbers.