Written questions by Lam.

What steps his Department has taken to encourage the procurement of British-made office products and stationery by (a) his Department and (b) its arms-length bodies.

The Department for Business and Trade and its arms-length bodies do not have any policies to specifically encourage procurement of British made office products and stationery. However, the Government is committed to supporting British businesses, ensuring they have opportunities to win UK public contracts and deliver high-quality goods and services.Cabinet Office is consulting on a package of further reforms to public procurement regulation to support the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

From which countries his Department has sourced (a) pulp and (b) finished paper for (i) official stationery and (ii) other printed materials.

Of the Department’s ICT contracts, 83% are with UK registered companies equating to 85 out of 103 contracts. The department has a corporate contract with a UK registered company for stationery (including printing materials). The majority of office furniture in buildings occupied by the Department is procured by the Government Property Agency (GPA).We do not hold information on the country of manufacture of ICT, stationery or office furniture commodities.The Government is committed to supporting British businesses and the products they produce, ensuring they have the best opportunities to win UK public contracts and deliver high-quality goods and services. The Procurement Act 2023 contains numerous provisions to support UK businesses win public contracts and the Cabinet Office is currently consulting on a package of further reforms to public procurement to support the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

How many an what proportion of his Department’s (a) ICT (b) stationery and (c) office furniture suppliers are (i) supplied by UK businesses and (ii) manufactured in the UK.

Of the Department’s ICT contracts, 83% are with UK registered companies equating to 85 out of 103 contracts. The department has a corporate contract with a UK registered company for stationery (including printing materials). The majority of office furniture in buildings occupied by the Department is procured by the Government Property Agency (GPA).We do not hold information on the country of manufacture of ICT, stationery or office furniture commodities.The Government is committed to supporting British businesses and the products they produce, ensuring they have the best opportunities to win UK public contracts and deliver high-quality goods and services. The Procurement Act 2023 contains numerous provisions to support UK businesses win public contracts and the Cabinet Office is currently consulting on a package of further reforms to public procurement to support the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

With which businesses in Kent his Department held discussions on the Employment Rights Bill prior to its introduction.

Since August 2024, the Department for Business and Trade has held discussions on the Employment Rights Bill with over 180 stakeholders from across Great Britain. This covers a range of businesses that have a presence in Kent, including Greene King, McDonalds, John Lewis, British Telecom, Co-op, DHL, MACE Group, Mars, Sainsburys, Whitbread, Burger King, Deliveroo, Fuller’s, Lucky Saint, Turtle Bay, Centrica, and Wilkinson Construction Consultant. The Government remains committed to working in partnership with businesses, trade unions and other stakeholders to deliver the Plan to Make Work Pay.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of increasing (a) employer National Insurance Contributions and (b) the National Minimum Wage on tourism businesses in (i) Kent and (ii) the Weald of Kent.

The Government protected small businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, and 865,000 employers will pay no NICs in 2025-26. My Department published an Impact Assessment for the 2025 National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, which includes a breakdown of the expected impacts by sector and region.We recognise the importance of manufacturing and the tourism sector to local economies such as Kent and the Weald of Kent, where many businesses (particularly SMEs) are sensitive to changes in employment costs. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) continues to work closely with industry stakeholders and across departments to monitor the health of the visitor economy and to ensure that tourism voices are reflected in wider policy discussions.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of increasing employer National Insurance Contributions and the National Minimum Wage on manufacturing businesses in (a) Kent and (b) the Weald of Kent.

The Government protected small businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, and 865,000 employers will pay no NICs in 2025-26. My Department published an Impact Assessment for the 2025 National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, which includes a breakdown of the expected impacts by sector and region.We recognise the importance of manufacturing and the tourism sector to local economies such as Kent and the Weald of Kent, where many businesses (particularly SMEs) are sensitive to changes in employment costs. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) continues to work closely with industry stakeholders and across departments to monitor the health of the visitor economy and to ensure that tourism voices are reflected in wider policy discussions.