Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the level of administrative costs incurred by businesses in applying for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not have a formal estimate of the average time businesses are expected to spend on an application for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, or the associated administrative costs. This reflects the fact that businesses vary in size and circumstances, meaning the time and effort required will differ between applicants.
There are several features of scheme design that are intended to minimise administrative burden. This includes an online eligibility checker, comprehensive business guidance, flexibility on evidence requirements where appropriate, the option to use third parties to support applications, and regular webinars to help scheme understanding and process.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what estimate his Department has made of the average amount of time businesses are expected to spend completing an application for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department does not have a formal estimate of the average time businesses are expected to spend on an application for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, or the associated administrative costs. This reflects the fact that businesses vary in size and circumstances, meaning the time and effort required will differ between applicants.
There are several features of scheme design that are intended to minimise administrative burden. This includes an online eligibility checker, comprehensive business guidance, flexibility on evidence requirements where appropriate, the option to use third parties to support applications, and regular webinars to help scheme understanding and process.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the creation of manufacturing jobs for young people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out in our 10-year Modern Industrial Strategy and accompanying Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, government is committed to boosting manufacturing jobs and increasing prosperity across the UK. The DRIVE35 Supplier Readiness and Transformation Fund, delivered with the West Midlands Combined Authority, aims to create or safeguard nearly 800 manufacturing jobs in the region by 2030.
We are also developing a highly skilled, inclusive industrial workforce of all ages to tackle these jobs, including investing in Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group’s Advanced Manufacturing Technical Excellence College. It will provide specialist training aligned with local employers, helping young people progress into skilled engineering and advanced manufacturing careers.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department has included the financial sector in the Responsible Business Conduct review.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Yes. The Review considered all sectors of the economy. As part of this, we engaged with over 200 organisations, including those in the financial sector.
With the formation of a new government, we are considering the Review’s findings with fresh eyes and will set out our position in due course.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring companies registered with Companies House to publish a publicly accessible business email address.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Whilst it is mandatory that companies must provide an appropriate email address to Companies House for the purposes of receiving emails from the registrar (Companies Act 2006, S.88A(2)), there is no such requirement for companies to provide a publicly available email address.
There are numerous reasons why a company may choose not to enable the public to make contact by email e.g. security, spam and the cost of monitoring the inbox. Individual companies will be best placed to decide how to engage with the public.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department considered the potential merits of central foreign exchange hedging mechanisms for UKRI’s international scientific subscriptions to protect domestic particle physics and astronomy grant budgets.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) already uses a hedging and exchange-rate policy, aligned with departmental and HM Treasury policies and frameworks, to manage financial risks associated with UK membership of large international research infrastructure like CERN. The only hedging arrangements permitted by UKRI’s policy are forward-buy contracts with the Bank of England. This approach provides greater certainty over future subscription costs and smooths short term volatility. However, it does not protect against potential global economic pressures, nor long-term unfavourable currency movements which are priced into the Bank of England contracts.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Joint Statement of 16th Meeting of the India–UK JETCO, published on 12 October 2026, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement on the total sum value of UK (a) exports to India and (b) imports from India since the agreement entered into force.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government has assessed the potential long-run impact of the UK-India CETA through its published impact assessment. It estimated that in the long-run CETA could increase UK exports to India by nearly 60% and UK imports from India by 25%, equivalent to £15.7 billion (UK exports to India) and £9.8 billion (UK imports from India) when applied to projections of future trade in 2040. The Department has not assessed actual impacts since CETA’s entry into force in July 2026 as there is not yet enough data available for credible and robust analytical assessment.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department plans to take with universities and laboratories to help ensure that staff and expertise are kept in the UK, in the context of Science and Technology Facilities Council cuts to Large Hadron Collider beauty Experiment.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the importance of maintaining UK scientific expertise and supporting future generations of researchers. As part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council prioritisation process, Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear Physics grant postdoctoral funding has been maintained at 2025/26 levels, alongside PhD studentships and fellowships, supporting the UK’s skills base and long-term scientific capability. UK Research and Innovation continues to engage with universities, laboratories and research partners as prioritisation decisions are implemented. The current LHCb experiment at CERN continues to receive UK funding, alongside grants for UK researchers.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2026 to Question 29628 on Cars: Manufacturing Industries, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Zero Emission Vehicle mandate compliance costs on (a) investment in UK vehicle manufacturing, (b) UK vehicle production and (c) employment in the automotive sector.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department continues to monitor factors affecting investment, production and employment in the UK automotive sector, including the impact of regulatory requirements and associated compliance costs alongside wider factors including trade policy, energy and production costs, and measures influencing zero emission vehicle demand, such as the Electric Car Grant and charging infrastructure. It would not be appropriate to disclose insights from confidential, commercially sensitive discussions with industry. The Government remains committed to supporting a competitive UK automotive sector, securing investment and safeguarding manufacturing and jobs as the industry transitions to zero emission vehicles.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, with reference to the Department’s press release entitled Joint Statement of 16th Meeting of the India–UK JETCO, published on 12 October 2026, what assessment has been made of the potential economic benefits of the UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement for businesses based in Essex.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The government has assessed the impact of the UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement through its published impact assessment. This estimates that the agreement could increase UK GDP by 0.13%, equivalent to around £4.8 billion annually in the long run. The assessment indicates that all UK nations and English regions are expected to benefit from the agreement. For the East of England region, which includes Essex, real GVA is estimated to increase by around 0.11% in the long run. Businesses in Essex may benefit from the opportunities created by improved access to the Indian market and lower barriers to trade.