Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to establish new statutory action standards for the use of PFAS and POPs for fire-resistant purposes in furniture (a) manufactured and (b) sold in the UK.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government does not have plans to establish new standards for the use of chemicals in furniture manufactured or sold in the UK. The policy paper the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture, published in January 2025, sets out our plans to reform the Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 with the aim of maintaining a high level of fire safety while facilitating a reduction in chemical flame-retardant use.
Any chemicals used in the manufacture of furniture placed on the UK market must comply with all relevant UK chemicals legislation, including UK REACH and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of financial support for new parents who are (a) self-employed and (b) limited company directors.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government launched the Parental Leave and Pay Review in July 2025, as part of the Plan to Make Work Pay. The Review is exploring how the system can better support working families, including those where parents are self-employed, and reflect the realities of modern work. It provides a much-needed opportunity to consider our overall approach to parental leave and pay, with all current and upcoming entitlements in scope.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of potential impact of the new US vehicle connectivity rules on UK automotive exports to the US; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Given that the software rules apply from Model Year 2027 and the hardware rules from 2029, many manufacturers are still assessing their supply chains and how to remain compliant. This information is commercially sensitive, so I cannot comment on individual plans, but we continue to engage closely with UK industry to understand emerging impacts. The Government worked extensively with manufacturers during the US rule’s development and submitted a private response to the consultation. We remain committed to ongoing industry engagement and to working with the US and likeminded partners to ensure that any new measures do not create barriers between allies.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to ensure businesses in Essex are aware of, and have access to, UK- Export Finance support.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
UK Export Finance (UKEF) has a network of Export Finance Managers (EFMs) around the whole country who are valuable points of contact for local businesses and can provide information on the range of support available. Contact details for the Essex EFM, and others can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/find-an-export-finance-manager.
On 26 January, UKEF announced an £11 billion lending package from five high street banks to support small businesses’ growth. Alongside funding, businesses will also benefit from advisory support through banks’ relationship managers and the EFMs.
We do not hold details of the proportion of exporters supported at constituency or county level. Full details of the businesses supported by UKEF each year are published online at: UK Export Finance: business supported - GOV.UK.
The support that UKEF provides extends beyond its immediate customers. Recently published research by Oxford Economics (available online at: UK exporters boost economy, as new study reveals major impact of export credit on UK industry - GOV.UK) shows that there are 115,000 businesses in the supply chains of businesses directly supported by UKEF.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support small pub landlords.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We regularly meet with pub landlords and only last week we held a roundtable with the British Institute for Innkeeping and some of their members.
We are taking decisive action to support pubs and recently announced an additional 15% cut for pubs on top of the permanent reduction in the business rates multiplier for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties announced at the budget. We are also providing £4.3 billion over three years to protect ratepayers from sharp rises in rateable values as well as launching a review of how pubs and hotels are valued for business rates.
Alongside this, we have doubled the Hospitality Support Fund to £10 million and will bring forward a new High Streets Strategy later this year to help reinvigorate our communities.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 108798 what the British Business Bank’s total programme expenditure, staffing costs, and consultancy and professional services costs were in 2024–25, broken down by programme or business line.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The British Business Bank’s total staffing costs in 2024-25 were £71.591 million. In the same year, the BBB incurred total expenditure of £26.456 million on professional fees. These comprise fees relating to investment scheme design and transactions and other operational professional services.
A breakdown by business line is provided below, taken from the British Business Bank’s annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025.
All figures in £ '000 | Staff costs | Professional services |
British Business Finance | 2,089 | 186 |
British Business Investments | 2,588 | 3,157 |
British Patient Capital | 4,616 | 643 |
Nations and Regions Investments | 1,283 | 16 |
Start Up Loans | 4,100 | 253 |
BBB Investment Services | 169 | 17 |
Company plc, Holdings and British Business Financial Services | 56,746 | 22,184 |
Total group | 71,591 | 26,456 |
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2026 to Question 107769, what estimate he has made to the Insolvency Service of compliance with Net Zero, sustainability and climate-related disclosure requirements.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I have made no such assessment, however the Insolvency Service’s total emissions have been reported in the Agency’s Annual Report and Accounts since 2012/13. Progress on wider sustainability requirements is reported quarterly to the Department for Business and Trade through the Agency’s Greening Government Commitment (GGC) returns. The Agency adheres to the Greening Government Commitments and the Taskforce on Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) guidance.
Asked by: Antonia Bance (Labour - Tipton and Wednesbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Motability Scheme on supporting the British automotive industry.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Motability has stated that its aim is for 50% of all scheme vehicles leased from 2035 to be manufactured in the UK. We are committed to the growth of the automotive sector in the UK through investment in innovation, research & development and skills. Our flagship DRIVE35 (Driving Research and Investment in Vehicle Electrification) initiative will support the latest R&D in strategic vehicle technologies, accelerate their commercial scale-up, and unlock investment in their industrialisation. As part of this ambitious programme, we are committing £4 billion of capital and R&D funding to the British automotive industry through to 2035.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to bring forwards an alternative to the Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK is a world leader in audit quality and corporate governance. We will bolster this further by launching a consultation to modernise, simplify and streamline the UK's corporate reporting framework, with the ambition to make the UK's reporting regime the most proportionate in the world. We also intend to legislate to put the Financial Reporting Council on a proper statutory footing when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken to ensure that employment protections for pregnant employees are legally enforceable.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government is committed to ensuring pregnancy and maternity protections are effective and enforceable.
We recently consulted on legislation to make it unlawful to dismiss pregnant women, mothers on Maternity Leave, and for at least six months after they return to work, except in specific circumstances. We sought ideas to improve awareness of workplace rights, so pregnant employees feel confident to challenge unlawful treatment and hold employers to account.
To strengthen enforcement, we are also extending the Employment Tribunal time limit from three to six months, giving pregnant women more time to bring claims.