Asked by: Graham Stringer (Labour - Blackley and Middleton South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the number of young workers in Blackley and Middleton South who will be effected by (a) the delay in aligning the Minimum Wage with other workers and (b) the total estimated loss of wages to young constituents.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Data on the effects of the National Minimum Wage at constituent level is not held. However, in the North West an estimated 30,000 on the 18–20 rate are expected to benefit from the 8.5% increase of the 18-20-year-old National Minimum Wage on 1 April.
The government remains fully committed to the alignment of the National Minimum Wage with the National Living Wage rate. The pace and timing of alignment will be guided by expert advice from the Low Pay Commission based on the latest evidence. The latest remit allows the Commission to balance the ambition to remove age bands, with protecting employment prospects for young people.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to figure of 2 of his Department's document entitled Analytical note on government response to resale of live events tickets consultation, published on 19 December 2025, what assessment his Department has made of the estimated change in the number and value of tickets sold on alternative resale channels and social media resulting from the proposed price cap on (a) the level of potential fraud and (b) consumer protection risks.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department has undertaken analysis to estimate the economic impact of introducing a price cap on the ticket resale market. The modelling uses a series of assumptions about how ticket touts might adapt their activities. These assumptions are inherently uncertain. The model assumes that 20% of tickets originally resold by touts on secondary ticketing platforms will instead by resold via alternative channels. We will continue to refine the modelling and further examine the risks associated with resale activity on alternative channels, before publishing an impact assessment when legislation is introduced to Parliament.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what action is being taken to support the hospitality sector in South Shropshire.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is taking decisive action to support pubs and the wider hospitality sector. Following the Budget, we announced an additional 15% cut for pubs in England alongside a two‑year real‑terms freeze, building on wider reforms to business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties.
We recognise that 2026 revaluation has increased bills for some businesses, which is why we are providing £4.3 billion over three years in transitional relief to support ratepayers facing higher bills at revaluation and protect businesses from sharp increases. We are also launching a review of how pubs are valued for business rates, with changes intended to take effect from the next revaluation.
Alongside this, we have expanded licencing responsibilities, doubled the Hospitality Support Fund to £10 million, and will bring forward a new High Streets Strategy later this year to help reinvigorate local communities.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has used the additional enforcement powers for secondary ticketing under section 216 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 on the use of bots to purchase tickets.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Consumer law enforcement is principally the responsibility of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Local Authority Trading Standards. Section 216 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 grants the CMA enforcement functions under the Breaching of Limits on Ticket Sales Regulations 2018. Those regulations make it an offence to use software to purchase tickets in excess of the sales limit set by an event organiser for a UK recreational, sporting or cultural event, where the intent is to secure financial gain. As an independent authority, the CMA has discretion to undertake enforcement action which, according to its prioritisation principles, it considers most appropriate.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much his Department has spent on special severance payments in each of the last three years.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The total value of severance payments is set out in the department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available for the last three years.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South 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 the potential impact of Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster controlling a majority share of the UK live music ticketing market on competition and consumer outcomes.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to ensuring markets work well for consumers and businesses. As the UK’s lead consumer and competition authority, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has a statutory duty to promote competition for the benefit of consumers. It is the role of the CMA to examine potential breaches of competition law, including abuse of a dominant position, and investigate markets if it thinks there are competition or consumer problems. As an independent authority, the CMA has discretion to investigate competition matters which, according to its prioritisation principles, it considers most appropriate.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive regarding the withdrawal of the proposed investment by the US financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald; and what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive and Invest Northern Ireland to support alternative inward investment and employment opportunities.
Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)
In April 2025 Invest NI informed DBT that a potential investment by Cantor Fitzgerald would not be proceeding.
DBT continues to work collaboratively with Northern Ireland Executive departments, Invest NI, and other key stakeholders to support inward investment into Northern Ireland. DBT’s extensive international network promotes Northern Ireland as an excellent investment destination within the UK.
In September 2025 Bank of America committed to opening a new office in Belfast creating up to 1,000 roles and recruitment for the first wave of roles is underway. This announcement highlights the continued growth in US investment into Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Written Statement of 20 June 2025 on Government Response to the Green Paper on the Future of the Post Office, HCWS1360, which government services the cross-government group referenced in the Statement is considering improving through the Post Office network; what his planned timetable is for the development of those proposals; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of this change on Post Office footfall and revenue.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The cross-government group referenced is considering options for a common physical front-end for government services to ensure there is a ‘go to’ place for a range of government services, expanded assisted digital support, an enhanced role in identity verification and exploring new propositions such as prescription collection. Further updates on government services in post offices will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Griffin of Princethorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that workers are able to meet their trade union in an accessible location when their trade union is granted access to the workplace.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In our consultation, Make Work Pay: trade union right of access, we sought views on operational aspects of the new statutory access framework, including steps the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) must consider reasonable for employers to take to facilitate access.
Officials are currently reviewing responses, and the government will publish a response before finalising these details in secondary legislation.
We will also consult on a draft Code of Practice in due course which will provide detail on how statutory access should operate in different types of workplaces.
Asked by: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Lloyd of Effra on 9 March (HL14773), what assessment they have made of whether the blast furnaces at Scunthorpe steelworks are critical national security assets.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has reviewed the role of the Scunthorpe steelworks in contributing to the UK's national security including critical national infrastructure. The Government maintains that securing the continued operation of British Steel's assets is a necessary investment in our national interests and wider economic resilience.
Funding for British Steel is subject to the usual government approval processes and ministerial decisions and the need for HMG support is kept under review. All efforts are being made to secure a viable future for the company. All support for British Steel has been drawn from existing HMG budgets.
British Steel remains in the ownership of Jingye and estimated costs should the blast furnaces need to be decommissioned is commercially sensitive information. We continue to work with Jingye to find a pragmatic, realistic solution for the future of British Steel.
The £104 million detailed for other operational expenses will be reflected in the Department for Business and Trade's accounts for 2025-26. The accounts will be prepared on a basis consistent with government financial reporting standards.
British Steel are responsible for ensuring all tax liabilities and obligations pursuant to the UK Emissions Trading Scheme are met. Under the Companies Act 2006, the responsibility to produce accounts belongs to company directors.