Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 4 December to Question 95961 on Business Rates: Tax Allowances, if she will modify the Budget 2025: Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Factsheet, published on 28 November, to reflect that the calculation for the applicable Transition Relief cap for 2026/27 is made from the base liability for 2025/26 before RHL relief has been applied.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

No, I will not modify the Budget 2025: RHL Factsheet. It is correct.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she will publish the road safety strategy.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Government intends to publish the Road Safety Strategy this year.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason the suspension of arms sales to Israel is not listed on his Department and Export Control Joint Unit's official guidance.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The suspension of licences on 2 September 2024 was announced in a Written Statement to Parliament published by the then Secretary of State for Business and Trade and in the then Foreign Secretary’s Oral Statement on that date. The suspension was also communicated publicly via a Notice to Exporters, and any exporters impacted by the decision were contacted directly.

The UK’s export control guidance includes general information on the regulatory framework for strategic export controls, our lists of controlled items and the circumstances where exporters might need an export licence.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an estimate of the financial impact of the suspension of arms export licenses to Israel on British businesses.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We suspended certain licences for exports of military equipment on the basis of concerns of a clear risk of serious violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in IDF military operations in Gaza.

The UK remains committed to our wider trading relationship with Israel which supports thousands of jobs in the UK.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much of the £274 million provided to British Steel was for (a) raw materials, (b) salaries, (c) energy costs and (d) payments to supply chain creditors.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

To date, a total of £274 million has been provided to support British Steel’s operations, with £173 million allocated to raw materials, £47 million allocated to payroll, and £22 million allocated towards energy costs. The remaining amount represents various other essential business costs covering operating activities, including capital expenditure and operational expenditure. This will be reflected in the Department for Business and Trade’s accounts for 2025-26.

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 cost to the public purse of maintaining British Steel's operations between 10 December 2025 and the publication of the Steel Strategy in 2026.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to supporting the UK steel sector and delivering a steel strategy, to be published in early 2026.

To date, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has provided British Steel with £274 million as working capital and during the period of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act. The Government is committed to supporting British Steel’s operational costs as needed, covering items such as raw materials and salaries. However, future costs are susceptible to wider macroeconomic factors and the contribution of DBT funding is therefore subject to change.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the average monthly cost to the public purse has been for maintaining the operation of British Steel blast furnaces since the special measures under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 were introduced.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

To date, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has provided British Steel with £274 million as working capital, which on average equates to approximately £34 million per month. This funding has been instrumental in supporting British Steel’s operational needs, covering items such as raw materials and salaries. This will be reflected in the Department for Business and Trade’s accounts for 2025-26.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the £274 million funding provided to British Steel has been allocated as (a) a grant, (b) a loan and (c) an equity injection; and what conditions regarding repayment have been attached to that funding.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Funding is provided to British Steel under the provisions of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, and is recoverable as a debt due to the Crown, as set out in section 3(6) of the Act. There are no conditions attached save the requirement for the funds to be used in accordance with the purpose set out in legislation. All funding released to British Steel is reviewed and approved in advance.

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 cost of decommissioning the blast furnaces at the British Steel Limited Scunthorpe Steelworks.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

British Steel remains privately owned and estimated costs to decommission the blast furnaces is commercially sensitive information.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of non-tariff measures to consumer prices on different UK Standard Industrial Classification groups.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has not published a specific, comprehensive assessment detailing the potential impact of non-tariff measures (NTMs) on consumer prices across all individual UK Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) groups.

DBT produces indicative valuation estimates for market access barriers using a range of methodologies including ad valorem equivalents (AVEs). The method estimates how export demand, and therefore export value, could change in response to the removal of NTM-associated costs and subsequent price changes. The methodology could be found at Methodologies for valuing market access barriers - GOV.UK. This methodology does not provide an assessment across all individual SIC groups.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the proportion of UK firms that have undergone post-clearance verification processes in each of the last three years.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC takes a risk-based approach to compliance, focusing on areas where there is the greatest risk of tax going unpaid.

The number of businesses involved in international trade activities is published annually as the “Customs Importer and Exporter Population” (GOV.UK).

HMRC carries out post-clearance verification on customs declarations for reasons other than compliance, including at the request of other customs authorities and to support applications for customs authorisations. This supports the UK Governments international obligations, including those under Free Trade Agreements.

These figures may include multiple verifications per business, and the business may not be headquartered or established in the United Kingdom. It should also be noted that the verification may not be in the same year that a customs declaration was made.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to consider resuming exports of defence equipment to Israel.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 18 September to Question 72496.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2025 to Question 97277 on Business Rates: Tax Allowances, if he will modify the Business Rates Information Letter (5/2025) sent to English Billing Authorities on 26 November 2025 so that the calculation for Base Liability aligns with the case studies in the Budget 2025: Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure Factsheet.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Business Rates Information Letter (5/2025) is already aligned with the Budget 2025: Retail, Hospitality and Leisure factsheet.

On 15 December 2025, the government published the 2026 Supporting Small Business Relief local authority guidance which is intended to support billing authorities in administering the scheme. It can be viewed on gov.uk here.