Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to restart negotiations for a free trade agreement between the UK and Canada.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There are no plans to resume FTA negotiations, but growing our bilateral trade remains a shared priority, which is why the two Prime Ministers established the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group with the objective of growing bilateral trade, including by addressing existing market access barriers and building on existing arrangements, including digital.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to allow businesses to (a) engage with and (b) support the process of drafting a free trade agreement with Canada.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Canada is a close ally and valued partner of the UK, with the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement underpinning around £28 billion worth of bilateral trade last year.
There are currently no plans to resume FTA negotiations. However, growing bilateral trade remains a shared priority and we have established the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group with the objective of growing bilateral trade, addressing existing market access barriers and building on existing arrangements.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make it her policy to make 12 July 2027 a public holiday to mark the 1100th anniversary of the unification of England under King Athelstan.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The current pattern of bank and public holidays is well established and the Government has no plans to create a one-off bank holiday to mark the 1100th anniversary of the unification of England under King Athelstan.
While an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy is considerable. The latest analysis estimates the cost to the UK economy for a one-off bank holiday to be around £2 billion.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has recently funded two projects that explore Athelstan and his history in Kingston and Malmesbury.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group has made since its establishment.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group will meet this Autumn in line with the commitment made between our Prime Ministers in June. Since this meeting, officials have been engaging with the government of Canada at all levels to explore ways to deepen our trading relationship further.
Specifically, we intend to work together to address existing market access barriers, to expand existing arrangements into new areas, such as digital trade, and to explore cooperation in the development of critical minerals and sovereign artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether external stakeholders will be invited to provide input into the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group’s consideration of market access barriers.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Working Group will meet this Autumn and will consist of officials from the UK and Canadian Governments.
We are open to the views of any relevant businesses with an interest in UK-Canada trade.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
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 safety of (a) over the counter and (b) prescription grade sun cream in England.
Answered by Justin Madders
Legislation requires that cosmetics, including sun creams, must be safe. To ensure that products are safe before sale, a safety assessment must be completed by a qualified assessor.
Sun protection products which have been recommended by the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS) for NHS prescribing for specified conditions are listed in Part XV of the Drug Tariff. Products which are not medicines or medical devices may be prescribed by clinicians. If a sun cream is prescribed that is not classified as a medical device it will still need to meet the safety requirements in the Cosmetic Regulation.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps her Department has taken to support small businesses in the aesthetics industry.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
This Government recognises the immense economic and social value of the aesthetics industry. That is why we have committed to reforming business rates from 2026-27 with a permanently lower multiplier for retail, leisure and hospitality properties, including beauty clinics.
The Government will publish an SME Strategy Paper later this year that will set out the Government's vision for all small and medium size businesses. The paper will focus on boosting scale-ups across key policy areas, such as creating thriving high streets, making it easier to access finance, opening up overseas and domestic markets, building business capabilities, and providing a strong business environment. The paper will complement the Government's Industrial Strategy and Trade Strategy.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
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 ban on Kava on UK-based (a) importers and (b) retailers of traditional South Pacific herbal products.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
Since January 2003 the herb kava-kava, and any food containing it, is banned from entry to the UK. This is because of concerns regarding its toxic effect on the liver. The Department for Business and Trade has not made any assessment related to this import ban.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the potential impact of UK visa policy changes on SMEs that trade with Colombia.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
UK exporters remain able to travel to Colombia visa-free to provide their goods and services. The UK also continues to welcome Colombian nationals with visit visas travelling to the UK for business reasons.
DBT supports UK businesses of all sizes to export to Colombia, including through the British Embassy in Bogota. The UK-Andean Countries trade agreement provides preferential access to both UK and Colombian businesses, while the next UK-Colombia ministerial trade dialogue will provide an opportunity to discuss how to strengthen our trade relationship further, including in light of the UK’s new industrial and trade strategies and its upcoming SME Strategy.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the inclusion of small and medium-sized enterprises in procurement processes related to the development and supply of sustainable aviation fuel.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
My Department supports SME participation in innovative sectors such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through the Business Growth Service. This makes it easier for businesses to get advice and support they need and later this year, we will publish a SME Strategy Paper to promote inclusive supply chains and easier access to finance.
The SAF Mandate sets targets for SAF uptake and creates new market opportunities. To support SAF production, the Department for Transport has launched the Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF). The AFF funding is allocated through a competitive process and is available to a range of entities, including SMEs and start-ups.