Oral Answers to Questions

Blair McDougall Excerpts

Thursday 11th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Elsie Blundell (Heywood and Middleton North) (Lab)]

3. What discussions he has had with Royal Mail on improving service levels in the north-west.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Blair McDougall)]

I have discussed Royal Mail’s performance with the chief executive of Royal Mail and its parent company, and they recognise the need to do more to meet service delivery targets. In addition, Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21 million for failing to meet its service targets, and told it to urgently publish and deliver a credible plan that delivers major and continual improvement.

[Mrs Blundell]

I commend the efforts of posties across the country, especially at this time of year, but residents in Middleton in my constituency have been without a reliable postal service for well over a year. That has meant that crucial medical documentation and urgent financial correspondence have been reaching the people of Middleton too late, if at all. What steps are the Government taking to bring about serious improvements in Royal Mail’s service provision in north Greater Manchester, given that Royal Mail alone is proving unable to deliver the change that people in Middleton deserve?

[Blair McDougall]

On this, as on all things, my hon. Friend is a strong voice for the problems faced by her local people. I know that she raised those concerns about local services and resourcing challenges, particularly in Middleton, with Royal Mail. I understand that Royal Mail has recruited 17 more staff in the past few weeks, and that the Middleton delivery office is now fully staffed. As I say, I am discussing such issues with Royal Mail, and it recognises the need to improve.

Mr Speaker, on behalf of the whole House, I wish all our heroic posties a merry Christmas at this most difficult time of year for them.

[Mr Speaker]

I will be there on Friday with the Chorley posties.

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[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Blair McDougall)]

I was pleased that my hon. Friend joined the recent reception for small businesses. The Huddersfield-based Syngenta exemplifies local success, investing millions to convert an existing plant into an advanced life sciences manufacturing facility that supplies over 40 countries. The Government support local businesses through the business growth service, alongside the West Yorkshire growth hub, to ensure that businesses in the Colne valley have access to grow, scale and succeed.

[Paul Davies]

I represent 3,455 small and medium-sized enterprises in my constituency. Those businesses provide essential jobs in the local economy. Last weekend, we celebrated Small Business Saturday, and I had the privilege of joining world-renowned author Lee Child as we visited fantastic local businesses, including Read bookshop, Nellie’s Keepsake, the Huntsman Inn and many more. The previous Government turned their back on small businesses. Will the Minister outline what targeted programmes are available to boost local businesses in Colne Valley?

[Blair McDougall]

I am envious of my hon. Friend’s meeting Lee Child. If I had known, I might have asked him to put in a word for me to be the next Jack Reacher —I think I have the build for the role.

The Government continue to reach businesses through the West Yorkshire mayoral authority’s £1.4 billion investment over 30 years, including £30 million annually for local priorities. The West Yorkshire growth hub, along with help to grow and the apprenticeship reforms we have announced, will further boost local skills and productivity. SMEs in West Yorkshire will also be able to access the Made Smarter adoption pilot programme for professional and business services—a particular strength of my hon. Friend’s part of the world—with the aim of driving productivity through digital adoption and skills investment. We will continue to work with him to make those programmes a success.

[Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)]

12. What steps he is taking to support the hospitality sector in Glastonbury and Somerton constituency.

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[Michael Payne (Gedling) (Lab)]

T5. I recently visited Boutique Flowers on Carlton Hill in Gedling, which is a brilliant local business owned by Sally and Tina. They told me that they are losing thousands of pounds as a result of fraudulent chargebacks, and many small businesses are facing the same issue across the country. Will the Minister work with small businesses, banks, and payment providers to reform the chargeback system and put an end to this growing fraud scandal that is hitting small businesses across the country?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Blair McDougall)]

I thank Boutique Flowers for everything that it contributes to my hon. Friend’s local community. That sort of fraud is galling when someone is trying to keep a local business going, and colleagues in the Home Office and my Department are working on a new expanded fraud strategy to be published early next year. I will make sure that the experience of his constituents is fed in to that strategy.

[James MacCleary (Lewes) (LD)]

T3. A local restaurateur who operates in the village of Alfriston in my constituency recently came to see me at an advice surgery to talk about the challenges he faces, including increased national insurance costs, the minimum wage, sky-high business rates and rent, and ever increasing energy and utility costs. Most months he struggles to turn a profit at all. I recently heard a similar story from the landlords at the Elephant & Castle pub. Does the Minister understand that these Government policies are making it impossible for small businesses such as those to succeed, and will she meet hospitality businesses in my constituency to learn more?

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[Alison Griffiths (Bognor Regis and Littlehampton) (Con)]

T8. Ahead of Small Business Saturday, I visited Armen at Rose Green Hardware. He told me that it has never been as tough to run a small business as it is under this Labour Government. Does the Minister believe that removing business rates relief will make things any easier?

[Blair McDougall]

The hon. Lady intervened on me to make a similar point in yesterday’s debate. She and her party knew that the transitional covid relief was coming to end and that revaluation was coming, because that had been agreed when the Conservatives were in Government. The difference with this Government is that we have put in more than £4 billion to cushion that transition. That shows our support for small businesses, versus them being thrown overboard by her party when they were in government.

[Liz Twist (Blaydon and Consett) (Lab)]

Earlier this year, 150,000 workers across the north-east benefited from the increase in the national minimum wage, with another increase due in April as a result of the Budget. However, it is important that these increases are actually applied, so the Minister set out what steps she is taking to ensure that employers comply?

[Christine Jardine (Edinburgh West) (LD)]

T9. Retail is Scotland’s largest private sector employer, but businesses do not receive the same sort of business rates relief as those in the rest of the UK, which puts them at a disadvantage. A group of Scottish retailers recently wrote to the Scottish Government asking for this relief in the Scottish Budget. Will the Minister join me in pressing for that action, and pass the message on to other Ministers to mention in their discussions with the Scottish Government?

[Blair McDougall]

I am happy to join the hon. Lady in pressing for that action. It is a running theme that when we in this place vote to introduce more support, the money goes through to the Scottish Government but is not passed on to grassroots communities around the country. The question that she asks is the same as that asked by constituents in my area: where has all that money gone?

[Dr Lauren Sullivan (Gravesham) (Lab)]

The loss of the Gravesend to Tilbury ferry has had a detrimental impact on our high street, with businesses reporting a fall in footfall. Will the Minister meet me to advise on any potential capital revenue grants that could unlock growth in this area and the wider Thames estuary?

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[Rachel Taylor (North Warwickshire and Bedworth) (Lab)]

I got the chance to do some essential Christmas shopping on small business Saturday last week. I bought cakes from Gayton’s and a wreath from the Flower House, and I managed to get in my Christmas turkey order at Bates in Atherstone. Can the Minister tell us what extra support he will provide to small retail businesses in North Warwickshire and Bedworth and across the country?

[Blair McDougall]

I, too, enjoyed small business Saturday; I got to return to Beveridge fishmongers in Giffnock in my constituency, where I used to work. According to Small Business Britain, the boost given by small business Saturday has been the biggest in six years, so there is real room for optimism for small businesses as we go into the new year. Through the small business strategy, increasing access to finance, cutting red tape and ensuring that we tackle late payments, we will support small businesses in my hon. Friend’s constituency and across the UK.

[Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) (Con)]

The Minister’s magnificent waistcoat reminds me that last night I was at the grand opening of Tulip Treasures Florist on Shepperton high street in my constituency. Will the Minister wish young Rhiannon, who is taking that brave step, every success in her endeavours?

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[Chris Webb (Blackpool South) (Lab)]

Last weekend I attended Waterloo Road’s first ever winter wonderland Christmas lights switch-on, which was a fantastic celebration in the spirit of small business Saturday in the most deprived ward in our country. Those businesses told me on Saturday, as they have done many times, that they have been left behind for too long, and that the high street is suffering. Will the Minister meet me to discuss what we can do to support our high streets in the most deprived areas of this country?

[Blair McDougall]

I am very happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss that issue, and I know that he is a constant campaigner for small businesses in his constituency. In addition to my answer a moment ago about the measures within the business strategy, it is important to note that this has to be a cross-Government effort, including tackling issues such as bogus businesses and retail crime that have such an impact on the character of our high streets, as well as the footfall that ultimately leads to profitability for those small businesses.

[Sean Woodcock (Banbury) (Lab)]

The Minister has rightly congratulated Lando Norris and McLaren on their victory in the Formula 1 championship at the weekend. Motorsport brings in an estimated £9 billion to the UK economy, along with high-skilled jobs, cultural soft power and so on. Will the Minister join me in commending the sector on its contribution to the wider UK economy, and perhaps join me in visiting one of the Formula 1 or motorsport teams in my constituency?