Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he last met with the Competitions and Markets Authority to discuss fair competition in the hotel market.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There has been no specific meeting between Ministers and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to discuss competition in the hotel market. Responsibility for assessing competition in individual markets, including the hotel market, lies with the CMA, which operates independently of Government. The CMA keeps markets under review and can carry out market studies, investigations or enforcement action where it has concerns that competition is not working well for consumers. If you have evidence of a specific competition issue in the hotel market, I would encourage you to pass it to the CMA for consideration.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure fair competition in the hotel market.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There has been no specific meeting between Ministers and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to discuss competition in the hotel market. Responsibility for assessing competition in individual markets, including the hotel market, lies with the CMA, which operates independently of Government. The CMA keeps markets under review and can carry out market studies, investigations or enforcement action where it has concerns that competition is not working well for consumers. If you have evidence of a specific competition issue in the hotel market, I would encourage you to pass it to the CMA for consideration.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of fair competition in the hotel market.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There has been no specific meeting between Ministers and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to discuss competition in the hotel market. Responsibility for assessing competition in individual markets, including the hotel market, lies with the CMA, which operates independently of Government. The CMA keeps markets under review and can carry out market studies, investigations or enforcement action where it has concerns that competition is not working well for consumers. If you have evidence of a specific competition issue in the hotel market, I would encourage you to pass it to the CMA for consideration.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
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 support the parents and carers of children with severe health conditions.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Supporting children with severe health conditions can be a heartbreaking time for families. The Department for Business and Trade is currently developing a consultation on employment rights for carers, including specific measures for the parents and carers of seriously ill children. This will consider what employment rights may help families in such distressing situations. The consultation will take place in 2026.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on parental eligibility for Neonatal Care Pay and Leave.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The department is committed to supporting employers to implement the range of parental leave entitlements available, and enabling employees to access them. This includes Neonatal Care Leave and Pay. Local authorities are not involved in determining parental eligibility for Neonatal Care Leave and Pay. Employers can refer to publicly available guidance on GOV.UK to help them understand which employees are eligible for Neonatal Care Leave and Pay. The guidance was created with employers and parents in mind, and government worked closely with HR professionals to make sure it is fit for purpose.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information his Department holds on (a) which local authorities provide their staff with (i) statutory paternity leave and pay and (i) enhanced paternity leave and pay and (b) levels of take up of these across local government.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
All employers, including local authorities, are legally required to provide eligible employees with Statutory Paternity Leave and Pay, if they meet the eligibility criteria. The department does not hold data on which local authorities offer enhanced Paternity Leave and Pay or the take up of these across local government.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information his Department holds on the number of UK citizens by occupation who reached the end of their 90-day limit for staying in the EU (a) since the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement came into force and (b) in the last 12 months.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Department for Business and Trade does not hold the statistical information requested.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
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 the 90 day visa-waiver stay limitation per 180-day period on the UK aerospace industry.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Department of Business and Trade does not hold data on the potential impact of visa-waiver stay limitations on the UK aerospace industry.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what defence export licenses to Turkey are under consideration.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
We publish information on export licence outcomes as part of official statistics published on gov.uk by the Department for Business and Trade on behalf of the Export Control Joint Unit. The latest general statistics, which were classified as Official Statistics in Development, were published on 27 February 2025 and cover licence decisions to 30 September 2024. They are available to view on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.
We do not routinely publish information about in progress licence applications. Hundreds of licensing decisions are taken each week so the precise number of applications in progress changes on a daily basis. Once an application has received an outcome, it will be published as official statistics in the Annual and Quarterly Reports on Strategic Export Controls.
Information relating to export licensing decisions covering the period 1 October 2024 – 31 December 2024 will be published on 15 May 2025.