Harriett Baldwin

To qualify for statutory Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Shared Parental Pay (ShPP), both parents (mother/primary adopter and their partner/secondary adopter) must meet an economic activity test relating to employment and earnings and an individual test relating to duration of service as well as having main caring responsibility for the child.

In line with legislation, to be eligible for SPL Cabinet Office policy requires each parent to have at least 26 weeks continuous employment with their respective employer by the end of the 15th week, before the child’s due date or adoption matching date. They must also still be working for the same respective employer when they intend to take the leave.

To be eligible for SPL and ShPP at the statutory rate, an employee must have been employed within the Civil Service continuously during the 26 week period before the end of the 15th week before the child’s due date or adoption matching date.

If an employee has been employed in the Civil Service for this duration, although not in the Cabinet Office, they may still be eligible for SPL and ShPP so long as they meet all the qualifying criteria.

As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in line with the Government’s legislation on employment rights.

Applications have closed for the Cabinet Office Second Permanent Secretary for European Union and International Economic Affairs role. As was practice under the previous administration we do not comment on competitions underway.

The Taskforce Terms of Reference and membership is published: Terms of Reference and taskforce member list - GOV.UK

The settlement following the Spending Review provides investment of over £500 million over the Parliament to modernise the Post Office, including £86 million from the Transformation Fund. This will allow the Post Office to implement its Strategic Transformation Plan, including the replacement of the legacy Horizon computer system, and will put the Post Office and the crucial services its network provides on a more sustainable footing.

The Spending Review settlement also ensures the Department will have maximum capacity and flexibility to provide full redress to the victims of the Post Office Horizon IT Scandal as quickly as possible. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government set aside £1.8 billion of funding for redress payments from 2024-25 in addition to around £200 million that had already been distributed.

Funding of approximately £130m in total has been provided to British Steel to ensure continued operation of the blast furnaces.

Funding is provided to British Steel under the provisions of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act. This funding is supported by wider powers under the Act to ensure it results in the safe and continued operation of steelmaking. All funding released to British Steel is reviewed and approved in advance, and is subject to the usual value-for-money considerations. The intervention is a temporary measure and work is continuing to determine the best long-term sustainable future for the site.

Steel is a priority for this Government. As shown with the passing of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act on 12 April, this Government will not hesitate to take unprecedented steps to safeguard the future of steelmaking in the UK, protecting jobs, national security and supply chains.

Since the legislation was passed on 12 April, we have acted round the clock to secure the raw materials needed to keep the blast furnaces operating safely at Scunthorpe. British Steel, the UK’s only manufacturer of rail, has secured a new £500 million long-term supply contract with Network Rail, and the statutory redundancy consultation initiated by British Steel’s owners, Jingye, has been cancelled, removing the immediate risk to 2,700 jobs.

DBT conducted a comprehensive zero-based review as part of SR25 to identify a range of savings and efficiencies, including agreeing bespoke technical efficiency targets and delivery plans for day-today budgets with the Office for Value or Money. Through this work, DBT has committed to meeting the 5% savings and efficiencies target.

The department is now setting multi-year budgets, through which final decisions will be made on any activities which will be cancelled, or allowed to lapse.

DBT conducted a comprehensive zero-based review as part of SR25 to identify a range of savings and efficiencies, including agreeing bespoke technical efficiency targets and delivery plans for day-today budgets with the Office for Value or Money. Through this work, DBT has committed to meeting the 5% savings and efficiencies target.

The department is now setting multi-year budgets, through which final decisions will be made on any activities which will be cancelled, or allowed to lapse.

The Office for Investment (OfI) facilitates high-value, strategically important inward investment into the UK. As a dedicated concierge service, it provides a seamless journey for investors, unlocking high-impact opportunities and accelerating delivery of the government’s growth priorities.

Recently expanded to enhance its capabilities, the OfI played a pivotal role in securing the £63 billion announced at the International Investment Summit in October 2024. Since then, it has helped attract billions more across key Industrial Strategy sectors, including from Universal, Vishay, Vantage, Knauf, Rheinmetall, and Lendlease.

A full list of companies cannot be disclosed due to commercial sensitivities.

The Office for Investment (OfI) facilitates high-value, strategically important inward investment into the UK. As a dedicated concierge service, it provides a seamless journey for investors, unlocking high-impact opportunities and accelerating delivery of the government’s growth priorities.

Recently expanded to enhance its capabilities, the OfI played a pivotal role in securing the £63 billion announced at the International Investment Summit in October 2024. Since then, it has helped attract billions more across key Industrial Strategy sectors, including from Universal, Vishay, Vantage, Knauf, Rheinmetall, and Lendlease.

A full list of companies cannot be disclosed due to commercial sensitivities.

The Office for Investment (OfI) facilitates high-value, strategically important inward investment into the UK. As a dedicated concierge service, it provides a seamless journey for investors, unlocking high-impact opportunities and accelerating delivery of the government’s growth priorities.

Recently expanded to enhance its capabilities, the OfI played a pivotal role in securing the £63 billion announced at the International Investment Summit in October 2024. Since then, it has helped attract billions more across key Industrial Strategy sectors, including from Universal, Vishay, Vantage, Knauf, Rheinmetall, and Lendlease.

A full list of companies cannot be disclosed due to commercial sensitivities.

On 16 June, we announced concrete progress towards the implementation of the UK-US trade deal as agreed on 8 May. We continue to work closely with the energy sector to understand the impacts of the UK-US trade deal.

The government is committed to supporting the UK’s energy sector, including through our Industrial Strategy in which Clean Energy Industries is one of the eight growth sectors.

The Industrial Strategy will be published shortly, and the department is currently finalising plans for publication.

My department has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis includes con-sideration of impacts on economic growth. This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments

This represents the best estimate for the likely impacts, including on economic growth, given the current stage of policy development. We are refining our analysis as policy development continues, working closely with external experts, businesses and trade unions.

The department regularly meets with the Institute of Directors to discuss a range of policies included in the Employment Rights Bill and, as with all stakeholders, we value the insight they provide.

£3.8 billion was allocated to The Department for Business and Trade as part of the Spending Review, which includes funding for the Office for Investment (OfI). As set out previously, (9th June), the OfI's budget for FY 2025/6 is £24,671,291.

The figures released as part of the International Investment Summit last autumn are aggregate values of investment plans from several multi-national enterprises. The Office for Investment does not hold information from companies on the regional breakdown of their job proposals in their investment plans.

The Office for Investment (OfI) is focusing on building and converting a pipeline of significant investments opportunities, delivering economic growth and strategic government priorities. This was also the focus of the OfI when originally launched in 2020 but there is now a greater expectation on the number of significant opportunities that will be supported.

As demonstrated in the DBT Inward Investment Results 2024-25, DBT and OfI measure and report on several aspects of investments supported by the government’s investment promotion service including Gross Value Add (GVA) and jobs created outside of London and the South East.

The budget for the Office for Investment (OfI) for FY 2025/6 is £24,671,291.

The overall budget for the Office for Investment (OfI) and the Investment Directorate (ID) for FY 2024/5 was £27,630,000. This included expenditure on the three categories outlined above but no specific further provision was made.

The Office for Investment (OfI) is a joint unit that works across the Department of Business and Trade, HM Treasury (HMT), and No 10 Downing Street to bring in top-tier investment to the UK. The main base will be in DBT offices. Seconded staff to HMT will be located at HMT buildings. The Minister will have offices in both DBT and HMT.

The expanded Office for Investment (OfI) was officially launched on 5^th June 2025.

The number of staff (FTE) in the Office for Investment (OfI) was c.30 from July 2024 to June 2025. When the expanded OfI was launched on 5^th June 2025, this figure increased to c. 230 FTE.

These matters are the responsibility of the Post Office, although the Department for Business and Trade has made clear to them the very serious view which we take of this breach and the need to avoid similar failings in future. The Information Commissioner’s Office is responsible for independent oversight of data protection matters.

These matters are the responsibility of the Post Office, although the Department for Business and Trade has made clear to them the very serious view which we take of this breach and the need to avoid similar failings in future. The Information Commissioner’s Office is responsible for independent oversight of data protection matters.

These matters are the responsibility of the Post Office, although the Department for Business and Trade has made clear to them the very serious view which we take of this breach and the need to avoid similar failings in future. The Information Commissioner’s Office is responsible for independent oversight of data protection matters.

The Government welcomes Banking Framework 4, which provides both personal and business customers with certainty about access to services provided through the post office network to the end of the decade, including vital in-person cash and banking services. As well as improving cash services for the people and businesses that need it most, Banking Framework 4 will also provide a better commercial offer for postmasters over the next five years.

It is not possible to provide the information requested other than at disproportionate cost.

Applications are made to UK Export Finance (UKEF) through a variety of channels, including through banks and other financial institutions, and through its network of local Export Finance Managers who are valuable contacts for exporters and businesses with export potential.

Further information about the support that UKEF provides can be found in the Annual Reports and Accounts for each year, which can be found online at: UK Export Finance annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.

Full details of the businesses supported by UKEF are available online at: UK Export Finance: business supported - GOV.UK.

The Office for Investment (OfI) has remained operational throughout this period, continuing to lead efforts to secure high-value investment into the UK — such as through its role in landing the major investment partnership worth £24 billion between The Crown Estate and Lendlease and the multibillion-pound investment by Universal in a new theme park and resort in Bedford. The expanded OfI will be operational by the end of May. The Department remains committed to continuously improving its approach to attracting and delivering transformational investment that supports UK growth and innovation.

The Government continues to make significant progress in delivering redress to affected postmasters. From July 2024 to 30 April 2025, more than 4,000 victims have received compensation for the first time. An additional £728 million has been paid in redress during this same time period. This means that the total amount of redress paid to victims has increased by more than four times with £964 million having now been paid to over 6,800 claimants across all schemes.

We however recognise there is a lot more still to do, and we remain committed to improving the pace at which full and fair redress is paid to the victims of the Horizon scandal.

The Department for Business and Trade is working closely with the UK’s steel and aluminium industries to anticipate and assess the potential impacts of the US tariffs on UK exports, and we continue to engage closely with affected industries.

We have committed up to £2.5 billion to rebuild the steel sector and recently welcomed the Trade Remedies Authority’s (TRA) urgent review of the Steel Safeguard. We are also discussing what interventions might be similarly required to protect the Aluminium sector from any harmful effects of trade deflection UK-US trade teams will continue to have constructive discussions to agree a UK-US economic prosperity deal in the coming weeks and beyond.

The Department for Business and Trade is working closely with the UK’s steel and aluminium industries to anticipate and assess the potential impacts of the US tariffs on UK exports, and we continue to engage closely with affected industries.

We have committed up to £2.5 billion to rebuild the steel sector and recently welcomed the Trade Remedies Authority’s (TRA) urgent review of the Steel Safeguard. We are also discussing what interventions might be similarly required to protect the Aluminium sector from any harmful effects of trade deflection UK-US trade teams will continue to have constructive discussions to agree a UK-US economic prosperity deal in the coming weeks and beyond.

The Department for Business and Trade is working closely with the UK’s steel and aluminium industries to anticipate and assess the potential impacts of the US tariffs on UK exports, and we continue to engage closely with affected industries.

We have committed up to £2.5 billion to rebuild the steel sector and recently welcomed the Trade Remedies Authority’s (TRA) urgent review of the Steel Safeguard. We are also discussing what interventions might be similarly required to protect the Aluminium sector from any harmful effects of trade deflection UK-US trade teams will continue to have constructive discussions to agree a UK-US economic prosperity deal in the coming weeks and beyond.

The Department for Business and Trade is working closely with the UK’s steel and aluminium industries to anticipate and assess the potential impacts of the US tariffs on UK exports, and we continue to engage closely with affected industries.

We have committed up to £2.5 billion to rebuild the steel sector and recently welcomed the Trade Remedies Authority’s (TRA) urgent review of the Steel Safeguard. We are also discussing what interventions might be similarly required to protect the Aluminium sector from any harmful effects of trade deflection UK-US trade teams will continue to have constructive discussions to agree a UK-US economic prosperity deal in the coming weeks and beyond.

DBT Secretary of State and officials continue to hold regular and productive conversations with the Trump administration to press the case for UK business interests. We’re prioritising engagement with the US to stand up for our national interests.

There are no official statistics on the number of hair and beauty businesses that are considering closing down in the next 12 months. We regularly engage with the sector and review industry surveys to understand sector confidence.

The Government are protecting the smallest businesses by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning that 865,000 employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions at all. We are also creating a fairer business rates system and to support hair and beauty businesses through this transition, we are extending business rates relief for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sectors for one year at 40% up to a cash cap of £110,000.