Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with Royal Mail to ensure that (a) the NHS barcode system is fully operational and that (b) NHS bodies understand how to implement it effectively.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government supports the measures being taken to ensure important communications from the NHS reach households on time and we encourage NHS bodies to make use of this service.
I recently met Alistair Cochrane, CEO of Royal Mail, and Martin Seidenberg, CEO of International Distribution Services, and raised concerns about Royal Mail’s performance with them. They reported continued targeted action to improve reliability and to deliver further sustained improvements. The government will continue to raise concerns with Royal Mail if the company’s quality of service does not improve.
It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to set and monitor Royal Mail’s obligations and has told Royal Mail it must urgently publish and deliver a credible plan that delivers major and continuous improvement.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 help ensure that Royal Mail provide timely and reliable delivery of NHS appointment letters to patients in rural constituencies.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government recognises the importance of timely delivery of NHS appointment letters, particularly for patients in rural areas. Royal Mail is required under the Universal Service Obligation to deliver priority letters six days a week to every UK address, and Ofcom monitors compliance with these standards.
It is for Ofcom to decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has met with representatives of the National Security Strategic Investment Fund since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has not met with representatives of the National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF) since his appointment.
While the Secretary of State is the sole shareholder of the British Business Bank, which provides operational support and the investment platform for NSSIF, the strategic mandate and policy direction for NSSIF are set by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on a reciprocal tariff-rate quota for refined white sugar in the UK-US trade deal.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US which will save thousands of jobs, protect key British industries, and help drive economic growth.
Further negotiations across a range of areas are ongoing. We do not comment on the specifics of live negotiations.
Both Ministers and senior DBT officials continue to engage extensively with industry – including representatives from the British sugar sector – to ensure their views are heard throughout the negotiation process.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to promote the UK sugar beet industry in international trade negotiations.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
This Government recognises the importance of the UK sugar beet industry. In all our trade negotiations we seek to open up new markets for British agricultural, food and drink exports, including UK-produced sugars.
The UK is also an active member of the International Sugar Organization, a body that facilitates global dialogue on sugar trade, production and sustainability.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 potential impact of proposed changes to the universal service obligation on (a) postal services and (b) South Suffolk constituency.
Answered by Justin Madders
It is the responsibility of Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to ensure the provision of a universal postal service that meets the reasonable needs of users, throughout the United Kingdom, and is financially sustainable and efficient.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 tackle financial scams committed by online firms.
Answered by Justin Madders
Supporting law enforcement in combatting online fraud and other economic crimes, my Department, through its sponsored bodies, plays a critical role in supplying data on UK registered commercial entities to assist investigations and prosecutions.
Companies House and the Insolvency Service work closely with the National Economic Crime Centre and similar agencies to identify threats and trends to facilitate UK law enforcement in preventing and closing down such scams at the earliest opportunity.
Through the Consumer Protection Partnership, we raise awareness about how to spot, avoid and report scams. The Scams Awareness Campaign recently run by Citizens Advice had particular focus on the top financial scams: fake debt advice; friend in need scams; investment scams; pension scams; and parking QR code scams
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 adequacy of the application of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Answered by Justin Madders
The consumer rights framework is kept under review to ensure it continues to provide effective consumer protection.
For example, the department is implementing the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 which strengthens enforcement of this framework by giving the CMA new direct enforcement powers and the CMA and court enforcers the ability to impose significant monetary penalties where necessary.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support rural post offices.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
There are over 11,500 post office branches in the UK – over half are in rural areas – which the Government supports through an annual £50m network subsidy to ensure the viability of rural and community branches.
Government further works to ensure Post Office Limited maintains a minimum number of branches and a geographical spread of branches in line with published access criteria. The access criteria ensure that however the network changes, services remain within local reach of all citizens.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help ensure that post offices in South Suffolk constituency remain financially viable businesses entities.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
The Post Office is an essential service in communities across the country. The Government is committed to finding ways to strengthen the Post Office, through consulting with sub-postmasters, trade unions and customers. This will include supporting the development of new products, services and business models, such as banking hubs, that will help reinvigorate the high street.
Government provides an annual £50m Network Subsidy funding to support the delivery of a minimum number of branches and a geographical spread of branches in line with published access criteria.