Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 protect the chemical industry from (a) site closures and (b) job losses.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The chemicals sector underpins almost all manufacturing in the UK and is fundamental to maximising growth and productivity across the economy to drive forward the government’s missions, including delivering growth for all. Reforms are underway to address planning barriers to growth, channel finance towards growth priorities and accelerate the transition to net zero.
This will be supported by our modern Industrial Strategy which will implement targeted policy interventions to drive long-term sustainable, inclusive and secure growth.
Last autumn’s Budget announced continued support for Energy Intensive Industries – including chemical companies - through £350M of additional funding across the next two years.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to provide additional incentives to help encourage people to establish small businesses.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
The Government supports entrepreneurs with funding and mentoring through, for example the British Business Bank, via Start-up Loans.
The recently announced Business Growth Service which is due to be landed later this year, will help businesses access the support they need to grow, whether they are starting out or looking to scale up. One aim is to ensure that businesses can access more targeted support that considers their particular needs.
We will publish our Small Business Strategy later this year, setting out how the Government will encourage entrepreneurship across the UK and enable small businesses to grow, empowering entrepreneurs to innovate, export and create new jobs.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on introducing more flexible paternity leave.
Answered by Justin Madders
The Government is committed to ensuring that employed parents receive the best possible support to balance their work and family responsibilities.
The Employment Rights Bill will increase the flexibility of Paternity Leave. This Bill will make Paternity Leave available from ‘day one’ in a new job and enable it to be taken after Shared Parental Leave.
We will also review the parental leave system to ensure that it supports working families. Planning work is already underway across Government, including with the Department of Work and Pensions.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 flexible working patterns offered to enable parents to (a) work and (b) afford the costs of childcare.
Answered by Justin Madders
We know from reviews of the existing legislative framework as well as the impact assessment of the measures in the Employment Rights Bill that there is clear demand for adequate flexible working arrangements from parents, as there is with other groups in the workforce. Flexible working can help parents manage their childcare responsibilities and reduce the cost of childcare.
Through Make Work Pay the Government committed to making flexible working the default except where not reasonably feasible, making it more likely that requests are accepted. Clauses contained in the Employment Rights Bill will achieve this aim.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make a comparative assessment of (a) the UK's regulatory system and (b) those of international comparators.
Answered by Justin Madders
The Government is committed to delivering a regulatory system that addresses market failures, creates economic certainty, and drives innovation to stimulate growth while protecting consumers and businesses. As part of this, HMG regularly makes comparative assessments of the UK's regulatory system and those of international comparators.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to encourage international investment across the UK.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Attracting investment is one of the key pillars to the Government’s growth mission and is vital to helping address the challenge of achieving sustained growth, improving productivity and increasing the number of good, well-skilled jobs across the country. At the International Investment Summit, we secured £63bn worth of investments across the whole of the UK, creating nearly 38,000 jobs. On top of this we have launched Invest 2035, our vision for a modern Industrial Strategy “Invest 2035”: a credible, 10-year plan to deliver the certainty and stability businesses need to invest.
As an example of the many steps we are taking to encourage investment, we have today (12th November) launched the Clean Industries Bonus which will encourage investment in renewable energy projects.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 trends in the level of interest rates on SMEs.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
For SMEs that pay interest at a variable rate, or those contemplating new borrowing, lower interest rates are clearly beneficial.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department supports the use of Compulsory Licences to gain access to medicines (a) generally and (b) by Columbia for access to dolutegravir.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Government supports the Doha Declaration on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and Public Health and, within that, a country’s right to use compulsory licensing, where necessary and appropriate, to achieve public health policy objectives in the case of national health emergencies. We are aware of the potential impact such initiatives may have on access to medicines, market dynamics, and innovation. We are closely following the process undertaken by Colombia and are in regular dialogue with them on this and other regulatory matters.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 for abuse of voluntary insolvencies.
Answered by Justin Madders
In recent years the Government has commissioned research covering both corporate and personal voluntary insolvency processes. In 2022 the company voluntary arrangement research report was published and on 17 October 2024 the research findings into Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) was published. Further research into corporate voluntary insolvency processes will be published later this year. The Government will be considering the findings of this research, and along with other evidence, may bring forward proposals for reform in due course.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will extend export support programmes for civil maritime sector participation in international trade shows.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
This year, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has already supported UK maritime firms at Asia Pacific Maritime (Singapore), Posidonia (Athens), and SMM (Hamburg). Other upcoming events include METSTRADE, which will be taking place in Amsterdam this November, as well as Sea Asia in March. UK businesses can access DBT’s export services via Great.gov.uk, including the UK Export Academy, International Trade Advisers, Help to Grow, and the Export Support Service.
DBT will continue to review its offer to ensure businesses have the support they need to export and grow.