Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
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 continued availability of British natural stone for heritage restoration projects.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business and Trade does not offer any specific support for British natural stone for heritage restoration projects.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport supports heritage restoration projects with several grant schemes, including those covering VAT for repairs through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme and the Memorial Grant Scheme. Additional funds, such as the Heritage At Risk Capital Fund and the Heritage Revival Fund, provide financial support in England for repairing endangered heritage sites and repurposing neglected historic buildings for community and economic benefit.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) international trade practices and (b) foreign subsidies on the competitiveness of UK natural stone SMEs.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) is the UK’s investigatory body that exists to defend the UK against unfair international trade practices, including foreign subsidies.
I encourage UK industry to engage directly with the TRA if they believe they are being injured by unfair trading practices as it will be for the TRA to decide whether evidentiary thresholds to initiate a trade remedies investigation are met.
The Department remains vigilant to any reports of potential injury to industries from unfair trading practices and regularly engages with the natural stone sector.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with (a) trade bodies and (c) businesses on the potential impact of class action lawsuits on levels of (a) inward investment and (b) economic growth.
Answered by Justin Madders
I engage regularly with both stakeholders and my Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, including how we can prioritise and encourage economic growth.
The department’s remit is limited to collective actions brought in relation to competition issues. In that context, class actions can improve access to justice where bringing a claim would otherwise be impractical or unaffordable.
A robust competition regime, including a route that enables consumers (including businesses) to seek redress through litigation, facilitates consumer protection and encourages investment and growth.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of class action lawsuits on levels of (a) inward investment and (b) economic growth.
Answered by Justin Madders
I engage regularly with both stakeholders and my Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, including how we can prioritise and encourage economic growth.
The department’s remit is limited to collective actions brought in relation to competition issues. In that context, class actions can improve access to justice where bringing a claim would otherwise be impractical or unaffordable.
A robust competition regime, including a route that enables consumers (including businesses) to seek redress through litigation, facilitates consumer protection and encourages investment and growth.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken to support UK (a) brands and (b) manufacturers with a potential influx of fast fashion, in the context of the UK-India trade deal.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Helping our world-class textiles industry extend its influence worldwide is important for our Plan for Change, with several businesses in the sector expressing support for our new trade deal with India.
This agreement will mean increased choice for consumers and cheaper imports for businesses and give UK businesses an edge over international competitors when entering India's rapidly growing market.
We have included a bilateral safeguard mechanism which allows us to temporarily increase tariffs if an industry is suffering or facing the threat of serious injury as a result of reduced duties in the FTA.
The Department continues to engage with stakeholders to monitor the impact of the deal and ensure that UK businesses can compete on a level playing field.
The Government is reviewing the customs treatment of low value imports, and intends to engage stakeholders through existing channels, which will inform a decision on whether to launch a consultation later in the year.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
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 bioethanol industry on the UK-US trade deal.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
Whenever a trade agreement of any sort is agreed, there will be domestic impacts if our trading partners have requested further access to the UK market. That is the case for the agreement on bioethanol. Senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been meeting representatives of the domestic bioethanol industry, and the Secretary of State has met with bioethanol businesses. We are committed to working with the domestic bioethanol industry about their concerns.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to facilitate the onshoring of production to the UK for British (a) brands and (b) manufacturers in the context of proposed US tariffs.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK Government is acutely aware of the potential impact that these proposed tariffs could have on British businesses. We are committed to ensuring that our brands and manufacturers are supported during this challenging period.
On 13 April 2025, the Chancellor announced the Growth Guarantee Scheme will provide approximately £500m of additional lending capacity to help more smaller businesses across the UK. The extra funding is aimed at smaller businesses that may need support with cashflow issues due to changes in global tariff rates.
Advanced manufacturing is critical to UK prosperity. This Government will continue to support the sector through our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, where advanced manufacturing has been selected as one of eight growth-driving sectors.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to support British (a) brands and (b) manufacturers in the context of proposed US tariffs.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK Government is acutely aware of the potential impact that these proposed tariffs could have on British businesses. We are committed to ensuring that our brands and manufacturers are supported during this challenging period.
On 13 April 2025, the Chancellor announced the Growth Guarantee Scheme will provide approximately £500m of additional lending capacity to help more smaller businesses across the UK. The extra funding is aimed at smaller businesses that may need support with cashflow issues due to changes in global tariff rates.
Advanced manufacturing is critical to UK prosperity. This Government will continue to support the sector through our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, where advanced manufacturing has been selected as one of eight growth-driving sectors.