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Written Question
UK Tradeshow Programme
Monday 29th January 2024

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the UK Tradeshow Programme.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government announced the UK Tradeshow Programme as a pilot programme and feasibility study in November 2021. The programme did not yield the successes we might have hoped, and was closed in March 2023.


Written Question
Audit: Reform
Wednesday 15th November 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the answer of 19 April 2023 to Question 180116 on Audit: Reform, how many hours officials in her Department have worked on legislative proposals on reform of audit and corporate governance since the publication of the Restoring trust in audit and corporate governance white paper, CP382.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department does not keep records of work assignment at a project level, nor on an hourly basis. The table below sets out estimates of the number of officials in the Department who were working on legislative proposals for reform of audit and associated legislative reforms of corporate governance, in September of each year since the publication of the White Paper in 2021.

September 2021

c. 21

September 2022

19

September 2023

15


Written Question
Trade Agreements
Tuesday 24th October 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many civil servants in her Department are currently working on negotiations for (a) free trade agreements with (i) India, (ii) Canada, (iii) Mexico, (iv) Israel, (v) the Gulf Cooperation Council and (b) memoranda of understanding with US states.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department for Business and Trade operates a flexible resourcing model to maximise efficiency across negotiations. The Department is currently delivering seven trade negotiations, alongside work on the US. The number of staff working on these will change depending on the stage and scale of the deal. Staff work across multiple negotiations so it is not possible to quantify the number for each workstream.

With the Machine of Government, Trade Negotiation Group increased its responsibility to cover wider trade policy and FTA implementation. In September 2023, DBT had 724 staff in the newly named Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations Group.


Written Question
Audit: Reform
Tuesday 19th September 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many civil servants worked on legislative proposals relating to audit reform in each of the last five years.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The table below gives the number of officials in the Department working on legislative proposals relating to reform of audit and associated legislative reforms of corporate governance, in September of each of the last five years. Figures for 2019-21 are estimates based on information readily available.

September 2019

c. 20

September 2020

c. 15

September 2021

c. 21

September 2022

19

September 2023

15


Written Question
World Trade Organisation: Electronic Commerce
Tuesday 19th September 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether it is her Department's policy to support the renewal of the WTO e-commerce moratorium beyond 2024.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

My Department supports the renewal of the WTO e-commerce moratorium. We are working with WTO Members and interested stakeholders to deliver this outcome at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference. The moratorium underpins global digital trade and provides certainty that electronic transmissions will not be subject to customs duties. My Department is clear that we support a permanent prohibition of such duties, as outlined in our Digital Trade Objectives and the G7 Digital Trade Principles developed under the 2021 UK Presidency.

My Department is also committed to agreeing rules against customs duties on electronic transmissions in the UK’s bilateral trade agreements.


Written Question
Mutual Societies
Thursday 25th May 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many officials in his Department work on policies relating to mutual societies.

Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Treasury allocates resources based on the priorities of the department, and officials within the Financial Services Group of HM Treasury provide advice to ministers on issues related to the mutuals sector. Resourcing is kept under regular review to ensure priorities are delivered.

The government recognises the value that mutuals bring to the UK economy. That is why we are taking appropriate steps to ensure that the legislative framework in which mutuals operate under is both a modern and supportive business environment.

As part of the Financial Services and Markets Bill, the Government is amending existing legislation so that credit unions in Great Britain can offer a wider range of products and services. In due course the government will also bring forward legislation to amend the Building Societies Act 1986, which will give building societies further flexibility in raising funds and modernise corporate governance requirements.

In addition, the government is supporting Sir Mark Hendrick’s Private Member’s Bill which would allow co-operatives, mutual insurers, and friendly societies further flexibility in determining for themselves the best strategies for their business, relating to their surplus capital and restrictions on the use of these assets.

Furthermore, the government is in active discussions with the Law Commission on options to proceed with a review of both the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 and the Friendly Societies Act 1992 with a view to launching the reviews in the next financial year.


Written Question
Automotive Transformation Fund
Wednesday 24th May 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much of the automotive transformation fund has been distributed to businesses.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

As of May 2023, the total value of offers made under the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) is £278.5 million. In addition, we are in active discussions with investors on a wide range of exciting new projects for the UK's electric vehicle supply chain.


Written Question
Small Businesses: Billing
Monday 24th April 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2022 to Question 146960 on Small Businesses: Billing, when she plans to publish the findings of the Prompt payment and cash flow review.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

As set out in the published terms of reference (www.gov.uk/government/publica-tions/prompt-payment-and-cash-flow-review/payment-and-cash-flow-review-terms-of-refer-ence), we will publish a conclusions document in 2023 which will:

• summarise our findings in response to the engagement undertaken, and next steps;

• respond to the consultation on the Payment Practices and Performance Regulations 2017;

• set out the findings of the statutory review on the performance of the Small Business Commissioner.


Written Question
Conditions of Employment
Monday 24th April 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with which trade unions her Department has had discussions on legislative proposals relating to employment since she became Secretary of State.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is supporting six Private Members Bills to increase workforce participation, protect vulnerable workers, and level the playing field, ensuring unscrupulous businesses do not have a competitive advantage. Relevant trade unions were consulted prior to and throughout the development of these reforms.

The Government regularly discusses legislative proposals with the trade unions and has recently engaged with unions on the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, which is currently progressing through the House of Lords.

I recently met with Trades Union Congress, and the Secretary of State is also scheduled to meet with the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress in April to discuss shared interests.


Written Question
Department for Business and Trade: Departmental Responsibilities
Monday 24th April 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when her Department plans to publish the list of ministerial responsibilities.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Ministerial responsibilities will be published in due course.