Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which overseas companies registered in the UK per industry have received funding from her Department in each year since 2015.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
This information is not held centrally. To provide an accurate breakdown of funding would incur a disproportionate cost. In its capacity as the UK’s export credit agency, any support provided by UK Export Finance (UKEF) to exporters takes the form of loans, guarantees or insurance provided at commercial rates. UKEF does not provide direct funding to, or make equity investments in, the businesses that it supports.’ A summary of the support provided by UKEF for each financial year is provided in the annual report and accounts, which are available online at: UK Export Finance annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much her Department invested in UK-based energy businesses in each year since 2015.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Department for Business and Trade does not directly invest in businesses of any kind but does support companies or projects seeking financial investment from third parties. In its capacity as the UK’s export credit agency, any support provided by UK Export Finance (UKEF) to exporters takes the form of loans, guarantees or insurance provided at commercial rates. UKEF does not provide direct funding to, or make equity investments in, the businesses that it supports. A summary of the support provided by UKEF for each financial year is provided in the annual report and accounts, which are available online at: UK Export Finance annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the benefits to the UK are of the funding committed to the Ineos energy investment in Belgium.
Answered by Greg Hands
UK Export Finance’s (UKEF’s) support for the Ineos Project One plant secures new export opportunities for the UK by enabling an overseas buyer to finance the purchase of goods, services and/or intangibles from UK suppliers.
As the UK’s export credit agency, UKEF’s mission is to advance prosperity by ensuring no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance, doing that sustainably and at no net cost to the taxpayer.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2024 to Question 15770 on District Heating: Business Rates, for what reason the figure of £315,000 was chosen; and whether she has plans to review it.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The £315,000 figure only limits subsidy given as ‘minimal financial assistance’. Public authorities are free to give larger subsidies, provided they apply the seven ‘subsidy control principles’ when designing their intervention.
The UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement limits the amount of subsidy that can be given outside the normal process to 325,000 Special Drawing Rights. Allowing a small margin for exchange rate fluctuations, this has been converted to £315,000 in the Subsidy Control Act.
The Secretary of State will review this figure from time to time and may amend it up or down, within the Trade and Cooperation Agreement limit.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether there is a cap on the maximum amount of business rates relief that can be applied under provisions relating to subsidy controls.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The UK subsidy control regime does not put numerical limits on the amount of business rates relief that can be provided. Where business rates reliefs constitute a subsidy, public authorities providing those reliefs must consider the subsidy control principles and can provide reliefs at any level they consider to be consistent with those principles.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the maximum level of Minimal Financial Assistance business rates relief was for local heat networks in each year since 2021.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
An enterprise may receive up to £315,000 of subsidy in a three-year period through the simplified ‘minimal financial assistance’ process. This limit applies to all subsidies given through that simplified process, regardless of their purpose. No such limits apply where a public authority has considered the subsidy control principles and set up a subsidy scheme.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2023 to Question 4277 on Israel: Military Aid, if she will list all UK-based organisations which have supplied (a) lethal and (b) other military equipment other than medical supplies to Israel since 7 October 2023.
Answered by Greg Hands
Exports of military goods from the UK require an export licence. HM Government published data on export licensing decisions on a quarterly basis, including data on outcome, end user destination, overall value and a summary of the items covered by these licences. This data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.
The most recent publication was on 30th August 2023, and covered the period 1st January – 31st March 2023. Information covering 1st April – 30th June 2023 will be published on 16th January 2024.
Information regarding export licences granted between 7 October and end of December 2023 will be published after April 2024.
The fact that an export licence is granted, does not necessarily mean that an export takes place, as some licences may expire unused, others may expire after only partial use, and some licences may subsequently be revoked or suspended.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she plans to take to facilitate consultation with relevant stakeholders on any future trade partnership with the US; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The UK and U.S. are expanding the work we do together across the full spectrum of our economic, technological, commercial and trade relations through the Atlantic Declaration. Discussions with the U.S. on next steps under this first-of-its-kind agreement are ongoing.
Ministers and officials regularly engage with a wide range of stakeholders including business groups, civil society and SMEs in both the UK and the U.S. on a range of trade matters.
We will also continue to update Parliament as our work develops. The Department also hosts updates on the Government’s trade agenda. These sessions are open to all MPs.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the UK subsidy control regime precludes financial support for a direct continental ferry service by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The UK subsidy control regime is flexible and permissive. Subsidies are permitted provided that a public authority adheres to the legal process provided in the Act including the requirements of the UK's international obligations. The regime allows devolved administrations and local authorities to give subsidies that are tailored to local needs and drive economic growth. It is for individual public authorities to assess the consistency of any proposed subsidy with the regime. My officials stand ready to help all public authorities understand the regime.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether (a) the Secretary of State, (b) Ministers in her Department and (c) officials in her Department have participated in foreign visits as part of the City of London Overseas Engagement Programme in the period since 2010.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
My department does not have a team or individual dedicated to supporting the Lord Mayor of London’s overseas engagement programme. Officials from my department have provided support to individual elements of the Lord Mayor’s programme where it delivers the Government’s trade and investment objectives. On each occasion support will have been provided by DBT teams in the relevant Embassy or Consulate as a small proportion of individuals’ overall activity. We do not capture data on time or cost at that level of detail.
No Secretary of State or Ministers in DBT or DIT participated in foreign visits as part of the Lord Mayor’s overseas engagement programme in the last 3 years for which we have records. Officials will have participated as described above.