Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent discussions his Department has held with Royal Mail regarding delays to postal deliveries.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
I have been frank in my discussions with Royal Mail’s leadership that quality of service has been unacceptable for too long and the pace of improvement must increase.
On 3 November, the Secretary of State and I met both Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union. We stressed the importance of management and the workforce working together constructively to improve service going forward.
I will continue to press the company to deliver the service that our constituents deserve.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what plans he has in place to ensure the long-term future of the postal service.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The postal service connects every community, and we are committed to its future. Ofcom, the independent regulator, has a statutory duty under the Postal Services Act 2011 to secure a financially sustainable and efficient universal postal service.
Ofcom announced changes to modernise the universal service obligation in July 2025, and Royal Mail is still implementing its new operational model. On 16 October Ofcom proposed extending its price cap on Second Class letters for a further year, until March 2028, while it develops a stronger evidence base for its long-term approach to the affordability, sustainability, and reliability of the universal service.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent assessment his department has made on differences to the levels of inward investment between regions.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Regional investment is important for good growth across the UK. The department publishes annual Official Statistics on inward investment projects landed and jobs created, providing a breakdown by UK region and nation. These can be found on the gov.uk website titled 'DBT inward investment results 2025 to 2026.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support the British shipbuilding industry.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to supporting a competitive UK shipbuilding industry and its supply chains. My Department helps UK shipbuilders and suppliers secure overseas orders and attract investment through export campaigns, trade missions, international exhibitions and engagement with buyers and investors. We work closely with industry, the National Shipbuilding Office and UK Export Finance to promote UK capabilities and support access to finance. We also work across government to use public procurement strategically to support British industry, including a new UK-built research vessel and a UK-only competition for floating dock infrastructure supporting future Royal Navy submarines.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to increase domestic steel production.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government is taking decisive action to increase domestic steel production. Alongside improving the business environment for steel companies through the Steel Strategy, we brought British Steel into public ownership to maintain production and explore long-term options for the business. We are providing £500m to Tata Steel UK to support its transformation programme at Port Talbot and the government announced it will work towards the public acquisition of Speciality Steels UK, which will include consideration of future steelmaking operations and site regeneration.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what criteria his Department has for deciding on locations for data centres.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The Government does not determine locations for individual data centres. Decisions on where to locate data centres are made by developers, taking account of factors such as access to power, connectivity, land availability, environmental considerations, and local planning policy. The Government’s AI Growth Zones (AIGZ) programme supports projects in areas with the energy, land and infrastructure needed to support future AI and data centre investment, while ensuring impacts on local communities and the environment are appropriately considered.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory requirement for (a) hairdressers and (b) barbers to hold specified qualifications.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
We have no current plans for additional regulation for hairdressers and barbers, but we remain open to evidence. The Hairdressers Registration Act 1964 provides for a UK register of qualified hairdressers and barbers, although registration remains voluntary. Hairdressing salons and barbers are subject to a range of existing requirements, including health and safety and consumer protection legislation. It is important to take an evidence-based approach when making decisions, and the introduction of additional regulation would need to be carefully considered.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing mandatory (a) registration and (b) licensing for (i) hairdressers and (ii) barbershops.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
We have no current plans for additional regulation for hairdressers and barbers, but we remain open to evidence. The Hairdressers Registration Act 1964 provides for a UK register of qualified hairdressers and barbers, although registration remains voluntary. Hairdressing salons and barbers are subject to a range of existing requirements, including health and safety and consumer protection legislation. It is important to take an evidence-based approach when making decisions, and the introduction of additional regulation would need to be carefully considered.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to provide local authorities with greater powers to regulate (a) hairdressers and (b) barbers.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government has no current plans to provide local authorities with additional powers to regulate hairdressers or barbers. The Hairdressers Registration Act 1964 provides for a UK register of qualified hairdressers and barbers, although registration is voluntary. Hairdressing salons and barbers are already subject to a range of requirements, including health and safety and consumer protection legislation, and local authorities may place registration requirements on hairdressing establishments. It is important to take an evidence-based approach to regulation, and any further regulatory measures would need to be carefully considered.
Serious and organised crime can have a damaging impact on local communities and legitimate businesses. The Government announced a £30 million programme in May to tackle criminal activity in cash-intensive high street businesses, and support enforcement activity, including through additional funding for Trading Standards and law enforcement partners.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of data centres on the local community near to where they are situated.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
Data centres are critical national infrastructure. They underpin the digital economy, support the development and deployment of AI, and are increasingly important to Britain’s economic and national security. This Government wants more of that infrastructure built in Britain, strengthening our sovereign capability, supporting growth and creating good jobs across the country.
We also believe that communities which host major new infrastructure should see a clear benefit from it. Data centres can support construction and permanent jobs, apprenticeships, local supply chains and wider investment in the places where they are built.
In the majority of cases, data centre planning applications will be determined by the local authority, which will assess relevant local impacts including noise and visual amenity, transport, biodiversity and the local economy. These impacts are highly project-specific and will be considered through the planning process. Data centre projects may also seek consent through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project regime, which includes consideration of Local Impact Reports from relevant local authorities.