Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 120645 on Competition and Markets Authority: Costs, whether the Competition and Markets Authority holds internal management information on the resource or cost associated with its Sustainability Taskforce.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) holds internal management information on the resource and costs associated with its Sustainability Taskforce since its establishment:
FY | Staff Costs | Non-Staff Costs | Total Cost | Full-Time Equivalent |
2023-24 | £418,715.01 | £3,335.36 | £422,050.37 | 5.4 |
2024-25 | £342,306.01 | £677.18 | £342,983.19 | 3.9 |
Non-staff costs cover other programme expenditure such as travel and subsistence. The CMA is not able to provide an estimated annual cost for the Sustainability Taskforce for 2025/26 before its accounts for the financial year are finalised.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 120045 on British Business Bank, what the total monetary value is of support provided to funds, schemes and portfolio companies described as relating to (a) net zero, (b) decarbonisation, (c) sustainability, (d) climate transition and (e) the green economy in (i) 2024–25 and (ii) 2025–26 financial years; and if he will provide a breakdown by (A) programme and scheme, including but not limited to the Growth Guarantee Scheme, Start Up Loans, and the Green Growth Guarantee Scheme the (B) type of support, including direct investment, guarantees and co-investment and (C) the number of recipient businesses and funds supported under each category.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The British Business Bank does not centrally classify funds, schemes or portfolio companies under the categories of net zero, decarbonisation, sustainability, climate transition or the green economy in the form requested.
The Bank’s approach is to embed support for the transition to net zero and sustainable growth across its full range of programmes, rather than through standalone business lines. As such, these objectives are reflected across its activities, including through direct co-investment, investment in venture and growth capital funds, and lending delivered through programmes such as Start Up Loans and the Growth Guarantee Scheme.
As set out in the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 120045, the Bank has in both 2024-25 and 2025-26 invested in, capitalised, and supported through guarantees or co-investment a number of funds, schemes and portfolio companies with these characteristics.
As these activities are embedded across programmes, a comprehensive breakdown of total monetary value by category, programme or scheme, type of support, and number of recipient businesses and funds is not held in a single reportable format.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether officials in his Department are permitted to use Government Car Service cars.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government Car Service provides transport for Ministers and occasionally officials undertaking official duties. Its use is governed by the Ministerial Code and departmental travel policies to ensure journeys are necessary and represent value for money.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 112685, whether the British Business Bank has (a) invested in, (b) capitalised, or (c) supported through guarantees or co-investment any funds, schemes, or portfolio companies that have been designated, marketed or described as relating to net zero, decarbonisation, sustainability, climate transition or the green economy in (i) 2024-25 and (ii) 2025-26.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Yes. In each of these years, the British Business Bank has invested in, capitalised, and supported through guarantees or co-investment several funds, schemes and portfolio companies with the specified characteristics.
This includes direct co-investment, investment in venture and growth capital funds, and lending delivered through the Bank’s programmes including Start Up Loans and the Growth Guarantee Scheme.
A pilot Green Growth Guarantee Scheme is underway, whose goal is to increase the supply of affordable finance for businesses investing in green technologies.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many full-time equivalent staff were assigned to the Competition and Markets Authority’s Sustainability Taskforce in (a) 2024–25, (b) 2025-26 and (c) 2026-27.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The number of full-time equivalent (“FTE”) staff assigned to the Competition and Markets Authority’s Sustainability Taskforce was 3.9 FTE in 2024-25 and 3.5 FTE in 2025-26. Data is not yet available for financial year 2026-27.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2026 to Question 106607, if he will (a) publish the value of external consultancy and advisory contracts used by his Department in 2024-25 in relation to Net Zero, sustainability and decarbonisation policy and (b) list suppliers receiving more than £100,000.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
My department is committed to supporting Net Zero goals and advancing Clean Energy initiatives. In 2024, the UK signed a Government-to-Government Arrangement with the Dominican Republic to help deliver infrastructure projects that promote mutual economic growth. My department allocated £130,750 from the Infrastructure Partnership Programme Fund and awarded Mott MacDonald a 2024 contract to review the Dominican Republic’s state-owned energy company's, Empresa de Generación Hidroeléctrica Dominicana, national energy masterplan. This project provided recommendations to prioritise renewable energy projects aligned with national targets and opportunities for UK supply chain involvement.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111867, whether he will make an assessment of the level of compliance by the Insolvency Service with Net Zero, sustainability and climate related disclosure requirements, including adherence to the Taskforce on Climate related Financial Disclosures guidance and the Greening Government Commitments.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Insolvency Service’s Annual Report and Accounts have included Greening Government Commitments disclosures since 2012 and, more recently the Taskforce on Climate related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). These are requirements are set out in HMT’s Financial Reporting Manual.
The Annual Report and Accounts are also subject to external audit by National Audit Office, whose work includes an assessment of compliance with TCFD and Greening disclosures.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 108797, what the estimated costs were of proposals, programmes or initiatives aimed at reducing official travel emissions in a) 2024–25 and b) 2025-26.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department has no programmes aimed specifically at reducing official travel emissions and therefore has incurred no costs of proposals, programmes or initiatives aimed at reducing official travel emissions.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether any arm’s-length bodies sponsored by his Department incurred additional costs as a result of Net Zero or sustainability requirements applied to procurement contracts over £10,000 in 2024-25.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Arm's-length bodies sponsored by the Department have not incurred additional costs as a result of Net Zero or sustainability requirements applied to procurement contracts over £10,000 in 2024-25.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 108798, whether any British Business Bank programmes or business lines have been discussed, designated or promoted as relating to net zero, decarbonisation, sustainability or the green economy; and what the budgets for those programmes or business lines were in a) 2024–25, and b) 2025-26.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The only British Business Bank programme that relates specifically to the green economy is the green variant of the Growth Guarantee Scheme. This was announced on 11 February 2025 with an initial £30 million portfolio. This pilot programme is funded from the Growth Guarantee Scheme budget and does not represent additional expenditure.
The Bank does not operate any standalone programmes or business lines designated or promoted as relating to net zero, decarbonisation, sustainability or the green economy. The Bank considers sustainability and decarbonisation as cross-cutting themes across its activities and there were no separate budgets allocated to such themes in either of the years mentioned.