Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many civil servants employed by their Department work in roles primarily focused on (a) transgender policy, (b) diversity, (c) equity and (d) inclusion; and at what annual salary cost.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) does not employ any civil servants whose roles are primarily focused on transgender policy, diversity, equity or inclusion.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the cost to the public purse was of feasibility studies conducted by their Department for projects that did not proceed in the last five years.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade does not maintain central records of feasibility study costs for projects that did not proceed.
The information requested is not held in a format that would allow us to provide a comprehensive answer. To collate this information would require a manual search of records across multiple directorates and business units covering a five-year period, which would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a work experience scheme for relevant Ministers to shadow small business owners.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This government is committed to hardwiring the voice of SME owners and entrepreneurs into government policy.
For example, as part of co-designing our Plan for Small Business launched in July 2025, DBT Ministers engaged with hundreds of individual SMEs across all sectors and regions, including through roundtables across key areas, such as High Streets, Markets and Finance, as well as specific policy events such as at Wilton Park.
Ministers and their teams continue to work closely with individual SMEs and the trade associations that represent them on an ongoing basis.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps are being taken to help reduce levels of closures of community pubs and high-street hospitality venues.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the vital role community pubs and high-street hospitality venues play in local economies and social life; we also recognise the pressures they face.
The Government has permanently lowered business rates multipliers for eligible Retail, Hospitality and Leisure properties and have introduced a £4.3 billion support package over the next three years to protect ratepayers from increases following the business rates revaluation. Additionally, through the English Devolution Bill, we have introduced a strong new ‘right to buy’ to help communities safeguard valued community assets, empowering local communities to reclaim and revitalise empty shops, pubs, and community spaces, helping to revamp our high streets and eliminate the blight of vacant premises
We will continue work closely with the sector, including through the Hospitality Sector Council to improve the productivity and resilience of hospitality businesses by co-creating solutions to the issues impacting business performance.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has been made of the role of pubs in supporting local economies and employment, particularly in rural areas.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We recognise the significant contribution hospitality businesses, including pubs, make in driving economic growth and providing jobs, especially in rural and coastal communities.
No formal assessment has been made of the role pubs play in supporting local economies and employment, particularly in rural areas. In 2024, the hospitality sector contributed £51.3 billion to the UK economy, representing around 2% of total output and supporting 2 million jobs, or 6.1% of total UK employment.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for the total spend on (i) LinkedIn membership fees (ii) other subscriptions by his Department in the last financial year.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We are unable to provide details on the total spend on LinkedIn membership fees and other subscriptions by the Department for Business and Trade in the last financial year. The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff in their Department have been on mental health leave for six months or more; and for what reason.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Civil Service sickness absence reports (which provide statistics for sickness absence by organisation and sickness reason, including Mental Ill-Health) are publicly available at: [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence]. The next release of data is likely to be on Thursday 18th December 2025.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether (a) Section 232 tariffs, (b) digital tax negotiations and (c) IP reforms have been discussed with USA trade officials in the context of a future UK–USA trade agreement.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK has continued to engage across the range of issues outlined in the General Terms for the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal agreed in May.
We're continuing talks on a wider deal which will look at addressing specific tariff and non-tariff barriers, increasing digital and services trade, and unlocking new commercial opportunities that benefit both nations. We cannot comment on the specifics of live negotiations.
Intensive discussions also continue on other sectors under Section 232 investigation towards the significantly preferential outcome provided for under the General Terms.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much his Department has spent on social media advertising by (a) influencer and (b) organisation in each of the last five financial years.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade used influencers as part of the National Minimum and National Living Wage campaign in 2025 and 2026. We are unable to provide details of how much was paid to each influencer due to confidentiality provisions in the individual agreements. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many employees in his Department earn (a) £100,000 and (b) £166,000 or more per year.
Answered by Justin Madders
Information on the number of individuals directly employed by the Department who earn £100,000 or more, including those earning £166,000 or more, is published on a quarterly basis in the Department’s organograms. These set out senior civil service pay details for staff employed within the core Department and are available on data.gov.uk.