Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much the Government has spent on the Northern Ireland investment conference as of 1 September 2023.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Total spend on the Northern Ireland investment conference is forecast to come within the £2m allocated budget as of 01 September 2023.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had discussions with the US Special Envoy for Northern Ireland on trade and investment relations between the US and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Secretary of State will meet the US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs Joe Kennedy III at the upcoming Northern Ireland Investment Summit on 12-13 September. Lord Johnson met Special Envoy Kennedy in July and discussed the importance of US investment in Northern Ireland and how to ensure this delivers tangible benefits for Northern Ireland business.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many times she has met the US Special Envoy for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Secretary of State will meet the US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs Joe Kennedy III at the upcoming Northern Ireland Investment Summit on 12-13 September. Lord Johnson met Special Envoy Kennedy in July and discussed the importance of US investment in Northern Ireland and how to ensure this delivers tangible benefits for Northern Ireland business.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions she has had with her Irish counterpart on the Northern Ireland investment conference in September 2023.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Irish Government were invited to the Northern Ireland Investment Summit by the Northern Ireland Office on 25th July 2023.
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has discussed the Summit with the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, most recently at the British Irish Association conference.
Officials in NIO, DBT and British Embassy Dublin engage regularly with Irish Government officials on a range of issues, including the Investment Summit.
We are looking forward to a successful Summit that can help improve prosperity in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the agenda for the Northern Ireland investment conference in September 2023.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland as joint hosts for the Summit invited a range of Cabinet colleagues to attend and participate in the Northern Ireland Investment Summit. As a result, we expect a strong ministerial delegation to attend.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps she has taken to increase trade with countries in the Southern African Development Community.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
This month my department launched the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), which lowers tariffs and simplifies trading rules to increase exports and support growth in 65 countries, including 37 African countries. Changes to rules of origin in the DCTS will make it easier for these countries to source raw materials regionally and still pay zero tariffs. All Southern African Development Community (SADC) nations are now covered by either the DCTS or our two Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)
We are using our two EPAs (covering 9 SADC nations) to grow trade and have a team of experts across the region helping British businesses to increase trade and investment. This is in addition to country-specific activity across SADC, including the inaugural UK-Mauritius Strategic Trade Partnership this past April, led by UK Trade Envoy Mr Andrew Selous MP.
Furthermore, in 2024, the Prime Minister will host the second UK-African Investment Summit to showcase investment opportunities and advance two-way trade.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to support the creation of new businesses in Newport West constituency.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The government aims to make the UK the best place in the world to start, scale up and grow a business.
The Start Up Loans Company, part of the Government-owned British Business Bank, provides loans and pre- and post-application support to new entrepreneurs, including a year of free business mentoring for successful applicants. As of June 2023, the scheme has provided 168 loans to businesses in Newport West to the value of £1,710,240.
Additionally, the Help to Grow and GOV.UK websites contain links to the full range of government funding and information on starting up and running a business.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of fire and rehire practices on the labour market in (a) Newport West constituency and (b) Wales.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The government does not collect data on dismissal and re-engagement. We previously asked the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service to gather evidence into how dismissal and re-engagement is being used by employers. This report was published in June 2021 and is available from https://www.acas.org.uk/fire-and-rehire-report.
The government is taking action to address the practice of dismissal and re-engagement. We have consulted on a draft Statutory Code of Practice and are currently analysing responses. The Code sets out employers’ responsibilities when seeking to change contractual terms and conditions of employment and seeks to ensure dismissal and re-engagement is only used as a last resort.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent estimate she has made of the level of compliance with the national minimum wage in (a) Newport West constituency and (b) Wales.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
All businesses – irrespective of their size, business sector or location – are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff.
The government takes enforcing the minimum wage seriously and has more than doubled the budget for compliance and enforcement to £27.8 million for 2022/23, up from £13.2 million in 2015/16.
In 2021/22, HMRC returned arrears of almost £70,000 to 661 workers in Wales. Since 2015, the Government has ordered employers to repay over £100 million to over 1 million workers.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps she has taken to help small businesses in Newport West constituency grow.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The Government provides extensive support to all types of businesses, through our Help to Grow Management, Business Support Helpline and 38 Growth Hubs.
Businesses in Newport West will have benefitted from the Government’s reversal of the National Insurance rise, saving SMEs approximately £4,200 on average, the cut to fuel duty, extended for a further 12 months and raising the Employment Allowance to £5,000.
The Energy Bill Relief and Energy Bill Discount Schemes were implemented to protect SMEs from high energy costs over the winter. The Autumn Statement announced £13.6 billion of support for businesses over the next five years, reducing the burden of business rates for SMEs.
The Government is providing financial support – since 2012, 168 SMEs in Newport West have received Start Up loans to the value of £1,710,240.