Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
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 protect independent high street businesses; and how he is encouraging local commercial investment.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government is taking action to support high street businesses and strengthen local town centre economies through 'Hope on the High Street' - a new cross-government high streets strategy, published alongside Budget 2026.
This includes increasing business rates support, giving local authorities stronger powers to tackle vacancy, and providing £210 million to bring vacant properties back into use, support community-owned businesses and protect local assets.
The strategy supports town centres through the expansion of the Business Growth Service, including tailored support for high street businesses, alongside investment in markets, libraries and civic spaces. Together, these measures will help strengthen local economies and communities.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the personal care and beauty sector on employment; and what steps he is taking to promote apprenticeships and vocational pathways in small retail services.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The personal care and beauty sector makes a significant contribution to the economy, supporting around 592,000 jobs in 2025. The government provides a range of support to help small businesses recruit apprentices, including fully funding apprenticeships for eligible young people under 25 and offering a £2,000 hiring payment to non-levy-paying employers, typically SMEs, when they recruit an apprentice under 25.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of personal care businesses on the economy; and what steps he is taking to support entrepreneurs and small businesses in this sector.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
According to official figures from the ONS, the UK personal care and beauty sector contributed around £25 billion to the UK economy in 2024 and supported 592,000 jobs in 2025, including around 285,000 in services.
We are supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses in this sector through the Small Business Plan, including the Business Growth Service, which provides access to advice and support, and government-backed Start Up Loans, helping businesses access the finance they need to start and grow.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the role of high street services in driving local footfall; and what policy measures are in place to support local town centre economies.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government is taking action to support high street businesses and strengthen local town centre economies through 'Hope on the High Street' - a new cross-government high streets strategy, published alongside Budget 2026.
This includes increasing business rates support, giving local authorities stronger powers to tackle vacancy, and providing £210 million to bring vacant properties back into use, support community-owned businesses and protect local assets.
The strategy supports town centres through the expansion of the Business Growth Service, including tailored support for high street businesses, alongside investment in markets, libraries and civic spaces. Together, these measures will help strengthen local economies and communities.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
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 small high street service providers that promote community connection.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government is taking action to support high street businesses and strengthen local town centre economies through 'Hope on the High Street' - a new cross-government high streets strategy, published alongside Budget 2026.
This includes increasing business rates support, giving local authorities stronger powers to tackle vacancy, and providing £210 million to bring vacant properties back into use, support community-owned businesses and protect local assets.
The strategy supports town centres through the expansion of the Business Growth Service, including tailored support for high street businesses, alongside investment in markets, libraries and civic spaces. Together, these measures will help strengthen local economies and communities.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what support his Department is providing to help small and medium-sized enterprises in Leicestershire to scale up and expand into international markets.
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 helping small and medium-sized enterprises in Leicestershire and across the UK scale up and expand internationally. The Department has brought together business and export support through the Business Growth Service (BGS), providing tailored market advice, free Business Academy training and support from our international network to help businesses navigate global markets and seize opportunities.
Leicestershire businesses can access BGS support and free, impartial advice through Business Gateway, their local Growth Hub, at every stage of their business journey.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
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 businesses in the East Midlands.
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 helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the East Midlands and across the UK to grow and succeed. Backed by the Small Business Plan, we are delivering 200 measures to improve the business environment for SMEs, including strengthening business support, improving access to finance and helping more firms reach new markets and grow.
Businesses in the East Midlands can access the Business Growth Service and tailored advice through their local East Midlands Combined County Authority Growth Hub for any stage of their business journey through a free and impartial local point of contact.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for economic growth of findings in Family Business UK’s Quarter 2 2026 Family Business Pulse Report that 11 per cent of family firms intend to downsize over the next 12 months.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Family businesses lie in the heart of many communities across our country and are a vital part of the United Kingdom’s economy.
The government closely monitors the performance of the economy, with the Office for Budget Responsibility presenting the economy forecast in calendar years and produces quarterly paths.
The government has a comprehensive policy offer for businesses which provide breathing space for today and hope for the future.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
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 help support independent retailers and small businesses to create local jobs in Leicester East constituency, given the local increase in the claimant count data for August 2026.
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 recognises the valuable role independent retailers and small businesses play in creating jobs and supporting local communities.
Through the Business Growth Service accessible via business.gov.uk, it is now easier for SMEs, including those in Leicester East, to access advice, guidance and tailored support, such as the Business Support Service and the Business Academy. We are also delivering measures to improve access to finance and tackle late payments, helping small businesses to start, grow and create jobs.
Local businesses can also access free support through Leicestershire Business Growth Hub, helping them identify opportunities to grow and invest.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, with reference to Action for Children's document entitled Where is child poverty increasing in the UK?, published on 17 April 2026, what steps he is taking to encourage flexible working arrangements that enable lone parents to enter and sustain employment.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The government is committed to improving access to flexible working and recognises it can be critical in enabling many lone parents to sustainably balance work and childcare responsibilities.
Through the Employment Rights Act, we are strengthening the flexible working framework by introducing a new process employers must follow before rejecting a request and a new reasonableness test requiring employers to explain the rationale for any refusal.
These changes will support more constructive and transparent discussions about flexible working and ultimately make it more likely that requests are accepted.