Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to support business investment and growth in the industries identified in the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy over the next ten years.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Our modern Industrial Strategy is a 10-year plan to back our strengths and realise Britain’s potential. It is about creating a connected, high-skilled, economically growing country, where opportunity, skills and wealth are spread fairly, and where every person and every business has the chance to flourish.
Alongside sector plans containing interventions for each of the growth-driving sectors, we are making it quicker and easier to start and scale a business and making it more profitable to invest in Britain. The Industrial Strategy delivers on the biggest asks from businesses, from expanding access to finance, supporting skills and access to talent, to supporting cheaper energy over the long term.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Modern Industrial Strategy applies equally to rural areas.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Industrial Strategy focuses efforts on the city regions and clusters across the UK where the growth-driving sectors are concentrated, including in rural areas.
The Strategy introduces targeted measures in rural areas such as enhanced support for the Inverness and Cromarty Firth and Anglesey freeports specialising in Clean Energy Industries and a regional skills pilot to deliver clean power in Aberdeenshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire.
Alongside this, all regions and nations across the UK benefit from the Industrial Strategy’s national policy offer, which addresses the biggest constraints to growth highlighted by businesses.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that the interests of UK (a) beef and (b) ethanol producers are represented in the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
On 8 May, the UK government announced a landmark economic deal with the US. The US has committed to further negotiations, and we will continue our extensive engagement with businesses from across the UK throughout these remaining negotiations.
For the first time ever, this deal will open up exclusive access for UK beef farmers to the US market. We are engaging extensively with the agricultural and food sector and will put the UK’s national interest first.
Senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been meeting representatives of the domestic bioethanol industry, and the Secretary of State has met with bioethanol businesses. We are committed to working with the domestic bioethanol industry about their concerns.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff worked for the Grocery Code Adjudicator in (a) 2015, (b) 2020, (c) 2022 and (d) 2024.
Answered by Justin Madders
The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) and his office is funded via a levy charged on the regulated retailers. Under the Groceries Code Adjudicator Act 2013, the GCA may second staff from any other public bodies. GCA staff numbers, at 31 March each year, as stated in their Annual Reports and Accounts, were:
a) 2015/2016 – 5 secondees
b) 2020/2021 – 4 secondees
c) 2022/2023 – 7 secondees
d) 2023/2024 – 8 secondees
As of 26 February 2025 there are 9 secondees.
These reports are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/gca-annual-reports-and-accounts
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
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 impact of the Employment Rights Bill on the prevention of exploitation of migrant workers by employers that threaten to cancel visas.
Answered by Justin Madders
The Employment Rights Bill will provide a new baseline of security for all workers, including those working on a visa. These protections include day one protection from unfair dismissal, increasing protection from harassment, strengthening Statutory Sick Pay and ending exploitative zero hours contacts.
The new Fair Work Agency will help ensure new minimum standards are being upheld across the country, by increasing awareness and accessibility of workers’ rights by providing a single point of contact, as well as supporting businesses to access clearer rules, information and advice to comply with the law.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
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 impact of the Employment Rights Bill on the employment rights of migrant workers.
Answered by Justin Madders
The Employment Rights Bill will provide a new baseline of security for all workers, including those working on a visa. These protections include day one protection from unfair dismissal, increasing protection from harassment, strengthening Statutory Sick Pay and ending exploitative zero hours contacts.
The new Fair Work Agency will help ensure new minimum standards are being upheld across the country, by increasing awareness and accessibility of workers’ rights by providing a single point of contact, as well as supporting businesses to access clearer rules, information and advice to comply with the law.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much funding the Grocery Code Adjudicator received (a) from the Government and (b) in total in each year from 2019 to 2022.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
Information on the funding of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is set out in the Adjudicator’s Annual Report and Accounts which is published and laid before Parliament each year.
The GCA is funded through a levy on the designated retailers which is approved annually by the Secretary of State. The total levy imposed each year from 2018/19 was:
2018/2019 - £2 million
2019/2020 - £2 million
2020/2021 - £2 million
2021/2022 - £1.9 million
2022/2023 – £2 million
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many people worked in the Grocery Code Adjudicator in each year since 2019.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
Information on the staffing of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is set out in the Adjudicator’s Annual Report and Accounts which is published and laid before Parliament each year.
The GCA does not employ its own staff but may make arrangements for staff to be seconded from any other public authority. It can also obtain support from temporary contractors. The numbers of secondees to the GCA at 31 March in each year since 2019 were as follows:
2018/2019 – 6 secondees
2019/2020 – 6 secondees
2020/2021 – 4 secondees
2021/2022 – 7 secondees
2022/2023 – 7 secondees