Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of requiring manufacturers of ground maintenance equipment to put stickers or markings on such products to warn users to check for hedgehogs before use.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Department has not made a specific assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the merits of requiring manufacturers of ground maintenance equipment to place stickers or markings on such products advising users to check for hedgehogs before use.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion of 19 July 2024 on Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories as it pertains to trade with Israeli Settlements.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion of July 2024 contains important findings, many of which are already government policy and align with the UK’s views that the Israeli occupation of Palestine is illegal.
The UK government does not recognise illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine (previously the ‘Occupied Palestinian Territories’ or OPTs) and strongly advise UK businesses and citizens against conducting any economic activities in settlements. We also ensure that we do not enter treaty relations nor economic and trade dealings with Israel that include occupied Palestinian territory, and all our licensed exports to Israel are rigorously assessed against the Strategic Exports Licensing Criteria.
Under our existing free trade agreement with Israel, the UK excludes illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine from the scope of the agreement. Therefore, products from the illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine cannot avail of preferential rates under the FTA and are subject to MFN trade instead.
We have also taken action to tackle settler violence and announced four packages of sanctions targeting organisations and individuals involved in financing, enabling and carrying out settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Settlements are illegal under international law, damaging to peace efforts, and call into question Israel’s commitment to the two-state solution. We reiterate the call that Israel should end its occupation of Palestine as rapidly as possible. We respect international law and continue to ensure the UK complies with its obligations.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories of the UK's legal recognition of the State of Palestine.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The UK’s trade relations with the Palestinian Authority are governed by the UK-PA Interim Political, Trade and Partnership Agreement, which applies to the territory of the West Bank and Gaza. The UK recognition of Palestine is based on provisional 1967 borders, with equal land swaps to be finalised as part of future negotiations. Goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements are not entitled to preferential tariff treatment under the UK’s trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Government of Israel.
We do not enter treaty relations or trade dealings with Israel that include occupied Palestinian territory, and we strongly advise against conducting any economic and financial activities in settlements. UK citizens and businesses should be aware of the risk of involving themselves in Israel’s serious breaches of international law. We aim to progress towards a two-state solution, in which the Palestinian Authority gains full control of its customs, borders and the ability to implement independent trade policy.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to quotas for Category 26 of the UK's Steel Safeguard Measures on downstream manufacturers reliant on imported stainless steel tube; and what steps he is taking to ensure that new quotas do not adversely impact the competitiveness of downstream British manufacturing and exports.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This is not a continuation of the steel safeguard, but a new steel trade measure to address the serious threat posed by global steel overcapacity.
The Government has engaged extensively with industry, including downstream users, to assess impacts. The measure has been carefully designed to balance the needs of domestic producers and downstream manufacturers.
As announced on 25 June, the Government has finalised quotas to strike the right balance between securing the future of domestic capability while maintaining fair and competitive supply chains.
The Government will monitor impacts closely and review the measure after 12 months to ensure UK competitiveness is maintained.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer to Question 110629 on 9 February, what assessment his Department has given to the potential merits of exempting charities from sections of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024 relating to the (a) subscription regime and (b) 14 day cooling off period.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The government has consulted on the implementation of the subscriptions regime in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The consultation received over 70 responses including 15 from charitable organisations, and the government has engaged closely with the sector to understand the impacts on both consumers and these bodies.
The requirement for an initial 14 day cooling off period is an existing requirement under the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 for distance and off-premises contracts.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to establish new statutory action standards for the use of PFAS and POPs for fire-resistant purposes in furniture (a) manufactured and (b) sold in the UK.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government does not have plans to establish new standards for the use of chemicals in furniture manufactured or sold in the UK. The policy paper the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture, published in January 2025, sets out our plans to reform the Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 with the aim of maintaining a high level of fire safety while facilitating a reduction in chemical flame-retardant use.
Any chemicals used in the manufacture of furniture placed on the UK market must comply with all relevant UK chemicals legislation, including UK REACH and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department have made of the potential impacts of a 14-day cooling off period for all online subscriptions on the number of people that cancel their subscription after visiting a site run by a charity in a 14-day period.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The requirement for a 14 day cooling off period for distance contracts is an existing requirement under the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013. The government has consulted on the implementation of the subscriptions regime in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024. The consultation received over 70 responses including 15 from charitable organisations, and the government is engaging closely with the sector to understand the impacts on both consumers and these bodies.
The impact assessment for the subscriptions chapter in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act can be found here: Subscription traps: annex 2 impact assessment. Together, the subscription measures are anticipated to provide £400m of consumer benefits per year and the estimated net direct cost to businesses is £171m per year. Sector-specific analysis has not been conducted.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of moving the BVRLA guidelines on Fair Wear and Tear onto a statutory basis for people hiring cars.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has not made a specific assessment of the potential merits of moving the BVRLA guidelines on Fair Wear and Tear onto a statutory basis for people hiring cars.
BVLRA members are bound by the BVLRA's Code of Conduct which ensures fair treatment in assessing vehicle condition upon return. Failure to do so could represent a breach of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring car hire companies to capture and store digitally timestamped (a) photographic and (b) video evidence of a vehicle’s condition both at check-out and check-in for people hiring cars.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Competition and Markets Authority published guidance in 2018 to support car rental companies to comply with consumer law. The department does not intend to impose specific obligations on car rental companies regarding how they monitor the vehicle's condition. Consumers are advised to keep their own records regarding the state of the vehicle before and after the hire, so that they can dispute any damage claims if required.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing licensing requirements for the establishment of (a) hairdressers and (b) barbers.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government recognises the significant economic and social role that the hairdressing and barbering industry plays in high streets and communities across the UK.
The Hairdressers Registration Act of 1964 provides for a UK register of qualified hairdressers, although registration remains voluntary. Hairdressing salons and barbers, like other employers, are subject to normal business regulations such as health and safety requirements, employer and public liability insurance.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have set up a forum with the industry on informing the hair and beauty sector on good compliance. However, the government has no current plans to introduce further regulation of the industry, but we will always remain open to evidence.