Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what meetings he has had with representatives of the Federation of Small Businesses since 30 October 2024 on the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on small businesses.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) engaged with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) as part of a budget briefing call with retail, hospitality and small business representatives held on 4 November. Topics raised included measures to improve small businesses exports, and the close engagement between departments on Industrial Strategy and the recent late payments announcement.

FSB also attended a roundtable discussion with the Secretary of State and SMEs on Industrial Strategy on 6 November. DBT Ministers and officials continue to engage regularly with FSB on a range of issues.