Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to page 18 of her Department's policy paper entitled Regulation Action Plan - Progress Update and Next Steps, updated in October 2025, whether the commitment to reduce the burden of regulation will apply to (a) the voluntary sector and (b) political parties.

We have committed to reduce the administrative burden of regulation on businesses by 25% by the end of the Parliament. For the purposes of this target, businesses count as all organisations defined as being in the private sector by the Office for National Statistics when compiling the National Accounts. This therefore includes other services activities, such as activities of the voluntary sector and political parties.

We will focus our efforts on those sectors of the economy with the highest growth potential, and which face the highest administrative burden of regulation, so they can spend more time growing their businesses.