theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the press release Government-built “Humphrey” AI tool reviews responses to consultation for first time, in bid to save millions, published on 14 May 2025, in which areas did the AI and officials disagree. \p Feryal Clark: Consult is a tool designed to analyse responses to public consultations, it uses AI to identify themes for each question and map responses to those themes.

The first live evaluation of Consult was completed using the Scottish Government’s recent consultation on the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

Identifying themes in responses is subjective, and two humans often disagree. However, the thorough evaluation found that Consult produced near identical rankings of themes when compared to expert reviewers, a key input into the analysis.

I am proud to say we are working in the open, so for anyone interested in diving deeper, I really recommend going and reading the evaluation report in full on ai.gov.uk.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing regulation to ensure consumers are aware if the legal advice they have sought is AI generated. \p Feryal Clark: The Government believes that the vast majority of AI systems should be regulated at the point of use and that our existing expert regulators are best placed to do this. Oversight of this technology is distributed across several sectoral regulators and departments. Through delivery of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, we are making sure regulation is well-designed and implemented, to fuel fast, wide and safe development and adoption of AI.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to regulate who is responsible in cases of defamation involving an AI model. \p Feryal Clark: A range of existing rules already apply to AI systems, such as data protection, competition, equality legislation and other forms of sector regulation. The UK has well established defamation laws, and our data protection laws also apply to personal data processed in the context of AI. We continue to monitor developments in the common law in this area.

The government is clear in its ambition to bring forward AI legislation which delivers on our manifesto commitment, making sure our statute book is ready for the age of AI. We will consult publicly on our wider legislative proposals later this year.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will take legislative steps to require AI systems used by (a) government and (b) industry to disclose where their data searches are from. \p Feryal Clark: Many existing rules apply to AI systems. When personal data is processed by AI systems, data protection law requires transparency from developers about how they collect and use personal data, and outline information in a privacy notice. The Online Safety Act regulates AI services which allow users to share content or search live websites to provide search results. They must assess and mitigate risks to users of illegal content and content harmful to children.

The Government will introduce AI legislation, delivering on its manifesto commitment and preparing for AI’s opportunities and risks. It will consult on proposals later this year
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will hold discussions with Google on its compliance with the Frontier AI Safety Commitments made at the AI Seoul Summit 2024, published on 21 May 2024. \p Feryal Clark: We expect all signatories to the Seoul commitments to stand by their agreements. The AI Security Institute, within DSIT, has ongoing discussions will all major developers, including Google DeepMind, about the implementation of frontier AI frameworks that guide the safe development of AI.

The government welcomes Google's recently published framework that prioritises the emerging risk of deception in AI models and their plans to publish safety cases.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding his Department plans to allocate for the (a) development and (b) validation of non-animal human-relevant scientific methods in each financial year until 2028-29. \p Feryal Clark: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) invests to support research which can lead to alternatives, such as organ-on-a-chip, cell-based assays, functional genomics and computer modelling. These are categorised as basic research, so calculating funding for alternative methods specifically is not possible. Future investment will be determined by internal allocations of DSIT’s spending review settlement announced on 11.06.25. UKRI also invests £10 million annually in the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) and is conducting a five-year review to guide future investment.

The Government will publish a strategy to support non-animal alternatives later this year.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the potential closure of MBR Acres in Wyton Cambridgeshire on the UK pharmaceutical industry. \p Feryal Clark: The Government continues to support MBR as a vital part of the system, helping sustain a strong pharmaceutical sector and life sciences ecosystem, while also looking to reduce animal testing where scientifically viable. The Government is committed to supporting non-animal alternatives and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation, and adoption later this year.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to implement recommendation 9 of the Independent Pornography Review: the challenge of regulating online pornography, published on 27 February 2025. \p Feryal Clark: The government is assessing the recommendations of the Independent Pornography Review in depth. A further update will be provided in due course.

Under the Online Safety Act, online pornography companies are regulated by Ofcom. Online firms who publish their own pornography are required to use highly effective age checks to protect children from accessing it. Ofcom have already launched investigations into four porn providers. From July, all providers that allow pornography will be required to do the same.
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Dr Danny Chambers:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many and what proportion of start-ups have relocated to Silicon Valley in the last ten years. \p Feryal Clark: There is currently no available dataset that accurately provides the number or proportion of start-ups that have relocated to Silicon Valley. The UK remains Europe’s top tech ecosystem and the third most valuable globally. However, the Government knows that start-ups can face difficulties when scaling here. Our ambitious Industrial Strategy sets out our vision to make the UK, by 2035, one of the top three places in the world to create, invest in and scale-up a technology business. This includes an ambition to create the UK’s first trillion-dollar technology business by 2035. The government will achieve this through reforming the business environment by addressing the need for greater investment, skills, infrastructure, planning reform, regulatory reform and access to international markets.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled £380 million boost for creative industries to help drive innovation, regional growth and investment, published on 23 June 2025, how she plans to measure the regional economic impact of the fund. \p Chris Bryant: The Sector Plan contains ambitious proposals to bolster growth in the creative industries across the UK. It includes a universal offer to drive growth in the creative industries in any place in the UK, outlining new measures to break down barriers such as access to finance, supply of skills, and new support to kickstart innovation.

We've developed a detailed evaluation framework with both sector-wide and sub-sector specific metrics, including GVA growth, employment figures, export values, inward investment, business creation, and diversity of workforce. Progress will be reported annually to Parliament and the Creative Industries Council (CIC), with a major review at the midpoint.

At a regional level, we will measure GVA in high potential places and their share of UK GVA. We will do this using published DCMS estimates of regional GVA and real terms changes in regional GVA.

We also outline a number of metrics we will use to measure the economic impact of the CIs interventions nationally, such as an increase in business R&D expenditure and an increase in CIs exports. Where possible, we will aim to track these metrics on a regional level to ensure the economic benefits of this increased support are being felt in every community across the UK.
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Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking through the Creative Foundations Fund to increase access to arts and culture in (a) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (b) other areas. \p Chris Bryant: The government wants to ensure everyone has access to high quality institutions in the places they call home. The new Creative Foundations Fund will invest £85 million to support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. This will ensure their buildings and infrastructure will provide improved user experience for visitors and ensure they can be enjoyed by visitors for many more years to come.

Guidance for the fund was published at the end of May and Arts Council England will be accepting Expressions of Interest from 30 June. With grants available from £100,000 and up to £10 million, this fund is a significant opportunity for eligible organisations across the country, including those in the Beckenham and Penge constituency, to address their capital needs.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is planning to take to ensure that the Creative Foundations Fund is allocated (a) efficiently and (b) equitably across regions. \p Chris Bryant: The Creative Foundations Fund will invest £85 million to support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. The fund was developed in partnership with ACE, drawing on its knowledge of the arts and culture sector. With urgent need for this funding, the Creative Foundations Fund will support organisations ready to commence capital works in taking this vital step. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their full application and funding committed by Arts Council England by 31 March 2026.

We understand the scale of need being felt across the country after fourteen years of underinvestment by the previous Government. Theis Government is encouraging organisations across the country to apply for a share of the fund, including theatres, performing arts venues, galleries, grassroots music venues and contemporary arts centres. Funding will be distributed to ensure maximum impact across England, supporting the Government’s Plan for Change which aims to support economic growth and increase opportunities for people across the country.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that Fylde constituency will be affected by the Creative Industries Sector Plan, announced on 23 June 2025. \p Chris Bryant: DCMS recognises that there are creative industries clusters and micro clusters in every part of the UK, all of which are crucial to the delivery of our Growth Mission.

The new 10-year plan will tackle barriers to growth and maximise opportunities across the Creative Industries sector, with the aim of making the UK the number one destination for creativity and innovation by 2035. It contains a range of new measures including supporting access to finance, innovation and skills which will benefit creative businesses across the UK, including in the Fylde constituency.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department has spent on (a) social media promotions, (b) influencer marketing and (c) online advertising in the last 12 months. \p Chris Bryant: Commercial sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.
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Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to promote participation in sport among disabled people in (a) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (b) other areas. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is dedicated to making sport in this country accessible and inclusive for everyone. Sport England, the Government’s Arm’s Length Body for grassroots sport, is committed to increasing participation in sport and physical activity for disabled people and improving their access to sport facilities. Their work is focused on providing more support and more investment targeted towards least active groups, including disabled people.

Sport England's Movement Fund invests over £20 million of Lottery and Exchequer funding every year to help people play sport and take part in physical activity. The Movement Fund prioritises projects that give opportunities to least active groups, such as disabled people or those with long-term health conditions. Sport England also has partnerships with organisations such as Disability Rights UK, Activity Alliance, Aspire, and Sense, to help more disabled people get active.

The Government is investing £100 million through the Multi Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to build and upgrade high-quality grassroots sports pitches and facilities in the communities across the UK that need it most. The Multi Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme’s aims include regular, weekly use by under-represented groups, including disabled people, so that everyone has the opportunity to participate.

On 20 June 2025, the Culture Secretary announced that following the Spending Review, at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We will work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.
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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with Tottenham Hotspur on allegations that its shirt sponsorship AIA has supported Chinese authorities to imprison Hong Kongers. \p Stephanie Peacock: Sports bodies operate independently of the Government. The shirt sponsorship contract with AIA is a commercial matter for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

China's imposition of the National Security Law on Hong Kong has seen opposition stifled and dissent criminalised. The UK has called for the National Security Law to be repealed and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it. This Government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of resolutions to gambling-related disputes via Alternative Dispute Resolution providers result in the complainant receiving a settlement for the full amount lost. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Gambling Commission must approve all Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) providers and has set specific additional standards for ADR in its standards and guidance. The Commission expects ADR providers to submit quarterly activity returns to the Gambling Commission, which contain the number of domestic disputes received, and the number and percentage of disputes upheld in favour of the gambling business and the number and percentage of disputes settled by the gambling business without an outcome being imposed. However, the Gambling Commission does not hold data on settlement amounts.
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Ms Polly Billington:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of art and design education on the school-readiness of children entering primary school. \p Stephen Morgan: The government’s Plan for Change sets out the department’s ambition for a record proportion of children starting school ready to learn. We will measure progress through 75% of children at the end of reception reaching a good level of development in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) profile assessment by 2028.

Expressive Arts and Design is one of the areas of learning within the EYFS, as the department recognises the importance of this area within the early years curriculum to spark children’s innate curiosity, build artistic abilities and interests, and develop self-expression and communication skills. In the 2023/24 academic year, 84.7% of children achieved the expected level of development in Expressive Arts and Design in the EYFS profile assessment. This is one of the highest percentages among the different areas of learning.

To improve the department’s understanding of children’s progress throughout key phases of learning and education, we have commissioned and funded the ‘Children of the 2020s’ study. We continue to monitor all available data to consider how we shape future policy for early education, to ensure every child has the best start in life and is prepared for school.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the level of administrative workload placed on early years providers in implementing the early years funding system; and whether she is taking steps to streamline (a) reporting and (b) funding claim processes. \p Stephen Morgan: Local authorities are responsible for paying early years providers to deliver the early education and childcare entitlements. The department does not provide guidance to local authorities on how they pay providers as each local authority will have its own local process for making funding payments.

Local authorities must enter into arrangements with childcare providers for the delivery of free early education and childcare to ensure the providers comply with legislative requirements.

As set out in our statutory guidance, local authorities should be clear in their agreements with providers about how and when providers will be paid and the documentation required from providers in order to receive payment.

The department will continue to work closely with the sector to continue to look at how the system is working, and ensure every child gets the best start in life.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that early years funding rates reflect the actual cost of delivering high-quality childcare. \p Stephen Morgan: I refer the hon. Member for Henley and Thame to the answer of 27 May 2025 to Question 53702.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2024 to Question 12182 on Schools: Fylde, what recent estimate she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of VAT on independent school fees on the number of children who (a) have enrolled in state sector schools since 1 September 2024 and (b) are expected to enrol in state sector schools in the 2025-26 academic year. \p Stephen Morgan: His Majesty’s Treasury published a Tax Information and Impact Note on applying VAT to independent school fees, which includes the government’s estimations of the number of pupils expected to enter the state sector as a result of this policy. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees#who-is-likely-to-be-affected.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made on the expansion of mental health support teams in rural schools. \p Stephen Morgan: ​The government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.

As of March 2025, 41% of schools and colleges worked with an MHST, representing 52% of pupils and learners across the country, and we estimate this will increase to 50% of schools and colleges by March 2026, representing 60% of pupils and learners.

Data by degree of rurality shows that as of March 2025, the MHST coverage is 24% of schools in rural hamlets, 21% of schools in rural villages and 36% of schools in rural towns and fringes.

The expansion of MHSTs to all schools and colleges by 2029/30 will prioritise rollout based on NHS identification of local need and reaching the most vulnerable children first.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children were privately educated in each of the last five years. \p Stephen Morgan: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department publishes information on the number and proportion of children in England who attended independent schools in each of the last five years in the annual ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ accredited official statistics publication here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2024-25.
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Dan Norris:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed expansion of free school meals on student attainment in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency. \p Stephen Morgan: This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. The department has now announced that we are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.

In North East Somerset and Hanham, 2,008 pupils are currently eligible for FSM. Following the expansion of FSM to all on Universal Credit from September 2026, the department expects approximately 3,500 children to be eligible based on data from the Department for Work and Pensions. Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the reasons for the trend in the level of council spending on school transport in the last decade. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department knows that the cost of delivering home to school travel has increased steeply over recent years. In particular, challenges within the wider special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system have created significant pressure on home to school travel. The SEND system we inherited has been failing to meet the needs of children and families for far too long, with a lack of early intervention and support in mainstream schools.

The government has committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools so fewer children need to travel long distances to a school that can meet their needs. The Spending Review announcement on 11 June confirmed significant new funding to support SEND reform and a White Paper setting out further details on our plans will be published in the autumn.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure children with special needs have the required support in schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

As part of our Plan for Change, we are determined to fix the SEND system and restore the trust of parents by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate to crisis point.

We will strengthen mainstream inclusivity and accountability through Ofsted, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise, and encourage schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

We are actively working with parents and experts on solutions, including more early intervention to prevent needs from escalating and £740 million to encourage councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools.

Any changes we make will improve support for children and parents, stop parents having to fight for support, and protect effective provision currently in place. Details of the government's intended approach to SEND reform will be set out in a Schools White Paper in the autumn, including for early years and post-16.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to employers’ National Insurance contributions on state-funded schools in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Catherine McKinnell: Schools in Surrey local authority are receiving £14.3 million to support them with the increased costs to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) from April 2025. Schools have autonomy over how they use this funding as their precise spending, including NICs costs, vary based on the staffing decisions each school makes.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to revise the funding formula used to allocate the dedicated schools grant in areas which have a high cost of living but low area cost adjustment. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department uses the schools national funding formula (NFF) to distribute core funding for 5 to 16 year-old pupils (reception through to year 11) in mainstream state-funded schools in England.

The area cost adjustment (ACA) means that funding allocations to schools are adjusted to reflect the geographic costs they face. Importantly, because the department uses the hybrid methodology, schools’ funding allocations reflect differences in both general labour market costs and teacher salaries.

The ACA takes into account the four geographical pay bands for teachers, as well as regional variations in the labour market for non-teaching staff.

The department will continue to keep the NFF, including the operation of the ACA, under review for 2026/27 and beyond.
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Ms Polly Billington:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Enrichment Framework will (a) provide a minimum of 80 hours of enrichment across the academic year and (b) be in addition to curriculum time for arts subjects. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department, working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, has committed to publishing a new Enrichment Framework by the end of 2025. The framework is being developed alongside a working group consisting of experts from schools, youth, sports, arts and research organisations, to identify and reflect effective practice in schools.

The working group will consider how the framework can support equal access and support all pupils to engage with a school’s offer. The department expects the framework to set out benchmarks for high quality enrichment offers and to provide advice for schools with how to plan their offer strategically and intentionally. We do not expect the Framework to set new national requirements for schools, who need the flexibility to plan and deliver enrichment activities in a manner that best suits their unique circumstances and community needs. This is in addition to the teaching of arts subjects in the national curriculum.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the number of unfilled vacancies on school governing bodies. \p Catherine McKinnell: According to the National Governance Association’s 2024 survey, 25% of respondents stated that their board did not have any vacancies. 76% of respondents reported difficulty in recruiting new governors and trustees. 44% of boards had two or more vacancies.

The department has had extensive discussions about recruitment and retention with sector partners, including the National Governance Association and the Confederation of School Trusts. These discussions have informed the development of a joint department-sector resource that will support boards with sustainable governance, especially those facing recruitment and retention challenges.
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Ayoub Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential benefits of requiring schools to hold emergency asthma inhalers. \p Catherine McKinnell: Schools are permitted to buy salbutamol inhalers, without a prescription, for use in emergencies. An emergency salbutamol inhaler should only be used by children who have either been diagnosed with asthma and prescribed an inhaler, or who have been prescribed an inhaler as reliever medication and who have written parental consent for use of the emergency inhaler.

Schools are not required to hold an inhaler. If they choose to keep an emergency inhaler, they should establish a policy or protocol for its use based on published guidance available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-asthma-inhalers-for-use-in-schools.
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Chris Webb:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to help ensure that school food standards contribute to reducing childhood obesity levels. \p Stephen Morgan: To ensure quality and nutrition in meals for children, the department is acting quickly with experts across the sector to revise the School Food Standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance and the Standards support strategies around health.

The department is looking at the impact of the School Food Standards on obesity levels amongst children. More widely, the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) provides robust school age health and inequalities data to assess and monitor the impact of polices and plan services at a local level. NCMP data on child obesity prevalence in Blackpool is not available at Parliamentary Constituency level but is available at the local authority level.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-02)

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Gideon Amos:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of licensing building companies. \p Sarah Jones: The Grenfell Inquiry recommended that principal contractors wanting to work on higher-risk buildings should need a licence, which would be managed by the construction regulator. It also recommended that when applying for building control approval for these buildings, the principal contractor should include a personal undertaking from a company director or senior manager. We accept this and will work on creating a licensing system that works for the industry and the public.

We support stronger accountability and competence of principal contractors and are considering how to achieve this without creating unnecessary layers of regulation and barriers to the supply of new homes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_69

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support access to postal services for small businesses in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire. \p Justin Madders: The government recognises that small businesses are critical to our communities and essential to our economic success. We are committed to hardwiring the voice of small business into everything we do and collaborating with businesses and workers to kickstart and rebuild our economy.

The universal postal service ensures that SMEs across the UK have access to an affordable service.

Ofcom independently regulates the universal postal service. In its 2023-24 Post Monitoring Report, Ofcom found that three-quarters (74%) of SMEs were satisfied with the quality of service they receive from Royal Mail, while overall satisfaction with other providers stood at 81%.
wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_70
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_70

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much his Department has spent on (a) social media promotions, (b) influencer marketing and (c) online advertising in the last 12 months. \p Justin Madders: Commercial sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_71

Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with Ofcom on the causes of delays in the delivery of first class post by Royal Mail in (a) the UK (b) Hampshire. \p Justin Madders: Ministers and officials meet with Ofcom regularly to discuss a range of issues in relation to its role as the independent regulator for the postal sector.

It is for Ofcom to decide how to respond should Royal Mail fail to meet its obligations. While the government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions, in January, I met with representatives from Ofcom to discuss the importance of Royal Mail’s quality of service performance.

The government expects that Ofcom will continue to closely monitor Royal Mail’s performance and take action where appropriate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_72

Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether any representatives of the Government sit as observers or members on Royal Mail’s Stamp Advisory Committee; and whether proposals for new stamps are reviewed by the Government before they are presented for approval by the Sovereign. \p Justin Madders: A representative of the government from the Department of Business and Trade sits as a member on Royal Mail’s Stamp Advisory Committee.

Decisions on Royal Mail’s annual stamp programmes are the direct responsibility of the company. Stamp designs are thoroughly reviewed by the Stamp Advisory Committee, who endorse their presentation for approval by the Sovereign.
wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_73
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_73

Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure alignment between the special measures for British Steel and the UK’s obligations under international trade and subsidy control agreements. \p Sarah Jones: During the development of the Special Measures Act my department ensured that the Government’s actions were and remain consistent with our obligations under international trade and subsidy control agreements. We remain mindful of those obligations as we work on determining the best long-term future for the company.
wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_74
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_74

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps is he taking to include (a) ceramics and (b) manufacturers in the Industrial Strategy. \p Sarah Jones: The Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, part of the Industrial Strategy, outlines government support for the sector, including skills, energy, and regulations.

Ceramics has been identified in the Industrial Strategy as part of our initial list of inputs from foundational industries that are important to unlocking growth in our priority sectors. Some ceramics businesses will benefit from increased network charge compensation, priced at around £10/MWh. Additionally, the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will cut electricity costs by up to 25% for eligible electricity-intensive businesses including foundational manufacturing industries, such as ceramics. We will consult on the design and eligibility shortly, with a review point in 2030.
wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_75
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_75

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the (a) resilience of the clay brick and rooftile industry and (b) potential impact of (i) energy costs and (ii) the UK Emissions Trading Scheme on that industry. \p Sarah Jones: The department works closely with the Construction Leadership Council’s Material Supply Chain Group. Their most recent statement, on 23 April, noted the materials supply chain as functioning well and product availability generally good.

We recognise high energy prices are a key challenge for businesses, and our Clean Power 2030 target is key to long-term sustainable price reductions. Our modern Industrial Strategy announced a new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme that will reduce electricity costs and support thousands of energy intensive businesses.

UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) participants are provided with free allocations to mitigate the risk of carbon leakage and incentivise emissions reduction. The UK ETS Authority is reviewing Free Allocation policy and has guaranteed current free allocation levels until 2027.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_76

Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the special measures on the competitiveness of other UK steel manufacturers not subject to intervention under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act. \p Sarah Jones: The Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act gives the Government the power to direct British Steel, and its workforce, to keep the blast furnaces running safely. Our priorities remain continuing production, stabilising operations and remedying critical health and safety issues.

Competition between British Steel and other UK producers is limited, as they typically manufacture different types of steel products and serve distinct markets. The intervention is narrowly targeted and temporary, aimed at safeguarding national capability rather than conferring a commercial advantage. An impact assessment will be published in due course, following Regulatory Policy Committee scrutiny.
wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_77
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_77

Dame Harriett Baldwin:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what key performance indicators his Department plans to use to measure the success of the Office for Investment; and how these differ from key performance indicators outlined at the launch of the Office. \p Sarah Jones: The Office for Investment (OfI) is focusing on building and converting a pipeline of significant investments opportunities, delivering economic growth and strategic government priorities. This was also the focus of the OfI when originally launched in 2020 but there is now a greater expectation on the number of significant opportunities that will be supported.

As demonstrated in the DBT Inward Investment Results 2024-25, DBT and OfI measure and report on several aspects of investments supported by the government’s investment promotion service including Gross Value Add (GVA) and jobs created outside of London and the South East.
wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_78
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_78

Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he is taking steps to support the re-opening of Basingstoke Post Office. \p Gareth Thomas: The Government is committed to strengthening the post office network, in consultation with postmasters, trade unions and customers. It provides critical services that are valued by communities across the whole of the UK.

Although there will be variations in the number of branches open at any one time, the Post Office works to restore service to the community when a branch closes. The time this can take will vary depending on the individual local circumstances in each case.

Regarding Basingstoke Post Office, we understand that the Post Office plans to reopen the branch on 11 August.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_79

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 28 May 2025 to Question 52687 on Pay: Publicity, which digital influencers were commissioned for the campaign; and how much was paid to each. \p Justin Madders: As part of the National Minimum and Living Wage Campaign, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) selected six digital influencers who could reach the campaign’s target audiences through their social media channels.

We are unable to provide details of how much was paid to each person due to confidentiality provisions in the individual agreements. This used 3% of the total budget of the campaign.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_80

Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 61117 on Business: Northern Ireland, what his planned timetable is for allocating the remaining funding to businesses in Northern Ireland. \p Gareth Thomas: The £70 million Investment Fund for Northern Ireland launched in November 2023. The Fund has an investment period of five years, so the approximately £52 million remaining should be fully invested by November 2028.
wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_81
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-02 conversation_81

Liam Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Prime Minister’s written ministerial statement of 3 June 2025 on Machinery of Government: Cyber-security and Defence Exports, HCWS679, if his Department will retain responsibility for policy on the export of dual-use items. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: There are currently no plans to change DBT’s responsibility for policy on the export of dual-use items.