Written questions by Griffith.

What consideration he has given to securing reliable supplies of Helium for use in advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defence in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to the Department for Business and Trade workforce management information return for March 2026, for what reason the Department recorded consultancy spend of -£20,783,968.13; whether this figure reflects an accounting adjustment, correction, reclassification, refund or data error; and what the Department’s gross consultancy spend was in March 2026 before that negative adjustment was applied.

Awaiting answer.

Pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2026 to UIN 127204, what his planned timeline is of powers exercised under the Industrial Development Act 1982 to provide assistance to Ensus.

Government has used powers under Section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 to provide financial support to Ensus. This follows scrutiny and oversight from independent financial advisors and discussions with the company which have taken place since September 2025. The advice received regarding the costs associated with the Ensus plant are commercially sensitive and as such will not be published. However, to date, we have provided less than £30m of financial assistance to Ensus UK Limited.The timing and operation of this support will be kept under review. Government will monitor market conditions closely to determine whether continued production at Ensus is required and to ensure this represents value for money for the taxpayer.

Pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2026 to Question 127204 on Ensus UK, when Ministers first discussed providing financial support to Ensus through the Industrial Development Act 1982.

Government has used powers under Section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 to provide financial support to Ensus. This follows scrutiny and oversight from independent financial advisors and discussions with the company which have taken place since September 2025. The advice received regarding the costs associated with the Ensus plant are commercially sensitive and as such will not be published. However, to date, we have provided less than £30m of financial assistance to Ensus UK Limited.The timing and operation of this support will be kept under review. Government will monitor market conditions closely to determine whether continued production at Ensus is required and to ensure this represents value for money for the taxpayer.

Pursuant to UIN 127204, whether the financial assistance provided to Ensus exceeds £30m.

Government has used powers under Section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 to provide financial support to Ensus. This follows scrutiny and oversight from independent financial advisors and discussions with the company which have taken place since September 2025. The advice received regarding the costs associated with the Ensus plant are commercially sensitive and as such will not be published. However, to date, we have provided less than £30m of financial assistance to Ensus UK Limited.The timing and operation of this support will be kept under review. Government will monitor market conditions closely to determine whether continued production at Ensus is required and to ensure this represents value for money for the taxpayer.

Pursuant to UIN 127204, which section of the Industrial Development Act 1982 was invoked in order to provide financial assistance to Ensus.

Government has used powers under Section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 to provide financial support to Ensus. This follows scrutiny and oversight from independent financial advisors and discussions with the company which have taken place since September 2025. The advice received regarding the costs associated with the Ensus plant are commercially sensitive and as such will not be published. However, to date, we have provided less than £30m of financial assistance to Ensus UK Limited.The timing and operation of this support will be kept under review. Government will monitor market conditions closely to determine whether continued production at Ensus is required and to ensure this represents value for money for the taxpayer.

Pursuant to UIN 127204, if he will publish the legal advice received to determine that the costs associated with the support for Ensus are commercially sensitive.

Government has used powers under Section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 to provide financial support to Ensus. This follows scrutiny and oversight from independent financial advisors and discussions with the company which have taken place since September 2025. The advice received regarding the costs associated with the Ensus plant are commercially sensitive and as such will not be published. However, to date, we have provided less than £30m of financial assistance to Ensus UK Limited.The timing and operation of this support will be kept under review. Government will monitor market conditions closely to determine whether continued production at Ensus is required and to ensure this represents value for money for the taxpayer.

With reference to HCWS1501, what level of detail will be provided in DBT’s 2025-26 and 2026-27 annual reports on expenditure associated with the Ensus UK Limited restart.

The costs associated with this intervention have been independently verified and are commercially sensitive. The Department’s Annual Report and Accounts will record the expenditure incurred with Ensus and disclosures surrounding the expenditure incurred will reflect the materiality of the arrangement to the Department’s accounts, as is required by International Financial Reporting Standards.Government uses legal powers under the Industrial Development Act 1982 to provide financial support to Ensus. A key condition of this support requires Ensus to keep the facility on standby and restart operations when required to provide resilience for critical sectors.Ministers were first advised of risks to CO2 supply chains arising from the Middle East conflict on 9 March.

With reference to the Written Statement of 13 April 2026 (HCWS1501), what statutory or prerogative powers were relied upon to direct Ensus UK Limited to restart production.

The costs associated with this intervention have been independently verified and are commercially sensitive. The Department’s Annual Report and Accounts will record the expenditure incurred with Ensus and disclosures surrounding the expenditure incurred will reflect the materiality of the arrangement to the Department’s accounts, as is required by International Financial Reporting Standards.Government uses legal powers under the Industrial Development Act 1982 to provide financial support to Ensus. A key condition of this support requires Ensus to keep the facility on standby and restart operations when required to provide resilience for critical sectors.Ministers were first advised of risks to CO2 supply chains arising from the Middle East conflict on 9 March.

With reference to HCWS1501, what estimate her Department has made of the total cost to the public purse of operating the Ensus UK Limited plant for the initial three-month period.

The costs associated with this intervention have been independently verified and are commercially sensitive. The Department’s Annual Report and Accounts will record the expenditure incurred with Ensus and disclosures surrounding the expenditure incurred will reflect the materiality of the arrangement to the Department’s accounts, as is required by International Financial Reporting Standards.Government uses legal powers under the Industrial Development Act 1982 to provide financial support to Ensus. A key condition of this support requires Ensus to keep the facility on standby and restart operations when required to provide resilience for critical sectors.Ministers were first advised of risks to CO2 supply chains arising from the Middle East conflict on 9 March.

On what date Ministers first became aware of risks to UK CO₂ supply chains arising from the conflict in the Middle East.

The costs associated with this intervention have been independently verified and are commercially sensitive. The Department’s Annual Report and Accounts will record the expenditure incurred with Ensus and disclosures surrounding the expenditure incurred will reflect the materiality of the arrangement to the Department’s accounts, as is required by International Financial Reporting Standards.Government uses legal powers under the Industrial Development Act 1982 to provide financial support to Ensus. A key condition of this support requires Ensus to keep the facility on standby and restart operations when required to provide resilience for critical sectors.Ministers were first advised of risks to CO2 supply chains arising from the Middle East conflict on 9 March.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Act 2025 on the number of entry-level and flexible jobs.

The Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights act and this is available here: http://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments. Our analysis, supported by independent modelling and international evidence, demonstrates pro-employment effects are more likely and deems the overall risk to employment to be low.

What steps he is taking to ensure the Employment Rights Act 2025 does not negatively impact employment levels.

Our analysis demonstrates that the Act is more likely to help more people into work than reduce employment. Making work more attractive and accessible to a wider range of people, such as those with caring responsibilities or health conditions, can help more people enter or return to the workforce.Changes will be introduced gradually over a two-year period, giving businesses time to prepare. We have launched a dedicated website offering practical guidance and support for businesses and workers, alongside wider communication, engagement and educational activity to raise awareness. We will keep consulting with businesses, trade unions and civil society to make sure we get the detail right.

When she expects to publish the consultation on guaranteed hours under the Employment Rights Act 2025; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the timing of the publication of the consultation on (a) business confidence, (b) employment levels, (c) levels of flexible work and (d) business viability, particularly for (i) recruitment agencies and (ii) seasonal sectors such as (A) hospitality and (B) agriculture.

The government will consult on the right to guaranteed hours in due course, to be sure to get the detail of the regulations right for both workers and employers across all sectors. We appreciate that employers will need clarity and time before regulations come into effect to familiarise themselves with these new rights and adapt their practices. We will ensure that employers have sufficient time and appropriate guidance to comply with the new legislation.

What proportion of Freedom of Information requests received by his Department were responded to (a) within the statutory 20 working day deadline, (b) between 21 and 40 working days, (c) between 41 and 60 working days, and (d) after 60 working days, in each of the last three calendar years.

The Cabinet Office publishes official Freedom of Information (FOI) statistics for all monitored central government bodies, including the Department for Business and Trade, as part of its regular Government FOI Statistics series. These statistics are available on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics.FOI statistics for 2023 and 2024 are currently available online through this collection. The 2025 FOI statistics are scheduled to be published in April 2026.

Whether his Department plans to hold an African Investment Summit.

I refer the member for Arundel and South Downs to the answer I gave to UIN 101498 on 8 January.

Where the new Fair Work Agency offices will be located.

The Fair Work Agency brings together in one place the work of the existing employment rights enforcement bodies. To ensure there is no disruption to front line operational activity there are no immediate plans to changes to existing, nationwide, locations of staff.

What was the total value of the Emission Trading Scheme/Carbon Price Support compensation paid to British Steel during 2024-2025.

For the last decade, Government has provided compensation to a small number of businesses in the most electricity intensive sectors, including steel, to lower their electricity bills and help keep them viable in the UK. In the 2024/25 financial year, approximately 140 of the most electricity intensive and trade exposed companies received support worth £142 million. The Department does not publish the details of individual awards given to companies through compensation schemes due to commercial sensitivities.

With reference to the Companies House news story titled Update on Companies House WebFiling security issue, published on 16 March 2026, how many unique user accounts successfully performed the set of actions required to access another company’s details without consent during the period the vulnerability was active.

It is not currently possible to determine the number of unique user accounts affected. However, Companies House is investigating this from both a technical and customer perspective. Following the initial report, ongoing investigations have found no subsequent confirmed cases of personal data having been accessed without permission as a result of the issue. There is no confirmed evidence that any records have been changed. The absence of any new confirmed cases is welcome, although investigations continue.

With reference to the Companies House news story titled Update on Companies House WebFiling security issue, published on 16 March 2026, what estimate his Department has made of the number of companies whose private dashboard information, including director home addresses, was accessed by unauthorised users.

Companies House is investigating this from both a technical and customer perspective. Following the initial report, ongoing investigations have found no subsequent confirmed cases of personal data having been accessed without permission as a result of this issue. There is no confirmed evidence that any records have been changed. The absence of any new confirmed cases is welcome, although as the investigation continue it is not yet possible to provide an estimate of whether any confirmed cases will be identified.