Written questions by Griffith.

What proportion of Employment Tribunal cases are withdrawn or settled before hearing due to delays in the listing process; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact on business productivity.

Settlements and withdrawals from legal proceedings may take place for a variety of reasons which are unconnected to delays in the court process. HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not hold separate data on reasons for settlements or withdrawals. Moreover, listing is exclusively a judicial function.

What recent estimate his Department has made of the financial impact of Employment Tribunal delays on UK businesses.

We are committed to ensuring that Employment Tribunals operate effectively, ensuring workers have access to justice while minimising burdens on the majority of businesses which play by the rules.As part of the development of the Employment Rights Bill, the Government has consulted with businesses extensively and further engagements (including on this topic) are planned.

How many sitting days were lost in employment tribunals due to (a) judicial and (b) administrative staff shortages in the last 12 months.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not hold information on sitting days lost in employment tribunals due to (a) judicial and (b) administrative shortages in the past 12 months.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of employment tribunal delays on access to justice for (a) claimants and (b) respondents.

We recognise that there remain significant challenges for the performance of the Employment Tribunals following the inheritance from the previous Government. We are determined to cut delays and ensure timely access to justice for all.The Lord Chancellor announced on 05 March a sitting day allocation for the Employment Tribunals of 33,900 in 2025/26, the maximum allocation the tribunal is able to sit.Following a recruitment drive, in 2024 we recruited 21 more salaried judges in the Employment Tribunals than in 2023. Further recruitment for up to 36 salaried Employment Judges commenced in March 2025. 50 fee paid employment judges were appointed in 2024 and recruitment will commence for another 50 in early 2026.HMCTS continues to invest in improving tribunal productivity through the recruitment of additional judges, deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems, and the use of remote hearing technology. A ‘Virtual Region’ of judges has delivered over 1,500 extra sitting days.We are continuing to monitor demand in the Employment Tribunals and are working with the judiciary, HMCTS and the Department for Business and Trade on any further actions needed to alleviate pressures on the Employment Tribunals, improve efficiency and reduce waiting times.

What recent discussions he has had with (a) business groups and (b) employer organisations on the potential impact of the level of efficiency of employment tribunals on SMEs.

We are committed to ensuring that Employment Tribunals operate effectively, ensuring workers have access to justice while minimising burdens on the majority of businesses which play by the rules.As part of the development of the Employment Rights Bill, the Government has consulted with businesses extensively and further engagements (including on this topic) are planned.

When the Prime Minister plans to respond to the letter of 13 February 2025 from the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs.

A response was issued on 19 March 2025.

What discussions he has had with the United States Secretary of Commerce.

The UK-US relationship is already very strong, with trade of around £300 billion, and shared investment of over £1.2 trillion at the end of 2023. The Prime Minister and President Trump met on 27 February and agreed to deepen this relationship and to work together on a trade deal focused on tech. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has also been engaging with the US Administration including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, to make the case for stronger UK-US trade that benefits both our countries, and will continue to make every effort to support British business.

With reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 5 March 2025, Official Report, column 273, what discussions officials in his Department have had with US officials on a UK-US trade deal.

The UK-US relationship is already very strong, with trade of around £300 billion, and shared investment of over £1.2 trillion at the end of 2023. The Prime Minister and President Trump met on 27 February and agreed to deepen this relationship and to work together on a trade deal focused on tech. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has also been engaging with the US Administration including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, to make the case for stronger UK-US trade that benefits both our countries, and will continue to make every effort to support British business.

Whether his Department has allocated a lead negotiator to negotiate a potential UK-US free trade agreement.

The Department for Business and Trade’s Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations (TPIN) Group operates a flexible resourcing model to maximise efficiency across priorities. The DBT team for UK-US trade includes an allocated lead negotiator.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Prime Minister of 5 March 2025, column 273, how many officials from his Department have travelled to the United States to discuss a potential UK-US trade deal since 20 January 2025; and on what dates.

The Prime Minister travelled to Washington DC to meet with President Trump on 27 February. During their meeting, they agreed to deepen the UK-US relationship and to work together on a trade deal focused on tech. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has been engaging with the US Administration including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, to make the case for stronger UK-US trade that benefits both our countries. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade and UK government officials will be travelling to the US during the week beginning 17 March to meet with members of the US administration.

With reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 5 March 2025, Official Record Column 273, what discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with the US administration on a UK-US trade deal.

The UK-US relationship is already very strong, with trade of around £300 billion, and shared investment of over £1.2 trillion at the end of 2023. The Prime Minister and President Trump met on 27 February and agreed to deepen this relationship and to work together on a trade deal focused on tech. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has also been engaging with the US Administration including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, to make the case for stronger UK-US trade that benefits both our countries, and will continue to make every effort to support British business.

How many UK nationals emigrated from the UK for long-term purposes in the (a) third and (b) fourth quarter of 2024.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 4th March is attached.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports of 26 February 2025, Official Report, column 857, what progress his Department has made on creating the new business growth service.

We have begun engagement and consultation with SMEs, business representative bodies, the devolved governments, local government, the Growth Hubs network and other key stakeholders to determine further details on the design, development and implementation of the Business Growth Service before its launch date this summer.The Business Growth Service will simplify the government’s business support ecosystem, with locally led support underpinned by an improved online service. It will help realise the government’s Small Business Strategy, complementing the Industrial Strategy, Trade Strategy and Make Work Pay plans as part of a comprehensive approach to our Growth Mission.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports of 26 February 2025, Official Report, column 857, whether his Department plans to undertake public consultation before bringing forward legislative proposals to reduce late payments.

In September 2024 we announced a package of measures to help ensure small businesses are paid promptly by the large businesses they supply. This included launching a new Fair Payment Code and a commitment to including payment performance information in large companies’ annual reports, and the launch of a public consultation. We will soon be launching our public consultation on further measures to address late payments and long payment terms, including new powers for the Small Business Commissioner to tackle large businesses who pay late.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports of 26 February 2025, Official Report, column 857, how many staff in his Department have been allocated to the working on the development of the new business growth service; and at what the total staff cost is for the (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26 financial years.

The Business Growth Service (BGS) and the broader plans for small business are a priority for the Department for Business and Trade. There is currently a flexible resourcing model in place to develop the Business Growth Service. As of March 2025, a small, full-time core team has been put in place dedicated to developing the BGS with a range of other teams supporting the programme in areas such as Digital, Communications, and Stakeholder Engagement. Final plans for 2025-26 are not yet available but, at launch, the BGS will encompass a much wider range of DBT staff delivering for businesses.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports of 26 February 2025, Official Report, column 857, what his Department's timetable is for launching the business growth service.

We hope to launch the Business Growth Service (BGS) in the summer.The BGS will, over time, simplify the government’s business support ecosystem, with locally led support underpinned by an improved online service. It will help realise the government’s Small Business Strategy, complementing the Industrial Strategy, Trade Strategy and Make Work Pay plans as part of a comprehensive approach to our Growth Mission.

What proportion of procurement training for staff in his Department since 5 July 2024 has been delivered by organisations affiliated with trade unions.

Information on supplier organisations’ affiliation with trade unions is not held.

What proportion of public transport procurement projects contracted by her Department have included net zero requirements since 5 July 2024; and what estimate she has made of the cost of those requirements.

The Department for Transport does not record the net-zero requirements included in procurement projects.

How many public contracts awarded by the Crown Commercial Service since 5 July 2024 have included mandatory commitments to publish suppliers’ (a) gender and (b) ethnicity pay gaps.

Contracts are established between the supplier and the individual contracting authority.

How many infrastructure contracts awarded by her Department since 5 July 2024 have included mandatory collective bargaining clauses.

There are no infrastructure contracts awarded by the Department since 5 July 2024 that have included mandatory collective bargaining clauses.