Written questions by Dewhirst.

What the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in his Department.

Direct ministerial appointments are published on GOV.UK in line with Cabinet Office best practice.Current direct ministerial appointments in the department are:Name(s) and Job TitleAnnual RemunerationTime Commitment Expected End DatePress Release LinkJon Bolton, Steel Council, Co-Chair£850 per day47 days per annum31 December 2025 (TBC)Link (2025 appointment)Nita Clarke Non-Executive Board Member£15,00020 days per annum10 December 2027Link (2024 appointment)Professor Chris Dungey Advanced Manufacturing AI Champion UnremuneratedNo specific time commitment1 December 2026Link (2025 appointment)Doug Gurr Interim Chair, Competition and Markets Authority£106,666Up to 2 days per week21 July 2026LinkRichard Judge Independent Regulatory Reviewer£500 per day1 day per week20 October 2026Link (2025 appointment)Nigel Railton Interim Chair, Post OfficeUp to £150,0002 days per week25 May 2028Link (2025 appointment)Shaheen Sayed Professional Businesses Services AI ChampionUnremunerated50 hours over 1 year appointment25 November 2026PBS announcement and DSIT AI champions linkSamantha Seaton Smart Data Council Co-ChairUnremunerated20 days per annum17 October 2027Link (2025 appointment)Professor Sir Steve Smith International Education Champion UnremuneratedNo specific time commitment30 September 2026Link (original 2020 appointment) Link (2024 reappointment)Omar Ali, Mike Hawes OBE, Dame Vivian Hunt DBE, Allison Kirkby, Paul Lindley OBE, Catherine McGuinness CBE, Michelle Ovens CBE, Mike Soutar, Sarah Walker, Charles Woodburn CBE Board of Trade Advisers UnremuneratedMeets quarterly. Occasional ad-hoc commitments13 March 2026Link (2025 appointment)Dame Clare Barclay (Chair), Kate Bell, Rt Hon Greg Clark, Professor Dame Diane Coyle, Greg Jackson, Tunde Olanrewaju, Henry G Overman, Henrik L Pedersen, Dr Aislinn Rice, Roy Rickhuss, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell (Deputy Chair) Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, Members£800 per dayUp to 2-3 days per month13 April 2026 (Chair) 17 June 2026 (Members)Link (2025 appointment) Appointees are listed alphabetically by surname.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2025 to Question 64058 on DBT: Directors, whether the Commissioner for Public Appointments was informed of her political background when his Department made the request.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments was consulted prior to Nita Clarke's appointment without open competition as a DBT Non-Executive Board Member, in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. As required under the Code, Nita Clarke declared her political activity for the Labour Party during the appointments process.

Whether the Certification Officer has received the BDO auditor's report on the Unite trade union's hotel and conference centre development.

The Certification Officer has received the BDO auditor's report and is currently reviewing this.

Whether applicants for company directorships on the Companies House register can nominate Palestinian as their nationality.

‘Palestinian’ is included in the list of nationalities permitted for the purposes of company filings. The full list of nationalities and geographical names is available at the link below: Nationalities and countries for company filings - GOV.UK

With reference to the written statement of 13 March 2025, HCWS517, on Board of Trade, when the Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of all matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations last met.

The Board of Trade last met on the 21st May 2025.

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.

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.

Whether he is taking steps to accelerate the removal of retained EU law; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK's exit from the EU increases international competitiveness.

The Government’s approach to assimilated law reform (formerly ‘retained EU law’) is to deliver reforms that serve the national interest and support economic growth and wider Government priorities. Unlike the previous Government we will not set arbitrary targets for revoking assimilated law for the sake of it.This Government is seizing the flexibility of Brexit, making the best choices for business and citizens from its position outside the EU as evidenced through significant deals with the US and India and our new partnership with the EU.

What steps he is taking to remove barriers to trade for UK seafood exporters.

The Government has secured a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement with the EU that will remove red tape for UK seafood exporters and businesses. This will make it easier to sell British fish to our largest trading partner, which will in turn drive growth.UK businesses, including those in the seafood industry, can access DBT’s wealth of export support via business.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, the International Markets network and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers.In addition, we will shortly be publishing our Trade Strategy which will set out our plans to explore opportunities for further lowering barriers to trade.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Business and Trade of 31 October 2024, Official Report, column 927, what his Department's timetable is for publishing a Command Paper on support for small businesses.

The Government expects to publish the SME strategy later this year.This will set out the Government’s vision for SMEs, from encouraging entrepreneurship to boosting scale-ups, across key policy areas such as creating thriving high streets, making it easier to access finance, opening up overseas and domestic markets, building business capabilities, and providing a strong business environment.The paper will complement the Government’s forthcoming Industrial Strategy and Trade Strategy.

Whether the Small Business Strategy will consider the cost of full electrification of commercial properties for SMEs.

We will launch the Small Business Strategy later this year complementing the Government’s forthcoming Industrial and Trade Strategies as part of our economic growth mission.The strategy will help drive small business growth and productivity, for example – from boosting scale-ups to supporting budding entrepreneurs. It will cover a number of key policy areas, including creating thriving high streets, making it easier to access finance, opening up overseas markets, building business capabilities and supporting entrepreneurship. Although the full electrification of commercial properties is not a policy proposal we expect to be covered in the Small Business Strategy, we remain committed to a Net Zero economy by 2050.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on businesses’ reliance on gas for profitable commercial operations.

The Secretary of State works closely with all of Cabinet, discussing a wide range of issues. He is committed to this Government's growth mission and ensuring the UK is a place where businesses can thrive.

What discussions his Department has had with (a) fish and chip and (b) other commercial food providers on pressures faced by SMEs due to (i) taxation, (ii) the price of fish and (iii) the expense of full electrification.

Fish and chip shops are integral to our high streets, communities and culture. Commercial food providers more broadly play a key role in supporting economic growth in every corner of the UK. I recognise that these businesses are being challenged by rising costs, but we are protecting the smallest businesses by increasing the Employment Allowance and creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street. The Government remains committed to supporting electrification and addressing the barriers to investment in electric technology. This includes further development of policy options to address the high cost of electricity relative to natural gas, and the implementation of planning reforms to speed up infrastructure development and unblock issues on grid connection delays.

What steps his Department is taking to encourage UK companies to invest in Morocco’s Western Sahara region, in the context of (a) levels of (i) economic growth and (ii) infrastructure development in the region and (b) the UK-Morocco association agreement.

It is for companies to make their own decisions regarding investments in Western Sahara, as in any other region, based on the information available to them including from the Department of Business and Trade.Products originating in Western Sahara, subject to controls by customs authorities of Morocco, benefit from the same trade preferences as those granted by the United Kingdom to products covered by the UK-Morocco Association Agreement. The application of the Agreement is without prejudice to our position on the status of Western Sahara. The UK supports UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

With reference to the speech entitled PM remarks on the fundamental reform of the British state, published on 13 March 2025, on what methodological basis the Prime Minister said that compliance costs for businesses would be cut by a quarter.

On 13 March, the Prime Minister issued a new target for the government to cut the costs of regulation to business. This target for government departments and regulators will lead to less red tape, more delivery and renew the country with economic growth. Government also successfully delivered a similar 25% reduction target between 2005 and 2010. The government will bring forward its plans to meet the target and its method for assessing progress towards it later this year.

With reference to the planned Right to Switch Off, what plans he has for the application of this policy (a) on fallow days for employees, (b) during office hours on Mondays to Fridays for people who work (i) standard working patterns, (ii) part-time and (iii) compressed hours and (c) for people who work four-day weeks on full-pay.

In “Next Steps to Make Work Pay” the Government said it would deliver the right to switch off through a Statutory Code of Practice, rather than through the Employment Rights Bill.A Code of Practice sets out guidelines for employers to follow. A failure to comply with a code of practice can be taken into account by an Employment Tribunal. We are developing the content of a draft Code with key stakeholders including both business representative groups and trade unions. In due course, that draft Code will be subject to a full formal consultation process.

With reference to the appointment of Iain Anderson as a non-executive board member, if he will place a copy of Mr Anderson’s declaration of interests in the House of Commons Library.

Iain Anderson has declared his interests in line with the published process.(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-executive-board-member-declaration-of-interests-process/non-executive-board-member-declaration-of-interests-process#context).Interests will be published in due course on the department's website.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2024 to Question 13801 on Office for the Pay Review Bodies, in what way the change in name better reflects the role of the organisation.

The change of name from the Office of Manpower Economics to the Office for the Pay Review Bodies better reflects the role of the organisation as the work of the Office for the Pay Review Bodies is to support the eight independent public sector pay review bodies. This involves a broader range of activities than manpower economics alone.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 20536 on Department for Business and Trade: Official Cars, how many Government Car Service (a) cars and (b) drivers are provided for the use of civil servants.

No Government Car Service cars or drivers are provided specifically for the use of civil servants.

What priority policy areas the Brexit Opportunities Unit is working on in 2025.

The Brexit Opportunities Unit transitioned into the Regulation Directorate (RD) through a machinery of government change in February 2023. RD aims to improve regulation to support the Government’s mission to boost economic growth.RD is leading the regulatory reform agenda across government in collaboration with HM Treasury. We recognise that for regulation to be effective, it must be created in partnership with business and regulators, which is why we have asked regulators to provide proposals for prioritising growth with the support of government. Our plans for the government’s overall regulatory vision will be set out in due course.

Whether he plans to include appointments to the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council in the Public Bodies Order in Council; and whether the chair appointment will be classified as a significant appointment.

The Industrial Strategy Advisory Council (ISAC) is an independent, non-statutory, expert committee and as such these appointments are not in scope for addition to the Order in Council or Significant Appointments under Cabinet Office guidance. We have committed to putting the Council on a statutory footing, and this will be reviewed after doing so.