Written questions by Downie.

Whether he has made an estimate of the cost to (i) Royal Mail and (ii) UK business of the LockBit ransomware attack on Royal Mail in 2023.

Awaiting answer.

When he last met with the Competitions and Markets Authority to discuss fair competition in the hotel market.

There has been no specific meeting between Ministers and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to discuss competition in the hotel market. Responsibility for assessing competition in individual markets, including the hotel market, lies with the CMA, which operates independently of Government. The CMA keeps markets under review and can carry out market studies, investigations or enforcement action where it has concerns that competition is not working well for consumers. If you have evidence of a specific competition issue in the hotel market, I would encourage you to pass it to the CMA for consideration.

What assessment he has made of fair competition in the hotel market.

There has been no specific meeting between Ministers and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to discuss competition in the hotel market. Responsibility for assessing competition in individual markets, including the hotel market, lies with the CMA, which operates independently of Government. The CMA keeps markets under review and can carry out market studies, investigations or enforcement action where it has concerns that competition is not working well for consumers. If you have evidence of a specific competition issue in the hotel market, I would encourage you to pass it to the CMA for consideration.

What steps he is taking to ensure fair competition in the hotel market.

There has been no specific meeting between Ministers and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to discuss competition in the hotel market. Responsibility for assessing competition in individual markets, including the hotel market, lies with the CMA, which operates independently of Government. The CMA keeps markets under review and can carry out market studies, investigations or enforcement action where it has concerns that competition is not working well for consumers. If you have evidence of a specific competition issue in the hotel market, I would encourage you to pass it to the CMA for consideration.

What steps his Department is taking to support the parents and carers of children with severe health conditions.

Supporting children with severe health conditions can be a heartbreaking time for families. The Department for Business and Trade is currently developing a consultation on employment rights for carers, including specific measures for the parents and carers of seriously ill children. This will consider what employment rights may help families in such distressing situations. The consultation will take place in 2026.

What guidance his Department issues to local authorities on parental eligibility for Neonatal Care Pay and Leave.

The department is committed to supporting employers to implement the range of parental leave entitlements available, and enabling employees to access them. This includes Neonatal Care Leave and Pay. Local authorities are not involved in determining parental eligibility for Neonatal Care Leave and Pay. Employers can refer to publicly available guidance on GOV.UK to help them understand which employees are eligible for Neonatal Care Leave and Pay. The guidance was created with employers and parents in mind, and government worked closely with HR professionals to make sure it is fit for purpose.

What information his Department holds on (a) which local authorities provide their staff with (i) statutory paternity leave and pay and (i) enhanced paternity leave and pay and (b) levels of take up of these across local government.

All employers, including local authorities, are legally required to provide eligible employees with Statutory Paternity Leave and Pay, if they meet the eligibility criteria. The department does not hold data on which local authorities offer enhanced Paternity Leave and Pay or the take up of these across local government.

What information his Department holds on the number of UK citizens by occupation who reached the end of their 90-day limit for staying in the EU (a) since the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement came into force and (b) in the last 12 months.

The Department for Business and Trade does not hold the statistical information requested.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the 90 day visa-waiver stay limitation per 180-day period on the UK aerospace industry.

The Department of Business and Trade does not hold data on the potential impact of visa-waiver stay limitations on the UK aerospace industry.

When he last reviewed defence export licenses in place for Turkey.

This Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously and we operate one of the most robust and transparent export control regimes in the world. This is an important lever for promoting both UK prosperity and national and global security. We rigorously assess every application on a case-by-case basis against strict assessment criteria, the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (the SELC). We review all new licence applications on this basis taking into account all current information available at the time including the situation in the end destination. We also keep all our extant licences (which typically last for two years) under continual review. The FCDO advises DBT on the situation in country and the risks this poses with respect to the UK’s export control responsibilities.

What defence export licenses to Turkey are under consideration.

We publish information on export licence outcomes as part of official statistics published on gov.uk by the Department for Business and Trade on behalf of the Export Control Joint Unit. The latest general statistics, which were classified as Official Statistics in Development, were published on 27 February 2025 and cover licence decisions to 30 September 2024. They are available to view on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data. We do not routinely publish information about in progress licence applications. Hundreds of licensing decisions are taken each week so the precise number of applications in progress changes on a daily basis. Once an application has received an outcome, it will be published as official statistics in the Annual and Quarterly Reports on Strategic Export Controls. Information relating to export licensing decisions covering the period 1 October 2024 – 31 December 2024 will be published on 15 May 2025.

What defence export licences are in place for UK companies to Turkey.

We publish information on export licence outcomes as part of official statistics published on gov.uk by the Department for Business and Trade on behalf of the Export Control Joint Unit. The latest general statistics, which were classified as Official Statistics in Development, were published on 27 February 2025 and cover licence decisions to 30 September 2024. They are available to view on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data. We do not routinely publish information about in progress licence applications. Hundreds of licensing decisions are taken each week so the precise number of applications in progress changes on a daily basis. Once an application has received an outcome, it will be published as official statistics in the Annual and Quarterly Reports on Strategic Export Controls. Information relating to export licensing decisions covering the period 1 October 2024 – 31 December 2024 will be published on 15 May 2025.

What assessment he has made of the potential of recent political unrest in Turkey on the consideration of (a) existing and (b) new defence export licenses.

This Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously and we operate one of the most robust and transparent export control regimes in the world. This is an important lever for promoting both UK prosperity and national and global security. We rigorously assess every application on a case-by-case basis against strict assessment criteria, the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (the SELC). We review all new licence applications on this basis taking into account all current information available at the time including the situation in the end destination. We also keep all our extant licences (which typically last for two years) under continual review. The FCDO advises DBT on the situation in country and the risks this poses with respect to the UK’s export control responsibilities.

What plans he has for when the next round of formal trade negotiations with Taiwan will take place.

The UK's longstanding position on Taiwan has not changed. The UK-Taiwan Trade Talks have taken place since 1991 and I look forward to co-chairing these this year. Under the UK and Taiwan Enhanced Trade Partnership we have committed to developing 'pillars' on Investment, Digital Trade and Renewable Energy and Net Zero. We are working with the Taiwanese authorities to develop and deliver these.UK-Taiwan Trade Talks and the Enhanced Trade Partnership will support our strong unofficial relationship with Taiwan, based on deep and growing ties in a range of areas, including trade and investment.

Whether his Department provided evidence to the Strategic Defence Review.

On 30 July 2024, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) was invited, alongside other Government Departments, to provide written evidence to the Strategic Defence Review (SDR).DBT responded to that call for evidence on 23 September 2024. The findings of the SDR are due to be published in 2025.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the decision by the US Federal Trade Commission to require online subscription services to allow users to cancel more easily on UK consumers.

Similar measures have already been introduced in the UK through the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. This introduces new rules to protect consumers from being trapped in unwanted subscription contracts, including a requirement for trad...

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the decision by the US Federal Trade Commission to require online subscription services to be cancelled more easily on the UK.

Similar measures have already been introduced in the UK through the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. This introduces new rules to protect consumers from being trapped in unwanted subscription contracts, including a requirement for trad...

Whether he has plans to bring forward proposals to make it easier to cancel online subscriptions.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 introduces new rules to protect consumers from being trapped in unwanted subscription contracts, including a requirement for traders to provide straightforward ways for consumers to end contracts. Th...