Written questions by Hollinrake.

What steps he is taking to help raise awareness of the impact of mentoring on the business community.

Small businesses are the beating heart of our high streets, our communities, and essential to our economic success.Professional mentoring can have a positive impact on business growth. Opportunities to access a mentor are actively signposted through the Help to Grow campaign site at https://helptogrow.campaign.gov.uk/.The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed continued funding for Help to Grow: Management, which provides dedicated mentoring support, and to local Growth Hubs, many of which provide access to business mentors.The Government will bring forward a Small Business Strategy Command Paper in 2025, setting out the Government’s detailed vision for supporting small businesses.

Whether it remains her policy to commission an independent review of the Loan Charge.

The government announced at Autumn Budget that it will commission an independent review of the Loan Charge to help bring the matter to a close for those affected whilst ensuring fairness for all taxpayers. Further details about the review will be set out in due course.

Whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the cost-effectiveness of using infrared heating to meet upcoming energy efficiency regulations.

Infrared heating is a promising technology, which when used with room-by-room control systems, could reduce electricity use relative to a direct electric heating system. However, previous Government research, such as the Cost Optimal Domestic Electrification Project, has found that lifetime costs of infrared heating are generally higher than other electric heating technologies, like heat pumps. The Government remains open to new evidence that would challenge this view and on the role infrared heating could play in decarbonising our buildings.

What measures are in place to support an (a) ageing and (b) isolated population in (i) remote and (ii) rural areas to attend hospital appointments for cancer (A) diagnosis and (B) treatment.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring healthcare needs of local communities are met. These responsibilities include considering adequate healthcare provision, care, and wider support for local populations, including in remote and rural areas, and for those in the community who have needs linked to ageing and isolation.There are two National Health Service schemes in England which provide assistance for travel to hospital or other NHS premises for specialist NHS treatment or diagnostics tests, as set out below.The NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme provides financial assistance to patients in England who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain NHS services. The NHS Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services provide funded transport where a medical condition means that a patient would struggle to safely attend their treatment independently.

What steps his Department is taking to help support people in rural and farming communities to see their GP when they develop cancer symptoms.

Increasing the diagnostic rates of cancer is a priority for the Government, and general practices (GPs) are key in achieving this goal. To encourage a wide range of groups, including people in rural and farming communities, to see their GP, NHS England runs Help Us Help You campaigns to increase the knowledge of cancer symptoms and address barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their GP. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms as well as encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.The Government is also increasing capacity in GPs, so patients have better access to GPs. We will recruit over 1,000 newly qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, which will increase the number of appointments delivered in GPs, secure the future supply of GPs and appointments, and take pressure off those currently working in the system. We will also bring back the family doctor by incentivising continuity of care so patients can see the same doctor at each appointment, which is key to managing ongoing conditions.

What plans he has to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the repatriation of over 125,000 British prisoners of war and the subsequent Long March between January and May 1945.

There are plans to mark the Long March, and the subsequent repatriation of the Prisoners of War (under Operation EXODUS) on Defence social media channels in 2025. This will form part of the wider VEDay80 and VJDay80 Communications campaigns, aiming to educate younger generations to the sacrifices made by our Second World War veterans. Defence has supported, and will continue to support, the commemoration of key events of 80 years ago that signalled the end of World War Two. This includes the anniversaries of the Battle of Monte Cassino, D-Day, and Operation Market Garden; my Department will also work with others into 2025 to commemorate the significant anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day.

On how many days his Principle Private Secretary worked from home in (a) in the last (i) six and (ii) 12 months and (b) since 4 July 2024.

The Department for Business and Trade does not routinely collect this information.

Whether his Department has had recent discussions with (a) YouTube and (b) Google on the levels of Digital Services Tax.

The Department for Business and Trade supports businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. To support these outcomes, SoS and DBT representatives regularly meet with a broad spectrum of tech companies representing the global tech eco-system, from SMEs and start-ups to global big tech companies. These discussions cover a range of issues and are often commercially sensitive. Digital Service Tax has not been raised specifically in recent meetings.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of agricultural relief for Inheritance Tax in supporting farming businesses.

HMRC publishes data regularly about the number of claims and the cost of non-structural tax reliefs, such as agricultural property relief and business property relief. The information can be found at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/main-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 September 2024 to Question 2408 on Department for Business and Trade: Ministers, whether he plans to appoint an adviser for business engagement and trade strategy.

There are no current plans to appoint a specific adviser for business engagement and trade strategy.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of business relief for Inheritance Tax in supporting family owned businesses.

HMRC publishes data regularly about the number of claims and the cost of non-structural tax reliefs, such as agricultural property relief and business property relief. The information can be found at www.gov.uk/government/statistics/main-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs.

When he expects to bring forward the Product Safety and Metrology Bill.

The Product Regulation and Metrology Bill was introduced into the House of Lords on 4 September 2024.

Whether he plans to include in the Product Safety and Metrology Bill (a) changes to safety standards for and (b) measures to help prevent ingestion of button batteries.

UK product safety law requires that all products must be safe before being placed on the market and enforcement authorities have powers to take appropriate action where unsafe or non-compliant products are identified. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) works with stakeholders to ensure the safety of products on the UK Market regardless of their origins.This Product Regulation and Metrology Bill will ensure the UK is better placed to address product safety issues we face today and in the future. It will allow for agile and robust regulatory measures for products, including lithium-ion and button batteries, placed on the UK market.

If he will have discussions with (a) Citizens Advice and (b) other stakeholders on the safety of battery-operated products imported from China.

UK product safety law requires that all products must be safe before being placed on the market and enforcement authorities have powers to take appropriate action where unsafe or non-compliant products are identified. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) works with stakeholders to ensure the safety of products on the UK Market regardless of their origins.This Product Regulation and Metrology Bill will ensure the UK is better placed to address product safety issues we face today and in the future. It will allow for agile and robust regulatory measures for products, including lithium-ion and button batteries, placed on the UK market.

When he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations 2017 to introduce new metrics on retentions; and whether he plans to bring into force new metrics on the value of invoices paid and disputed invoices from 1 January 2025.

Legislation is expected to be laid before Parliament in 2024 to amend the Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations 2017 to require new retention reporting requirements. Amendments were made to the Payment Practices and Performance Regulations which introduced two new reporting metrics which will cover the value of payments, and the level of invoices not paid because of disputes. Businesses will be required to collect data and report on these new metrics from January 2025 as planned.

What underspends there have been in (a) his Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies in (i) this financial year and (ii) the Spending Review period.

As the Chancellor set out in her statement on July 29, the government’s spending audit has identified a forecast Resource DEL overspend of £21.9 billion against the plans set out for departments at Spring Budget 2024. This already factors in the Treasury’s assessment of a £7.1bn fallaway over the course of the year, as set out in Table 1 of Fixing the foundations: public spending audit 2024-25. The government has announced £5.5 billion of savings in 2024-25, bringing the in-year pressures down to £16.4 billion. The Department for Business and Trade was created in February 2023 and is therefore the current financial year represents the departments second full financial year of operation. For the financial year 2023-24 the financial outturn, including details of any underspends, is still being finalised. The final numbers will be published in the Annual Report and Accounts in the Autumn 2024. The extent of any underspends in this financial year will be confirmed only when the financial year has concluded.

What plans he has for new efficiency savings in (a) his Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies.

The government is taking action to make efficiency savings across back-office functions and communications and stopping non-essential spending on consultants. Further details are set out in Fixing the foundations: public spending audit 2-24-25. To support the government’s ambition of making efficiency savings my department is working with the Treasury to identify opportunities to deliver the necessary saving.

How many postmasters have been notified that their convictions have been quashed by the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024.

As of 26 July 2024, we have issued 10 letters confirming to postmasters that their convictions have been quashed by the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024. The Ministry of Justice, Northern Irish Executive and Scottish Government are taking all reasonable steps and are working at pace to identify those within scope of the legislation. To do this, the Government is examining data spanning multiple decades and from multiple sources, including but not limited to the Post Office, the Police National Record, and court files. It is necessary that this process is undertaken carefully. The previous Government said publicly that most letters confirming to individuals that their convictions have been quashed would be sent by the end of July. However, since then inconsistencies have been identified between the different datasets and the Government has therefore decided to conduct extra checks to ensure that all decisions on scope are correct.