Written questions by Vickers.

What recent assessment he has made of the barriers to business growth in rural areas.

Rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy. Addressing the needs of businesses in rural areas is at the heart of our policymaking and we continue to revisit and improve our support offers. The upcoming Business Growth Service will unify existing core services nationally while delivering locally, collaborating with local and devolved governments and Growth Hubs.All businesses, including rural enterprises, can access Local Growth Hubs for tailored support throughout their development journey. Growth hubs customise their offerings based on specific community needs, whether in towns or rural locations.

What steps he is taking to support jobs in the hospitality sector.

We recognise the vital role hospitality businesses play in driving economic growth and strengthening community cohesion across the country. We also increased the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning 865,000 employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions (NICs) next year. This allows businesses to employ up to four full-time staff on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs and we’re committed to introducing permanently lower business rates for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure businesses with rateable values of less than £500,000. We have recently launched Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), which help jobseekers move quickly into hospitality roles through flexible training and support. In addition the Hospitality Fund is backing projects that will include addressing skills gaps in the sector and boosting productivity.

What steps his Department is taking to encourage foreign direct investment.

The Government has launched a modern Industrial Strategy, removing barriers to investment and improving access to finance to drive nationwide growth.The expanded Office for Investment (OfI) now offers enhanced commercial expertise and a broader regional presence, working closely with Mayors and Devolved Administrations to connect investors with high-potential opportunities across the UK.Additionally, UK Export Finance has strengthened its support for international investment through its new ‘Invest-to-Export’ Guarantee, helping overseas firms establish UK-based exporting facilities. These initiatives aim to create a more dynamic, attractive environment for strategic investment and long-term economic development.

What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the export credit schemes run by UK Export Finance.

The recently-published UK Export Finance (UKEF) Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) for the last financial year show that it provided a record £14.5 billion of support for exports, supported up to 70,000 UK jobs, and contributed up to £5.4 billion to the UK economy. The report is available online, along with those from previous years, at: UK Export Finance annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.

Whether he has had discussions with the British Blockchain Association on the potential of blockchain technology to (a) reduce fraud, (b) enhance transparency, (c) improve costs and (d) provide efficiency in cross-border trade and commerce.

As the Chancellor set out her Mansion House Speech on Tuesday, we recognise the transformative potential for digital assets and blockchain technologies to drive economic growth in the UK and increase efficiencies across financial markets. We are proceeding with proposals to create a new financial services regulatory regime for fiat-backed stablecoins.This will support growth in the UK by giving cryptoasset firms the regulatory certainty needed to invest here, and to help drive innovation in our financial services sector whilst at the same time including rules on regulation, safeguarding and market integrity.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of increased tariff-free imports of ethanol under the US-UK trade agreement on (a) the viability of (i) Ensus UK and (ii) other domestic producers, (b) wider supply chains, (c) employment and (d) levels of future investment in (A) the Tees Valley and (B) other affected regions.

Since the announcement of the UK-US Economic Deal on 8 May, the Secretary of State and senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been meeting with representatives of the bioethanol sector in the Tees Valley and Humberside to discuss how the quota will impact their businesses.In parallel, DBT officials are continuing to work closely with other government departments, including the Department for Transport and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, to monitor and assess risks across the supply chain.We will continue to work closely with the industry to understand the impacts of the trade deal and other pressures on the UK’s bioethanol sector.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the quantity of ethanol permitted to enter the UK tariff-free under the UK-US trade agreement on the UK bioethanol industry; and what steps his Department plans to take to help support domestic (a) producers and (b) supply chains.

Since the announcement of the UK-US Economic Deal on 8 May, the Secretary of State and senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been meeting with representatives of the bioethanol sector in the Tees Valley and Humberside to discuss how the quota will impact their businesses.In parallel, DBT officials are continuing to work closely with other government departments, including the Department for Transport and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, to monitor and assess risks across the supply chain.We will continue to work closely with the industry to understand the impacts of the trade deal and other pressures on the UK’s bioethanol sector.

What steps his Department is taking to support the use of blockchain technologies in (a) trade, (b) commerce, (c) logistics and (d) supply chains.

The Department for Business and Trade supports the adoption and deployment of technologies to increase productivity in these areas. The upcoming Industrial Strategy will set out our vision and the ambitious set of actions we will take, in partnership with business and academia, to support the tech sector and power the economy of the future. The Industrial Strategy, alongside the upcoming Trade Strategy, will also set out further detail on the steps we are taking to enhance supply chain resilience.As well, the Department for Transport will publish a new freight plan later this year. While currently under development, we anticipate this will consider the role of technology in enabling the sector to boost economic growth.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the productivity forecast in the Office for Budget Responsibility’s report entitled Economic and Fiscal Outlook, published on 26 March 2025.

The Office for Budget Responsibility is an independent macroeconomic forecasting body. As such it would not be appropriate for us to comment on the specifics of its forecasts.The Government’s forthcoming Industrial Strategy White Paper has an explicit ambition to support productivity, as well as economic growth, jobs, and wages across the UK, by delivering a credible 10-year plan which provides the certainty and stability businesses need to invest in the high-growth sectors that will drive our growth in the future.

What steps he is taking to ensure that enforcement powers for the Fair Work Agency are (a) proportionate and (b) equitable for (i) employees and (ii) businesses.

The Fair Work Agency (FWA) will not change the obligations on businesses who should always have been paying their workers correctly. The FWA’s enforcement powers are largely natural evolutions of powers that existing bodies have. The FWA will take a balanced approach to upholding workers’ rights and provide better support to businesses on how to comply with the law and will take tough action against rogue employers who exploit their workers. Most businesses want to do right by their staff, and it is not fair when they are undercut by a minority who flout the law.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of proposed new powers for the Fair Work Agency on levels of regulation for businesses.

An impact assessment for the Fair Work Agency (FWA) was published on 21st October 2024.The FWA will take a balanced approach to upholding workers’ rights, providing better support on how to comply with the law but taking tough action against rogue employers who exploit their workers. Every business will be treated with fairness and equity, but it is not fair when businesses who want to do right by their staff are undercut by a minority who flout the law.

What steps he is taking to support the chemical sector.

The chemicals sector underpins almost all manufacturing in the UK and is fundamental to maximising growth and productivity across the economy to drive forward the government’s missions, including delivering growth for all. Reforms are underway to address planning barriers to growth, channel finance towards growth priorities and accelerate the transition to net zero.This will be supported by our modern Industrial Strategy which will implement targeted policy interventions to drive long-term sustainable, inclusive and secure growth.Last autumn’s Budget announced continued support for Energy Intensive Industries – including chemical companies – through £350M of additional funding across the next two years.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Post Office closures on local communities.

The UK Government is as committed as ever to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Post Office network. It is inevitable that with a network of this size, there will be variations in the number of branches open at any one time. As postmasters move ...

What steps he is taking to help safeguard jobs in the UK automotive supply chain.

The automotive industry is an important part of the Government’s plans for growth. Through our modern Industrial Strategy, we will support growth sectors to create high-quality, well-paid jobs across the country. The Budget committed over £2 billion of ca...

What recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on business rates.

We are creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century. The Secretary of State works closely with all his cabinet colleagues, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer. To deliver...

What steps he is taking to support the hospitality sector.

Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and are vital for economic growth. This is why the Government is creating a fairer business rate system, reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products and transforming the apprenticeship le...

What steps he is taking to encourage business confidence.

Growth is the number one mission of the Government and we will continue to work with and listen carefully to the business community. In the Budget, the Government was forced to make difficult choices to plug the black hole in the Government’s finances, bu...

If he will take steps to reduce regulation for businesses.

The Government is determined to kick-start economic growth, which is why it is essential that we identify areas where the costs of regulations may be unnecessarily high and burdensome for businesses. This is why the Department is developing an ambitious r...