Andrew Griffith

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is an executive non-departmental public body established in statute by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (2010) to provide assurance that civil servants are selected on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and to help safeguard an impartial Civil Service. The Commission is independent of Government and of the Civil Service.

The Commission acts in accordance with its legislation and takes direction from the independent First Civil Service Commissioner and the independent Civil Service Commissioners, who are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition following the principles set out in the CSC’s Recruitment Principles and in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is an executive non-departmental public body established in statute by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (2010). The Commission is independent.

The Cabinet Office, through the Propriety and Constitution Group, sponsors the Civil Service Commission and has appropriate sponsorship arrangements in place to carry out this function whilst safeguarding its independence. The governance and accountability arrangements for the Commission are set out in its ‘Governance Statement’ in the latest Annual Report and Accounts, which can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-commission-annual-report-and-accounts-202223

The published Civil Service Commission 2022/2023 Annual Report shows the current Interim Chief Executive began the role on 15 May 2023. An external recruitment process to appoint a permanent Chief Executive was launched in May 2024 and is expected to conclude in September 2024.

The Civil Service Commission is the independent regulator of Civil Service recruitment and carries out its functions independently of Government and in line with the provisions of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.

On Friday 30 August the Civil Service Commissioner wrote to departments, including the CO, to say that they would carry out a short review of appointments made by exception since 1 July.

We are always looking at ways to reduce barriers to trade – within our manifesto red lines – because we take a pragmatic view as to where the national interest lies. We are therefore open to looking at PEM if that reflects business and partner sentiment, but we do not currently have plans to join. Rules of origin is a complex area and there are many factors that influence how businesses experience using these rules, from the paperwork involved to the complexity of their own supply chains.

We welcome the positive, constructive tone from Commissioner Šefčovič last week on this issue. We are resetting the relationship with our European friends to tackle barriers to help drive investment and growth and are open to looking at PEM if that reflects business and partner sentiment, but at this time we do not currently have plans to join.

The Department of Business and Trade (DBT) is currently in the process of appointing new Board of Trade (BoT) advisors. The advisers will be announced when an agreement has been reached, and advisers have been formally appointed.

The BoT will continue as a key trade promotion and trade advocacy vehicle for DBT in support of the Government's Trade Strategy, exports and growth agenda. The inaugural meeting of the BoT will take place following the appointment of new advisors.

The Department of Business and Trade (DBT) is currently in the process of appointing new Board of Trade (BoT) advisors. The advisers will be announced when an agreement has been reached, and advisers have been formally appointed.

The BoT will continue as a key trade promotion and trade advocacy vehicle for DBT in support of the Government's Trade Strategy, exports and growth agenda. The inaugural meeting of the BoT will take place following the appointment of new advisors.

The Department for Business and Trade follows the publication schedule set by No. 10

Members of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council were selected following the Cabinet Office Guidance on Direct Ministerial Appointments. As per this guidance, Ministers and departmental officials identified a wide range of potential candidates that fit the agreed criteria for the role, from a variety of backgrounds, representing business leaders, policy experts and trade union leaders.

Ministers from the Department for Business and Trade regularly engage with colleagues from across Government, including from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, on support for small businesses.

As committed to in the English Devolution White Paper, the Government will set out a vision for a new approach to business support, including more devolution in England and greater alignment between national, local and devolved business support, in the upcoming Small Business Strategy. This will include further details on the Business Growth Service, a new national service with local delivery at its heart, which will make it easier and quicker for businesses across the UK to get the help, support and advice they need to grow and thrive.

The delegation included Bharti Enterprises, Bharat Semi Systems, Biocon Group, Blue Star Limited, Essar Group, Hero Enterprise, Jet Synthesis, Piramal Group, Reliance Industries, Tata Steel, TVS Motor Company, TVS Supply Chain Solutions, and UPL Limited.

Appointments to the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council were made through direct ministerial appointment by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Council’s membership includes senior business leaders, policy experts and trade union representatives. Members have been appointed in a personal capacity and the Council will help to ensure our Industrial Strategy is informed by a broad and high-quality evidence base, and a diverse range of perspectives.

The Secretary of State has not yet had the opportunity to visit the Harland and Wolff Belfast site but looks forward to doing so in the future. However, as the Minister for Industry, I had the privilege of visiting Northern Ireland on 19th December to observe first-hand the potential of the site for job creation and manufacturing growth. The recent agreement between Navantia UK and Harland and Wolff, which was announced that day, will enable us to maintain our essential sovereign shipbuilding capacity and capability both now and in the long term.

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has maintained regular communication with the Secretary of State for Defence on the Fleet Solid Support Ship programme. Together, they have worked closely with commercial partners Navantia UK and Harland and Wolff to facilitate an agreement that will ensure the delivery of these vital vessels for the Royal Navy. Both Departments agree this is a good deal for the Harland and Wolff shipyards, a good deal for its employees, and a good deal for the whole of British shipbuilding.

The Employment Rights Bill is the first phase of delivering our plan to Make Work Pay, supporting employers, workers, and unions to get Britain moving forward.

Establishing the Fair Work Agency will create a strong, recognisable single brand so individuals know where to go for help and lead to a more effective use of resources

We are committed to ensuring that the Fair Work Agency is established on a sound financial footing and operates effectively in fulfilling its mandate. Detailed annual budgets for the proposed Fair Work Agency are currently under development and will be communicated in due course.

At the announcement of Phase 2 of the 2025 Spending Review, departments have been set a target of identifying efficiency savings of 5% by 2029. Through the spending review process my department will be carrying out the required work to identify options for delivering my priorities while maximising value for money for the taxpayer.

Phase 2 will focus on supporting the government's missions by utilising technology and reforming public services to support delivery of the government's plans for a decade of national renewal.

My officials meet regularly with their counterparts in the European Commission to discuss areas such as implementation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the Competition Cooperation Agreement, and trade. Officials have also recently presented the Industrial Strategy Green Paper to the EU Delegation and Member State representatives.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) officials also co-chair three UK-EU Trade Specialised Committees for Services, Investment and Digital, Regulatory Cooperation, and Technical Barriers to Trade, as well as the working groups that support them. The Committees last met in the autumn.

Questions 18414, 18415 and 18416 were answered on 19 December 2024.

The incoming US administration is still in the process of appointing senior staff.

The Prime Minister had a warm introductory call with President-Elect Trump on 6 November. During this call, the Prime Minister offered his congratulations and said he looked forward to working closely with President-elect Trump across all areas of the special relationship. The Prime Minister spoke to the President-elect again on 18 December. Neither the Secretary of State, Ministers, nor officials in the Department have had meetings with President-Elect Trump's transition team.

Appointments to the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council were made through direct ministerial appointment by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Council’s membership includes senior business leaders, policy experts and trade union representatives. Members have been appointed in a personal capacity and the Council will help to ensure our Industrial Strategy is informed by a broad and high-quality evidence base, and a diverse range of perspectives.

Appointments to the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council were made through direct ministerial appointment by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Council’s membership includes senior business leaders, policy experts and trade union representatives. Members have been appointed in a personal capacity and the Council will help to ensure our Industrial Strategy is informed by a broad and high-quality evidence base, and a diverse range of perspectives.

The Department for Business and Trade made no settlement agreements or special severance payments in the last 12 months for either current or former employees.

We can confirm that since 5 July 2024, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade has taken:

28 commercial flights

1 non-commercial flight

The Department for Business and Trade does not routinely collect this information. It could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The Government has not speculated on what President-elect Trump may or may not do when he is in office.

The Government will continue to make a strong case for open, transparent, and free trade. We are an open trading economy, and we benefit from that in our trading relationships other countries, including the US.

I refer the member for Arundel and South Downs to the answer I provided to UIN 17527 on 6 December.

(a) Since July, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade has met with counterparts from 16 G20 nations .

(b) The DBT ministerial team have met a total of 18 G20 nations.

It is expected that every Department for Business and Trade employee has personal objectives aligned to their role. Performance is monitored regularly against these objectives, as part of ongoing reviews.

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has confirmed that no formal discussions have taken place with (a) the Office for National Statistics (ONS) or (b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding the Public Services Productivity Review.

We’re working across government in partnership with trade unions and businesses to secure a bright future for steel in the UK, including working with British Steel on their future plans.

My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State has met with British Steel’s shareholder on 5 occasions in the last 5 months. The most recent meeting was on 29 October. Senior officials from this Department meet representatives from British Steel on a weekly basis.

Ministers regularly meet with their counterparts to discuss a wide range of key issues. The Secretary of State met with Canada’s Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, Mary Ng at the G7 and the G20. I met with Minister Ng at the ASEAN Summit in September and at the CPTPP Commission meeting in November 2024, where I also had the opportunity to meet the Mexican Under Secretary of Economy, Luis Rosendo Gutierrez Romano.

We will continue to work with our Canadian and Mexican counterparts to push for ratification of our accession so that businesses can begin to reap the rewards of this trade agreement.

We will release statistics on export licensing outcomes relating to this period one quarter at a time via our regular Strategic Export Controls Licensing Statistical Releases.

Export licensing statistics for 1 January to 30 June 2024 were published on 12 December 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/strategic-export-controls-licensing-statistics-1-january-to-31-march-2024 and https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/strategic-export-controls-licensing-statistics-1-april-to-30-june-2024.

Statistics for July to September 2024 will be available by March 2025, and statistics for October to December 2024 will be available by June 2025. In addition, we will publish data from 2024 as a whole in the 2024 Annual Report, including the number of licensing applications we have received during the year, which we will publish in the Summer 2025.

The information requested will be released in the next publication of the transparency return. The latest version can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dbt-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings

The information requested will be released in the next publication of the transparency return. The latest version can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dbt-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings

The Consultative Committee on Construction Industry Statistics (CCCIS) is a long running forum for producers and users of official statistics on construction to engage with expert users. The meetings are chaired by the Department for Business and Trade, and include cross-government statisticians, representatives of industry bodies and academics. Information from discussions at the meeting in October will contribute to improving the reliability of official statistics on the construction sector and drive policy development, alongside engagement with key stakeholders and evidence gathering.

Data from the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme should be publicly available in 2025. Other loan applications for British Business Bank products are managed through delivery partners, such as banks, leasing companies, venture capital funds and web-based platforms.