Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Exports: Small Businesses

Thursday 1 May 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Kirsteen Sullivan raised the issue of supply chain instability as a common barrier to small business exports.
  • Jade Botterill highlighted the concern of Phoenox Textiles about unsustainable imports from Chinese sellers undercutting their business.
  • The Minister acknowledged the importance of addressing supply chain instability and sustainability issues raised by small businesses.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kirsteen Sullivan Labour (Co-op) Bathgate and Linlithgow
Business & Trade
Context

A roundtable in Bathgate and Linlithgow highlighted supply chain issues impacting local businesses. Increased tariffs, pandemic effects, and raw material costs are cited as major barriers.

Question

I know from a recent business roundtable I hosted in my constituency of Bathgate and Linlithgow, and from many meetings with industry, that a common barrier to small business exports is supply chain instability. In the past few years, we have seen massive instability, including from the impact of the pandemic and now from the announcement of tariffs. Disrupted demand forecasting, increased costs of raw materials and uncertainty are damaging fledgling businesses in growing their exports. What specific measures is the Department implementing to help small businesses navigate these challenges, and to ensure they can maintain reliable supply chains as we enter another turbulent time for international trade?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Gareth Thomas)

I thank my hon. Friend for that question, and I commend her for the business roundtable that she hosted. She is absolutely right, and we recognise that supply chain instability is a critical issue for businesses. We are therefore working hard to minimise the uncertainty that businesses face, both in exporting and in purchasing from key markets. Whether through the economic deal with the US that we are seeking to negotiate, the reset of our relationship with the EU, or new opportunities with India and the Indo-Pacific, we are keen to take down barriers to business.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific measures addressing supply chain instability.

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Q2 Jade Botterill Lab Ossett and Denby Dale
Business & Trade Environment
Context

Phoenox Textiles in Denby Dale operates on a zero-waste policy but faces competition from low-quality, unsustainable imports. The local community has heritage in the textile sector.

Question

I recently visited Phoenox Textiles in Denby Dale, a family-run business that proudly continues our community’s heritage in the sector. It raised the concern that, while it operates a “zero to landfill” operation, low-quality, unsustainable imports from Chinese sellers such as Temu undercut its business and the local growth that it sustains. How are the Government addressing this concern, and what are they doing to support British businesses?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Gareth Thomas)

First, I commend the work of Phoenox Textiles and my hon. Friend for championing its concerns. Because of the concern she has articulated, which we have heard from across the retail sector—I have certainly heard it from members of the Retail Sector Council—my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently met the Trade Remedies Authority to agree urgent steps to prevent the dumping of cheap goods in the UK. There will be increased support for businesses to report unfair practices, and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor is also reviewing the customs treatment of low-value imports.

Answered
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