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Small Businesses: Regulation

Asked by Ben Obese-JectyConservativeDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 17 September 2025UIN 74173

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what recent progress he has made on reducing the administrative costs of regulation for businesses.

Answered by Blair McDougall

The Industrial Strategy included a package of ambitious forms that will contribute to the target to cut administrative burdens to businesses by 25% by the end of the parliament.

These included harnessing the potential of new technology to make compliance with money laundering regulations simpler through the use of digital identity verification checks, removing requirements and increasing the permissible size for air source heat pumps. Alongside these, the Government will deliver several recommendations made by the industry-HMG licencing taskforce, including introducing a Licencing Policy Framework; pending consultation, this would significantly reduce the regulatory burden on the UK’s hospitality industry.

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