Business and Trade

In March 2023, the Department for Business and Trade formally launched the group litigation order compensation scheme to provide full and fair redress to the trailblazers who uncovered the Post Office Horizon scandal. I am pleased to confirm that, as of today, we have received full applications from over 95% of the 492 eligible claimants, and have settled nearly 90% of all claims. As we are nearing completion of the scheme, I am announcing today that any final applications must be submitted to the Department by 31 July 2026, ahead of the scheme formally closing on 31 December 2026. It is my determination to bring closure to this group for all the suffering they have endured, and I hope today’s announcement goes some way in achieving that. We have consulted claimants’ legal representatives and the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board about these deadlines and will continue to work with them if there are any claimants, for reason of vulnerability, who will need extra support to resolve their claim.

I am also announcing today that the post office process review scheme will close to new applications on 30 September 2026. This scheme is unrelated to the GLO scheme and to the Horizon system-related shortfalls more broadly; instead, PPR provides redress to postmasters for financial losses caused by other Post Office products, policies or processes. The scheme is run by Post Office Ltd and is open to all eligible former and current postmasters, the vast majority of whom should now have received an invitation to apply. Any postmaster who believes they are eligible but has not received an invitation should contact Post Office Ltd directly at: processreview@postoffice.co.uk. This follows the closure to new applications of the Horizon shortfall scheme and the suspension remuneration review on 31 January 2026.

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The World Trade Organisation’s 14th ministerial conference took place in Yaoundé, Cameroon, between Thursday 26 March and Sunday 29 March 2026. I attended alongside the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hove and Portslade (Peter Kyle).

MC14 took place against a complex geopolitical backdrop and in an uncertain global economic climate. The UK worked shoulder to shoulder with a wide range of members to deliver the change the WTO needs. I joined the UK delegation as one of the six reform facilitators.

I was disappointed that, despite these efforts, members were unable to agree substantial multilateral outcomes at this conference.

While some outcomes were agreed—recommitting to fisheries subsidies negotiations; reaffirming work to support small and vulnerable economies; and moving discussions on proposals around sanitary and phytosanitary and technical barriers to trade to technical committees—they were high-level and procedural.

Work will continue in Geneva on outcomes that were close to agreement, with the May general council providing the first opportunity to assess what might be possible with the membership.

These are outcomes on areas of importance to the UK and global trade more broadly, including setting a path forward on WTO reform, and extension of the moratorium on e-commerce, which keeps digital trade costs low by banning customs duties on electronic transmissions such as software and video streaming.

The lack of further agreement in Yaoundé meant that the e-commerce moratorium fell, as did the moratorium on non-violation situation complaints regarding the trade-related aspects of intellectual property agreement. As a stopgap, to reduce the uncertainty of the lapse of the e-commerce moratorium for UK businesses, the UK has joined 22 other members committing to continuing the e-commerce moratorium between signatories until the next general council this May. This is in addition to the permanent moratorium between the UK and 65 other members provided by the plurilateral agreement on e-commerce, which was launched at MC14, and on which the UK was a key partner in securing a positive outcome.

Despite the challenging environment and disappointing multilateral outcomes, the UK remained a constructive partner throughout and bolstered its international influence and reputation, both on WTO reform, where I drove development of text, and on plurilateral agreements, where the UK joined innovative approaches to implement the agreements on e-commerce and investment facilitation for development. The ECA is a significant step forward in global digital trade, cutting costs and lowering barriers for businesses in the UK and worldwide. It is projected to increase participants’ GDP by up to 0.43%. The IFDA, between 129 members, will make it easier to invest in developing countries, and is expected to increase global GDP by up to 1%. These agreements are a major milestone for the WTO, demonstrating the impact plurilaterals can have.

I was pleased that the UK also announced £13 million in technical assistance and capacity building support ahead of MC14 to enable developing economies to participate in the global trading system, and a further £1 million is already committed to the WTO fisheries fund.

The UK will continue to work with those willing to make progress where we need it. This includes seeking a comprehensive e-commerce moratorium, and actively driving WTO reform in Geneva. The UK’s communication on WTO reform (6 March) sets out our vision for a more relevant, flexible and accessible WTO. We will work to pursue this, including by addressing trade imbalances by tackling market distorting practices, establishing new rules on contemporary areas like digital and environment, and achieving a full-functioning dispute settlement system to ensure accountability. This will complement our ongoing work beyond the WTO pursuing high-quality FTAs that support businesses, workers and consumers, while expanding our network of partnerships across global markets.

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