Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to help strengthen (a) the quality of service targets in the universal service obligation and (b) the effectiveness of Ofcom's enforcement of those targets by Royal Mail.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to monitor and enforce Royal Mail’s delivery of the universal service obligation. The Government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions.
Ofcom fined Royal Mail £5.6m for failing to meet its obligations in 2022/23. It continues to hold Royal Mail to account and has said it will take appropriate further enforcement action as required in response to failure to meet quality of service targets. I have also raised concerns with Royal Mail’s parent company and will continue do so if service levels fail to improve.
I note that Ofcom’s recent call for inputs on the future of the universal postal service set out the importance of reliability and affordability in consumers’ expectations for postal services and that it will consider if further safeguards are necessary to ensure people’s needs are met.
Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government in each of the past three years how many times (1) OFCOM, (2) OFGEM, (3) the Competition and Markets Authority, and (4) the Financial Reporting Council, have exercised the power to disclose the identity of persons under investigation.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The subject of OFCOM’s investigations are services rather than individual persons. The details of these investigations are published on OFCOM’s website.
OFGEM also publishes details of its investigations on its website.
The Competition and Markets Authority exercised the power to identify persons under investigation in seven cases in 2021; ten cases in 2022; and in five cases in 2023. In some of these cases multiple parties have been identified.
The Financial Reporting Council has not exercised the power in any of the past three years.
Asked by: Lord Tyrie (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what evidence they have of the power to disclose the identity of persons under investigation being exercised by UK regulators where the disclosure has not been in the public interest.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade does not hold centrally evidence on whether regulators have disclosed identities of a person under investigation when it has not been in the public interest.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle companies that make employees redundant without (a) giving notice and (b) following a consultation process.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
While we recognise that tough decisions such as redundancies remain a commercial matter, it’s important that employees are treated fairly and that correct process is followed.
The Government has a robust package of measures to address non-compliance including:
Whether an employer met consultation requirements for collective redundancy would be a matter for an employment tribunal to decide, having heard detailed evidence on the facts of the case.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what her Department's policy is on the procurement of (a) food and (b) drinks produced in Britain for use in its canteens and restaurants.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
This information is not centrally held. The Government Property Agency are responsible for the procurement of food and drink for the Department for Business and Trade.
Asked by: Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many workers across the hospitality, leisure and services sectors in Wales will be affected by the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023; and how much additional money they estimate workers in Wales will take home.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government published an impact assessment for the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3197/publications. The impact assessment estimates that around 2 million workers in the hospitality, leisure and services sectors across the UK will benefit by having their tips protected.
Of those, around 1 million workers are estimated to benefit from an increase in gross pay of around £200 per year on average. The Government has not published regional breakdowns, but the number of workers in tipping industries in Wales can be obtained through the Nomis website at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of devolving (a) the Post Office in Wales and (b) her Departmental powers to Wales.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There are no plans to devolve the Post Office in Wales. Post Office delivers essential services across all four nations of the UK thanks to the network of 11,500 branches and the Government-set access criteria. Our focus is on supporting businesses and growing the economy across the UK.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2024 to Question 24406 on Export Credit Guarantees, whether (a) a Minister or (b) an official in her Department has unilaterally proposed a 100% guarantee in advance of negotiations with a company.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department of Business and Trade has not unilaterally proposed a 100% guarantee to any company.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the S&P Global UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index survey published on 1 May, which showed contraction in the manufacturing sector in April, what support they are providing to this sector to boost growth.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK’s manufacturing sector is showing resilience, despite challenges such as supply chain disruptions in the Red Sea.
According to the OECD, since 2010 the UK has had the fastest manufacturing productivity growth in the G7. Make UK’s Q1 Manufacturing Outlook Report, published at the end of March, showed increased investment and recruitment intentions among manufacturers.
The Government has a strong track record of backing the sector. Our Advanced Manufacturing Plan published last November is underpinned by tax cuts, faster grid connections and a £4.5bn commitment to 2030, as well as the expansion of our successful SME Made Smarter Adoption programme.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what her planned timetable is for providing compensation to sub-postmasters who (a) were wrongfully prosecuted using evidence from the Horizon IT system and (b) have already had their wrongful convictions overturned.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Financial redress for those postmasters whose convictions have been overturned by the courts is managed by the Post Office. As of 24 April 2024, out of the 56 full claims received, offers have been made on 47, with 40 offers accepted.
We encourage those postmasters with overturned convictions who have not yet submitted a claim to do so as soon as possible.