Written Statements

Tuesday 16th July 2019 Written Statements

Tuesday 16 July 2019

Taylor Review: Implementation

Tuesday 16th July 2019 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Greg Clark)]

The good work plan sets out the Government’s vision for the future of the UK labour market and how we will implement the Taylor review recommendations. It forms an integral part of the modern industrial strategy and this Government’s long-term plan to boost the productivity and earning power of people throughout the UK and to develop better jobs for all.

Today we are delivering the next phase of the good work plan. The good work plan recognised the vital role effective enforcement plays in ensuring confidence to challenge when the law is broken and in creating a level playing field between businesses. Establishing the director of labour market enforcement has been an excellent innovation, in terms of improving co-ordination across agencies, but we think we can go further. Today, we are publishing a consultation on new proposals for a single labour market enforcement body and will be seeking views on how the enforcement landscape could be simplified.

We will also be publishing the most recent director of labour market enforcement’s strategy, setting out recommendations for the Government which we will be carefully considering. The Home Secretary and I are very grateful to Sir David Metcalf for producing this report prior to his retirement and for all his hard work in this role. We are also delighted to announce that we have appointed a new interim director of labour market enforcement. Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the RSA, will be taking up this role from 1 August for 12 months.

The reforms we have announced today are the next important step in delivering on the good work plan and ensuring we have a labour market that is fit for purpose. We recognise that the world of work is changing and are delivering the necessary reforms to ensure the UK labour market can adapt effectively, and support the needs of both workers and employers.

Copies of the referenced consultation and the director of labour market enforcement’s strategy will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

[HCWS1726]

ECOFIN: 9 July 2019

Tuesday 16th July 2019 Written Statements

[The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Philip Hammond)]

A meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) was held in Brussels on 9 July 2019. The UK was represented by Mark Bowman (Director General, International Finance, HM Treasury). The Council discussed the following:

Early morning session

The Eurogroup President briefed the Council on the outcomes of the 8 July meeting of the Eurogroup, and the European Commission provided an update on the current economic situation in the EU. Ministers then discussed potential new sources of revenue for the upcoming multiannual financial framework the EU’s long-term budget.

Own resources

The Finnish presidency gave an update to the Council on the potential new sources of revenue for the upcoming multiannual financial framework, following a discussion during the early morning session.

Presidency work programme

The Finnish presidency presented its work programme on economic and financial matters for July to December 2019.

Appointment of the President of the European Central Bank

The Council adopted a Council recommendation on the appointment of Christine Lagarde as the next President of the European Central Bank.

European semester

The Council adopted the 2019 country-specific recommendations as part of the European semester process.

Any Other Business

The Dutch Finance Minister briefed ministers on the topic of aviation taxation and carbon pricing.

[HCWS1727]

Teacher Training

Tuesday 16th July 2019 Written Statements

[The Minister for School Standards (Nick Gibb)]

In the “Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy” published in January, the Government committed to help great people to become teachers and ensure high quality teacher training.

In support of this, I am introducing a new approach for assessing the numeracy and literacy of prospective teachers, which will replace the existing skills tests.

From October, teacher training providers will become responsible for ensuring that prospective teachers meet the high standards of literacy and numeracy required to be a teacher. Under this new system, trainees will be benchmarked against a defined set of skills they will be expected to have by the end of their initial teacher training.

This new system of provider-led assurance will be introduced at the end of the current recruitment cycle.

[HCWS1728]