Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the late submission of regulatory impact assessments for legislative proposals.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Since the General Election, the Cabinet Office, with the support of the Department for Business & Trade, has written to departments to remind them of their responsibility to consider in their legislative plans the general requirement to make regulatory impact assessments available when bringing forward relevant legislation to Parliament. The Department for Business & Trade provides training and advice to officials across government to support their departments’ compliance with this and the wider requirements of the Guide to Making Legislation and Better Regulation Framework Guidance. The government supports the Regulatory Policy Committee in holding departments to account for their compliance with the framework; this includes publishing statements of lateness when regulatory provisions reach Parliament without a regulatory impact assessment or opinion from the committee where they require one.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the new right to flexible working in the Employment Rights Bill will include a requirement for additional consideration of requests from those who are pregnant.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government understands that the availability of flexible working can be important for those who are pregnant and in work. It can be equally as important for a number of other groups, including new parents, those with other caring responsibilities and those managing a disability or long term health condition. That is why, through the Employment Rights Bill, the Government is making flexible working the default for all employees, except where not reasonably feasible.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likely impact of the new rules for bereavement leave entitlement set out in the Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Employment Rights Bill establishes a new right to Bereavement Leave for employees to take protected time off to grieve. We will consult stakeholders on aspects of the design.
The Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024 enabled a ‘day one’ paternity leave entitlement for employees who become the primary carer for their newborn after the death of their partner. Regulations will then provide them with leave for up to one year after the child’s birth or adoption placement. This entitlement will have minimal impact on business and no impact on the Exchequer.
Acas maintain guidance for employers on bereavement including miscarriage.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to ensure that the new bereavement leave entitlement under the Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024 includes leave for pregnancy loss.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Employment Rights Bill establishes a new right to Bereavement Leave for employees to take protected time off to grieve. We will consult stakeholders on aspects of the design.
The Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024 enabled a ‘day one’ paternity leave entitlement for employees who become the primary carer for their newborn after the death of their partner. Regulations will then provide them with leave for up to one year after the child’s birth or adoption placement. This entitlement will have minimal impact on business and no impact on the Exchequer.
Acas maintain guidance for employers on bereavement including miscarriage.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to develop policies around pregnancy loss as part of the new rules governing bereavement leave entitlement.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Employment Rights Bill establishes a new right to Bereavement Leave for employees to take protected time off to grieve. We will consult stakeholders on aspects of the design.
The Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024 enabled a ‘day one’ paternity leave entitlement for employees who become the primary carer for their newborn after the death of their partner. Regulations will then provide them with leave for up to one year after the child’s birth or adoption placement. This entitlement will have minimal impact on business and no impact on the Exchequer.
Acas maintain guidance for employers on bereavement including miscarriage.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the current value of licensed UK arms exports to Israel, both direct and via third party states, and including through open licences.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The maximum value of UK SIELs (Standard Individual Export Licences) issued for direct export to Israel was £24.9 million in 2023.
The maximum value of UK SIELs where Israel was listed as an ultimate end-user, alongside multiple other destinations was £134.9 million in 2023. It is not possible to ascertain what proportion of that amount is attributable to Israel alone.
We do not hold data on value of any other licence type, including open licences. Data on the value of SIELs to Israel in 2024 has not yet been published.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the purpose of the UK’s arms export licensing criteria, and whether these criteria apply the precautionary principle over arms sales to prevent UK arms from being used in atrocities.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The purpose of the UK’s arms export licensing criteria is to ensure that the Government’s decisions on export licences are informed by a set of criteria which promote global security and facilitate responsible exports. The Criteria enable the Government to operate one of the most robust and transparent export control regimes in the world. We consider all new licence applications against the Criteria and will refuse any which are inconsistent with them. Specifically, Criteria 2c states that the Government will not issue or maintain export licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Norway concerning that country's announcement that it will start exploratory deep seabed mining in its waters; and what assessment they have made of the impact this would have on wider North-eastern Atlantic fisheries.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Shadow Minister (Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK Government has not spoken to the Norwegian government about its decision of 9 January 2024 to consider awarding licences for deep sea mining exploration, and potentially future extraction, on its continental shelf but has taken note of the decision. This area is within Norway's jurisdiction and is not regulated by the International Seabed Authority.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about the extension of the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Shadow Minister (Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government have decided to extend the territorial extent of the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill to Northern Ireland.
This is the right choice as the Northern Ireland Assembly faces significant and unique challenges to delivering the necessary legislation at an expedited pace following its recent restoration and its public consultation requirements. These challenges posed the risk of a significant delay to justice for postmasters in Northern Ireland.
My hon. friend, the Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business recently met the First Minister, Deputy First Minister and Justice Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive to discuss these matters.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to extend the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Shadow Minister (Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government have decided to extend the territorial extent of the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill to Northern Ireland.
This is the right choice as the Northern Ireland Assembly faces significant and unique challenges to delivering the necessary legislation at an expedited pace following its recent restoration and its public consultation requirements. These challenges posed the risk of a significant delay to justice for postmasters in Northern Ireland.
My hon. friend, the Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business recently met the First Minister, Deputy First Minister and Justice Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive to discuss these matters.