Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the (a) funding, (b) resources and (c) powers available to the Groceries Code Adjudicator.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) determines the level of funding and resources he needs to discharge his functions. Subject to Ministerial consent, the GCA imposes an annual levy on the 14 large retailers regulated by the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (the Code) to fund his work.
The government is currently undertaking the fourth statutory review on the effectiveness of the GCA in enforcing the Code. If stakeholders believe there are additional powers that would increase the GCA’s effectiveness, they will be able to share their views through the public consultation that the government will issue shortly to support the statutory review process.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that people working in the gig economy receive (a) at least the minimum wage, (b) sick leave and (c) holiday entitlement.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
All employers must comply with their legal obligations towards those they engage.
The Government is committed to creating of the Fair Work Agency. It will bring existing functions like minimum wage enforcement into one place and it will also enforce rights such as holiday pay and Statutory Sick Pay.
We have committed to consult on moving towards a simpler two-part framework that differentiates between workers and the genuinely self-employed.
If workers believe they are not being afforded the rights they are entitled to, they can contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) for free and impartial advice on employment matters.