Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
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 (a) protect and (b) support trade unions in (i) Bedfordshire, (ii) the East of England and (iii) the UK.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government believes that trade unions play a vital role in ensuring that workers have a genuine voice at work and have the ability to act collectively.
The Employment Rights Bill represents the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation. Through the Bill, we will update trade union legislation to reduce unnecessary re-strictions on trade union activity, streamline the trade union recognition process, introduce a new right of access framework and enhance the rights and protections for trade union representatives. These reforms will help ensure that industrial relations are based on good faith negotiation and collective bargaining.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
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 support business and trade in market towns.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Government values the historic role of market towns in the economic and social life of the United Kingdom and is focused on its plan to breathe life back into our high streets.
This means addressing anti-social behaviour and crime, stamping out late payments, empowering communities to make the most of vacant properties, strengthening the Post Office network, and reforming business rates. We are also working with the banking industry to roll out banking hubs, to ensure essential banking services are maintained for businesses and residents.
To drive further progress, we will publish a Small Business Strategy Command Paper later this year.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with the Post Office on the number of expressions of interest for remaining directly-managed Crown Post Office branches.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As the Minister responsible for the Government's interest in Post Office Limited, I meet regularly with the CEO and Chair of Post Office to discuss various issues related to Post Office Limited, including directly managed branches. My officials also meet regularly with Post Office and discuss a range of issues including directly-managed branches.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
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 support the cold chain sector with (a) resilience and (b) preparedness for potential disruption as a result of (i) heat waves, (ii) power loss and (iii) cyberattack.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) works with other departments and industry to proactively mitigate the risks and impacts of unplanned power outages, cyber-attacks, and severe weather events like heatwaves, through ongoing horizon-scanning, data sharing, and business engagement.
As part of the next UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA), Government departments are inputting into an assessment of the resilience of the cold chain sector to rising temperatures and heatwaves. The assessment will identify cold chain vulnerabilities to heatwaves, explore adaptation responses, and develop an effective adaptation plan through to 2050. The outputs will be included in the next CCRA, to be published in 2027.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many Crown post offices make a profit.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Directly Managed Branches are loss-making for the Post Office. As such, Post Office has been clear that it’s their ambition to operate the network on a fully franchised basis in time, as they believe that this is a more sustainable model. The Post Office's Transformation Plan aims to deliver a reduction in central costs and look seriously at other ways to deliver efficiencies.
The Post Office will however continue to deliver on the 11,500 minimum branch requirement and geographical access criteria set by Government.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many Security Industry Authority licence applications were made at a Crown Post Office last year.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
According to the Post Office, the number of Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence applications made at Directly Managed Branches for the 2023/2024 Financial Year was 15,150.
Across the total network, the number of SIA licensed applications made for the same Financial Year was 97,954.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many DVLA photocard renewals were made at a Crown Post Office last year.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
According to the Post Office, the number of DVLA photocard renewals made at Directly Managed Branches for the 2023/2024 Financial Year was 55,014.
Across the total network, the number of DVLA photocard renewals made for the same Financial Year was 525,827.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many Paper Check and Send for (a) new and (b) renewal Passports appointments were made at Crown Post offices in the last year for which figures are available.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As it is not possible to categorise Paper Check & Send applications by whether they are ‘New’ or ‘Renewal’, the Post Office have also shared their statistics for Digital Check & Send applications.
The number of Passport Paper Check & Send applications made at Directly Managed Branches for the 2023/2024 Financial Year was 16,733. Across the total network, the number of Passport Paper Check & Send applications made for the same Financial Year was 175,924
Comparatively, the number of Passport Digital Check & Send applications made at Directly Managed Branches for the 2023/2024 Financial Year was 60,253. Across the total network, the number of Passport Digital Check & Send applications made for the same Financial Year was 430,755.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will introduce an enforceable liability provision in legislation to ensure that consumers can seek redress for defective products bought via online marketplaces.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK’s product liability legislation has been in place since 1987. My department is undertaking a review of this legislation and, as part of the review, we will consider the range and types of products that should be in scope, given recent technological advancements. We will also consider the ways that modern supply chains operate, as well as the parties and the circumstances in which they should be held liable for any damages caused by defective products.
I will keep the House updated on the Government’s progress with this review and plans for engagement on this important area of law.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will bring forward legislative proposals to strengthen the duties of online marketplaces to protect consumers.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Online marketplaces, like other traders, will be required to comply with new laws arising from the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, which the Government is currently implementing and updates the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. The Act sets out new ‘banned practices’ relating to the buying, selling, and publishing of fake consumer reviews and prohibiting ‘drip pricing’. It also strengthens consumer law enforcement by giving the CMA new administrative powers, and the CMA and courts the ability to impose significant monetary penalties.