Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with business representatives on the feasibility of the commencement dates set out in the Employment Rights Bill implementation roadmap.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We have listened to and incorporated views from business, trade unions, and others in our timings to make sure implementation works for workers and employers alike. We have collaborated directly with over 190 stakeholders, working in partnership to deliver on our Plan. We have also worked closely with delivery partners such as Acas, to determine onward steps needed to implement the measures in the Bill. We will ensure employers, workers, trade unions and other stakeholders are given time to prepare for change.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what resources her Department provides to employers to help them meet compliance obligations during each stage of the Employment Rights Bill roadmap’s implementation.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government will continue working with businesses and trade unions throughout policy development and subsequent delivery. The timelines in our Roadmap have been carefully considered to ensure implementation works for workers and businesses of all sizes, and in all sectors. We understand that adjusting to these new reforms will take time and we are committed to ensuring that all stakeholders receive appropriate time to prepare for these changes ahead of their commencement. We will continue to work hard, including with Acas and other delivery partners to provide guidance and support so that employers aren’t left in the dark. This is the work of years, not months, and businesses will have lots of time to prepare for the changes.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Employment Rights Bill roadmap includes contingency measures if key stakeholders report insufficient capacity to meet implementation requirements.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government will continue working with businesses and trade unions throughout policy development and subsequent delivery. The timelines in our Roadmap have been carefully considered to ensure implementation works for workers and businesses of all sizes, and in all sectors. We understand that adjusting to these new reforms will take time and we are committed to ensuring that all stakeholders receive appropriate time to prepare for these changes ahead of their commencement. We will continue to work hard, including with Acas and other delivery partners to provide guidance and support so that employers aren’t left in the dark. This is the work of years, not months, and businesses will have lots of time to prepare for the changes.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the measures scheduled for implementation in the Employment Rights Bill on businesses in (a) 2026 and (b) 2027.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
My department has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill, including on businesses. This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments
This represents the best estimate for the likely impacts given the current stage of policy development. We are refining our analysis as policy development continues, working closely with external experts, businesses and trade unions.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what criteria will be used to evaluate the phased implementation approach outlined in the Employment Rights Bill roadmap.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Our phased approach to implementation provides clarity and time to prepare, while raising standards across the board—creating a level playing field, improving staff retention, leading to a happier, more secure and productive workforce.
The Government's Impact Assessments outline plans for monitoring and evaluating the impact of the Bill and subsequent secondary legislation. This will allow us to evaluate the effectiveness of the Bill’s measures in achieving its stated objectives and influence future policy making. It is important to note that many of the final impacts will depend on further policy decisions that are for secondary legislation.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to respond to the letter of 16 April 2025 from the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, ref. MC2025/35782.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
I replied to the Hon. Member on 17 June.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether she has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the potential economic impact of the proposed visitor levy on the economy in Wales.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Welsh tourism sector is thriving; last year British residents took over 7 million overnight trips in Wales, spending more than £2billion.
Visitor levies are widely used abroad, and, if a visitor levy were introduced by all Welsh local authorities, it could raise up to £33million.
This money can be invested in local services and infrastructure to support tourism, helping to improve facilities like toilets, footpaths and beaches, which will benefit both visitors and local residents.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many titles on the Land Register were purchased by overseas people or entities in each month in the last five years; and what their total purchase price value was.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
HM Land Registry (HMLR) registers legal ownership, interests and mortgages against land and property in England and Wales. The Register of Title held by HMLR does not record the nationality of individuals who own land or property.
HMLR publishes a dataset about non-UK companies or corporate bodies that own land in England and Wales. This is publicly available via gov.uk here.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many titles on the Land Register are owned by overseas individuals or entities; and what the combined purchase price of such titles was in each of the last five years.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
HM Land Registry (HMLR) registers legal ownership, interests and mortgages against land and property in England and Wales. The Register of Title held by HMLR does not record the nationality of individuals who own land or property.
HMLR publishes a dataset about non-UK companies or corporate bodies that own land in England and Wales. This is publicly available via gov.uk here.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve sustainable funding for community pharmacies to (a) support people with lung conditions and (b) reduce hospital admissions.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have concluded the most recent consultation on funding for 2024/25 and 2025/26 with the community pharmacy sector. This deal represents a funding increase of over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26 and will support community pharmacies in continuing to provide clinical services.
This includes the New Medicine Service, which focuses on treatments for long-term conditions, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Pharmacists provide advice on side effects and address issues or questions that patients who are prescribed a new medicine may have. In addition, patients moved from secondary to primary care continue to be supported by the Discharge Medicines Service providing advice on medication changes. Interventions of this type seek to improve medication adherence and patient outcomes as well as to reduce pressure on the wider National Health Service. Community pharmacies are further funded to support patients with asthma through the Pharmacy Quality Scheme, providing additional support to patients aged between five and 15 years old using a spacer and patients using short-acting bronchodilators.