3 APPG memberships (as of 6 Oct 2021)
Acquired Brain Injury, Epilepsy, Learning Disability3 Former APPG memberships
Chemical Industry, Energy Intensive Industries, Rail in the Northvoted No - in line with the party majority
One of 114 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 3 Noes - 336
The point about good businesses and bad business is exemplified by Ryanair and Michael O’Leary. That company is often pilloried …
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has to respond to …
That this House notes with concern that mesothelioma is an invasive form of lung cancer caused primarily by prior exposure …
A Bill to make provision about liability for negligence in relation to psychiatric illness; toamend the law relating to damages …
14:50
Name of donor: Unite the Union
Address of donor: 128 Theobalds Rd, London WC1X 8TN
Amount of donation or nature …
That this House notes the timetable proposed by South Western Railway, due to be implemented in December 2022, would cut …
Division Voting information
Debates during the 2019 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
(17 debate interactions)
(6 debate interactions)
(6 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(30 debate contributions)
(28 debate contributions)
(12 debate contributions)
(1 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(887 words contributed)
(887 words contributed)
(84 words contributed)
Middlesbrough Petitions
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
of 364,745 signatures (0.24%)
of 388,380 signatures (0.22%)
of 126,432 signatures (0.20%)
of 131,106 signatures (0.18%)
of 106,552 signatures (0.12%)
of 388,380 signatures (0.22%)
of 364,745 signatures (0.24%)
of 126,432 signatures (0.20%)
of 131,106 signatures (0.18%)
of 142,916 signatures (0.11%)
Latest EDMs signed by Andy McDonald
South Western Railway timetable
Tabled by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)That this House notes the timetable proposed by South Western Railway, due to be implemented in December 2022, would cut hundreds of peak and off-peak suburban and mainline services; further notes that the passenger surveys on which the reduced timetable is based were conducted at the beginning of the covid-19 …
(Most recent: 21 Oct 2021)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 5
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Ban on trophy hunting imports
Tabled by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)That this House welcomes the Government’s commitment to implementing a robust, comprehensive and world-leading ban on trophy hunting imports; agrees that the trophy hunting of animals, including those at risk of extinction, is morally reprehensible; notes the strong support for such a ban among the general public, with the most …
(Most recent: 20 Oct 2021)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 34
Scottish National Party: 15
Conservative: 9
Liberal Democrat: 8
Independent: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 3
Plaid Cymru: 3
Alba Party: 2
Alliance: 1
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 1
Green Party: 1
Commons initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Andy McDonald, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
3 Urgent Questions tabled by Andy McDonald
Andy McDonald has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
2 Bills introduced by Andy McDonald
A Bill to amend the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 to make provision about supplementary powers for the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to secure information from public bodies; and for connected purposes.
Thursday 16th July 2015
A Bill to make provision about liability for negligence in relation to psychiatric illness; toamend the law relating to damages in respect of personal injuries and death; and forconnected purposes.
Tuesday 13th October 2015
Andy McDonald has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
142 Written Questions in the current parliament
(View all written questions)3 Other Department Questions
There have been no reports of any covid-19 related incident which would require reporting under Regulation 9(b) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
If there is reason to believe that a causal occupational link has been established in relation to any person who develops covid-19 in connection with work on the parliamentary estate, the incident will be reported as per legislation and appropriate records maintained.
All reported accidents, incidents or work-related ill health where the Clerk of the House is a duty holder are reported to the Health and Safety Executive as required by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
Shadow SNP Leader of the House of Commons
The risk assessment was published on 28th May and can be accessed at the following link on the UK Parliament transparency pages.
Shadow SNP Leader of the House of Commons
Responsibility for and access to testing and tracing is a matter for the Department of Health and Social Care and the relevant public health body.
The House of Commons Commission continues to work closely with the public health agencies and has put in place arrangements to support any requests made by these agencies as part of the contracting tracing process.
Shadow SNP Leader of the House of Commons
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 15260 on 17 June 2021.
Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The government remains fully committed to transparency, and there are no plans to review the application of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in designated freeports. Freeports are not deregulatory and the government will ensure the UK’s high standards with respect to security, safety, workers’ rights and the environment will not be compromised.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Prime Minister has asked the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform to generate recommendations for how the UK can take advantage of its newfound regulatory freedom.
The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce have been published, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/taskforce-on-innovation-growth-and-regulatory-reform/taskforce-on-innovation-growth-and-regulatory-reform-tigrr-terms-of-reference
Minister of State (Department for International Trade)
The Prime Minister has asked the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform to generate recommendations for how the UK can take advantage of its newfound regulatory freedom.
The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce have been published, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/taskforce-on-innovation-growth-and-regulatory-reform/taskforce-on-innovation-growth-and-regulatory-reform-tigrr-terms-of-reference
Minister of State (Department for International Trade)
37 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Questions
(View all Andy McDonald's BEIS questions)The Government undertook a consultation (‘Trade Union Act 2016: Consultation on the Certification Officer’s enforcement powers’) which gave relevant stakeholders the opportunity to comment on proposals. The Government’s response was published earlier this year.
The planned reforms will make the Certification Officer a more effective regulator, with powers and funding more in line with similar bodies. This proper and fair regulation, which is fully compliant with international obligations, will enhance transparency and improve standards for the benefit of union members and the wider public.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) have a role in the process of national government but are not part of a government department. They operate at arm’s length from Ministers, though a Minister will be responsible to Parliament for the NDPBs.
Although we have not targeted NDPBs specifically in our communications, this Government has been clear that we expect all employers to treat their employees fairly and in the spirit of partnership. Using threats about firing and rehiring as a negotiation tactic is unacceptable. We expect employers and employees to negotiate new terms and conditions and there are laws around how this must be done, and protections in place when firms are considering redundancies.
Last year, we asked the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) to collect evidence into how fire and rehire is being used by employers. This report was published on 8 June. We have asked Acas to produce better, more comprehensive, clearer guidance to help all employers explore all the options before considering ‘fire and rehire’ and encourage good employment relations practice. This will be relevant to all employers.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The Government has taken steps to ensure the levy on trade unions and employers’ associations to fund the Certification Officer is fair and affordable. Our proposal, which is subject to change, is that smaller organisations will be exempt from the levy. All other organisations will pay the basic levy and higher income organisations will pay an additional rate on top of the basic levy, to cover exempt organisations. As a significant amount of the Certification Office’s time is spent on non-federated trade unions, an enhanced rate will be paid by those non-federated trade unions for whom the basic, additional and enhanced rate amounts to less than 2.5% of their income. No organisation will pay more than 2.5% of their income.
It will be for the Certification Officer to set the levy amounts and income bands within the framework of the Certification Officer levy regulations.
The Certification Officer has estimated that she is likely to need a budget of £1,150,000 from April 2022. Based on that estimate, and taking into account the current number of organisations subject to the levy and the annual income reported through annual returns, the Certification Office has made some projections as to the likely shape of the levy. These projections are, of course, subject to change, and will be updated once the regulations have been laid.
- No organisation with an income of less than £105,000 will pay the levy.
- Non-federated trade unions with an income of between £105,000 and £285,000 will pay £2600 per annum.
- Non-federated trade unions with an income of between £285,000 and £455,000 will pay £7080 per annum.
- Non-federated trade unions with an income of over £455,000 will pay £11350 per annum.
- Employers’ associations and federated trade unions with an income of between £105,000 and £275,000 will pay £2600 per annum.
- Employers’ associations and federated trade unions with an income over £275,000 will pay £6870 per annum.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The Certification Office cost: £883,370 in the year commencing 1 April 2017; £1,103,037 in the year commencing 1 April 2018; £1,097,132 in the year commencing 1 April 2019; and £1,079,812 in the year commencing 1 April 2020.
The Certification Office budget for the year commencing 1 April 2021 has not yet formally been allocated. The Certification Office anticipates that the total cost of the office will be approximately £1,100,000.
The Government’s latest estimate is that the office will cost approximately £1,150,000 in the year commencing 1 April 2022. This figure includes an adjustment to account for the costs associated with implementing the additional powers granted to the Certification Officer by the Trade Union Act 2016, which are due to come into force from April 2022.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The Certification Office cost: £883,370 in the year commencing 1 April 2017; £1,103,037 in the year commencing 1 April 2018; £1,097,132 in the year commencing 1 April 2019; and £1,079,812 in the year commencing 1 April 2020.
The Certification Office budget for the year commencing 1 April 2021 has not yet formally been allocated. The Certification Office anticipates that the total cost of the office will be approximately £1,100,000.
The Government’s latest estimate is that the office will cost approximately £1,150,000 in the year commencing 1 April 2022. This figure includes an adjustment to account for the costs associated with implementing the additional powers granted to the Certification Officer by the Trade Union Act 2016, which are due to come into force from April 2022.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The Department engaged ACAS to gather evidence of how fire and rehire is being used and they have concluded their work.
ACAS engaged with a range of groups, including employer bodies and trade unions, as well as professional bodies with advisory contact with employers, such as employment lawyers, accountants, and payroll services.
Officials are now giving this evidence due consideration, and the Government will communicate our response in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The Government guidance on the current national restrictions enables tradespeople, such as meter readers and smart meter installers, to work in peoples’ homes if it is a necessary part of their job. The Government is clear that businesses in certain sectors can remain open if they can adhere to Safer Working guidance. When visiting peoples’ homes, tradespeople should follow the guidance and take appropriate Covid-19 secure precautions.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Freeports are not deregulatory and the government will ensure that the UK’s high standards with respect to workers’ rights will not be compromised. Therefore the UK’s trade union rights will apply to freeports.
The UK takes a voluntarist approach in relation to industrial relations. Collective bargaining is largely a matter for individual employers, their employees and their trade unions. It is therefore for individual employers to decide whether they wish to recognise a trade union for collective bargaining purposes.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Please see responses to each request for information in the table below:
Body | Number of workplace inspections in 2019/20[1] | Number of investigations in 2019/20 | Number of frontline enforcement officers in 2019/20 | Classification of issues in 2019/20 |
Employment Agency Standards | 303 | 1698[2] | 18 | Non-payment or withholding earnings, being charged to find work, contractual disputes, lack of clarity of deductions, advertising of roles, and failure to obtain either sufficient information from a hiring company or work-seeker. |
HMRC National Minimum Wage | 3300[3] | 3300[4] | 442 | Non-payment of national minimum wage |
Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority | 214 inspections of applicants for licenses and licence holders[5] 390 investigation cases[6] | 390 | 50 | Civil cases- compliance with the GLAA licensing standards relating to relevant UK legislation governing the workplace and employer/worker relationships, forced labour, and employer responsibilities to Government - https://www.gla.gov.uk/media/5963/licensing-standards-october-2018-final-reprint-jan-2020.pdf Criminal cases: offences committed against the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004, being unlicensed, using workers from unlicensed gangmasters, or the wider labour market offences including Modern Slavery. |
Health and Safety Executive | 13, 402 | 7,024[7] | 980 (inc 498 Band 3 and 4 inspectors[8]) | The Health and Safety Executive handled over 32,000 complaints for the yearly reporting period 2019-20 but HSE does not record the subject matter of the complaint. |
[1] The enforcement bodies may take different approaches to workplace inspections and investigations depending on the type of offence being investigated.
[2] Number of complaints investigated.
[3] This number includes employer interview which could be in person or via phone or letter. HMRC triage cases to decide the type of intervention dependent on the level of risk of the case. Workplace inspections are not always appropriate as payroll records may be with agents or payroll providers.
[4] Number of investigations closed in 2019/20. Some investigations may have begun earlier.
[5] The number therefore relates to the number of cases, and not individual workplaces. In such civil inspections there may be a number of visits to premises where workers are supplied to.
[6] These related to investigations against Gangmasters (licensing) Act offences as well as cases involving other labour market offences, for which the GLAA exercises a wider authority in England and Wales. Those offences are defined in section 3(3) of the Immigration Act 2016, and include forced labour offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
[7] Investigations of fatal and non-fatal incidents reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
[8] Band 3 and 4 inspectors undertake the delivery of the operational division workplans, this includes inspections and investigations into reported incidents and concerns and where non-compliance with health and safety legislations is identified, the inspectors take regulatory action in accordance with our published Enforcement Policy Statement.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Please see responses to each request for information in the table below:
Body | Number of workplace inspections in 2019/20[1] | Number of investigations in 2019/20 | Number of frontline enforcement officers in 2019/20 | Classification of issues in 2019/20 |
Employment Agency Standards | 303 | 1698[2] | 18 | Non-payment or withholding earnings, being charged to find work, contractual disputes, lack of clarity of deductions, advertising of roles, and failure to obtain either sufficient information from a hiring company or work-seeker. |
HMRC National Minimum Wage | 3300[3] | 3300[4] | 442 | Non-payment of national minimum wage |
Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority | 214 inspections of applicants for licenses and licence holders[5] 390 investigation cases[6] | 390 | 50 | Civil cases- compliance with the GLAA licensing standards relating to relevant UK legislation governing the workplace and employer/worker relationships, forced labour, and employer responsibilities to Government - https://www.gla.gov.uk/media/5963/licensing-standards-october-2018-final-reprint-jan-2020.pdf Criminal cases: offences committed against the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004, being unlicensed, using workers from unlicensed gangmasters, or the wider labour market offences including Modern Slavery. |
Health and Safety Executive | 13, 402 | 7,024[7] | 980 (inc 498 Band 3 and 4 inspectors[8]) | The Health and Safety Executive handled over 32,000 complaints for the yearly reporting period 2019-20 but HSE does not record the subject matter of the complaint. |
[1] The enforcement bodies may take different approaches to workplace inspections and investigations depending on the type of offence being investigated.
[2] Number of complaints investigated.
[3] This number includes employer interview which could be in person or via phone or letter. HMRC triage cases to decide the type of intervention dependent on the level of risk of the case. Workplace inspections are not always appropriate as payroll records may be with agents or payroll providers.
[4] Number of investigations closed in 2019/20. Some investigations may have begun earlier.
[5] The number therefore relates to the number of cases, and not individual workplaces. In such civil inspections there may be a number of visits to premises where workers are supplied to.
[6] These related to investigations against Gangmasters (licensing) Act offences as well as cases involving other labour market offences, for which the GLAA exercises a wider authority in England and Wales. Those offences are defined in section 3(3) of the Immigration Act 2016, and include forced labour offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
[7] Investigations of fatal and non-fatal incidents reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
[8] Band 3 and 4 inspectors undertake the delivery of the operational division workplans, this includes inspections and investigations into reported incidents and concerns and where non-compliance with health and safety legislations is identified, the inspectors take regulatory action in accordance with our published Enforcement Policy Statement.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Please see responses to each request for information in the table below:
Body | Number of workplace inspections in 2019/20[1] | Number of investigations in 2019/20 | Number of frontline enforcement officers in 2019/20 | Classification of issues in 2019/20 |
Employment Agency Standards | 303 | 1698[2] | 18 | Non-payment or withholding earnings, being charged to find work, contractual disputes, lack of clarity of deductions, advertising of roles, and failure to obtain either sufficient information from a hiring company or work-seeker. |
HMRC National Minimum Wage | 3300[3] | 3300[4] | 442 | Non-payment of national minimum wage |
Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority | 214 inspections of applicants for licenses and licence holders[5] 390 investigation cases[6] | 390 | 50 | Civil cases- compliance with the GLAA licensing standards relating to relevant UK legislation governing the workplace and employer/worker relationships, forced labour, and employer responsibilities to Government - https://www.gla.gov.uk/media/5963/licensing-standards-october-2018-final-reprint-jan-2020.pdf Criminal cases: offences committed against the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004, being unlicensed, using workers from unlicensed gangmasters, or the wider labour market offences including Modern Slavery. |
Health and Safety Executive | 13, 402 | 7,024[7] | 980 (inc 498 Band 3 and 4 inspectors[8]) | The Health and Safety Executive handled over 32,000 complaints for the yearly reporting period 2019-20 but HSE does not record the subject matter of the complaint. |
[1] The enforcement bodies may take different approaches to workplace inspections and investigations depending on the type of offence being investigated.
[2] Number of complaints investigated.
[3] This number includes employer interview which could be in person or via phone or letter. HMRC triage cases to decide the type of intervention dependent on the level of risk of the case. Workplace inspections are not always appropriate as payroll records may be with agents or payroll providers.
[4] Number of investigations closed in 2019/20. Some investigations may have begun earlier.
[5] The number therefore relates to the number of cases, and not individual workplaces. In such civil inspections there may be a number of visits to premises where workers are supplied to.
[6] These related to investigations against Gangmasters (licensing) Act offences as well as cases involving other labour market offences, for which the GLAA exercises a wider authority in England and Wales. Those offences are defined in section 3(3) of the Immigration Act 2016, and include forced labour offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
[7] Investigations of fatal and non-fatal incidents reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
[8] Band 3 and 4 inspectors undertake the delivery of the operational division workplans, this includes inspections and investigations into reported incidents and concerns and where non-compliance with health and safety legislations is identified, the inspectors take regulatory action in accordance with our published Enforcement Policy Statement.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Please see responses to each request for information in the table below:
Body | Number of workplace inspections in 2019/20[1] | Number of investigations in 2019/20 | Number of frontline enforcement officers in 2019/20 | Classification of issues in 2019/20 |
Employment Agency Standards | 303 | 1698[2] | 18 | Non-payment or withholding earnings, being charged to find work, contractual disputes, lack of clarity of deductions, advertising of roles, and failure to obtain either sufficient information from a hiring company or work-seeker. |
HMRC National Minimum Wage | 3300[3] | 3300[4] | 442 | Non-payment of national minimum wage |
Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority | 214 inspections of applicants for licenses and licence holders[5] 390 investigation cases[6] | 390 | 50 | Civil cases- compliance with the GLAA licensing standards relating to relevant UK legislation governing the workplace and employer/worker relationships, forced labour, and employer responsibilities to Government - https://www.gla.gov.uk/media/5963/licensing-standards-october-2018-final-reprint-jan-2020.pdf Criminal cases: offences committed against the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004, being unlicensed, using workers from unlicensed gangmasters, or the wider labour market offences including Modern Slavery. |
Health and Safety Executive | 13, 402 | 7,024[7] | 980 (inc 498 Band 3 and 4 inspectors[8]) | The Health and Safety Executive handled over 32,000 complaints for the yearly reporting period 2019-20 but HSE does not record the subject matter of the complaint. |
[1] The enforcement bodies may take different approaches to workplace inspections and investigations depending on the type of offence being investigated.
[2] Number of complaints investigated.
[3] This number includes employer interview which could be in person or via phone or letter. HMRC triage cases to decide the type of intervention dependent on the level of risk of the case. Workplace inspections are not always appropriate as payroll records may be with agents or payroll providers.
[4] Number of investigations closed in 2019/20. Some investigations may have begun earlier.
[5] The number therefore relates to the number of cases, and not individual workplaces. In such civil inspections there may be a number of visits to premises where workers are supplied to.
[6] These related to investigations against Gangmasters (licensing) Act offences as well as cases involving other labour market offences, for which the GLAA exercises a wider authority in England and Wales. Those offences are defined in section 3(3) of the Immigration Act 2016, and include forced labour offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
[7] Investigations of fatal and non-fatal incidents reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.
[8] Band 3 and 4 inspectors undertake the delivery of the operational division workplans, this includes inspections and investigations into reported incidents and concerns and where non-compliance with health and safety legislations is identified, the inspectors take regulatory action in accordance with our published Enforcement Policy Statement.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The Working safely guidance was last updated on 6 January to reflect the new national lockdown. The guidance is kept under constant review based on the latest scientific evidence we receive.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
BEIS has worked closely with Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Public Health England and others throughout the pandemic to ensure that guidance for businesses is based on the most up to date understanding of Covid-19. There are arrangements in place between BEIS and HSE for weekly reviews of the recommendations for workplaces to ensure that any changes are rapidly reflected either through direct changes to the GOV.UK guidance or through links to the recommendations published by other departments.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) enforce the National Minimum Wage regulations on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). They investigate where they believe an employer is not paying the minimum wage and follow up every worker complaint they receive. HMRC only hold data relating to (a) wages recovered for workers. They do not hold data relating to (b) money recovered for workers from unlawful fees charges to workers or (c) unpaid holiday pay recovered for workers as these are outside of their remit.
The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) and the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) do not differentiate between the amount of money recovered in unpaid wages, holiday pay or a potential unlawful deduction.
| Money recovered for workers | |||
| 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate | £69, 500 | £150, 000 | £61, 000 | £73, 500 (up to 30 November 2020) |
HMRC National Minimum Wage | £10,918,047 | £15, 615, 609[1] | £20, 800, 000 | Not yet available [2] |
Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority [3] | £93, 165 | £94, 444 | £116, 605.30 | £8, 285.90 (Up to 31 October 2020) |
[1] Source: 18/19 compliance and enforcement report
[2] These figures will be published in the enforcement and compliance report for that year.
[3] GLAA are sponsored by the Home Office, rather than BEIS. These figures have been provided by GLAA.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The proportion of investigations undertaken by Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate with Immigration Enforcement amounts to 0.6% of all cases between 1 April 2016 and 30 November 2020.
HMRC only conduct joint visits where there are pertinent risks for other enforcement agencies. From 2017/18 to 2019/20, joint visits involving Immigration Enforcement represent 1.3% of HMRC National Minimum Wage Team’s investigations.
The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority work with several partners, including Immigration Enforcement, in different ways which may change as an investigation develops. They only capture data on the lead agency in each case and therefore it is not possible to accurately state the total proportion of investigations carried out with Immigration Enforcement.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The Government does not currently intend to amend domestic legislation to require employers to record working hours as set out in the judgment.
It is important that employers comply with the Working Time Regulations in respect of working hours and daily and weekly rest, and that they are held to account if they don't. Workers can take a case to employment tribunal concerning insufficient rest, and the Health and Safety Executive directly enforces maximum working hours. The Government has also committed to bringing forward state enforcement of the rules in the Working Time Regulations on holiday pay for vulnerable workers, to ensure that workers get the paid time off they deserve.
The Government does not disclose the legal advice it receives in relation to its work.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The Government does not currently intend to amend domestic legislation to require employers to record working hours as set out in the judgment.
It is important that employers comply with the Working Time Regulations in respect of working hours and daily and weekly rest, and that they are held to account if they don't. Workers can take a case to employment tribunal concerning insufficient rest, and the Health and Safety Executive directly enforces maximum working hours. The Government has also committed to bringing forward state enforcement of the rules in the Working Time Regulations on holiday pay for vulnerable workers, to ensure that workers get the paid time off they deserve.
The Government does not disclose the legal advice it receives in relation to its work.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Information on the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorates budget, FTE Staff and FTE Officers is set out below. Budgets for 2021-22 and 2022-23 have not yet been formalised:
Year | Budget | FTE Staff | FTE Officers |
2018-19 | £0.725m | 13 | 10 |
2019-20 | £1.125m | 28.8* | 18.8 |
2020-21 | £1.525m | 28.8 | 18.8 |
* Recruitment of staff took place towards the end of the 2019-20 Financial Year
The Employment Agency Standards Annual Report for 2018/19 was due to be published in April 2020. All non-COVID-19 publications were halted at that time to ensure the timely dissemination of business-critical information. The annual report will be published in due course.
Umbrella companies do not currently fall within the remit of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) and therefore no investigations have been undertaken. The Government has committed to extending the remit of the EAS to umbrella companies. EAS continues to work closely with the industries Trade Bodies to ensure Agency workers interests are addressed.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Information on the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorates budget, FTE Staff and FTE Officers is set out below. Budgets for 2021-22 and 2022-23 have not yet been formalised:
Year | Budget | FTE Staff | FTE Officers |
2018-19 | £0.725m | 13 | 10 |
2019-20 | £1.125m | 28.8* | 18.8 |
2020-21 | £1.525m | 28.8 | 18.8 |
* Recruitment of staff took place towards the end of the 2019-20 Financial Year
The Employment Agency Standards Annual Report for 2018/19 was due to be published in April 2020. All non-COVID-19 publications were halted at that time to ensure the timely dissemination of business-critical information. The annual report will be published in due course.
Umbrella companies do not currently fall within the remit of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) and therefore no investigations have been undertaken. The Government has committed to extending the remit of the EAS to umbrella companies. EAS continues to work closely with the industries Trade Bodies to ensure Agency workers interests are addressed.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Information on the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorates budget, FTE Staff and FTE Officers is set out below. Budgets for 2021-22 and 2022-23 have not yet been formalised:
Year | Budget | FTE Staff | FTE Officers |
2018-19 | £0.725m | 13 | 10 |
2019-20 | £1.125m | 28.8* | 18.8 |
2020-21 | £1.525m | 28.8 | 18.8 |
* Recruitment of staff took place towards the end of the 2019-20 Financial Year
The Employment Agency Standards Annual Report for 2018/19 was due to be published in April 2020. All non-COVID-19 publications were halted at that time to ensure the timely dissemination of business-critical information. The annual report will be published in due course.
Umbrella companies do not currently fall within the remit of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) and therefore no investigations have been undertaken. The Government has committed to extending the remit of the EAS to umbrella companies. EAS continues to work closely with the industries Trade Bodies to ensure Agency workers interests are addressed.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Information on the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorates budget, FTE Staff and FTE Officers is set out below. Budgets for 2021-22 and 2022-23 have not yet been formalised:
Year | Budget | FTE Staff | FTE Officers |
2018-19 | £0.725m | 13 | 10 |
2019-20 | £1.125m | 28.8* | 18.8 |
2020-21 | £1.525m | 28.8 | 18.8 |
* Recruitment of staff took place towards the end of the 2019-20 Financial Year
The Employment Agency Standards Annual Report for 2018/19 was due to be published in April 2020. All non-COVID-19 publications were halted at that time to ensure the timely dissemination of business-critical information. The annual report will be published in due course.
Umbrella companies do not currently fall within the remit of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) and therefore no investigations have been undertaken. The Government has committed to extending the remit of the EAS to umbrella companies. EAS continues to work closely with the industries Trade Bodies to ensure Agency workers interests are addressed.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Information on the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorates budget, FTE Staff and FTE Officers is set out below. Budgets for 2021-22 and 2022-23 have not yet been formalised:
Year | Budget | FTE Staff | FTE Officers |
2018-19 | £0.725m | 13 | 10 |
2019-20 | £1.125m | 28.8* | 18.8 |
2020-21 | £1.525m | 28.8 | 18.8 |
* Recruitment of staff took place towards the end of the 2019-20 Financial Year
The Employment Agency Standards Annual Report for 2018/19 was due to be published in April 2020. All non-COVID-19 publications were halted at that time to ensure the timely dissemination of business-critical information. The annual report will be published in due course.
Umbrella companies do not currently fall within the remit of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) and therefore no investigations have been undertaken. The Government has committed to extending the remit of the EAS to umbrella companies. EAS continues to work closely with the industries Trade Bodies to ensure Agency workers interests are addressed.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The Government’s role in these situations is to set the legislative framework and requirements for collective redundancy consultation.
Disputes about the compliance are generally questions of fact and the Employment Tribunal is best placed to determine whether a breach of the requirements has taken place and whether there should be an award for the breach.
The Government has powers to act where there has been a failure to notify the Secretary of State of proposed collective redundancies prior to the start of statutory consultation.
The Government has a robust package of measures to address non-compliance including:
- potential disciplinary action for officeholders who fail to consult following appointment on insolvency,
- a financial penalty on employers who fail to engage with employees and;
- potential prosecution for failure to notify the relevant competent authority when proposing redundancies.
Government recognises the importance of ensuring that where redundancies are necessary, employers get the process right. Acas has been running webinars focusing on handling redundancies in both collective and non-collective situations. The range of digital events outline the legal processes around redundancy. The events have been updated to consider the specific challenges around Coronavirus as well as alternatives to redundancy, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
In addition, Acas, CBI and TUC have published a joint statement on handling redundancies. Their message encourages employers to exhaust all possible alternatives before making redundancies and to consult with their workforce on what these alternatives might be. The organisations have called on all employers considering redundancies to work with their trade unions and employees and get the process right by following 5 principles:
- Do it openly – whatever the scale of the redundancies, the sooner people understand the situation, the better for everyone;
- Do it thoroughly - by providing information and guidance;
- Do it genuinely – consultation means hearing people's views before you make a decision and being open to alternatives based on feedback;
- Do it fairly - all aspects of your redundancy procedure should be conducted fairly and without any form of discrimination.
- Do it with dignity - losing your job has a human as a well as a business cost. The way you let people go says a lot about your organisation's values. Think about how you will handle the conversation – whether it is face-to-face or remote.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
In the Queens’ Speech, we announced we will bring forward measures to deliver on a range of Manifesto commitments.
Our legislation will make workplaces fairer, by providing better support for working families and by encouraging flexible working.
We will deliver on our commitment to balance the needs of both employers and workers to ensure we have an employment framework that is fit for purpose for the 21st century.
It is important that we work closely with stakeholders to make sure we get the legislation right, and we will bring forward details of the Employment Bill in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
In the Queens’ Speech, we announced we will bring forward measures to deliver on a range of Manifesto commitments.
Our legislation will make workplaces fairer, by providing better support for working families and by encouraging flexible working.
We will deliver on our commitment to balance the needs of both employers and workers to ensure we have an employment framework that is fit for purpose for the 21st century.
It is important that we work closely with stakeholders to make sure we get the legislation right, and we will bring forward details of the Employment Bill in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The Government is committed to tackling minimum wage non-compliance. Anyone entitled to be paid the National Minimum Wage (NMW) should receive it. The last financial year (2019/20) was another strong year for NMW enforcement. HMRC completed over 3,300 investigations and found arrears in just over 1,200 of them. They identified £20.8 million in arrears for over 263,000 workers and issued just under 1,000 penalties, totalling £18.5 million to non-compliant employers.
We have noted the Low Pay Commission’s (LPC) recommendations made in their 2020 report on non-compliance and enforcement of the NMW. We responded to the LPC’s last (2019) set of enforcement recommendations in the 2018/19 edition of BEIS’ annual report on NMW Enforcement and Compliance[1].
We have already acted on the recommendations made by the LPC following the publication of their report in May 2020. We have drawn up plans for evaluative work across the 2020-21 financial year, started research to assess the impact of HMRC’s promote activity and engaged with both the Department for Education and HMRC to tackle the underpayment of apprentices. We will respond in full to the LPC’s 2020 enforcement recommendations in due course. We will also provide more detailed statistics on enforcement in 2019/20 as part of the 2019/20 edition of BEIS’ annual report on NMW Enforcement and Compliance.
[1] National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage: Government evidence on compliance and enforcement, 2019 (BEIS, 2020)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. All businesses, irrespective of size or business sector, are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff. Our priority is to ensure that workers receive the money they are owed as quickly as possible. For this reason, in the vast majority of cases, HMRC pursue civil enforcement, which is the quickest way of ensuring workers receive their arrears.
Labour Market Enforcement Undertakings and Orders provide a further tool for cases that involve high levels of arrears per worker and/or NMW non-compliance over an extended period of time. These can result in a two-year custodial sentence and/or an unlimited fine.
HMRC investigates all complaints from workers; and if anyone thinks they are not receiving at least the minimum wage they can contact Acas, in confidence, on 0300 123 1100 or via the online complaints form using the link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pay-and-work-rights-complaints
HMRC will prosecute where it finds the most serious cases of non-compliance and since the financial year 2009-10 HMRC NMW investigations have led to 8 successful prosecutions of employers for NMW related offences.
Total prosecutions since the financial year 2009-10:
Number | Region | Date |
1 | Manchester | 23/06/2010 |
2 | London | 26/02/2013 |
3 | Birmingham | 11/05/2016 |
4 | Weymouth | 13/05/2016 |
5 | Oldham | 04/08/2016 |
6 | Southampton | 08/12/2016 |
7 | Birmingham | 17/08/2017 |
8* | - | November 2019 |
Government compliance and enforcement 18/19 link:
*The eighth case was successfully prosecuted in November 2019. As this case falls outside the 2018/19 reporting period, it will be detailed in next year’s (19/20) report.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The Government is deeply concerned by the reports of illegal and unsafe working conditions for textile workers in Leicester, especially in light of the recent increase in COVID-19 infections.
The main labour market enforcement bodies (the HMRC National Minimum Wage team and the Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority), as well as the Police and the Health & Safety Executive, have been working closely with Leicester Council to set up the Leicester Compliance Task Force. The key aims of the taskforce is to address broader labour market and health and safety issues by using local knowledge to improve understanding of the exploitation risks, increase awareness, support victims and ensure compliance.
Since 2017, a number of operations have been undertaken in the Leicester area linked to potential exploitation, including underpayment of the minimum wage. Where breaches have been found appropriate enforcement action has been taken, including warning letters, recovery of unpaid wages, penalties, and director disqualifications.
The Government has more than doubled the budget for National Minimum Wage compliance and enforcement to £27.5 million for 2020/21, up from £13.2 million in 2015/16. Increasing the budget allows HMRC to focus on tackling the most serious cases of wilful non-compliance. It also increases the number of compliance officers available to investigate minimum wage complaints and conduct risk-based enforcement in sectors where non-compliance is most likely.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The Department continues to monitor the impact of Covid-19 on working conditions in the UK and internationally. We are currently contributing to domestic research on changes to working practices in the UK which will be published in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
We worked closely with the Health and Safety Executive to develop this guidance, including the risk assessment content. Existing health and safety legislation requires risk assessments to be carried out, and our guidance does not change this.
We are asking companies to consider publishing the results of their risk assessments whenever possible, although publishing risk assessments is not a legal obligation. The Government expects larger organisations – those with over 50 workers – to publish the results of their risk assessments.
We think businesses will want to do this to help build the confidence of their workers and their customers.
In order to help with this, the Government has provided a new notice which employers can display to show they have followed the guidance on managing the risks of COVID-19.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
As the UK has left the European Union, the UK is no longer a member of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Only Member States of the EU can be members of the Foundation. The UK will continue to have access to the research produced by the Foundation, and if the Foundation or the EU wish the UK to be involved in any discussions, meetings or research, the UK Government will consider any such request on its merits.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is not compiling a list of businesses that have carried out risk assessments.
As stated in the Answer of 2 June 2020 to Question 49014, existing health and safety legislation requires risk assessments. The safer working guidance does not change this.
Publishing risk assessments is not a legal obligation, but we are asking companies to consider publishing the results of their risk assessments whenever possible. We recommend that larger companies – those with over 50 workers – publish the results of their risk assessments.
We think employers will want to do this to help build the confidence of their workers and their customers.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Existing health and safety legislation requires risk assessments. The safer working guidance does not change this.
Employers have a duty to consult their employees, and unions where applicable, as part of their risk assessment. Involving workers in this will help build trust and confidence that all reasonably practicable steps are being taken to reduce risks of COVID-19, so that people can return to work safely.
All businesses should share the results of their risk assessment with their employees. The Government is asking employers to publish the results of these assessments on their websites whenever possible. The Government expects larger organisations – those with over 50 workers – to publish the results of their risk assessments.
In order to help with this, the Government has provided a new notice which employers can download and display to show they have followed the guidance on managing the risks of COVID-19.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Under the law, employers are responsible for health and safety management and should take the necessary steps to ensure safe workplaces. During the Covid-19 crisis, the Government has worked with a wide range of businesses, trade unions and representative organisations to issue guidance on safe return to work. Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive have also issued guidance on how to ensure social distancing and hygiene measures in the workplace.
In line with employment and health and safety law, this guidance sets out that where employees have health and safety concerns, they should raise this with their employee representative, trade union, or the Health & Safety Executive. Where HSE identifies employers who are not taking action to comply with the relevant PHE guidance to control public health risks they will consider taking a range of enforcement action. The Government recently announced an additional £14 million of funding for HSE to support this work.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
We are in close contact with Boeing as well as key UK suppliers. Boeing has confirmed that their decision to temporarily suspend 737 production is the least disruptive to the long-term health of their production system and supply chain. Due to the diversification of the UK supplier base, we would not anticipate this stop in production to have a significant impact on the UK aerospace industry overall but will consider the potential impact on individual companies. Boeing is working with its suppliers in the UK to minimise operational disruption and provide as much certainty as possible. We will continue to maintain close dialogue with Boeing and suppliers to monitor the situation as they continue to assess the appropriate duration of the suspension.
Secretary of State for Education
1 Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Questions
(View all Andy McDonald's DCMS questions)The Government has been very clear that threatening fire and rehire as a negotiating tactic is completely unacceptable. We always expect employers to treat employees fairly and in the spirit of partnership working with trade unions, where relevant, constructively. We are confident that all non-departmental public bodies are aware of the Government’s position on this matter.
We work constructively with each non-departmental public body we have responsibility for and this includes when it comes to workforce management matters, however each is ultimately responsible for the management of their staff.
The Department has a robust governance structure in place across its non-departmental public bodies, which ensures full visibility, and approval where required, of any planned redundancies. No additional communications or investigations have been necessary on ‘fire and rehire’.
1 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions
(View all Andy McDonald's Defra questions)The Government has been very clear that threatening fire and rehire as a negotiating tactic is completely unacceptable. We always expect employers to treat employees fairly and in the spirit of partnership working with trade unions, where relevant, constructively. We are confident that all non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are aware of the Government’s position on this matter.
We work constructively with each NDPB we have responsibility for and this includes when it comes to workforce management matters. However, each NDPB that does not employ civil servants is ultimately responsible for the management of its staff.
The Department has taken no recent action regarding the use of fire and rehire tactics in its executive NDPBs. Should information come to light that suggests this is an area of concern, then the Department would respond accordingly.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has been very clear that threatening fire and rehire as a negotiating tactic is completely unacceptable. The Government always expects employers to treat employees fairly and in the spirit of partnership working with trade unions, where relevant, constructively. The Government is confident that all non-departmental public bodies are aware of the Government’s position on this matter.
The Department for International Trade (DIT) has only one non-departmental public body, the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), which was established on 1 June 2021. The TRA, like all non-departmental public bodies does not employ civil servants and is responsible for the management of its staff.
DIT works constructively with the TRA when it comes to workforce management matters, however the TRA is ultimately responsible for the management of its staff. There is a Human Resources Memorandum of Understanding between DIT and the TRA, which sits alongside the Framework Agreement that is required for all Public Bodies. These documents outline how DIT will work with the TRA to support staff retention and redeployment policy.
Minister of State (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
My Department has dedicated teams of Civil Servants across the UK including sector specialists and industry experts who work closely with Mayors and Local Enterprise Partnerships to help them define commercial investment opportunities which we showcase to potential investors through our global networks.
The Government does not comment on commercial transactions by independent parties.
Minister of State (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
My Department has dedicated teams of Civil Servants across the UK including sector specialists and industry experts who work closely with Mayors and Local Enterprise Partnerships to help them define commercial investment opportunities which we showcase to potential investors through our global networks.
The Government does not comment on commercial transactions by independent parties.
Minister of State (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
We work constructively with each non-departmental public body we have responsibility for, including workforce management matters. However each is ultimately responsible for the management of their staff. We expect our public bodies to have constructive relationships with their staff and unions and not to engage in inappropriate negotiation tactics.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department has not made any assessment on the potential effect on collective bargaining agreements or local employment at Teesport.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The level of funding provided for operating, maintaining and renewing the railway is set ahead of each Railway Control Period through the Statement of Funds Available (SoFA) in line with the High-Level Output Specification (HLOS), which is a statement of what the Secretary of State for Transport wants to be achieved by railway activities during that control period. As noted in the Statement of Funds Available 2017, Government ensures that adequate funding is provided to meet NR’s debt obligations, out-with the SoFA process.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The procurement of rolling stock for High Speed 2 requires Tenderers to submit a statement (their “Legacy Statement”) which will outline how the Tenderer’s proposal will add value to the UK economy, and how they will contribute to the delivery of the HS2 Programme Benefits. The Legacy Statement does not form any part of the evaluation of Tenders. HS2 Ltd will only open the Legacy Statement of the Tenderer selected for Contract Award.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government established the Williams Rail Review to develop recommendations for the most appropriate organisational and commercial frameworks to deliver the Government’s vision of a world-class railway that prioritises the interests of customers and taxpayers. The Government has not constrained the Rail Review from considering Network Rail debt. A White Paper based on the Williams Rail Review’s recommendations will be published in early 2020.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The timing of any future Discretionary Rejection Panels that the Department holds will be based on the specifics of the franchise in question
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department is considering options for the next Cross Country franchise. One such option is the issue of a further Direct Award to Arriva; subject to contract and successful negotiation.
A further announcement is expected later this year.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
We have made no formal assessment of the Campaign for Better Transport report. However, the Department has pledged to begin reopening closed railway lines and stations and are confident that this will help railways across the country. More details on this policy will follow in due course.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As reported in their Annual Report and Accounts 2019, Network Rail has £54.1bn of historical debt, of which £30.6bn has resulted from loan funding from the Department for Transport over the course of Railway Control Period 5.
Network Rail have been restricted from raising any further commercial debt since they were reclassified to the public sector in 2014. Since the start of Railway Control Period 6 in April 2019, the Department has chosen to provide funding for operating, maintaining and enhancing the railway through grant rather than loan funding. The level of debt is therefore not expected to rise from its current level.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As reported in their Annual Report and Accounts 2019, Network Rail has £54.1bn of historical debt, of which £30.6bn has resulted from loan funding from the Department for Transport over the course of Railway Control Period 5.
Network Rail have been restricted from raising any further commercial debt since they were reclassified to the public sector in 2014. Since the start of Railway Control Period 6 in April 2019, the Department has chosen to provide funding for operating, maintaining and enhancing the railway through grant rather than loan funding. The level of debt is therefore not expected to rise from its current level.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The latest financial ratios received by South Western Railway on 17th January 2020 confirmed that they were fully compliant with the relevant financial ratio requirements of its Franchise Agreement.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
No specific assessment on rolling stock compliance has been made regarding the effect of re-scheduling the franchise competitions. We continue to push the rail industry for continuous improvement to deliver accessible journeys, and an accessible fleet is planned to be in place on the East Midlands franchise from December 2020.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Stagecoach were informed on 27 March 2018 explaining that the Department was going to convene a Discretionary Rejection panel (the passport review panel) in anticipation of a termination event.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department can confirm that South Western Railway was fully compliant with the relevant financial ratio requirements of its Franchise Agreement based on the financial performance data received on 20 December 2019.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The criteria under which the Department may undertake a review of any prequalification Passport is clearly set out in the Passport documentation, which is publicly available:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-franchising-pqq-passport-documentation
Should these criteria be met for any current operator, the Department would initiate a review.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As part of considerations for the future of the franchise, the Department is engaged with the incumbent operator in commercially confidential discussions in order to secure the best prices available for all train leases for the existing train fleet, which includes the Class 802’s.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
There are a variety of reasons for the fall in bus patronage. This includes congestion, affecting bus service reliability and punctuality, which industry leaders have remarked upon publicly last week as one of the key issues impacting on bus patronage. That is why the Department’s ‘A Better Deal for Bus Users’ published recently stated that all new road investments receiving central UK government funding will be required to either support bus priority measures to improve bus journey times and reliability or explain why doing so would not be necessary or appropriate in that instance. All future funding bids will need to explicitly address this issue.
In addition, the Bus Services Act 2017 provides the tools local authorities in England need such as Enhanced Partnerships and Franchising to improve local bus services. From 2020, a number of measures such as Bus Open Data powers, and the commitments in the Better Deal for Bus Users, will help increase passenger numbers and help passengers secure best value tickets.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Official statistics for fatalities on the mainline railway network in Great Britain are published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), using information from the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB).
The latest statistics (for years up to 2018-19) are published on the ORR website at:
https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/health-and-safety/rail-safety/
Statistics for fatalities and suicides from 2009-10 to 2018-19 are included in Table 1 below, separated by suicides and non-suicide fatalities.
Table 1: Number of mainline railway fatalities: 2009-10 to 2018-19
Financial Year | Non-suicide fatalities | Suicides | Total fatalities |
2009-10 | 64 | 243 | 307 |
2010-11 | 39 | 209 | 248 |
2011-12 | 53 | 250 | 303 |
2012-13 | 49 | 245 | 294 |
2013-14 | 40 | 275 | 315 |
2014-15 | 49 | 286 | 335 |
2015-16 | 46 | 251 | 297 |
2016-17 | 39 | 237 | 276 |
2017-18 | 49 | 250 | 299 |
2018-19 | 40 | 271 | 311 |
These figures include passenger fatalities, public fatalities (including trespassers, level crossing users and suicides) and workforce fatalities. Workforce includes all fatalities that occurred whilst working for the railway, including those that did not happen on the rail network (for instance, whilst travelling via road from one work station to another).
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government has been very clear that threatening fire and rehire as a negotiating tactic is completely unacceptable. We always expect employers to treat employees fairly and in the spirit of partnership working with trade unions, where relevant, constructively. All non-departmental public bodies are expected to follow Department for Work and Pension’s (DWP) lead in reflecting best employment practices. We are confident that they are aware of the Government’s position on this matter.
We work constructively with each non-departmental public body we have responsibility for and this includes when it comes to workforce management matters. The senior officials responsible for Human Resources practices in the executive non-departmental public bodies meet regularly with DWP however each is ultimately responsible for the management of their staff.
The Department provides robust oversight of its public bodies through Quarterly Accountability Reviews and the Annual Report and Accounts process.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) takes Covid-19 safety at work very seriously and is playing a critical role in the national response to the pandemic. HSE has recently carried out a review of the classification of Covid-19 within its Enforcement Management Model (EMM) and has no plans to undertake a further review at this time.
On 16 June 2021, HSE placed on its website the most recent review of HSE’s proportionality of enforcement decision making in the pandemic and how EMM supports this - https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/regulating-health-and-safety/enforcement-coronavirus.htm.
The review included consideration of the effect on the working age population of new variants, known to be circulating at the time, to determine if there is any evidence to support the new variants posing a greater risk to this age group. Fully quantifying or isolating the effect of variants on overall infection or mortality rates is complex, due to confounding factors. Infection and mortality rates have fluctuated over the course of the pandemic and continue to do so, due to a number of factors including the degree of societal restrictions, changes in people’s working and social practices, seasonal variations in terms of vulnerability to viruses and most recently the roll-out of the vaccination programme.
HSE will continue to monitor the potential impact of new variants alongside the effectiveness of the vaccination programme, workplace transmission and health outcomes.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is not responsible for identifying variant hotspots, however they closely monitor the information provided by public health authorities.
Through the Spot Check Programme, HSE has supported the enhanced response in surge and variant testing areas (including the Delta variant). They have increased checks across multiple areas to continue raising awareness of the needs for businesses to operate in a COVID-secure way, checked the measures implemented and, when requested, have assisted public health bodies in responding to workplace outbreaks. More than 5,400 additional checks have been completed since 24th May 2021 as part of this response. Where there are matters of concern, the dutyholder is referred for intervention by an inspector.
HSE’s evidence is that the vast majority of dutyholders are complying with the government guidance and there has been no change in HSE’s enforcement profile. Where contraventions are identified, the approach taken by inspectors to enforcement decisions is consistent across all areas of GB.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Enforcement Management Model (EMM) review of the classification of Covid-19 is largely completed and is currently subject to internal assurance and clearance processes. We will update the Health and Safety Executive website in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Enforcement Management Model (EMM) provides a framework within which to ensure consistent enforcement decisions are made and which can be applied to all workplace risks, whether safety or health related. It does not provide specific guidance on the application of the EMM to every workplace risk, including the classification of every workplace disease or illness caused by work, as it would be impracticable to do so. Instead, HSE’s Inspectors are expected to use their professional judgement when applying the EMM to the particular circumstances that they come across and to seek specialist advice where needed. For example, advice may be sought from one of HSE’s occupational hygienist specialist inspectors when considering the health effect of exposure to a particular hazardous substance.
Where guidance does exist, reviews of EMM classifications are not instigated by the Chief Executive but as a result of regular guidance reviews and the outcome of research e.g. the Workplace Health Expert Committee endorsed the reclassification of mild steel welding fumes as a human carcinogen following evidence that exposure to welding fumes is associated with an increase in developing lung cancer. As a consequence, HSE changed the classification of the likely health outcome when considering the working population as a whole from “significant” to “serious”.
In relation to COVID-19, as this was a novel workplace risk, guidance was produced for HSE’s inspectors at the start of the pandemic; including in relation to the most likely health effect of someone being exposed to the virus when considering the working population as a whole i.e. ignoring an individual’s susceptibility to the disease. This guidance was reviewed last November and a technical paper, explaining the classification is available on HSE’s website at the following link https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/assets/docs/proportionality-hse-enforcement-decisions-covid19-pandemic.pdf.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
During her appearance before the Work and Pensions Select Committee, on Wednesday 17 March, the Chief of Executive of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) noted a number of items of feedback were provided to senior leaders of the Field Operations Division (FOD) of HSE, by members of the Prospect Trade Union via their Branch Council representative. The comments represented a mixture of issues and views, including in respect of the Enforcement Management Model (EMM) and its application to COVID-19. Individual responses were not provided to the comments raised. Instead, one response was put together with the aim of:
- correcting any misunderstandings as regards the policy position, concerning the application of the EMM to COVID-19;
- reminding Inspectors of previously issued internal guidance on the matter and;
- providing clarity as regards the unchanging support, for the use of Inspector discretion, should individual Inspectors come to a decision that a Prohibition Notice should be served to control an immediate risk associated with COVID-19.
The response referred to above was part of a wider internal communication, to HSE inspectors, aimed at providing support and reminding inspectors of the routes available to deal with specific regulatory challenges. It was shared with Trade Union representatives before it was shared with HSE inspectors.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 applies to ports and guidance on how to manage the main causes of injury and ill health in those settings is published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at Health and safety in ports and docks - HSE. Freeports across Great Britain, when established as secure customs zones will not be treated any differently from other ports from a health and safety perspective.
Risks associated with warehousing operations, moving vehicles, lifting operations or storage of hazardous substances are examples of the areas that freeport operators, whether state or private enterprise, will be required to effectively plan for and control.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, in common with a number of organisations in the public sector, HSE switched its Board meetings to a virtual format. Due to limitations of the technology used, it was not possible for any of these meetings to be open and therefore all board meetings since March 2020 have been closed.
Whilst the HSE Board is firmly committed to engaging with stakeholders in an open and transparent way, the format of this is subject to review and therefore, at the present time, no future open meeting dates have been set.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
At HSE’s Board meeting on 23rd of February 2021 the HSE Board was assured that operational colleagues routinely review classifications under the Enforcement Management Model (EMM) to ensure they reflect the latest scientific evidence, and that the approach HSE has taken to the classification of Covid-19 is consistent with that. The classification of Covid-19 will be reviewed in future as part of that routine process.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Earlier Questions were related to how the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has used its Enforcement Management Model (EMM) to support proportionate decision-making by its inspectors in the pandemic. HSE reviewed evidence about that proportionality in November 2020 and the paper setting out the evidence, including the technical annex containing the data considered in the review, is on HSE’s website here.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 18 February 2021, the Government announced that the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and UK Research Innovation (UKRI) had been awarded £18.5 million in funding for four research projects to help understand and address the longer-term health effects of COVID-19 in non-hospitalised patients.
As research into the long-term health symptoms and impacts of COVID-19 is ongoing, we are collaborating across Government to monitor emerging evidence and consider our response.
The answer to question 155053 emphasised the importance to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in making proportionate regulatory decisions in the pandemic when considering the impact on the working age population as a whole. The working population includes anyone in legal employment. Workers above the legal working age and below state pension age account for the overwhelming majority of those in legal employment. To inform decisions about proportionate regulation, HSE statisticians have drawn on eleven data sets to give an overview of the impact on the working population. The age-differentiated data is categorised to identify people between legal working age and state pension age.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) rightly takes the risk of Covid-19 in the work place seriously. HSE inspectors will take any necessary actions to ensure compliance whenever they find employers who are not meeting the Government’s COVID-19 secure standards.
HSE’s Enforcement Management Model (EMM) provides a framework structure supporting consistent, sensible and proportionate decision making across a very wide range of health and safety at work risks. Regulators are expected to use their knowledge and experience as well as technical guidance to identify the categories that best fit the situation they are dealing with.
EMM Table 1 describes general consequence categories of “serious,” “significant,’ and “minor” injuries and health effects, for the purposes of applying the model to guide enforcement action in relation to breaches of health and safety law. This is a tool to guide proportionate enforcement outcomes so that businesses and other dutyholders are dealt with fairly and consistently.
EMM Table 1 states that a serious health effect is one which is “credible” will cause “a permanent, progressive or irreversible condition,” or be “permanently disabling, leading to a lifelong restriction of work capability or a major reduction in quality of life.”
For the purposes of this model, the general harm category for any given health risk is determined by the most credible (or most likely) health outcome, rather than the most serious outcome which may result.
Therefore, according to the model, the “credible outcome” for a worker’s health means the most likely health outcome when considering the working age population as a whole.
It should be remembered that the EMM is simply a model and does not restrict HSE’s inspectors from taking, where appropriate, the necessary enforcement action, including notices, to ensure that workplaces are COVID secure.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The category labels “serious” and “significant” are used within the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Enforcement Management Model (EMM). The EMM supports inspectors in considering enforcement options requiring improvements in workplaces but is not relevant to the use of prohibition powers. HSE has not therefore issued instructions to inspectors about the use of EMM in relation to their use of prohibition notices.
HSE takes Covid-19 safety at work very seriously and it is playing a critical role in the national response to the pandemic. The Government has provided additional funding of £14 million to HSE to strengthen its capacity to tackle Covid-19.
Since the start of the pandemic HSE has carried over 127,000 COVID-19 spot checks and responded to over 19,000 concerns. Over 700 checks a day are currently taking place. Spot checks have been targeted in those industries where workers are most likely to be vulnerable to transmission risks.
HSE’s evidence is that more than 90% of the businesses checked have the right precautions in place or are willing to make necessary changes promptly and without the need for enforcement notices. HSE will continue to take enforcement action where appropriate, but the best use of its time and resource to ensure employers take the right action promptly is often to educate, persuade or require matters to be put right immediately.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The answer to question 147867 provided the definition of one category label used in the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Enforcement Management Model (EMM). This question omits a very important part of that definition, namely that the characterisation refers to the likely response of the working population as a whole, not taking account of individuals with a particular resistance or susceptibility. I have nothing to add to my previous response to question 147867, which provided the complete definition.
HSE takes Covid-19 safety at work very seriously and it is playing a critical role in the national response to the pandemic. The Government has provided additional funding of £14 million to HSE to strengthen its capacity to tackle Covid-19.
Since the start of the pandemic HSE has carried over 127,000 Coivd-19 spot checks and responded to over 19,000 concerns. Over 700 checks a day are currently taking place. Spot checks have been targeted in those industries where workers are most likely to be vulnerable to transmission risks.
HSE’s evidence is that more than 90% of the businesses checked have the right precautions in place or are willing to make necessary changes promptly and without the need for enforcement notices. HSE will continue to take enforcement action where appropriate, but the best use of its time and resource to ensure employers take the right action promptly is often to educate, persuade or require matters to be put right immediately.
HSE has to date issued two prohibition notices for breaches of workplace COVID-secure standards, both in the oil and gas industry (part of the extractive utilities sector).
A further 223 COVID-19 related interventions have resulted in improvement notices, 1,512 in written correspondence and 6790 in verbal advice.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The answer to question 147867 outlined how the category label “serious” is used in the context of the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Enforcement Management Model (EMM). There are currently no plans to change guidance to inspectors about how they use any category in the model. HSE continues to keep the evidence under review and will make changes if the evidence requires.
HSE takes Covid-19 safety at work very seriously and it is playing a critical role in the national response to the pandemic. The Government has provided additional funding of £14 million to HSE to strengthen its capacity to tackle Covid-19.
Since the start of the pandemic HSE has carried over 127,000 Coivd-19 spot checks and responded to over 19,000 concerns. Over 700 checks a day are currently taking place. Spot checks have been targeted in those industries where workers are most likely to be vulnerable to transmission risks.
HSE’s evidence is that more than 90% of the businesses checked have the right precautions in place or are willing to make necessary changes promptly and without the need for enforcement notices. HSE will continue to take enforcement action where appropriate, but the best use of its time and resource to ensure employers take the right action promptly is often to educate, persuade or require matters to be put right immediately.
HSE has to date issued two prohibition notices for breaches of workplace COVID-secure standards, both in the oil and gas industry (part of the extractive utilities sector).
A further 223 COVID-19 related interventions have resulted in improvement notices, 1,512 in written correspondence and 6790 in verbal advice.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
HSE has decided the category ‘significant’ in the EMM table best supports inspectors in making sensible, proportionate regulatory decisions. The definition is that the effects are non-permanent or reversible, non-progressive and any disability is temporary. This definition refers to the likely response of the working population as a whole, not taking account of individuals with a particular resistance or susceptibility.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Please see attached spreadsheet detailing HSE staff in each division and region from 2007/08 to 2019/20 and note the following:
- Figures provided are for full-time equivalent (FTE) staff (rounded to nearest whole number) on 31st March for each year, as published in HSE’s Annual Report and Accounts, with further analysis by division and region.
- Figures provided do not include staff from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) which became an independent statutory public corporation on 1 April 2014.
- HSE is a national regulator and regulatory effort is not necessarily confined by geographical region. HSE has specialists who work across geographical regions such as those regulating major hazard sectors.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Leadership Council was originally formed to provide an opportunity for senior business leaders to drive implementation of the core standards from the Stevenson / Farmer review. It is an independently-chaired body. As membership is reviewed and evolves there may be scope to consider additional representatives.
Since its inaugural meeting on 17 January 2019, The Thriving at Work Leadership Council has met on the 24th April 2019, 24th June 2019 and 28th January 2020.
The next meeting is to be held on 26th June 2020 which will discuss Mental Health at Work during COVID-19.
I apologise for the delay and refer the hon. Member to my responses to questions 49012/49013 answered on 1st July and question 52074 answered on 7th July.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The additional £14m funding for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is available until March 2021. HSE is developing a rolling programme of activity building on the way it has already tackled approximately 6000 Covid-19 related concerns and will draw down funds throughout the year to bring in additional inspectors, call centre staff and equipment. It is therefore not possible to give set totals at this stage.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The additional £14m funding for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is available until March 2021. HSE is developing a rolling programme of activity building on the way it has already tackled approximately 6000 Covid-19 related concerns and will draw down funds throughout the year to bring in additional inspectors, call centre staff and equipment. It is therefore not possible to give set totals at this stage.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The additional £14m funding for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is available until March 2021. HSE is developing a rolling programme of activity building on the way it has already tackled approximately 6000 Covid-19 related concerns and will draw down funds throughout the year to bring in additional inspectors, call centre staff and equipment. It is therefore not possible to give set totals at this stage.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
HSE is currently promoting the latest guidance and Covid-secure risk assessments to help protect workers from Covid-19. This includes communicating with trade unions, employers, stakeholders and partners.
Activity includes working with national and regional media, promoting HSE’s website and microsites through digital marketing and social media activity, running as series of webinars and sending direct marketing ebulletins and emails. This links to continually updated guidance, toolkits and useable assets such as posters and videos on the HSE website and gov.uk to increase HSE’s reach and engagement with its audiences, including the general public.
Up to date guidance is available on the gov.uk and HSE web sites and can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19
or
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The funding up to a maximum of £14.19m has been made available to the Health and Safety Executive by HM Treasury until 31 March 2021
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
An additional sum of up to £14 million has been made available to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to support their advice and regulatory activities, such as extra call centre employees, inspectors and equipment. HSE is currently developing plans and as more businesses return to work, it has begun carrying out proactive checks to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to protect workers from COVID-19.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
An additional sum of up to £14 million has been made available to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to support their advice and regulatory activities, such as extra call centre employees, inspectors and equipment. HSE is currently developing plans and as more businesses return to work, it has begun carrying out proactive checks to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to protect workers from COVID-19.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
An additional sum of up to £14 million has been made available to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to support their advice and regulatory activities, such as extra call centre employees, inspectors and equipment. HSE is currently developing plans and as more businesses return to work, it has begun carrying out proactive checks to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to protect workers from COVID-19.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is playing a crucial role in the Government’s response to Covid-19, including communicating with trade unions, employers and stakeholders to help ensure workplaces are safe environments. This also includes communicating through press and social media channels to increase engagement and awareness with our audiences including the general public.
Following the Government’s announcement and the publication of guidance by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy on 11th May 2020 on working safely during the coronavirus pandemic, HSE is currently promoting this guidance and developing further plans to communicate to protect workers from Covid-19.
Up to date guidance is available on the GOV.UK and HSE web sites and can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19
or
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carries out a range of regulatory activities including proactive inspections and reactive work. This involves investigating any workplace related concerns, major injuries as well as possible work related fatalities.
The attached document provides tables, which give more detailed breakdown of inspections asked. HSE works to ensure employers and those in control of workplaces are complying with their legal duties to manage health and safety risks.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carries out a range of regulatory activities including proactive inspections and reactive work. This involves investigating any workplace related concerns, major injuries as well as possible work related fatalities.
The attached document provides tables, which give more detailed breakdown of inspections asked. HSE works to ensure employers and those in control of workplaces are complying with their legal duties to manage health and safety risks.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
There is no scope within the human resources policies of the Department’s executive non-departmental public bodies to allow ‘fire and rehire’ as a negotiating tactic. The legally permitted reasons for dismissal and the relevant process must be followed, in line with ACAS guidelines.
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No such discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions have taken place to date. However, research into the long-term health symptoms and impacts of COVID-19 is ongoing and we continue to collaborate across Government to monitor emerging evidence including statistics on the prevalence of ‘long’ COVID-19.
The Department has not made an assessment of ‘credible risk’ as defined by the Health and Safety Executive’s Enforcement Management Model.
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
COVID-19 is a new disease and therefore it is not yet clear what the physical, psychological and rehabilitation needs will be for those experiencing long-term effects of the virus.
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Approximately one in 10 people who contract COVID-19 still experience symptoms and impaired quality of life after 12 weeks. We do not presently know whether these difficulties are permanent or temporary in their effects on patients.
There is ongoing research into the effects of ‘long’ COVID-19 in both hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients.
On 18 February, the Government announced £18.5 million funding for four research projects to help better understand the causes, symptoms and treatment of the condition.
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK Government has been very clear that threatening fire and rehire as a negotiating tactic is completely unacceptable. We always expect employers to treat employees fairly and in the spirit of partnership working with trade unions, where relevant, constructively. We are confident that all non-departmental public bodies are aware of the Government's position on this matter.
The FCDO works constructively with each non-departmental public body it has responsibility for and this includes when it comes to workforce management matters, however each is ultimately responsible for the management of their staff.
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister without Portfolio)
The Government has been very clear that threatening fire and rehire as a negotiating tactic is completely unacceptable. We always expect employers to treat employees fairly and in the spirit of partnership working with trade unions, where relevant, constructively. We are confident that all non-departmental public bodies are aware of the Government’s position on this matter.
We work constructively with each non-departmental public body which the Department has, including on workforce management matters, however each non-departmental public body is ultimately responsible for the management of their staff.
Minister for Equalities
Officials in HMT routinely meet with representatives of Mayoral Combined Authorities and Local Authorities as a core part of their work. The TVCA presented information to Treasury officials regarding PD Ports’ facilities on two occasions in September last year. Treasury officials did not provide any support regarding this matter.
Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
At Budget, the Chancellor announced 8 Freeports from 8 regions of England, as selected by the Secretary of State for the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government – this followed the fair, open and transparent assessment process outlined in the Bidding Prospectus. The locations are:
- East Midlands Airport,
- Felixstowe & Harwich (Freeport East),
- Humber,
- Liverpool City Region,
- Plymouth and South Devon,
- Solent,
- Teesside,
- Thames
The Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government will shortly publish more information on the selection of these Freeport locations according to the process laid out in the Prospectus.
Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
At Budget, the Chancellor announced 8 Freeports from 8 regions of England, as selected by the Secretary of State for the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government – this followed the fair, open and transparent assessment process outlined in the Bidding Prospectus. The locations are:
- East Midlands Airport,
- Felixstowe & Harwich (Freeport East),
- Humber,
- Liverpool City Region,
- Plymouth and South Devon,
- Solent,
- Teesside,
- Thames
The Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government will shortly publish more information on the selection of these Freeport locations according to the process laid out in the Prospectus.
Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The government is pleased to have announced the locations of 8 new English Freeports at Budget, including Solent. These new Freeports will create jobs in deprived communities across the country
Freeports are not deregulatory and the government will ensure that the UK’s high standards with respect to workers’ rights will not be compromised.
Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
I can confirm that the national minimum wage will apply in Freeports.
Our Freeport model ensures that the UK’s high standards with respect to security, safety, workers’ rights, data protection, biosecurity and the environment will not be compromised.
That means businesses in Freeports – like any other business in the UK – will have to adhere to the UK’s high regulatory standards.
Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
I can confirm that the same rules and regulations regarding trade unions which apply across the UK will apply within Freeports.
Our Freeport model ensures that the UK’s high standards with respect to security, safety, workers’ rights, data protection, biosecurity and the environment will not be compromised.
There is no deregulatory agenda in Freeports. Businesses in Freeports – like any other business in the UK – will have to adhere to the UK’s high regulatory standards.
Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Minister for Equalities
Minister for Equalities
Minister for Equalities
Budget 20 committed to establishing a significant new campus in the north of England focused on economic decision making, which will include teams from HM Treasury, DIT, BEIS and MHCLG. Potential locations for the economic campus in the north of England have been considered against a broad range of criteria. Our aim is to ensure the campus meets Departments’ needs and supports the Government’s wider levelling up agenda.
Minister for Equalities
Budget 20 committed to establishing a significant new campus in the north of England focused on economic decision making, which will include teams from HM Treasury, DIT, BEIS and MHCLG. Potential locations for the economic campus in the north of England have been considered against a broad range of criteria. Our aim is to ensure the campus meets Departments’ needs and supports the Government’s wider levelling up agenda.
Minister for Equalities
HMRC enforce the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) in line with the law and policy set out by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
The Low Pay Commission (LPC) publishes an annual report that provides an assessment of the nature and extent of NMW underpayment. The latest report published by the LPC in April 2019 can be found here:
There is no robust estimate available of the income tax revenue lost as a result of NMW underpayment.
The Government is committed to tackling false self-employment. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) take a risk-based approach to investigating employers who may have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. In these cases, HMRC establish the facts and take steps to ensure the right tax and National Insurance contributions are paid.
Income Tax and National Insurance contributions lost due to false self-employment are part of the tax gap related to employers. HMRC publish an assessment of the tax gap: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/measuring-tax-gaps.
A separate estimate of the tax gap relating to false self-employment is not available.
The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it.
HMRC enforce the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) in line with the law and policy set out by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
HMRC investigate all complaints from workers referred by the Acas helpline, or received via the online complaints form.
The total number of staff employed by HMRC since 2009-2010 to carry out National Minimum Wage enforcement is provided in the table below.
Year | Number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff |
2009/10 | 140 |
2010/11 | 142 |
2011/12 | 139 |
2012/13 | 142 |
2013/14 | 158 |
2014/15 | 183 |
2015/16 | 251 |
2016/17 | 352 |
2017/18 | 412 |
2018/19 | 429 |
2019/20 | 442 |
There are also additional staff across HMRC who contribute to enforcing the NMW including lawyers, technical advisers, and those specialising in criminal investigations. These staff are not included in the numbers outlined above.
HMRC do not hold accurate data on regional staff numbers going back to 2009-10. However, most recently, for 2019-20 there were 442 full-time equivalent NMW enforcement staff working from 22 locations in 12 regions across the country:
Region | Number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff |
East Midlands | 25 |
Greater London | 40 |
North East | 34 |
North West | 106 |
Northern Ireland | 25 |
Scotland | 65 |
South East | 12 |
South West | 13 |
East of England | 3 |
Wales | 24 |
West Midlands | 52 |
Yorkshire and the Humber | 43 |
Total | 442 |
As a national operation, it is common for staff based in one region to work cases in another.
The Government has been increasing funding for NMW enforcement year-on-year. This has enabled a significant expansion of resources dedicated to enforcing the minimum wage.
The table below provides a yearly breakdown of funding received for NMW enforcement from 2009/10 to 2020/21.
Year | Funding for NMW enforcement (millions) |
2009/10 | £8.3 |
2010/11 | £8.1 |
2011/12 | £8.3 |
2012/13 | £8.3 |
2013/14 | £8.3 |
2014/15 | £9.2 |
2015/16 | £13.2 |
2016/17 | £20.0 |
2017/18 | £25.3 |
2018/19 | £25.2 |
2019/20 | £26.3 |
2020/21 | £26.4 |
It is not possible to provide an accurate regional breakdown of the NMW enforcement budget.
The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it.
HMRC enforce the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) in line with the law and policy set out by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
HMRC investigate all complaints from workers referred by the Acas helpline, or received via the online complaints form.
The total number of staff employed by HMRC since 2009-2010 to carry out National Minimum Wage enforcement is provided in the table below.
Year | Number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff |
2009/10 | 140 |
2010/11 | 142 |
2011/12 | 139 |
2012/13 | 142 |
2013/14 | 158 |
2014/15 | 183 |
2015/16 | 251 |
2016/17 | 352 |
2017/18 | 412 |
2018/19 | 429 |
2019/20 | 442 |
There are also additional staff across HMRC who contribute to enforcing the NMW including lawyers, technical advisers, and those specialising in criminal investigations. These staff are not included in the numbers outlined above.
HMRC do not hold accurate data on regional staff numbers going back to 2009-10. However, most recently, for 2019-20 there were 442 full-time equivalent NMW enforcement staff working from 22 locations in 12 regions across the country:
Region | Number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff |
East Midlands | 25 |
Greater London | 40 |
North East | 34 |
North West | 106 |
Northern Ireland | 25 |
Scotland | 65 |
South East | 12 |
South West | 13 |
East of England | 3 |
Wales | 24 |
West Midlands | 52 |
Yorkshire and the Humber | 43 |
Total | 442 |
As a national operation, it is common for staff based in one region to work cases in another.
The Government has been increasing funding for NMW enforcement year-on-year. This has enabled a significant expansion of resources dedicated to enforcing the minimum wage.
The table below provides a yearly breakdown of funding received for NMW enforcement from 2009/10 to 2020/21.
Year | Funding for NMW enforcement (millions) |
2009/10 | £8.3 |
2010/11 | £8.1 |
2011/12 | £8.3 |
2012/13 | £8.3 |
2013/14 | £8.3 |
2014/15 | £9.2 |
2015/16 | £13.2 |
2016/17 | £20.0 |
2017/18 | £25.3 |
2018/19 | £25.2 |
2019/20 | £26.3 |
2020/21 | £26.4 |
It is not possible to provide an accurate regional breakdown of the NMW enforcement budget.
As part of the COVID-19 contingency measures introduced by the Home Office, the transition to the new ASPEN card was postponed to enable the Department to focus on handling the operational challenges that the pandemic was causing on the wider asylum support system.
However, the current contract has been extended to ensure there is payment service continuity during this challenging time. The new card service provision is scheduled to be in place by the end of May 2021.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
10 Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities Questions
(View all Andy McDonald's DLUHC questions)We were clear in the Freeports Bidding Prospectus that the government remains committed to ensuring its Freeport model maintains the UK’s high standards with respect to security, safety, workers’ rights, data protection, biosecurity and the environment, while ensuring fair and open competition between businesses.
It is for determination of the individual Freeports themselves who they include in their coalitions within the parameters we have set.
My Department led the fair, open and transparent selection process to determine the successful Freeport locations in England, with assessment informed by relevant experts across government to ensure objective and robust assessment.
All bids received were initially assessed on their answers to the Essential Information set out in Section 5.5 of the Freeports bidding prospectus. Those that passed this stage had their responses to the questions set out in Section 5.6 of the Freeports Bidding Prospectus assessed against the listed criteria. This involved assessing the proposal’s ability to deliver against the policy objectives; the deliverability of the proposal effectively at pace; and the level of private sector involvement in the proposal.
Further information on the process and rationale for the selection of the successful Freeport locations in England, and how Teesside’s Freeport proposal scored against each of the assessment criteria, is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freeports-bidding-prospectus/english-freeports-selection-decision-making-note.
My Department led the fair, open and transparent selection process to determine the successful Freeport locations. The cross Whitehall Freeport Programme Board membership comprised of Senior Civil Servants from MHCLG, HMT, DfT, DIT, HMRC, BEIS, Border Force, the IPA, No.10, Defra and Cabinet Office.
Formal moderation sessions took place the week commencing 15 February 2021 and involved officials with expertise in Trade and Investment, Innovation, Regeneration and Development, Business Cases and Private sector Involvement, and Net Zero and Sustainability.
All bids were assessed against the assessment criteria set out in the Freeports Bidding Prospectus. For Criterion D, bidders were assessed on the deliverability of their proposal effectively at pace. For Criterion E, bidders were assessed against their proposals ability to demonstrate a high level of private sector involvement.
All bids were assessed against the assessment criteria set out in the Freeports Bidding Prospectus. For Criterion D, bidders were assessed on the deliverability of their proposal effectively at pace. For Criterion E, bidders were assessed against their proposals ability to demonstrate a high level of private sector involvement.
We were clear in the Freeports Bidding Prospectus that our key policy objectives for Freeports are to establish Freeports as national hubs for global trade and investment across the UK; to promote regeneration and job creation; and to create hotbeds for innovation. The English Freeports Selection Decision-Making note makes clear how bids, including Teesside’s proposal, scored against these criteria. Any questions regarding the specific content of the Teesside Freeport bid should be directed to the bidding coalition. Further information on the Teesside Freeport proposal can be found here: https://teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/teesside-freeport/ .
Officials in my Department are in ongoing discussions with the successful locations announced at Budget. These discussions are focused on agreeing Governance arrangements and assisting these locations to further develop their proposals in the lead up to the submission of their Outline and Full Business Cases. As Freeports Policy incorporates a vast range of policy levers, officials within other Government Departments will also be involved in discussions with the successful locations.
The information requested is not held centrally.
Costs directly attributable to each claim / case type are not separately identifiable as current financial systems do not allow us to link costs to claims / cases.
Employment tribunal cases can vary in nature and complexity and some can last over more than one year, particularly where collective disputes are involved. Claims in employment tribunals can be classified into either single or multiple claims. Multiple claims being where two or more people bring proceedings arising out of the same facts, usually against a common employer. Where claims are grouped as multiples, they are processed administratively and managed judicially together. Claims can be disposed of in a variety of ways, including being rejected either because they are out of time, or have no reasonable chance of success. A minority of cases are disposed of at a full hearing. There are therefore many ways an employment tribunal case can be interpreted.
As a result, it is not possible to provide costs for each of the last three years for employment tribunal cases brought in relation to the failure of companies to follow redundancy consultancy procedures required by law.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is clear that the House Authorities must continue to ensure that the Estate is safe and that we must all continue to work in line with public health advice. The House Authorities have been undertaking risk assessments of various work spaces and are in direct contact with Public Health England (PHE) on any specific concerns. PHE also published its review at the beginning of June to help us understand how Covid-19 may affect different ethnic groups. The Equalities Minister is taking forward further work following the PHE Review so that we can better understand the disparities. The Government continues to advise members of the parliamentary community, such as Members’ staff and most House staff, to continue to work from home where they can. I would like to commend the House Authorities for their work in ensuring that the Parliamentary Estate is a Covid-19 secure workplace, and I have every confidence in their efforts to make sure House staff at increased risk of contracting coronavirus are suitably protected.
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons