Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many (a) photographers and (b) video producers were employed by his Department in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020 and (iii) 2021.
Answered by Jane Hunt
The Department has no one employed exclusively as a photographer or video producer. The content producers in the digital communications team are multi-skilled and work on many other aspects of creative production and digital delivery.
In July 2019, July 2020 and July 2021, the BEIS digital communications team had 3 full time content creators. Currently the BEIS digital communications team has 2 full time content creators.
There are a number of other employees who are not primarily content producers, but who sometimes support videos and photography – we do not have a record of how many members of staff this has included across the department in this time period.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what consultation he has undertaken on the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses (Amendment) Regulations 2022.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government carried out a consultation on revoking the ban on using agency workers to cover strikes in 2015. It asked what effect the removal would have on a wide variety of stakeholders, including workers, employment businesses, employers, employees on strike and about the impact on wider economy and society. It received a large number of substantive responses from a wide range of stakeholders, including employers, agencies and trade unions which have been carefully considered before deciding to proceed with removing Regulation 7 of the Conduct Regulations 2003.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much his Department spent on (a) focus groups and (b) polling services in 2021.
Answered by George Freeman
The information required to answer this question is not held centrally. This means that any information provided would not be fully accurate and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to review the efficacy of sections (a) 193 (b) 193A and (c) 194 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government wrote to the Insolvency Service on 23 March asking it to undertake an urgent and thorough enquiry into the recent actions of P&O Ferries, to determine whether the law has been complied with and consider prompt and appropriate action where it has not.
The Insolvency Service confirmed on 01 April that following its enquiries it has initiated both formal and civil investigations into the circumstances surrounding the redundancies made by P&O Ferries.
The Rt. Hon. Member will appreciate that while these investigations are being progressed it would not be appropriate to make further comment but the Insolvency Service will provide an update in due course.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Written Statement of 29 March 2022, HCWS735 on Business Update, whether he plans for the statutory code of practice to be in force by the end of 2022.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will bring forward a statutory code of practice on dismissal and reengagement.
Under section 204 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, the Secretary of State is required to publish a draft and consider any representations. The Department will engage with trade unions as part of that consultation. The scope of the Code and its remedies will be in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
Legislation to lay the Code will be introduced when parliamentary time allows and will be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Written Statement of 29 March 2022, HCWS735 on Business Update, what period of consultation he plans to provide on the Draft statutory code; and what steps he will take to engage trade unions in that consultation.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will bring forward a statutory code of practice on dismissal and reengagement.
Under section 204 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, the Secretary of State is required to publish a draft and consider any representations. The Department will engage with trade unions as part of that consultation. The scope of the Code and its remedies will be in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
Legislation to lay the Code will be introduced when parliamentary time allows and will be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2022 to Question 147058 P&O Ferries: Redundancy, whether he has contacted the relevant authorities directly in relation to redundancies at P&O Ferries.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government wrote to the Insolvency Service on 23 March asking it to undertake an urgent and thorough enquiry into the recent actions of P&O Ferries, to determine whether the law has been complied with and consider prompt and appropriate action where it has not.
The Insolvency Service confirmed on 1st April that following its enquiries it has initiated both formal and civil investigations into the circumstances surrounding the redundancies made by P&O Ferries.
The Rt. Hon. Member will appreciate that while these investigations are being progressed it would not be appropriate to make further comment, but the Insolvency Service will provide an update in due course.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make a disqualification order against the chief executive of P&O Ferries.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Insolvency Service has commenced formal investigations into the circumstances surrounding the recent redundancies made by P&O Ferries. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State does not have the power to make a disqualification order; these are made by the courts if the relevant legal tests are met.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Written Statement of 29 March 2022, HCWS735 on Business Update, whether the Statutory Code will provide protection to workers as well as employees.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will bring forward a statutory code of practice on dismissal and reengagement.
Under section 204 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, the Secretary of State is required to publish a draft and consider any representations. The Department will engage with trade unions as part of that consultation. The scope of the Code and its remedies will be in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
Legislation to lay the Code will be introduced when parliamentary time allows and will be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure.
Asked by: Angela Rayner (Labour - Ashton-under-Lyne)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Written Statement of 29 March 2022, HCWS735 on Business Update, whether the statutory code of practice on dismissal and reengagement will apply where there are fewer than 20 employees affected in one establishment.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will bring forward a statutory code of practice on dismissal and reengagement.
Under section 204 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, the Secretary of State is required to publish a draft and consider any representations. The Department will engage with trade unions as part of that consultation. The scope of the Code and its remedies will be in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
Legislation to lay the Code will be introduced when parliamentary time allows and will be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure.