Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with D&D London on the closure of 35 TGI Fridays branches.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We understand that this will be a concerning time for workers at TGI Fridays, and we stand ready to support those impacted. Affected employees will be able to access Government support, including Universal Credit and Job Centre Plus to help them find new jobs, through its Rapid Response Service. DBT officials are monitoring developments and are in touch with administrators.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support women with flexible working.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Through the recently introduced Employment Rights Bill, we are amending existing legislation to ensure employers accept flexible working requests, except where they are not reasonably feasible. These changes will support employees to access flexible working, including women. We know flexible working is particularly important supporting women who combine work with caring responsibilities.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether there have been changes to the licence agreements issued to UK Seabed Resources Limited since January 2021.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There have been no changes to the licence agreements issued to UK Seabed Resources Limited since January 2021.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department made an assessment of the potential costs and benefits to the UK of UK Seabed Resources Limited's two International Seabed Authority exploration licences.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business and Trade has considered the potential future impacts to the UK in holding two Deep Sea Mining exploration licences and have found there is an opportunity for the UK to take a lead in this emerging market with potential for growth and revenue through taxation. This is subject to the establishment of strong, enforceable environmental regulations, standards and guidelines adopted by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and where there is sufficient scientific evidence available to assess the potential impact of deep-sea mining activities on marine ecosystems.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Government response to the consultation entitled Health is everyone’s business, published on 4 October 2021, whether he plans to incorporate proposals within that consultation on tackling ill health-related job losses into the Employment Rights Bill.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This Government is committed to delivering the Plan to Make Work Pay in full and updating Britain's employment protections, so they are fit for our modern economy and the future of work. As set out in the Plan to Make to Work Pay we are committed to strengthen Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), so it provides a safety net for those who need it most. We will remove the Lower Earnings Limit to make it available to all workers and remove the waiting period so that SSP is paid from the first day of sickness absence. Ministers are identifying the most appropriate delivery mechanisms for the commitments in the Plan, including an Employment Rights Bill that will be introduced to Parliament within 100 days of taking office.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether employees of postmasters who lost earnings due to issues arising from the failures of the Horizon IT System will be eligible for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
As per the Horizon Shortfall Scheme eligibility criteria which are published on Post Office’s website, individuals must have, or have previously had, a contract directly with the Post Office to be eligible for compensation.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will establish an additional public holiday for St George's Day.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Government regularly receives requests for additional bank and public holidays to commemorate a variety of occasions – such as cultural, historical, military and religious events.
While an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy of an additional bank holiday remains considerable. The latest analysis estimates the cost to the UK economy for a one-off bank holiday to be around £2bn.
The current pattern of bank holidays is well established and accepted and we have no plans to change it.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Second Report of the Business and Trade Committee of Session 2023-24 on UK accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, HC483, published on 19 February 2024, whether a debate will be held on a substantive motion on the UK’s accession to that Partnership before the period the treaty is laid before Parliament under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 concludes on 22 March 2024.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government is committed to effective scrutiny of its trade agenda and has put in place a comprehensive framework for scrutiny of free trade agreements (FTAs). This includes a commitment to seek to hold a general debate on a new FTA where one is requested by the relevant Select Committee in a timely manner, subject to parliamentary time. The Government's view is that a general debate is the appropriate mechanism for Parliament to debate a new FTA.
The scheduling of parliamentary business is not a matter for the Department for Business and Trade, but the Government is aware of the Business and Trade Committee’s request for a debate.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take legislative steps to require Fujitsu to compensate the sub-postmasters impacted by the Horizon IT System.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The extent of Fujitsu’s culpability for the scandal will not be clear until the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry reports. However, Ministers have made clear that the taxpayer should not have to meet all the costs of the scandal. In the light of such comments – which have attracted widespread public support – Fujitsu have recently apologised publicly for their role in the scandal and have accepted that they have a moral obligation to contribute to its costs. The Government welcomes these statements and will continue to discuss matters with Fujitsu.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will meet representatives of Royal Mail to discuss adherence to the universal service obligation.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Ministers and officials meet with Royal Mail regularly to discuss a range of issues in relation to its role as the universal postal service provider, including the overall provision of the universal service obligation.
I recently met the CEO of Royal Mail’s parent company to raise concerns about Royal Mail’s performance and he recognised that the current level of service is not good enough and has said that improving quality of service is his top priority. I note that Royal Mail has recruited an additional 3,000 postmen and is continuing to actively recruit new postal staff. I will continue to raise the issue if service levels do not improve.