Asked by: Claire Perry (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what analysis he has undertaken on the effect of the national living wage on the cost to the adult social care sector of employing staff on sleep-in contracts.
Answered by Margot James
Workers who are required to be available to perform work as and when called upon are entitled to the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) for the entire shift if they are deemed to be “working”. This remains the case, even if they are permitted to sleep during that shift.
The Government asks the Low Pay Commission (LPC) to monitor and evaluate the impact of the National Minimum and National Living Wage rates. The LPC carry out extensive research, consultation and analysis across a range of sectors to inform its wage rate recommendations.
The LPC autumn 2016 report, summarises its consultation with business stakeholders on the impact of the NLW and NMW. The report is available here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-minimum-wage-low-pay-commission-autumn-2016-report
The Government also produces analysis of the NMW/NLW rates in its Impact Assessment, this projected that around 126,000 workers are affected by the April 2017 rate rises (p79). Available here - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/465/impacts
Asked by: Claire Perry (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote stability and support the Philippines during its state of national emergency.
Answered by Lord Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We have a strong and growing bilateral relationship with the Philippines, which covers a range of issues including peace and security, counter terrorism, counter extremism, and human rights. We remain actively involved in efforts to promote stability, particularly in the southern Philippines. During my visit to Manila last December, I met senior members of the Philippine Administration and discussed how we can strengthen our cooperation. We will continue to offer support, drawing in particular on UK expertise in these areas.
Asked by: Claire Perry (Conservative - Devizes)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts on the commitment to spend at least two per cent of GDP on defence.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Ministers regularly raise the two per cent commitment during discussions with our NATO Allies.
For example, the Secretary of State was in Brussels last month and he reminded his counterparts that Britain is committed to spending two per cent of our GDP on defence every year of this decade and encouraged them to meet the commitment they all made at the Wales Summit in 2014.