Hugh Gaffney

I refer the Honourable Member to the 11 May letter that the Prime Minister wrote to the Inquiry Chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, confirming her decision to appoint additional panel members gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/grenfell-tower-inquiry-update

The Prime Minister will make the appointments in accordance with sections 4,7(1)(b) and 7(2)(b) of the Inquiries Act 2005

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office has held regular discussions with the Scottish Government on clause 11 of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill (clause 15 in the current print of the Bill). This matter was discussed with the Scottish Government, and the Welsh Government, at the Joint Ministerial Committee on European Negotiations on 22 February, 8 March and 2 May 2018, at the Joint Ministerial Committee (Plenary) on 14 March and at a separate trilateral meeting on 16 April 2018.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has also met with or spoken to Michael Russell, the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe in the Scottish Government, about clause 11 on a number of occasions as well as exchanging letters on the matter.

In addition, further intensive discussions have taken place at official level between the UK and Scottish Governments.

Details of my Official meetings are in the public domain and can be found on the gov.uk website.

Details of my Official meetings are in the public domain and can be found on the gov.uk website.

I visit all parts of the United Kingdom regularly. Details of my visits within the United Kingdom are published on the gov.uk website.

I refer the hon. Member to the press release issued on 17 November following my meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and which is available on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-meeting-with-irish-taoiseach-leo-varadkar-17-november-2017

I refer the hon. Member to the press release issued on 20 October following my call with Prime Minister Ardern and which is available on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-call-with-prime-minister-elect-jacinda-ardern-20-october-2017

For security reasons, my engagements are announced as and when appropriate.

The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.

While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business.

The operation and management of the Post Office Network are operational matters for Post Office Limited.

I have therefore asked Alisdair Cameron, the Group interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.

This Government is committed to building an economy that works for everyone. Through the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage, the Government is ensuring that the lowest paid within our society benefit from their contribution to the economy.

In April 2019, an above-inflation increase in the 16-17 year old National Minimum Wage saw 38,000 young workers receive a pay rise. The rate increased by 3.6% to £4.35 per hour. Since 2015, the National Minimum Wage for the 16-17 age group has increased by 12.4%.

In the first quarter of 2019, the unemployment rate for 16-17 year olds was 19.2%, down from 28% in 2015. As noted by the Low Pay Commission in its 2018 report, for 16-17 year olds, the priority remains their effective entry into the labour market, as they are the most vulnerable age group in the labour market due to their relative lack of experience.

In 2018, approximately 2,900 workers in Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill were on one of the minimum wage rates.

The ‘Updated Energy and Emissions Projections 2018[1] includes data on previous levels and future projections of coal-generated electricity.

There has been a rapid decline in the use of coal in power generation in recent years, from 40% in 2012 to 7% in 2017. We have seen regular periods of zero coal generation since summer 2016. Between 1 May and 8 May 2019, Great Britain went a week without coal-fired electricity generation for the first time since the Industrial Revolution. The Government has committed to phase out all unabated coal-fired electricity generation by 2025.

[1]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-energy-and-emissions-projections-2018

The UK has a strong legal framework to protect UK consumers from unsafe goods and we will maintain those protections on exit. The Office of Product Safety and Standards is increasing its intelligence capability to monitor risks associated with goods entering the UK and ensure that enforcement interventions are properly targeted to protect consumers and provide confidence to responsible businesses.

All employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer already have the right to request Flexible Working. This accounts for over 90% of employees.

The Government would like there to be more opportunities for flexible working, which is why we will consult on creating a duty for employers to consider whether a job can be done flexibly, and to make that clear when advertising.

The Government is also looking to work with employers on a voluntary basis. A taskforce to promote flexible working has been established. This is comprised of representatives from across Whitehall, from key organisations like Carers UK and Working Families, the TUC and key business groups. The taskforce is tackling key questions around flexible working which are key to improving the recruitment, retention and progression of key groups in the workforce.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the existing “right to request” legislation continues to have the desired impact. As part of this general commitment, it will be reviewed in 2020.

The Government is committed to building an economy that works for everyone. We demonstrated this commitment in April by raising the National Living Wage to £8.21, a 4.9% increase from last year, and bringing in inflation-beating rises to the National Minimum Wage. An estimated 2.1 million workers will benefit from the most recent increases, and the annual earnings of a full-time minimum wage worker have increased by over £2,750 since the introduction of the National Living Wage in April 2016. Latest constituency estimates from April 2018 suggest that 2,900 workers in Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill were on one of the minimum wage rates.

We estimate that in the UK 429,000 workers in the hospitality sector and 347,000 workers in the retail sector will benefit from the increases in the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage from 1 April 2019.

The industry-led Retail Sector Council recently agreed its priority work areas for the next two years, one of which focuses on employment protections. A senior industry figure will lead each of these work groups and bring proposals for action for both industry and Government back to the Council for consideration. The Tourism Industry Council is also working closely with Government Ministers to help improve in-work training and progression opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sector.

National Minimum Wage (NMW) legislation proscribes unpaid work trials that are excessive and not part of a legitimate recruitment process.

This Government is committed to cracking down on employers who fail to pay the National Minimum or Living Wage. In the last 3 years we have almost doubled HMRC’s budget to enforce the NMW from £13.2 million to a record £26.3 million. In the 2017/18 financial year, HMRC identified a record £15.6 million in arrears for over 200,00 workers.

In December 2018, the Government published new work trials guidance that clarifies the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers.

Anyone who is concerned about an unpaid work trial can seek advice from ACAS which offers tailored advice and refers cases to HMRC, which considers every worker complaint received.

There have been no such discussions with BEIS Ministers and officials. Sony have confirmed that they intend to set up a subsidiary in Amsterdam as part of their EU exit contingency planning. As has been widely reported, this will not result in any jobs being lost in the UK.

Department for International Trade teams in the UK and Japan actively promote and support increasing investment and trade between Japan and the UK and will continue to do so after we leave the EU. This was discussed by both Prime Ministers during PM Abe’s recent visit to the UK.

My ministerial team and I have had numerous discussions with the steel sector – both as part of wider discussions and on this subject alone – since the measures were announced by the US. We and our colleagues across Government have regularly raised this issue directly with the US to make our objections clear. We have also been working closely with the EU to ensure that proportionate action is taken so that UK workers are safeguarded. We remain in regular contact with the EU and the US Administration to try to reach a positive outcome. Together with BEIS officials, I will continue to engage the UK steel and aluminium companies affected by these tariffs to provide advice and support.

The Government has set an ambitious target for achieving a National Living Wage that represents 60% of median earnings by 2020 subject to sustained economic growth. The National Living Wage (NLW) rate is recommended to the Government by the independent Low Pay Commission (LPC). To make their recommendations, the LPC draws on a wide range of analysis, including independent research and stakeholder evidence from both employers and trade unions.

From 1 April 2018 the Government raised the NLW from £7.50 to £7.83, which means a full-time worker will see their earnings grow by more than £600 this year.

The Department has not made such an assessment

This is a commercial matter for the companies involved. I have spoken to the Chief Executives of GKN and Melrose to understand their intentions, and will continue to monitor the situation closely.

The Government can intervene in mergers on certain public interest grounds concerning national security, financial stability or media plurality.

The Government has firmly committed to protect workers’ rights, and the Withdrawal Bill will ensure that EU-derived employment rights, including those under the Working Time Regulations, will continue to be in force via domestic law after the UK has left the EU. On 11 December 2017, the Government published draft statutory instruments to illustrate how the proposed amendments will ensure the legal framework that provides for employment rights continues to operate effectively after exiting the EU.

The draft statutory instruments and an accompanying explanatory note can be found by searching ‘Withdrawal Bill’ on the Gov.uk website.

The industrial dispute by Royal Mail staff is a matter for Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union. The Government encourages the parties to engage constructively to find a solution to the dispute as quickly as possible.

The Government sets the limit by which train operators can increase regulated rail fares in line with July’s retail price index (RPI). This limit will be 3.2% in 2019. The Government monitors how rail fares change, and keeps under review the way fare levels are calculated. We also welcome and encourage measures by sports clubs that acknowledge and take account of the wider financial burden on travelling supporters.

DCMS has already made superfast broadband available to more than 95% of the country through its Superfast programme, and at least a further 2% is likely to be achieved. Of which, 340,000 premises (over 1% of premises) are contracted to be delivered by March 2019. In those areas where decent broadband is not available, we are introducing a broadband Universal Service Obligation so that by 2020 everyone across the UK will have a clear, enforceable right to request high-speed broadband of at least 10 Megabits per second. We will keep the speed and quality parameters under review to make sure that it keeps pace with consumers' evolving needs.

My Department created the Barrier Busting Taskforce who are working closely with local authorities and suppliers on removing obstacles that are preventing the widespread commercial deployment of full fibre connectivity.

Working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG ) we introduced 5-year business rates relief for new fibre installation. By enabling 100% business rates relief for operators who install new fibre on their networks, this will provide an incentive for operators to invest in the broadband network.

The Department also recently published a Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, which sets out our strategy to enable the roll out full fibre networks to 15 million premises by 2025 and achieve nationwide coverage by 2033. This strategy follows the creation of the Local Full Fibre Networks Programme last year, which is designed to stimulate commercial investment in full fibre networks in both rural and urban locations across the whole of the UK.

On Mobile services, the Government is committed to ensuring that the UK has good quality, consistent mobile connectivity where people live, work and travel. My Department is also working across Government, and with others, to ensure delivery of our manifesto commitment to secure 95% geographic coverage of the UK by 2022.

Alongside this work, we welcome the opportunity that Ofcom's proposed 700MHz auction presents to improve mobile coverage across the UK, including in rural area.

On 5G the Government is committed to providing the world-class digital infrastructure the UK needs to compete and grow in the modern economy. The Government’s 5G aims are to be a world leader in and to ensure that the majority of the population have access to a 5G signal by 2027.

We are confident that the digital technology sector will continue to go from strength to strength. Research by Dealroom and Tech Nation showed that British tech businesses attracted $7.8bn of funding last year, which was almost double the amount received in 2016 and more than Germany, France and Sweden combined (https://technation.io/news/uk-tech-extends-lead-over-europe/).

It is the job of a responsible Government to prepare for all scenarios, including the unlikely event that we reach March 2019 without agreeing a deal. This does not reflect an increased likelihood of ‘no deal’.

We have engaged with the digital technology sector to understand the potential effect of all scenarios. As part of ‘no deal’ preparations we are now publishing a series of technical notices which will advise organisations on potential courses of action to take in the unlikely event of ‘no deal’ with the EU. With the first batch already published, areas such as data protection will follow shortly.

We firmly believe it is in the interests of both the EU and the UK to strike a deal. That remains the goal on both sides and we are confident that this will be achieved.