Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to encourage employers to offer flexible working schemes for all employees.
Answered by Claire Perry
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.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to increase the pay of workers in the (a) hospitality and (b) retail sectors.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
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.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all workers on trial periods are paid.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
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.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with Sony on their plans to move their European Headquarters from the UK to the Netherlands.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
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.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, What discussions he has had with steel companies on the effect of US steel tariffs on the UK steel sector.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
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.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of the national living wage.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
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.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the number of companies, restaurant chains and shops that require staff to organise their own cover before taking leave to which they are entitled.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The Department has not made such an assessment
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
What representations he has received on the attempted takeover of GKN by Melrose.
Answered by Greg Clark
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.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the future operation of the Working Time Directive in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Margot James
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.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recent ballot on industrial action at Royal Mail conducted by the Communication Workers Union; and what discussions he has had with management of Royal Mail on those implications.
Answered by Margot James
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.