Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on regulatory requirements for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
On Monday 21 October, the Government published 24 Impact Assessments representing a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Bill. These Impact Assessments are available at the following link: http://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments. As per our Better Regulation requirements, each Impact Assessment includes a small, medium and micro business assessment, which discuss the potential impacts of the Employment Rights Bill.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to allow businesses to retain the ability to offer zero-hours contracts where that is in the interests of employees.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Employment Rights Bill seeks to end exploitative zero hours contracts, ensuring that all jobs provide a baseline of security and predictability so workers can better plan their lives and finances. We recognise that some workers need and value the flexibility that a zero hours contract can provide.
Under the Bill, those who are offered guaranteed hours will be able to turn these down and remain on their current contract or arrangement if they wish.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of workers in the construction industry.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business and Trade is working across Government to understand the demand impacts for the construction sector to deliver our built environment and infrastructure commitments.
This includes working with industry and the Construction Industry Training Board to support recruitment initiatives such as GoConstruct, and Open Doors, which aim to attract people to the industry. We are also working with DfE Skills England and the sector to improve routes to achieving qualifications and entering the industry, to ensure there are enough skilled workers to achieve our ambitions for housing and infrastructure delivery.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's polices of the Construction Industry Training Board's decision to end the use of Construction Skills Certification Scheme cards.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Construction Skills Certification Scheme Limited is the organisation responsible for providing cards to individuals working on construction sites. The Construction Industry Training Board has not ended the use of Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards.
Holding a CSCS card is not a legislative requirement. Most principal contractors and major house builders require workers on their construction sites to hold a valid card.
Standardising the approach to construction skills certification was made by the industry to improve standards of safety and competency on construction sites. This specifies and promotes card schemes displaying the CSCS logo with no equivalents accepted.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has plans to increase funding to the World Trade Organisation.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The UK’s funding to the World Trade Organization (WTO) is, as for all members, determined by the WTO itself, as agreed to by the UK under the conditions of membership in Article VII of the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the WTO, which entered into force on 1 January 1995. The membership fees are calculated by use of an established formula based on each Member’s share of international trade (based on trade in goods, services and intellectual property rights for the last five years for which data is available).
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed increases in stamp prices on (a) consumers and (b) businesses.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government does not have a role in Royal Mail’s commercial decisions, including the prices of stamps and other services.
In setting its prices, Royal Mail must observe the regulatory framework set by Ofcom which imposes price controls, ‘safeguard caps’, on certain second-class products to ensure a basic universal service is available to all at affordable prices.
Information on Ofcom’s decisions regarding retail price caps on Royal Mail’s universal postal services to apply from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027 is available on its website: www.ofcom.org.uk/post/deliveries-and-charges/consultation-review-of-second-class-safeguard-caps-2024.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of post office closures on (a) high-streets and (b) consumers in Essex.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Government fully appreciates the impact a Post Office branch closure can have on a community. It knows it can be disruptive, particularly for communities who don’t have nearby alternatives.
Although Post Office has the freedom to make commercial decisions regarding the composition of its network, Government protects the Post Office network and high street post offices by setting minimum access criteria. These include the requirements which ensure for example that in urban areas, 95% of the total population across the UK live within 1 mile of their nearest post office and in urban deprived areas 99% live within 1 mile of their nearest post office. The Government-set access criteria ensures that however the network changes, services remain within local reach of all citizens.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of post office closures on high streets.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Government fully appreciates the impact a Post Office branch closure can have on a community, particularly for communities who don’t have nearby alternatives.
Although Post Office has the freedom to make commercial decisions regarding the composition of its network, Government protects the Post Office network and high street post offices by setting minimum access criteria. These include the requirements which ensure for example that in urban areas, 95% of the total population across the UK live within 1 mile of their nearest post office and in urban deprived areas 99% live within 1 mile of their nearest post office. The Government-set access criteria ensures that however the network changes, services remain within local reach of all citizens.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 food producers from (a) Essex and (b) the UK to increase exports.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
DBT’s offer of export support for Food & Drink businesses in Essex and the whole of the UK includes: educational support via our Export Academy, 1-2-1 support from International Trade Advisors and our extensive overseas network, with trade advisors promoting UK food in over 100 countries. Overseas we deliver a large programme of trade shows, missions and events to increase exports in the sector. In addition, our UK Export Finance agency helps companies access export finance, with a dedicated finance manager covering Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make a comparative assessment of energy prices for steel production in (a) the UK, (b) China, (c) Germany and (d) the US.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that this continues to be a worrying time for the steel sector facing pressures due to global energy prices.
We are committed to minimising energy costs for steel, and all energy intensive industries, to help ensure they remain strong and competitive.
Further support through the new British Industry Supercharger should be worth (on average) around £24-£31 Per MegaWatt Hour (MWh) for eligible businesses, closing the competitive gap with their international competitors.