Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information his Department holds on the number of breaches of employment law there have been in each sector during seasonal recruitment periods in each of the last three years.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Director of the Labour Market Enforcement’s (DLME) Annual Report for 2023 to 2025 (published in November 2025) provides information on enforcement activity across sectors and areas of heightened risk, including in relation to seasonal workers.
The Government is establishing the Fair Work Agency (FWA) in April 2026 which will deliver a much-needed upgrade to employment rights enforcement. Once established, the FWA will publish annual reports on its work and lay them before Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - 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 effectiveness of reporting mechanisms in capturing breaches of employment law among temporary and seasonal workers.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Director of the Labour Market Enforcement’s (DLME) Annual Report for 2023 to 2025 (published in November 2025) provides information on enforcement activity across sectors and areas of heightened risk, including in relation to seasonal workers.
The Government is establishing the Fair Work Agency (FWA) in April 2026 which will deliver a much-needed upgrade to employment rights enforcement. Once established, the FWA will publish annual reports on its work and lay them before Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - 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 publish information on (a) investigations and (b) enforcement action taken in relation to breaches involving (i) seasonal and (ii) temporary workers over the Christmas period in each of the last three years.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
All employers must comply with their legal obligations to ensure that their staff receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled, including when recruiting temporary or seasonal staff during periods of high demand such as Christmas.
The Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate regulates the recruitment sector and has extensive legal powers to address non-compliance and offending. Temporary and seasonal workers are also entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW), and NMW enforcement officers in HMRC can and do take action where employers fail to meet their legal obligations.
The Government will establish the Fair Work Agency (FWA) in April 2026. This will deliver a much-needed upgrade to the enforcement of workers’ rights and will bring together the important work EAS and HMRC-NMW are doing. The Government is committed to giving the FWA the resources it needs to do its job.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - 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 risks associated with non-compliance with employment law as a result of the rapid recruitment of temporary workers in the postal sector during the Christmas period.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
All employers must comply with their legal obligations to ensure that their staff receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled, including when recruiting temporary or seasonal staff during periods of high demand such as Christmas.
The Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate regulates the recruitment sector and has extensive legal powers to address non-compliance and offending. Temporary and seasonal workers are also entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW), and NMW enforcement officers in HMRC can and do take action where employers fail to meet their legal obligations.
The Government will establish the Fair Work Agency (FWA) in April 2026. This will deliver a much-needed upgrade to the enforcement of workers’ rights and will bring together the important work EAS and HMRC-NMW are doing. The Government is committed to giving the FWA the resources it needs to do its job.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - 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 adequacy of enforcement capacity during periods of high-volume seasonal recruitment.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
All employers must comply with their legal obligations to ensure that their staff receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled, including when recruiting temporary or seasonal staff during periods of high demand such as Christmas.
The Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate regulates the recruitment sector and has extensive legal powers to address non-compliance and offending. Temporary and seasonal workers are also entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW), and NMW enforcement officers in HMRC can and do take action where employers fail to meet their legal obligations.
The Government will establish the Fair Work Agency (FWA) in April 2026. This will deliver a much-needed upgrade to the enforcement of workers’ rights and will bring together the important work EAS and HMRC-NMW are doing. The Government is committed to giving the FWA the resources it needs to do its job.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - 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 help ensure that employers recruiting large numbers of temporary staff over the Christmas period comply with employment law.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
All employers must comply with their legal obligations to ensure that their staff receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled, including when recruiting temporary or seasonal staff during periods of high demand such as Christmas.
The Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate regulates the recruitment sector and has extensive legal powers to address non-compliance and offending. Temporary and seasonal workers are also entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW), and NMW enforcement officers in HMRC can and do take action where employers fail to meet their legal obligations.
The Government will establish the Fair Work Agency (FWA) in April 2026. This will deliver a much-needed upgrade to the enforcement of workers’ rights and will bring together the important work EAS and HMRC-NMW are doing. The Government is committed to giving the FWA the resources it needs to do its job.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to review the (a) length of statutory paternity leave and (b) level of pay provided during this period.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
On 1 July we launched the Parental Leave and Pay Review, which is considering all existing and upcoming parental leave entitlements, including Paternity Leave and Pay. When considering calls to increase entitlements for parents, the Government will balance the needs of families, the impact on employers, and affordability for taxpayers.
We recognise that more can be done to support working families now. That is why, through the Employment Rights Bill, we are making Paternity Leave a ‘day one’ right, which will bring an extra 32,000 fathers and partners into scope of the entitlement.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 84448 on Timesharing: Regulation, whether his Department is considering taking steps to (a) require licensing and bonding of management companies, (b) ensure audited accounts are accessible to fractional owners and (c) prohibit the use of perpetual contracts or in-perpetuity clauses.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There are no current plans to consider licencing and bonding of timeshare management businesses.
All companies are required to file audited accounts subject to certain exemptions, in particular for micro-sized companies, which may prepare and file simplified accounts, and small companies, which may abridge accounts. Both may also be able to claim audit exemption. Accounts are then made available to the public.
Exiting timeshares balances consumer protection, business interests and remaining customers' shared costs. Whilst there are no plans to alter this, purchasers of timeshares are also protected by general consumer law, requiring contract terms be fair and not mis-sold.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 84448 on Timesharing: Regulation, whether his Department plans to (a) review and (b) extend the 14 day exit right in the Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulations 2010.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Enabling consumers to exit timeshares is a balance between protecting consumers wanting to leave and the interests of the business and those customers who remain and share admin costs. The Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulations 2010 provide significant protections, including stipulating the information consumers must be aware of prior to purchase and a 14 day right to exit. This exit timeframe is in line with other areas of consumer law, such as The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. Purchasers of timeshares are also protected by general consumer law, requiring contract terms be fair and not mis-sold.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2025 to Question 72662 on Timesharing: Regulation and the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 81170 on Timesharing: Regulation, what steps he is taking to ensure that fractional ownership schemes, as distinct from shared ownership schemes, are adequately regulated to protect consumers.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulations 2010 stipulate the information consumers must be made aware of when purchasing timeshares. They also provide for a 14 day exit right, should the customer change their mind.
The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 and Part 2 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 protect consumers from being held to unfair contract terms. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 address mis-selling by prohibiting misleading actions and misleading omissions that might lead the average consumer to make a different decision.