Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if it remains his policy intention to implement a right to request more predictable contracts for all workers after 26 weeks of employment.
Answered by Dean Russell
The Government remains committed to introduce a right to request a more predictable contract.
This right will allow a qualifying worker to make an application to change their existing working pattern if it lacks predictability in terms of hours they are required to work, the times they are required to work, and / or the duration of their contract.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether it remains his policy to bring forward legislative proposals on employment status.
Answered by Graham Stuart
On 26 July 2022, the Government responded to its employment status consultation which explored a wide range of employment status legislative proposals.
The response concluded that while the Government recognised the boundaries between the different statuses can be unclear for some individuals and employers, the benefits of a fundamental overhaul of the employment status system were outweighed by the potential disruption associated with legislative reform.
Alongside the Government response, the Government published guidance to help clarify the existing employment status boundaries, making it easier for business to comply with existing regulations and for individuals to understand which employment protections apply to them.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) retailers and (b) Cabinet colleagues on the adequacy of guidance on displaying pumpkin carving kits in retail settings.
Answered by Dean Russell
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had recent discussions with (a) retailers or (b) Cabinet colleagues on the guidance on pumpkin carving kits in retail settings.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his planned timetable is for making an announcement on an equivalent to the £400 payment under the Energy Bills Support Scheme for people who live in (a) a park home, (b) a houseboat and (c) off the grid.
Answered by Graham Stuart
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for St Albans on 22nd September to Question 48498.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
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 adequacy of the compensation processes for businesses affected by large scale utility works.
Answered by Graham Stuart
There are schemes which provide compensation to businesses affected by utility works. The Government has made no recent assessment of these schemes.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 19 April 2022 to Question 151160 on P&O Ferries: Redundancy, whether the investigations by the Insolvency Service have been completed; and whether any prosecutions have commenced.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Insolvency Service has confirmed that the investigations into the circumstances surrounding the redundancies made by P&O Ferries are ongoing. As such no further comment or information can be provided at this time.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many (a) investigations have been commenced and (b) fines issued under regulation 7 of The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 in each year since 2010.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate enforces the requirements of the Conduct Regulations.
EAS has historically received a limited number of complaints about regulation 7. EAS investigates all relevant complaints and takes enforcement action where necessary. It does not have the power to issues fines, which rests with the court.
The table at Annex A shows the number of complaints EAS recoded in relation to regulation 7. This data is locally held management information taken from a live case management system. To date no breaches have been established under regulation 7 and no enforcement action has been taken.
Annex A
Operational year | Number of regulation 7 complaints |
2012/2013 | 2 |
2013/2014 | 5 |
2014/2015 | No reported complaints |
2015/2016 | No reported complaints |
2016/2017 | No reported complaints |
2017/2018 | No reported complaints |
2018/19 | 2 |
2019/2020 | No reported complaints |
2020/2021 | 2 |
2021/2022 | 3 |
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 25 January 2022 to Question 108541 on Conditions of Employment, which Government departments he has been in regular dialogue with regarding reforms to the employment framework.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to bringing forward reforms to our employment framework as we build a high skilled, high productivity, high wage economy that delivers on its ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to work and grow a business.
It is important we consult widely on proposals for change and ensure stakeholders have the opportunity to share their views.
For example, we recently published a Government response to a consultation regarding reforms to the use of exclusivity clauses in employment contracts:
We carefully consider all consultation responses, which help inform decisions around how we take forward measures.
As reform of the employment framework is a complex cross-cutting topic, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has regular dialogue with other Government Departments with an interest.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has plans to bring forward an employment bill in the 2022-23 parliamentary Session.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Queen’s Speech set out a packed and ambitious legislative programme that includes a comprehensive set of bills which will enable us to deliver on priorities like growing the economy, which will in turn help address living costs and get people into good jobs.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce paid leave for parents with children who require neonatal care.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government recognises that parents of babies receiving neonatal care need extra support during some of the most difficult days of their lives.
The Government is committed to introducing Neonatal Leave and Pay to meet this need and will bring forward legislation when Parliamentary time allows.