Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what funding he has allocated to support employers to conduct pilot programmes on flexible working.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to supporting employers with their flexible working practices across all sectors of the economy. While we do not currently fund flexible working pilot programmes, we are providing employers with the support they need to make informed decisions on their future approach to flexible working. Through reconvening the Flexible Working Taskforce – a partnership across business groups, trade unions, charities, and government departments – we are bringing together the necessary expertise to provide this support.
The Taskforce has been asked to help take forward the best of what we have learned through the pandemic about more flexible ways of working as the economy starts to fully open up. In the immediate phase, the Taskforce will consider the essential practical and legal issues associated with a return to a workplace and an increase in hybrid working.
The Taskforce will move on to provide wider advice on best practice, so that employers are better able to support all forms of flexible working – whether the flexibility relates to the amount, timing or location of work.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to incentivise employers in a range of sectors to develop flexible working pilot programmes.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to supporting employers with their flexible working practices across all sectors of the economy. While we do not currently fund flexible working pilot programmes, we are providing employers with the support they need to make informed decisions on their future approach to flexible working. Through reconvening the Flexible Working Taskforce – a partnership across business groups, trade unions, charities, and government departments – we are bringing together the necessary expertise to provide this support.
The Taskforce has been asked to help take forward the best of what we have learned through the pandemic about more flexible ways of working as the economy starts to fully open up. In the immediate phase, the Taskforce will consider the essential practical and legal issues associated with a return to a workplace and an increase in hybrid working.
The Taskforce will move on to provide wider advice on best practice, so that employers are better able to support all forms of flexible working – whether the flexibility relates to the amount, timing or location of work.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent firms from revoking an employee's right to work flexibly other than in exceptional circumstances.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to bringing forward an Employment Bill when Parliamentary time allows, to protect and enhance worker’s rights as we build back better from the pandemic.
Given the profound effects the pandemic is having on the economy and on the labour market, the Government has taken unprecedented but necessary steps to support business and protect jobs and will continue to do so.
In 2019 the Government committed to encourage flexible working and consult on making it the default unless employers have good reasons not to. The consultation will happen in due course.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make flexible working the default employment status for all employees.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to bringing forward an Employment Bill when Parliamentary time allows, to protect and enhance worker’s rights as we build back better from the pandemic.
Given the profound effects the pandemic is having on the economy and on the labour market, the Government has taken unprecedented but necessary steps to support business and protect jobs and will continue to do so.
In 2019 the Government committed to encourage flexible working and consult on making it the default unless employers have good reasons not to. The consultation will happen in due course.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a right to flexible working from day one of employment.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to bringing forward an Employment Bill when Parliamentary time allows, to protect and enhance worker’s rights as we build back better from the pandemic.
Given the profound effects the pandemic is having on the economy and on the labour market, the Government has taken unprecedented but necessary steps to support business and protect jobs and will continue to do so.
In 2019 the Government committed to encourage flexible working and consult on making it the default unless employers have good reasons not to. The consultation will happen in due course.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will urgently review the requirement that employees are only permitted to request the right to work flexibly after they have served a 26-week period in post.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to bringing forward an Employment Bill when Parliamentary time allows, to protect and enhance worker’s rights as we build back better from the pandemic.
Given the profound effects the pandemic is having on the economy and on the labour market, the Government has taken unprecedented but necessary steps to support business and protect jobs and will continue to do so.
In 2019 the Government committed to encourage flexible working and consult on making it the default unless employers have good reasons not to. The consultation will happen in due course.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress the Government is making on bringing forward (a) legislative proposals for an Employment Bill and (b) proposals for a consultation on flexible working.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to bringing forward an Employment Bill when Parliamentary time allows, to protect and enhance worker’s rights as we build back better from the pandemic.
Given the profound effects the pandemic is having on the economy and on the labour market, the Government has taken unprecedented but necessary steps to support business and protect jobs and will continue to do so.
In 2019 the Government committed to encourage flexible working and consult on making it the default unless employers have good reasons not to. The consultation will happen in due course.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
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 the adequacy of scrutiny of the recovery practices of coronavirus business loan lenders.
Answered by Paul Scully
Covid-19 loan scheme lenders are expected to pursue appropriate recovery processes in line with existing industry standards. Lenders undergo periodic audits to check that scheme eligibility rules and processes are being followed.
Under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), lenders, the British Business Bank and Government have agreed a set of principles relating to collections and recoveries, in order to facilitate fair and consistent treatment of BBLS borrowers.
For the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS), lenders retain some of the risk and so are expected to utilise their usual industry practices.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what arrangements are in place in the event that a claim is made against a Government guarantee for a coronavirus business loan that has been used to repay existing loans.
Answered by Paul Scully
The arrangements in place for a claim made against a Government Guarantee for a Coronavirus Business Loan are the same whatever the purpose of the loan.
Borrowers remain liable for the outstanding debt. Lenders are required to pursue borrowers for repayment of all outstanding debt, in accordance with their normal processes for the recovery of a loan. Provided the facility was eligible when it was offered, claims on the guarantee can be made within a reasonable time period following the lender making a Formal Demand to the borrower.
Once a claim has been made, the lender is still obliged to seek further potential recoveries if the process has not been completed. Lenders should apply their normal commercial judgement to decide when it is appropriate to cease recovery activity. If a recovery is made after the settlement of the Guarantee Claim, lenders should refund the British Business Bank in respect of the Guarantee Claim they received.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, a) what assessment he has made of the extent to which financial support intended for disabled people, such as the Warm Home Discount, is reaching those who need it most and b) what action he has taken in response to this assessment.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Warm Home Discount is a key policy in the Government’s programme to tackle fuel poverty and the effects of rising energy prices on low-income households. Launched in April 2011, it has helped over 2.2 million low-income and vulnerable households, including individuals with a disability, each year with their energy costs. However, we do not hold specific data about the number of disabled people receiving the Warm Home Discount.
In recognition of the positive and significant impact of the scheme, the Energy White Paper 2020 committed to: extending the scheme to at least 2025/26; expanding the spending envelope from the current £351m to £475m (in 2020 prices) per year, to enable us to reach over 750,000 more households in, or at risk of, fuel poverty; and consulting later this year on reforms to the scheme from 2022 to better target fuel poverty. This will ensure that funds reach those most at risk and in deepest fuel poverty, including supporting the most vulnerable individuals with a disability. This is in line with our updated vulnerability principle included within the fuel poverty strategy ‘Sustainable Warmth’, published in February 2021.