Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has considered establishing a central (a) register and (b) database of vending machines and operators to support compliance monitoring with energy efficiency labelling and refrigerant gas regulations.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Refrigerant gases are regulated under the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gas Regulations, with enforcement sitting with the Environment Agency.
Under the Ecodesign for Related Products Regulations, refrigerated vending machines must meet minimum energy efficiency standards and carry accurate energy labelling. The Office for Product Safety and Standards, regulating on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, conducts risk-based, intelligence-led market surveillance and takes enforcement action where non-compliance is identified.
The Government has not received intelligence indicating a specific prevalence of non-compliant refrigerated vending machines and welcomes evidence from stakeholders which it will keep under review.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 non‑compliant vending machines entering the UK on (a) substandard and unverified energy‑efficiency performance at refrigerated vending machines, (b) the use of restricted refrigerant gases and (c) potential safety hazards for machine operators and consumers.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Refrigerant gases are regulated under the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gas Regulations, with enforcement sitting with the Environment Agency.
Under the Ecodesign for Related Products Regulations, refrigerated vending machines must meet minimum energy efficiency standards and carry accurate energy labelling. The Office for Product Safety and Standards, regulating on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, conducts risk-based, intelligence-led market surveillance and takes enforcement action where non-compliance is identified.
The Government has not received intelligence indicating a specific prevalence of non-compliant refrigerated vending machines and welcomes evidence from stakeholders which it will keep under review.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 prevalence of non‑compliant vending machines currently in operation within the UK with respect to (a) (i) substandard or (ii) unverified energy‑efficiency ratings for refrigerated vending machines and (b) the use of non‑compliant refrigerant gases.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Refrigerant gases are regulated under the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gas Regulations, with enforcement sitting with the Environment Agency.
Under the Ecodesign for Related Products Regulations, refrigerated vending machines must meet minimum energy efficiency standards and carry accurate energy labelling. The Office for Product Safety and Standards, regulating on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, conducts risk-based, intelligence-led market surveillance and takes enforcement action where non-compliance is identified.
The Government has not received intelligence indicating a specific prevalence of non-compliant refrigerated vending machines and welcomes evidence from stakeholders which it will keep under review.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that all vending machine operators and suppliers adhere to current (a) energy‑efficiency and (b) refrigerant safety regulations.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Refrigerant gases are regulated under the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gas Regulations, with enforcement sitting with the Environment Agency.
Under the Ecodesign for Related Products Regulations, refrigerated vending machines must meet minimum energy efficiency standards and carry accurate energy labelling. The Office for Product Safety and Standards, regulating on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, conducts risk-based, intelligence-led market surveillance and takes enforcement action where non-compliance is identified.
The Government has not received intelligence indicating a specific prevalence of non-compliant refrigerated vending machines and welcomes evidence from stakeholders which it will keep under review.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of letters detailing fines delivered by Royal Mail not arriving on time on people receiving those letters.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government recognises the concern that arises when important and time-sensitive post does not arrive as expected. I have been clear that Royal Mail’s performance has not been good enough.
Royal Mail is an independent business responsible for delivery operations, and it is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to set and monitor service standards and take enforcement action where necessary.
Ofcom has assured me that it continues to monitor quality of service closely to protect consumers.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 support independent gyms and leisure facilities.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government is committed to supporting UK SMEs, including those in the leisure sector, through the Small Business Plan - the most comprehensive package of support for SMEs in a generation.
This includes legislative reforms to tackle late payments; unlocking billions of pounds in finance; removing unnecessary red tape; revitalising High Streets and boosting digital and AI adoption among small businesses.
For the first time, DBT has integrated its support for businesses in a single, accessible place – the Business Growth Service – to help firms start, scale and succeed. UK businesses can access our wide range of support via business.gov.uk.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department holds data on the proportion of Royal Mail (a) letter and (b) parcel deliveries that are not delivered within target times.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator for the postal sector, to set and monitor Royal Mail’s service standards and to collect and analyse quality of service data. Ofcom monitors Royal Mail’s performance closely against its delivery targets and can take enforcement action where failures are identified.
Royal Mail publishes its quality of service results, providing information on delivery performance against these targets, on a quarterly and annual basis.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to prevent warehouse and fulfilment jobs listed as not requiring English from being offered.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government does not collect data on the English language proficiency of private sector employees, which includes warehouse workers.
Employers can choose how they recruit for their organisation, but they must follow a fair process.
Health and safety law does not require workers to be able to speak English, but the Health and Safety Executive states that employers have a duty to provide comprehensible information. This does not have to be in English, but risks, safety measures and emergency procedures must be clearly communicated to all workers.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 having non-fluent English speakers in warehouse jobs on health and safety.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government does not collect data on the English language proficiency of private sector employees, which includes warehouse workers.
Employers can choose how they recruit for their organisation, but they must follow a fair process.
Health and safety law does not require workers to be able to speak English, but the Health and Safety Executive states that employers have a duty to provide comprehensible information. This does not have to be in English, but risks, safety measures and emergency procedures must be clearly communicated to all workers.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has issued guidance on English language requirements for employment within warehouses.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government does not collect data on the English language proficiency of private sector employees, which includes warehouse workers.
Employers can choose how they recruit for their organisation, but they must follow a fair process.
Health and safety law does not require workers to be able to speak English, but the Health and Safety Executive states that employers have a duty to provide comprehensible information. This does not have to be in English, but risks, safety measures and emergency procedures must be clearly communicated to all workers.