Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 requiring builders to (a) have relevant qualifications and (b) demonstrate a certain competence level to undertake specific work.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Building Safety Act requires that all those undertaking work in the built environment must be competent and have the right skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours.
The Government is working with the construction industry to support the development and implementation of competence frameworks for built environment occupations that identify the core skills, qualifications and competence levels needed to undertake work. Engagement with DfE, Skills England and Standard Setting Bodies is a key part of developing the frameworks to align with and improve existing qualification routes to deliver the competence levels required.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 implications for his policies of the Federation of Master Builders report entitled Licence to build: A pathway to licensing UK construction, published on 2 July 2018.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government regularly reviews how standards of consumer protection within the construction sector could be improved. This includes discussions with industry stakeholders, such as the Federation of Master Builders, and with Members of Parliament on a licensing scheme to protect consumers.
There are advantages and disadvantages to introducing a licencing scheme in the domestic construction market. The advantages may include higher standards of competence and more effective consumer redress. Whilst the disadvantages may include the cost, complexity and additional administrative burden. Any action that the Government takes on licensing to protect customers and standards needs to be robust, proportionate and evidence based.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has met with the Licence UK Construction Task Force set up by the Federation of Master Builders.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government regularly reviews how standards of consumer protection within the construction sector could be improved. This includes discussions with industry stakeholders, such as the Federation of Master Builders, and with Members of Parliament on a licensing scheme to protect consumers.
There are advantages and disadvantages to introducing a licencing scheme in the domestic construction market. The advantages may include higher standards of competence and more effective consumer redress. Whilst the disadvantages may include the cost, complexity and additional administrative burden. Any action that the Government takes on licensing to protect customers and standards needs to be robust, proportionate and evidence based.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 merits of creating an ombudsman for home owner property extensions.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government continues to consider ways in which consumers can be supported in accessing redress and regularly reviews how standards of consumer protection within the construction sector could be improved.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 contains measures to improve Alternative Dispute Resolution in consumer markets by raising standards of consistency and quality, and encouraging business take up.
The Government-funded Citizens Advice consumer service offers free advice to consumers on their rights and how to take complaints forward. A list of Alternative Dispute Resolution bodies and their related sector is available on the Chartered Trading Standards Institute website.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 merits of increasing the use of hydrometallurgical separation in the recycling of electric vehicle batteries to help facilitate the recovery of lithium.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government seeks to encourage sustainable critical mineral production and pro-cessing. As electric vehicle batteries reach the end of their economic life, there will be an opportunity and necessity to repair, repurpose, reuse, and recycle them. The chemicals sector will play an important role in recovering valuable materials like lithium, enhancing environmental sustainability, and alleviating pressure on primary supply
To this end, the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) aims to support the creation of an internationally competitive electric vehicle supply chain in the UK. It provides support to late-stage R&D and capital investments in strategically important technologies. This in-cludes unlocking strategic investments in battery recycling.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 merits of introducing (a) licencing for builders and (b) affordable recourse for people impacted by rogue builders.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This Government is working to ensure we have a high-quality and professional construction industry, which delivers safe work and has consumer protection at the heart of this. Any licencing scheme would need to be robust, proportionate and evidence based.
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets out the standards consumers can expect from traders and remedies if these rights are breached. Consumers can seek redress through the Small Claims Court, where they can pursue claims of up to £10,000 against a rogue builder. Citizens Advice provides information on making claims and can refer complaints on to Trading Standards for appropriate enforcement action.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 merits of recycling lithium iron phosphate batteries.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK currently has an emerging capacity to recycle lithium-ion batteries, with most EV batteries being dismantled and shipped to Europe.
Recyclus Group, based in Wolverhampton, is the country's first and only industrial-scale recycling facility. It is licenced to turn 22,000 tonnes of spent lithium-ion batteries, taken from a range of sources including electric cars, each year into black mass without using water, and has a low carbon footprint.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 2 October 2024 from the hon. Member for Twickenham on the reciprocity of aviation qualifications.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
A response was issued on 6 January.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment the Cabinet Committee on the Future of Work has made of the potential merits of improving employment rights for kinship carers.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government greatly values kinship carers who come forward to care for children who cannot live with their parents.
The Government has committed in the Plan to Make Work Pay to review the system of parental leave to ensure that it better supports working families.
It is a long established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place at Cabinet and its committees is not normally made public.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment her Department has made of the viability of the universal service obligation; and if she will hold discussions with the Leader of the House on making parliamentary time to debate the universal service obligation.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Government’s objective continues to be ensuring the provision of a sustainable, accessible, and affordable universal postal service. It is the responsibility of Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to ensure the provision of a financially sustainable and efficient universal postal service.
Ofcom recently published a discussion document setting out potential options to reform the service, to ensure it remains affordable and sustainable in the future as well as meeting consumers’ needs. The Government will consider any recommendations that Ofcom puts forward, but Ministers are not currently minded to introduce new legislation to change the obligations on postal deliveries.