Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to implement the recommendations of the Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices.
Answered by Paul Scully
We have made significant progress in implementing the recommendations of the Taylor Review, including:
- closing the loophole which saw agency workers employed on cheaper rates than permanent workers;
- quadrupling the maximum fine for employers who treat their workers badly; and
- giving all workers the right to receive a statement of their rights from day one.
The Government is committed to building on this record to deliver a high skilled, high productivity, high wage economy that delivers on our ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to work and grow a business.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will make funding available for a green retro-fitting programme in Stockport.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Funding for green retro-fitting programmes is available through schemes like the Local Authority Delivery Scheme, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and the Home Upgrade Grant. For example, as part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Consortium, Stockport has received a share of the £10.3 million and £52.3 million from phases 1 and 2 of the Local Authority Delivery Scheme in addition to a portion of the £10.5 million grant funding awarded to the Consortium from Wave 1 of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2022 to Question 119883, on Post Offices: Stockport, whether an estimate has been made of the number of Crown Post Offices in Stockport.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Post Office network is largely franchised and made up of small businesses – almost 99% of the total network operates successfully on a franchise or agency basis. The constituency of Stockport currently has nine post office branches and one Crown Post Office.
In terms of quality of service and access arrangements a recent report by Citizen's Advice indicates that franchised branches are performing in line with or better than traditional branches.
Previous question
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of Post Office branch closures in Stockport.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Post Office network meets and exceeds Government-set access criteria which require, for instance, that 95% of the urban population is within one mile of the nearest post office. In order to help maintain services to each community, the Post Office uses solutions such as mobile or other types of outreach services where necessary. The constituency of Stockport currently has nine post office branches. I am not aware of any recent closures within the Stockport constituency.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will implement a single accreditation and enforcement scheme, similar to the Gas Safe Register, for use by the public when installing low carbon technologies in their homes.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government oversees authorisation of a number of competent person schemes, including the Gas Safe Register. This includes schemes covering installers of low carbon technologies, each with relevant accreditation bodies ensuring compliance with Building Regulations.
Due to the different specialisms and skills required for competent installers of different technologies there are currently no plans to introduce a single accreditation scheme operator.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what data his Department holds on the number of accredited companies in place to undertake building insulation work in (a) the UK, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Stockport constituency.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) endorses and uses the TrustMark registration scheme for installers. Registration provides a high level of assurance, certainty and protection to homeowners looking to have work done in and around their homes.
Information on the number of registered companies and details of them can be found on the TrustMark website, including searching by geographical area: https://www.trustmark.org.uk/homeowners/find-a-tradesperson/advance-search?fromSearch=true.
For example, a search for all insulation measures by trade description shows there are 863 registered companies covering different building insulation work in the UK, and 201 in the North West.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to take steps to help protect jobs in the Royal Mail.
Answered by Paul Scully
Operational matters, including decisions on staffing levels and workforce structure, are the direct responsibility of Royal Mail’s management. The Government is not involved in the operational decisions of Royal Mail, a private company.
Collective redundancy legislation requires employers proposing to make 20 or more employees redundant from one establishment in a 90-day period to consult employees or their representatives. This must include consultation on ways to avoid redundancies, reducing the numbers of redundancies, or mitigating their impact.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 support retail jobs in the context of the increasing automation of services by retailers.
Answered by Paul Scully
Our Plan for Growth acknowledges skills as a pillar for growth. This department is working in partnership with the Department for Education (DfE) to ensure we deliver against the skills pillar of the Plan for Growth through successful implementation on key policies from within the Skills for Jobs white paper, including promoting the adult skills offer to help upskill and reskill the existing workforce. This White Paper is focused on giving people the skills they need, in a way that suits them, so they can get great jobs in sectors the economy needs and boost this country’s productivity.
The retail sector has been undergoing a period of transition for some time, including many retailers investing in technology and innovation and adapting their business models to meet different consumer demands. We recognise the challenges this brings and are working with the sector, including through the industry-led Retail Sector Council, to address these challenges. The Council has identified skills and employment as two of their priority areas of work as part of this and government continues to work closely with the Council to consider the future needs of the sector.
Additionally, the government’s new ‘Help to Grow: Digital’ scheme will help up to 100,000 UK SMEs over three years to adopt digital technologies that are proven to increase firm-level productivity by learning new skills, reaching new customers and boosting profits.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what financial support is available for homeowners seeking to carry out energy-saving renovations.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There are a number of schemes in place to make energy efficiency improvements to homes. These include the Home Upgrade Grant, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, the Sustainable Warmth Competition, and the Energy Company Obligation.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 potential merits of regulating the locksmith industry to protect people from rogue locksmiths operating in the UK.
Answered by Paul Scully
Locksmiths are subject to the stringent consumer protection laws already in place against unfair trading practices in the same way as any other trader/business which has dealings with consumers.
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) sets out the standards consumers can expect when traders, including locksmiths, supply services, and the remedies if these rights are breached. Similarly, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) protect consumers from being misled about the products or services they buy. The CPRs also outlaw behaviour which falls short of the requirements of professional diligence. The Regulations carry criminal penalties and are enforced by Trading Standards Officers.
Consumers are encouraged to use service providers that operate under a regulated trusted trader scheme. For example, the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA), has a robust licensing scheme in place to ensure approved locksmiths are appropriately vetted, inspected and qualified. This scheme is approved by the Police Crime Prevention Initiative’s ‘Secured by Design’, which sets the industry gold standard for security products and interventions to design out crime.