Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the UK will continue to mandate the use of the CE mark for goods sold in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Margot James
The UK wants to ensure a smooth and orderly exit that provides legal certainty and minimises disruption to citizens, consumers and businesses across Europe in terms of the availability of goods. It will be important that business and consumers are confident that goods on the market and in use across the UK and EU comply with relevant product legislation.
The Government is currently reviewing all options regarding CE marking for goods sold in the UK after the UK leaves the EU. We have three aims: to provide confidence to business and consumers that goods on the market and in use across the UK and the EU comply with relevant product legislation; provide legal certainty; and minimise disruption to citizens, consumers and businesses across Europe in terms of the availability of goods.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his Department plans for UK membership of the CEN and CENELEC committees after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Margot James
The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) are not EU bodies, although they have a special status in the EU. We are working with BSI, the UK’s national standards body and the UK member of CEN and CENELEC, to ensure that our future relationship with CEN and CENELEC continues to support a productive, open and competitive business environment in the UK.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what compensation and other support his Department is making available to businesses affected by the recent terror attack at Borough Market and London Bridge.
Answered by Margot James
My officials have remained in close contact with the Mayor’s Office and Southwark Council to ensure that public agencies are pulling together to respond to the recent terrible events at Borough Market and London Bridge.
I welcome the Mayor’s announcement on Thursday, 29 June of a new £300,000 fund to help businesses to recover from these attacks, as well as the attack at Finsbury Park Mosque and the Grenfell Tower fire. Government is considering what more support may be needed to address the impact of these events on businesses.
Support is already available for affected businesses through the standard business support services offered by Growth Hubs, including the London Growth Hub and the many local agencies supporting businesses on the ground.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
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 meet Borough Market traders affected by the recent terrorist attack to discuss their business needs.
Answered by Margot James
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 June 2017 to Question UIN 1002.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
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 meet Borough Market traders to discuss their business needs in the aftermath of the recent terror attack which forced those businesses to close temporarily.
Answered by Margot James
It is important that local traders are adequately supported in the aftermath of this tragic event. I will be happy to meet with Borough Market traders whose businesses have been forced to close temporarily in order to discuss their business needs going forward.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps the Government has taken against employers for not paying the national minimum wage.
Answered by Margot James
HM Revenue and Customs always investigate where they believe an employer is not paying the legal minimum wage, which includes following up every worker complaint they receive.
The latest available figures show that HMRC identified almost £10.3m of arrears owed to over 58,000 workers in 2015/16.
From April 2016 the Government doubled the National Minimum Wage penalty paid by employers from 100% to 200% of the arrears owed to the worker, up to a maximum of £20,000 per worker.
We have also increased HMRC’s enforcement budget from £13m in 2015/16 to £20m in 2016/17, and my Right Honourable friend the Chancellor announced a further £4.3m investment in the 2016 Autumn Statement. This additional funding has enabled an increase in the number of compliance officers available to investigate minimum wage abuses and allowed HMRC to conduct more proactive, risk-based enforcement in sectors where there is a higher risk of workers not being paid the legal minimum wage.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how his Department monitors the public funding used to refurbish Crown post offices to ensure those funds achieve the expected outcomes; and how much was spent from the public purse on refurbishing post office branches that subsequently lost Crown status in each of the last six years.
Answered by Margot James
The operation and refurbishment of its Crown post offices is the responsibility of Post Office Limited. However, the Government, in its role as shareholder, constantly monitors Post Office’s performance, which has improved significantly through Government’s investment, and has seen the Crown network move from a loss of £46m per annum to breakeven today.
I have asked Paula Vennells, the Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the Hon Member on this matter and provide further detail on the information requested. A copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how his Department monitors the accessibility of franchised post offices for people with (a) mobility impairments, (b) learning disabilities and (c) other disabilities.
Answered by Margot James
The provision of post offices is the operational responsibility of Post Office Limited. I have asked Paula Vennells, the Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the Hon Member on this matter and provide the information requested. A copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in what areas under which spending headings the £2 billion post office transformation and modernisation fund has been spent; and how much of that funding has been spent on redundancies.
Answered by Margot James
The £2 billion Government subsidy has been provided to maintain and protect a network of at least 11,500 post offices across the country and to invest in modernisation and transformation of that network, so that it can offer the customer environments, opening hours and efficiency of operation for postmasters which are needed to succeed in the competitive mails, financial services, government services and telecom markets in which the Post Office operates.
The arrangements for redundancy payments are the operational responsibility of Post Office Limited. I have asked Paula Vennells, the Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the Hon Member on this matter and provide the information requested. A copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if the Government will retain the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers in 2017-18.
Answered by Nick Boles
The Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE) is available until the end of the 2016/17 academic year to businesses with fewer than 50 employees, who have not employed an apprentice in the last 12 months. Eligible employers can receive a £1,500 grant per apprentice (aged 16 to 24) for up to five new apprentices undertaking an apprenticeship framework.
Further details on how small businesses will be supported to take on apprentices from April 2017 will be published at the end of June.