Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with US Government officials and representatives on horse importations as part of negotiators on a potential trade deal.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The government has been focused on negotiating an economic deal with the United States that strengthens our existing fair and balanced trading relationship. The UK is committed to continuing these discussions, but the UK will only do a deal that is in the national interest of the UK and its businesses.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to introduce retaliatory tariffs on horse importations from the US.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
We remain committed to discussions with the US on a wider economic deal that works for both the UK and the US but nothing is off the table; this government will do what is necessary to defend the UK's national interest. That is why on 3 April, the government launched a Request for Input from businesses as a formal step, to keep all options on the table; and to give businesses the chance to have their say and influence the design of any possible UK response.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to prevent the online sale of illegal e-bikes.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Product safety law requires that all consumer products placed on the UK market must be safe. The Office for Product Safety and Standards, in my Department, has a programme of work focused on tackling the sale of illegal e-bikes, making sure online platforms are aware of their responsibilities and working closely with Border Force on the issue at the UK Border. My officials work closely with counterparts across Government, including the Home Office on e-bike safety.
The Product Safety and Metrology Bill will provide powers that can be used to place new duties on online marketplaces with regards to unsafe products.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to decolonise the (a) artwork and (b) heritage assets in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its arm's length bodies.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There has been no change in the Department for Business and Trade’s management of artwork or heritage assets since the previous administration.
As separate entities, the responsibility for creating policy and guidance for artwork sits with each individual Arm’s Length Body, rather than with the Department.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the number of employers in the (a) private and (b) public sector that have recognised a trade union in 2024.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Management and Wellbeing Practices Survey estimates the percentage of employers with recognised unions and employers with union members included within the table below:
Estimated employer size (number of workers) with recognised unions and workers in unions | % of employers with recognised unions |
5 to 9 | 4% |
10 to 19 | 5% |
20 to 49 | 15% |
50 to 99 | 20% |
100 to 249 | 46% |
250 to 499 | 62% |
500 or more | 73% |
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent estimate he has made of of the number of employers in the (a) private and (b) public sector whose employees are members of an unrecognised trade union.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government does not hold information on the number of employers in the private and public sectors whose employees are members of an unrecognised trade union.
The Management and Wellbeing Practices Survey estimates the percentage of employers with recognised unions and employers with union members. The difference in percentages could be used as a proxy to estimate the percentage of employers whose employees are members of an unrecognised trade union.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to consult on (a) secondary legislation and (b) policy on trade union voluntary access (i) agreements and (ii) adjudication.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Clause 46 of the Employment Rights Bill provides a framework for trade unions to access workplaces where an access agreement is reached between an independent trade union and an employer, making it easier for union representatives to recruit, organise and carry out other union-related activities.
The Government ran a consultation that closed on 2 December about the approach to enforcement of the right of access provisions. We are currently considering the responses to that consultation and will publish a government response in due course.
The Government will also consult on secondary legislation relating to the right of access framework following Royal Assent of the Employment Rights Bill.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s consultation, Making Work Pay: Consultation on creating a modern framework for industrial relations, published in October 2024, what his planned timetable is for the consultation on lowering the admissibility requirements for the statutory trade union recognition ballot process.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Employment Rights Bill includes a provision to provide Ministers with the power to bring forward secondary legislation to vary the trade union recognition admissibility threshold between 2% and 10%. Once the Bill obtains Royal Assent the Government intends to consult on lowering the admissibility threshold prior to issuing secondary legislation.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
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 changing the threshold for the number of employees within an organisation for it to be eligible for the statutory trade union recognition ballot process.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is simplifying the process and the law around statutory recognition thresholds, so that working people have a meaningful right to organise through trade unions.
As part of this, we are removing the antiquated rule that means that unions must show at the application stage that they are likely to get a majority in a subsequent recognition ballot. We will also consult on whether the 10% membership requirement on application should be reduced following Royal Assent of the Employment Rights Bill.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what industrial disputes are ongoing within (a) his Department and (b) each of the arm’s length bodies connected to his Department; how many (i) staff and (ii) contractors are involved in each dispute; what the form of industrial action is in each dispute; which recognised trade union is involved in each dispute; what the substantive matter is that is being disputed in each case; and what steps he plans to take to end each dispute.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and its Arm’s Length Bodies collectively comprises of 9,921 FTE (as of March 2024). There are currently no ongoing industrial disputes with DBT employees within DBT or any of its Arm’s Length Bodies.
There are, however, ongoing disputes between PCS and G4S Security Company (G4S) and International Services System - Facilities Management Services (ISS) who provide facilities management services at some DBT offices and who are contracted by Government Property Agency. These staff are employees of either G4S or ISS, they are not normally employees of the department itself.