Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) purchasing and (b) decommissioning nucler safeguarding equipment from Euratom.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The UK Government is committed to having all necessary equipment in place to ensure continuity of safeguards operations when the UK leaves the EU and Euratom. Article 80 of the draft Withdrawal Agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, of 19 March 2018, provides for the transfer of safeguards equipment from the Euratom Community to the United Kingdom, and states that “[t]he United Kingdom shall reimburse to the Union the value of that equipment and other property, calculated based on the value assigned to that equipment and other property in the consolidated accounts for the year 2020.” As the subject of on-going negotiations, it is not possible at this stage to provide details on specific equipment and its valuation.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans for the new Safeguards Information Management and Reporting System to be fully operational.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
When Euratom safeguards arrangements no longer apply to the UK, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) will regulate safeguards in the UK, and will be responsible for ensuring arrangements to deliver this are in place. This will include a Safeguards Information Management and Reporting System.
The ONR will have in place the IT system and safeguards inspectors needed to ensure the UK continues to meet international obligations when we leave Euratom.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what direct engagement takes place between the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate and agency workers.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) engages directly with agency workers in relation to specific complaints. During the financial year 2016/17, EAS responded to 828 enquires from agency workers directly. EAS has also engaged directly with agency workers through their representatives.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
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 26 March 2018 to Question 133760 on Modern Working Practices Review, when he plans to publish copies of the written evidence submitted to that review on the Gov.uk website.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The written evidence submitted to the review was published on the Gov.uk website on Friday 4th May 2018
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
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 23 February 2018 to Question 128539, what progress his Department is making on redacting personal information from the submissions to the Taylor Review of modern working practices; and what the timetable is for publishing copies of the written evidence submitted to that review on the Gov.uk website.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The Government intends to publish both the submissions to the review and a list of who responded by the end of April.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many cases of migrants working undocumented were (a) found and closed and (b) passed from Acas to Immigration Enforcement in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy does not collect data on how many migrants are working undocumented in the UK.
Acas does not make referrals from their individual conciliation service to Immigration Enforcement.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information on (a) labour rights and (b) access to advice and remedy is routinely provided to workers who (i) file a complaint with and (ii) are encountered during inspections conducted by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate enforces compliance of employment agencies and employment businesses through the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003.
Where a complaint is received concerning other legislation, workers are signposted to Acas for further advice. In some cases, they are also referred to other state enforcement bodies.
The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate does not meet with workers during inspections.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether Acas is permitted to mediate for undocumented workers in the UK.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
Acas has a statutory duty to seek to resolve individual workplace disputes. In seeking to resolve such disputes between employees and employers, Acas’ role is an impartial one.
Acas does not collect data to identify if claimants are undocumented workers.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what funding has been provided from the public purse to Acas for its helpline in each of the last five years; and how many workers were assisted by Acas in that same period.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The funding for the Acas Helpline over the last 5 financial years is:
The table below outlines the number of calls, pre-recorded advice sessions, webchats and Helpline Online advice sessions made over the past 5 years. Due to the confidential nature of the Acas Helpline advice is provided anonymously and no records are retained to identify customers who call more than once.
Current data shows 82% of calls to the Acas Helpline were made by employees or workers.
The number of contacts with Helpline Services during the same 5 years is as follows:
Helpline Service | 2016-17 | 2015-16 | 2014-15 | 2013-14 | 2012-13 |
Helpline advice is available over the telephone or online via acas.org.uk/helpline | |||||
Voice calls answered | |||||
Helpline advice delivered over the telephone. | 886,929 | 943,610 | 903,679 | 895,748 | 928,995 |
Pre-recorded advice sessions | |||||
Helpline callers can select pre-recorded advice regarding Minimum Wage, Holidays or Wage Deductions before being connected to an adviser. | 27,000 | 25,487 | 22,527 | 25,550 | 25,664 |
Helpline Online sessions | |||||
Helpline Online is an interactive database of frequently asked questions written by Helpline advisers. | 508,318 | 509,103 | 531,712 | 313,415 | 810 |
Webchat Sessions | |||||
Webchat allows real time text-based conversation with Helpline advisers. | 2,688 | 4,099 | 2,672 | n/a | n/a |
Total Contacts | 1,424,935 | 1,482,299 | 1,460,590 | 1,234,713 | 955,469 |
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the budget of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate is for 2018-19; and how many staff it plans to employ during that financial year.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The allocated budget for 2018-19 has not yet been finalised, therefore staffing for 2018-19 will remain at 12.