Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 including measures to enable targets of bullying at work to take cases to an employment tribunal in the proposed Employment Rights Bill.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This Government is committed to delivering the Plan to Make Work Pay in full and updating Britain's employment protections, so they are fit for our modern economy and the future of work. This includes commitments to support the wellbeing of workers, including their long term physical and mental health, and to ensure employers create and maintain workplaces and working conditions free from harassment. Ministers are identifying the most appropriate delivery mechanisms for the commitments in the Plan, including an Employment Rights Bill that will be introduced to Parliament within 100 days of taking office.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to assess impact of international humanitarian law on arms exports.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Foreign Secretary met with President Netanyahu in Israel on 14 July and pushed for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law, and a rapid increase of aid into Gaza. When it comes to arms exports, this Government will uphold our international legal obligations, ensuring that international law is fully factored into decisions on arms exports in line with the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. The Government will now review the advice available and come to a considered decision. The Government will update Parliament as appropriate once this decision has been made.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make it his policy to place a moratorium on arms exports to Israel, in the context of the conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Foreign Secretary met with President Netanyahu in Israel on 14 July and pushed for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law, and a rapid increase of aid into Gaza. When it comes to arms exports, this Government will uphold our international legal obligations, ensuring that international law is fully factored into decisions on arms exports in line with the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. The Government will now review the advice available and come to a considered decision. The Government will update Parliament as appropriate once this decision has been made.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of incorporating elements of shared parental leave models used in (a) Sweden and (b) other countries into her policies on shared parental leave.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Shared Parental Leave and Pay scheme gives working families more choice and flexibility about who cares for their child in the first year, and when.
In 2019, the Government consulted on high-level options for reforming parental leave and pay and considered international evidence which suggested a range of factors that encourage parents to share work and childcare more equally.
We sought views on the benefits, costs and trade-offs that would flow from any such reform. The consultation and Government response are published below -
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/good-work-plan-proposals-to-support-families
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help increase business investment (a) outside London and (b) in (i) York and (ii) north Yorkshire.
Answered by Alan Mak - Shadow Economic Secretary (Treasury)
The Government-owned British Business Bank is supporting business investment across the UK including through its Nations and Regions Investment Funds. This includes the £660m Northern Powerhouse Fund II programme, supporting growing businesses across the North of England.
Our Growth Hub network is also supporting businesses of all sizes and sectors across England. The Department for Business and Trade is working across the UK, including in York and North Yorkshire to showcase strong, commercial investment opportunities to potential investors and support business to grow. The Government has also agreed a £540 million mayoral devolution deal for York and North Yorkshire to support growth and business investment.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) maximum value for money and (b) equal regional distribution when awarding grant funding to businesses.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Development and delivery of grant schemes within the Department is in line with the principles of Managing Public Money and also addresses the Government Grant Functional Standards’ requirements.
The Department delivers various grant schemes tailored to address specific regional and sectoral needs, emergency response and the government’s wider policy agenda.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to help support the good business charter accreditation scheme.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
I recognise the work that organisations like Good Business Charter do. It is important that the drive to get businesses paying on time, paying its staff the living wage, and making businesses more sustainable doesn’t just come from the Government.
I am keen that organisations like the Office of the Small Business Commissioner work with the Good Business Charter to help tackle late payments and help our Small Businesses grow.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the resilience of businesses in (a) the hospitality sector and (b) retail; and whether her Department provides guidance to businesses on best practice.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
We understand the many challenges businesses in the hospitality and retail sectors are facing, which is why Government is supporting businesses with business rates relief and help with energy costs. We are also working across Government to identify opportunities to ease regulatory burdens.
We continue to work with members of the Hospitality Sector Council, to deliver our 2021 Hospitality Strategy, which aims to support the sector’s recovery from COVID-19 and improve its longer-term resilience.
The industry led Retail Sector Council is developing a strategic approach for retail and continues to invite views on the opportunities and challenges for business set out in the recently published discussion paper Retail: The Great Enabler.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) hospitality and (b) retail stakeholders on business rates.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The subject of business rates, along with wider financial challenges, are regularly raised during individual stakeholder and roundtable calls. Industry concerns are shared across Government including Treasury.
Both the Hospitality Sector Council and Retail Sector Council have established working groups that are exploring issues to address key concerns, including costs to business. The Retail Sector Council submitted evidence to HM Treasury as part of a call for evidence into Treasury’s previous review of the business rates system.
At Autumn Statement 2023, the Chancellor announced a package of business rates support worth £4.3 billion over the next 5 years, for hospitality, retail and leisure businesses.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that small business are paid on time by other companies within their supply chains.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
While the UK has a strong record of good payment times, we are determined to reduce payment times so that small businesses are given the best chance of succeeding. The Government set out policy actions in the Prompt Payment and Cash Flow Review which was published alongside the Autumn Statement in November 2023. These actions include extending the Payment Performance Reporting Regulations (via a Statutory Instrument laid in January 2024), providing the Small Business Commissioner with broader powers, and equipping small businesses with more information to negotiate payment terms that better suit them.