Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 that public sector employers provide adequate support to employees returning from maternity leave.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Starting with the Employment Rights Bill, we will put in place legislation that makes it unlawful to dismiss pregnant women, mothers on maternity leave, and mothers who return to work for a six-month period after they return - except in specific circumstances. The Government will also make flexible working the default, except where it is not reasonably feasible. This will benefit employees returning to work from maternity leave by making it easier to balance work and childcare needs.
These changes will apply to eligible employees, regardless of whether they work in the public sector or elsewhere.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the merits of flexible working patterns in (a) the Civil Service and (b) the wider public sector.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government continues to monitor the impact of flexible working. There are numerous benefits of flexible working, which apply to both the public and private sectors.
Flexible working is essential in helping people achieve a better work life balance, which can lead to happier, healthier and more productive employees. This is good for employees and good for businesses. Flexible working can help make work more accessible to several groups by helping people to balance work with other responsibilities and needs in their personal lives. This includes those with disabilities, parents, and others with caring responsibilities.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with Royal Mail on recent service disruptions in the SW17 postcode.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ofcom is the independent regulator of postal services, and the Government does not collect or hold information concerning service issues in specific areas.
However, Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider. In November, I met with Royal Mail’s CEO, Emma Gilthorpe, and stressed the importance of a reliable postal service.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of consumer protection provided by the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The additional consumer rights provided to travellers under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 (“PTRs”) have played an important role in ensuring consumers are supported through supplier insolvencies. The Department is currently working with stakeholders and consumer representatives to review the framework and identify whether it can be further strengthened. This has taken the form of:
Our conclusions from this evidence gathering will be published in due course. Separately, the Department for Transport is continuing work with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) exploring how the ATOL scheme should operate in the future.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of consumer protection provided by (a) package travel and (b) ATOL regulations.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The rights provided under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangement Regulations 2018 (PTRs) have been key to resolving many consumer issues in recent years- including supplier insolvencies. DBT is looking to expand options for businesses to protect consumer deposits, while working with stakeholders and consumer organisations to identify whether the framework can be further strengthened.
In relation to ATOL, the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Transport. The ATOL Regulations have provided valued protection to consumers for over 50 years. The Department for Transport is continuing work with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) exploring how the ATOL scheme should operate in the future.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 prevent fraudulent practices by online shopping sites
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
DBT is implementing the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act which strengthens consumer law enforcement by giving the CMA new administrative powers, and the CMA and courts the ability to impose significant monetary penalties.
The Act also updates the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, setting out new ‘banned practices’ relating to the buying, selling, and publishing of fake consumer reviews and prohibiting ‘drip pricing’.
The Product Regulation and Metrology Bill was introduced on 4 September and aims to address the gap in consumer protections which allow online marketplaces to facilitate the sale of unsafe and illegal products.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 (a) reduce and (b) prevent fraud against consumers.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
DBT supports broader government efforts to tackle fraud through its funding of Citizens Advice and National Trading Standards to advise on and enforce consumer law, including fraud.
DBT is also implementing the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, which strengthens consumer law enforcement powers and introduces significant new monetary penalties to better deter wrongdoers.
Through the Consumer Protection Partnership, Citizens Advice run an annual Scams Awareness campaign to give consumers the skills to identify scams, share their experiences and gain the confidence to report scams. The next campaign, focusing on financial scams launches on 21 October.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions she has had with Royal Mail on the adequacy of postal deliveries in the lead up to Christmas in Tooting constituency.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
I am aware that Royal Mail continues to have service challenges in some postcode areas. I note that Royal Mail management accepts its performance needs to be much better and has started to address this, for example, by recruiting an additional 3,000 postmen and women so far with a further 500 permanent delivery positions a week going forwards.
Ofcom sets and monitors Royal Mail’s service standards and has powers to investigate and take enforcement action where there are reasonable grounds for concluding Royal Mail has failed to achieve its obligations. I note that the regulator recently fined the business £5.6m for failing to meet its service delivery targets in 2022-23 and has committed to closely monitoring Royal Mail’s performance this year.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 potential impact of (a) delayed and (b) missed postal deliveries on residents in Tooting constituency.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
I am aware that Royal Mail continues to have service challenges in some postcode areas. I note that Royal Mail management accepts its performance needs to be much better and has started to address this, for example, by recruiting an additional 3,000 postmen and women so far with a further 500 permanent delivery positions a week going forwards.
Ofcom sets and monitors Royal Mail’s service standards and has powers to investigate and take enforcement action where there are reasonable grounds for concluding Royal Mail has failed to achieve its obligations. I note that the regulator recently fined the business £5.6m for failing to meet its service delivery targets in 2022-23 and has committed to closely monitoring Royal Mail’s performance this year.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 Royal Mail on (a) delayed and (b) missed postal deliveries in Tooting constituency.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
I am aware that Royal Mail continues to have service challenges in some postcode areas. I note that Royal Mail management accepts its performance needs to be much better and has started to address this, for example, by recruiting an additional 3,000 postmen and women so far with a further 500 permanent delivery positions a week going forwards.
Ofcom sets and monitors Royal Mail’s service standards and has powers to investigate and take enforcement action where there are reasonable grounds for concluding Royal Mail has failed to achieve its obligations. I note that the regulator recently fined the business £5.6m for failing to meet its service delivery targets in 2022-23 and has committed to closely monitoring Royal Mail’s performance this year.