Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require that any confidentiality clause within an (a) employment and (b) settlement agreement (i) cannot be (A) requested and (B) required by an employer and (ii) may only be included at the request of the complainant.
Answered by Justin Madders
Clause 22A of the Employment Rights Bill will void any provision in an agreement, such as a contract of employment or settlement agreement, between a worker and their employer that prevents a worker from speaking out about relevant harassment or discrimination.
The Government intends to consult on the regulations that will set out the criteria for when an NDA can still be validly entered into in the case of relevant harassment and discrimination. The regulations are aimed at shifting the balance of power away from employers who misuse NDAs.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what matters he plans to consult on in relation to the regulations required under Clause 22A of the Employment Rights Bill.
Answered by Justin Madders
Under Clause 22A of the Employment Rights Bill, the Secretary of State will be able to set conditions for when an NDA can still be validly entered into in the case of relevant harassment and discrimination. ('excepted NDA'). Regulations can also be made to specify who workers with excepted NDAs can speak to, for which purposes and/or in which circumstances. Finally, they can also be made to expand the types of individuals the legislation applies to beyond the standard definitions of "employee" and "worker" in the Employment Rights Act 1996.
The Government will consult on the regulations in respect of these powers.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to include non-disparagement clauses within the definition of contractual duties of confidentiality in Clause 22A of the Employment Rights Bill.
Answered by Justin Madders
Clause 22A of the Employment Rights Bill will void any provision in an agreement, such as a contract of employment or settlement agreement, between a worker and their employer that prevents a worker from speaking out about relevant harassment or discrimination.
Where an agreement includes a non-disparagement clause, this would be void in so far as it limits a worker's ability to speak out about relevant harassment, discrimination or their employer's response to it.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the amount of scrap metal produced in the UK, (b) the maximum demand for scrap metal that can be used in the UK and (c) the impact that a ban on scrap metal exports would have on the UK economy and metals recycling sector.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
My department funded a Warwick University report entitled ‘Domestic Scrap Steel Recycling – Economic, Environmental and Social Opportunities’, published February 2021, which shows that UK produces around 11.3mn tonnes of steel scrap and 1.1mn tonnes of aluminium per year. The Government has not conducted research into the volume of other types of metal scrap.
The same report highlighted that in the years leading up to 2020, the UK’s demand for steel scrap was around 2.6mn tonnes and 800k tonnes for aluminium.
My department is in close discussion with steel and aluminium producers and metal recyclers on a range of options to improve the supply of scrap, including export controls.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
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 adopting minimum recycled content requirements for (a) new infrastructure projects and (b) finished steels.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government works with the Green Construction Board, part of the Construction Leadership Council, to reduce levels of waste within the industry, increase recycling, and support the transition to a circular economy. The Green Construction Board published its Zero Avoidable Waste Routemap in 2022, which covers issues such as designing out waste, encouraging refurbishment over demolition, reducing waste going to landfill and the recycling and reuse of energy intensive materials such as concrete and steel.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress his Department has made on including an ambitious intellectual property protection framework in the UK-Swiss free trade deal.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The fifth round of negotiations on an enhanced free trade agreement with Switzerland took place in London in October 2024. As part of that, negotiations on intellectual property continued to advance across a number of rights areas. The UK aims to agree a comprehensive IP chapter which builds on the UK and Switzerland’s existing high mutual standards, balances interests across all UK industries and sectors, and reaches an outcome that delivers for the whole of the UK.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Wales on supporting small businesses in (a) Newport West constituency and (b) Wales.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake
The Secretary of State is regularly assessing the impact of economic growth, working with the Secretary of State for Wales to support SMEs.
The Government continues to support businesses, through Help to Grow: Management, Business Support Helpline and GOV.UK.
Wales is benefiting from £2.5 billion in levelling up funding to create jobs and grow the economy, and there will be two Investment Zones in Wales worth £160 million each, with one located across Cardiff and Newport.
The Government has provided business rates relief in England, whilst the Welsh Government has cut the rates relief, effectively doubling business rates in Wales.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of recent economic growth figures on small and medium businesses in (a) Newport West constituency and b) Wales.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake
The Secretary of State is regularly assessing the impact of economic growth, working with the Secretary of State for Wales to support SMEs.
The Government continues to support businesses, through Help to Grow: Management, Business Support Helpline and GOV.UK.
Wales is benefiting from £2.5 billion in levelling up funding to create jobs and grow the economy, and there will be two Investment Zones in Wales worth £160 million each, with one located across Cardiff and Newport.
The Government has provided business rates relief in England, whilst the Welsh Government has cut the rates relief, effectively doubling business rates in Wales.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions she has had with her New Zealand counterpart on the compatibility of the proposed Fast-Track Approvals Bill with the UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.
Answered by Greg Hands
On March 13th, the UK and New Zealand highlighted the importance of our environment commitments at the first ever Environment and Climate Change Sub-Committee under the FTA. The Department for Business and Trade will continue discussions with New Zealand on implementing the Environment Chapter and will monitor the proposed Bill as it develops in New Zealand’s Parliament.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
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 her counterpart in New Zealand on the potential impact of the proposed Fast-Track Approvals Bill on that country's obligations under the chapter of the UK-New Zealand free trade agreement on the environment.
Answered by Greg Hands
On March 13th, the UK and New Zealand highlighted the importance of our environment commitments at the first ever Environment and Climate Change Sub-Committee under the FTA. The Department for Business and Trade will continue discussions with New Zealand on implementing the Environment Chapter and will monitor the proposed Bill as it develops in New Zealand’s Parliament.