Stella Creasy

In recognition of the unprecedented uncertainty and pressure facing employers due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission suspended enforcement of the gender pay gap reporting deadlines for the 2019/20 reporting year.

Although enforcement was suspended, no changes have been made to the legislation. Employers are still able to report their gender pay gaps for the reporting year 2019/20 but face no enforcement action for doing so late or for not doing so at all.

There will be no charge for businesses to submit Safety and Security information through the Single Trade Window.

The Border Target Operating Model sets out our new approach to Safety and Security controls (applying to all imports and standardising controls applied to Rest of World and EU trade), and Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls (applied to imports of animal products, germinal products, plants and plant products and live animals) at the border. It also outlines how we will reduce the administrative burden of traders providing this information through the UK Single Trade Window.

Future trade flows are of course subject to factors beyond government policy including changes to consumer and trader behaviour.

Our modelling estimates 17.4m additional Safety and Security declarations will be required following implementation of the Border Target Operating Model. We also estimate a total of up to 4.5m consignments that are imported into the UK from the EU will be subject to Sanitary and Phytosanitary requirements. These requirements depend on the risk of the commodity within the consignment as outlined in the published Border Target Operating Model.

These estimates are based on data sourced from a range of government agencies, including Safety and Security declarations for non-EU trade, customs declaration data and transit data. The Government will continue to assess the latest estimates based on more recent data.

The Government’s modelling of the inflationary impact of the Border Target Operating Model has been undertaken through a peer-reviewed econometric model. The data input into the model includes a mix of published and unpublished commercially sensitive data sources.

Our estimates on the impact on consumer food price inflation have been developed alongside academics, through a model trusted by organisations across government such as His Majesty’s Treasury. The model can be found here:

https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/bitstream/handle/10871/128070/Final%20Report_Defra_December%202021.pdf?sequence=2

In developing the new Border Target Operating Model, our goal has been to design a modern border with a simplified but effective system of Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls. This is a border that optimises the balance between maintaining, or improving, biosecurity, public health and food safety and sets a proportionate approach to controls.

The Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 (along with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Concession Contracts Regulations 2016 and the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011) will be replaced by the new public procurement regime being put in place by the Procurement Bill, currently being debated in Parliament.

The Bill will create simpler, more flexible and less complicated rules, and will open up more government procurement for small businesses and voluntary and community groups. The Bill also takes advantage of post-Brexit opportunities, allowing the UK to shape its own procurement rules, while complying with international obligations.

This is one of the ways we are helping grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country - one of the Government’s five key priorities.

The Concessions Contracts Regulations 2016 (along with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016 and the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011) will be replaced by the new public procurement regime being put in place by the Procurement Bill, currently being debated in Parliament.

Through the Retained EU Law (Reform and Revocation) Bill, the Government is currently reviewing which retained European Union law should be repealed, reformed or preserved. The existing procurement regime, which includes the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, will need to be preserved until the new regime is ready to be implemented. This is laid out in the Procurement Bill and currently being debated in Parliament.

The information requested is not held centrally. All legislation is available on legislation.gov.uk.

The Government will legislate for a new electoral sanction against intimidation as soon as parliamentary time allows.

The new electoral sanction is one part of the Government’s wider programme of work to address intimidation in public life. More details on this programme are set out in Written Ministerial Statement HCWS833 ‘Update on Tackling Intimidation in Public Life’ made on 09 March 2021.

The government has assessed the equalities impacts of the social distancing policy on different groups of people, including those with protected characteristics and has engaged individuals, expert groups, charities and other organisations in the policy development process. This is a key part of the decision making process and the government has discharged its obligations under the Equality Act at each stage of its COVID-19 response.

We are aware of the disproportionate impacts of the policy on some groups. For example, we acknowledge that the order to stay at home can cause anxiety for those who are experiencing or feel at risk of domestic abuse and we’ve seen a rise in calls to the national abuse helpline. That is why the Home Secretary introduced a package of measures to support such victims, including an additional £2m of funding for domestic abuse helplines and online services as well as the ‘#YouAreNotAlone’ communications campaign to reassure victims that support services remain available.

The Government has also recognised that some individuals with learning disabilities or autism have specific exercise requirements that are important to their health and has clarified that such groups are allowed to continue to exercise outdoors more than once a day. It is recognised that the policy will continue to have a disproportionate impact on many disabled individuals.

There is evidence of a disproportionate impact on many other sectors of society. The Government is keeping this under review and will introduce mitigation measures wherever possible and appropriate. However, the overall assessment concluded that the measures the Government has taken have been proportionate to the risks of the coronavirus outbreak.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, the Government does not routinely publish equality impact assessments.

The Historical Shortfall Scheme’s intention is to ensure all victims of the Horizon scandal are returned to the financial position they would have been in had the wrongdoings not occurred.

An issue has been identified on the tax treatment of some postmasters with claims for loss of earnings under the HSS, particularly those with larger claims, where postmasters may be pushed into a higher tax bracket due to receiving compensation in a lump sum as opposed to receiving those earnings over several tax years. The Department for Business and Trade wants to see fair compensation for all victims and is working urgently to address this issue with the Post Office, HMT and HMRC.

The Department for Business and Trade is aiming to ensure that tax treatment is fair across all schemes, including the Suspension Remuneration Review.

The Department for Business and Trade is reviewing all REUL in line with usual policy development to determine whether to repeal, replace or preserve it.

We will continue to ensure that only safe pressure equipment products are placed on the market in the United Kingdom and that market surveillance authorities have the necessary enforcement powers.

The Gas Appliances (Enforcement) and Miscellaneous Amendment Regulations 2018 enable enforcement authorities in the United Kingdom to take action against “economic operators” (manufacturers, importers and distributors) if they do not comply with the obligations in Regulation 2016/426 on appliances burning gaseous fuels.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is reviewing all REUL in line with usual policy development to determine whether to repeal, replace or preserve it.

The Government will continue to ensure that only safe gas appliances are placed on the market in the United Kingdom and that market surveillance authorities have the necessary enforcement powers.

The Government is reviewing all REUL, including the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations, to decide whether to repeal, replace or preserve it and will communicate more in due course.

The regulations provide the legal basis for the Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) scheme. This scheme allows the UK to account for renewable energy on the electricity grid.

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy is reviewing all retained EU law in line with usual policy development to determine whether to repeal, replace or preserve it.

It is the Government's intention that the REGO scheme will continue to exist in the UK, which will require Government regulation.

The Government is committed to a consumer rights framework that protects consumers and drives consumer confidence, while minimising unnecessary costs to business.

We will bring forward proposals to address REUL that impacts consumer protection using the powers in the bill or other available legislative instruments in due course.

The Government is reviewing all REUL, including the Duration of Copyright and Rights in Performance Regulations, to decide whether to repeal, replace or preserve it and will communicate more in due course.

In leaving the EU we regained the ability to regulate autonomously, and the Government is therefore conducting a comprehensive review of all retained EU employment law to ensure that our regulations are tailored to the needs of the UK economy and help create the conditions for economic growth.

The Government plans to update the retained EU law dashboard “in due course”, which will be followed by further updates on a quarterly basis throughout 2023.

The next update will include new functionality that will highlight to users which entries are new to the dashboard or have been updated since the inaugural publication of the dashboard in June 2022. In addition, once the dashboard has been updated, the full data set underpinning the dashboard will be available to download via the Retained EU Law Dashboard gov.uk page.

The Government is reviewing all REUL, including the Artist Resale Right Regulations, to decide whether to repeal, replace or preserve it and will communicate more in due course.

In leaving the EU we regained the ability to regulate autonomously, and the Government is therefore conducting a comprehensive review of all retained EU employment law to ensure that our regulations are tailored to the needs of the UK economy and help create the conditions for economic growth.

The Government is committed to a consumer rights framework that protects consumers and drives consumer confidence, while minimising unnecessary costs to business.

We will bring forward proposals to address Retained EU Law that impacts consumer protection using the powers in the bill or other available legislative instruments in due course.

The Government is committed to ensuring toys sold in the UK are safe.

Leaving the EU gives us an opportunity to make our own decisions regarding products placed on our market, including toys. The Retained EU law (Revocation and Reform) Bill will enable Government, via Parliament, to revoke, replace or retain EU regulation in favour of a more agile, home-grown approach.

We will shortly publish a consultation on the product safety framework to support us in determining the best approach to retained EU law on toy safety.

The Recognition of Professional Qualifications (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 includes measures to implement obligations under the EU Withdrawal Agreement, the Separation Agreement with Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein (the ‘EEA EFTA States’), and the Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement. The Government has committed that the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill will preserve retained EU law that is necessary to maintain the UK’s international obligations, such as those in the agreements with the EU, EEA EFTA States and Switzerland.

In leaving the European Union (EU) we regained the ability to regulate autonomously, and the Government is therefore conducting a comprehensive review of all retained EU employment law to ensure that our regulations are tailored to the needs of the UK economy and help create the conditions for economic growth.

In leaving the EU we regained the ability to regulate autonomously, and the Government is therefore conducting a comprehensive review of all retained EU employment law to ensure that our regulations are tailored to the needs of the UK economy and help create the conditions for economic growth.