First elected: 8th June 2017
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Stephen Morgan, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Stephen Morgan has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Stephen Morgan has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Stephen Morgan has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Cabinet Office’s Equality Hub is working towards publication of the Government's response to the 2022 consultation on the implementation and commencement of the remaining parts of Section 36 of the Equality Act 2010 and its associated schedules. I would expect further progress on this soon.
No one in this country should be harmed or harassed for who they are and attempts at so-called ‘conversion therapy’ are abhorrent. That is why we are carefully considering this very complex issue. We will be setting out further details on this in due course.
The Government takes all forms of hate crime seriously. We expect the police to make sure the cowards who commit these abhorrent crimes feel the full force of the law.
The Government is committed to reducing all crime which is why we have successfully recruited over 20,000 extra police officers.
We are clear that transgender people deserve our respect, support and understanding.
There are processes in place, with the right checks and balances, to allow for those who wish to legally change their gender to do so.
The Government is clear that we want people who are transgender to be able to live their lives as they wish. On a) we recognise that the term ‘transsexual’ used in the Equality Act 2010 is seen by many to be outdated. We understand those concerns and do not use the term in our policy or communications work. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) explain their approach by stating: “We recognise that some people consider this term outdated, so in this guidance we use the term ‘trans’ to refer to a person who has the protected characteristic of gender reassignment”[1].
In terms of the scope of that protected characteristic, as the EHRC sets out[2], the Equality Act definition is broad, does not require medical treatment and will include those who may “prefer to be described as a transperson, or transmale or transfemale or transgender”.
[1] For example in their April 2022 guidance for providers of single sex spaces: www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/separate-and-single-sex-service-providers-guide-equality-act-sex-and-gender#language
[2] www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/gender-reassignment-discrimination
The Government has engaged with a wide range of international counterparts including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, and Malta, to understand the approaches they have taken to ban conversion therapy. We will continue to engage with counterparts around the world that are committed to protecting everyone from conversion practices to share insight and develop our approach.
The Government has been liaising with territorial offices and the devolved administrations including the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on this important issue.
Officials will continue to work with their counterparts across the devolved administrations to discuss the UK Government’s approach to protecting everyone in England and Wales from conversion therapy practices.
Since May 2022, the Government has launched a support service open to all victims or those at risk of conversion practices regardless of their background or circumstances. The Government has committed up to £360,000 over three years to this service. The service includes a helpline, instant messaging service, and website to enable people to get the support they need.
More widely, the Government remains committed to protecting everyone from these practices. We are carefully considering the responses to the public consultation which closed earlier this year and will respond in due course.
The Equality Hub Ministers and officials have met with healthcare professionals in developing the policy approach to protecting all individuals from conversion practices. Many such organisations responded to the public consultation that closed in February 2022.
We will continue to meet with healthcare professionals to inform our approach and will respond to the consultation in due course.
The Equality Hub Ministers and officials have met with healthcare professionals in developing the policy approach to protecting all individuals from conversion practices. Many such organisations responded to the public consultation that closed in February 2022.
We will continue to meet with healthcare professionals to inform our approach and will respond to the consultation in due course.
Throughout the UK’s COP26 and G7 Presidencies, we have made significant progress. The $100bn Delivery Plan, which the COP President has asked Germany and Canada to lead, shows that the goal to mobilise $100 billion per year for developing countries will be met by 2023 at the latest, continuing on a rising trajectory through to 2025. In the five years to 2025, $500bn will be mobilised. This is significant progress, driven by ambitious new climate finance commitments that have been made in recent months.
We have also prioritised the issue of fiscal space and debt sustainability, for example in engagements with the IMF, World Bank and climate vulnerable countries. We welcome the progress that has been made. The IMF has implemented an historic $650bn allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to boost global liquidity and provide fiscal space. G7 Leaders have also agreed to consider options for voluntary SDR channelling of $100bn to further support developing and vulnerable countries. The G20 and Paris Club agreed to a further final extension of the Debt-Service Suspension Initiative in April and have continued implementation of the Common Framework for Debt Treatments.
Throughout the UK’s COP26 and G7 Presidencies, we have made significant progress. The $100bn Delivery Plan, which the COP President has asked Germany and Canada to lead, shows that the goal to mobilise $100 billion per year for developing countries will be met by 2023 at the latest, continuing on a rising trajectory through to 2025. In the five years to 2025, $500bn will be mobilised. This is significant progress, driven by ambitious new climate finance commitments that have been made in recent months.
We have also prioritised the issue of fiscal space and debt sustainability, for example in engagements with the IMF, World Bank and climate vulnerable countries. We welcome the progress that has been made. The IMF has implemented an historic $650bn allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to boost global liquidity and provide fiscal space. G7 Leaders have also agreed to consider options for voluntary SDR channelling of $100bn to further support developing and vulnerable countries. The G20 and Paris Club agreed to a further final extension of the Debt-Service Suspension Initiative in April and have continued implementation of the Common Framework for Debt Treatments.
We have undertaken research to understand practices, experiences and impacts associated with conversion therapy and will publish this in due course. We will consider the findings alongside the responses to the consultation on our conversion therapy proposals that we will launch in September.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reviews all cases received from the police, using the two-stage test (sufficient evidence for a reasonable prospect of conviction and an assessment of public interest factors) to determine suitability for prosecution. The volume of prosecutions is therefore determined by the number of cases received from the police which pass the two-stage test.
CPS data from the period April – June 2023 (our most recent available figures) shows high conviction rates for theft, criminal damage (including arson), and public order offences.
Across this period, the conviction rate for theft and handling was 91.1%. In the same quarter, the conviction rate for criminal damage (including arson) was 84.8%. The conviction rate for public order offences was 81.5%.
As set out in the 2023 CONTEST refresh, the Government is focusing on the nexus between terrorism and state threats, utilising our counter-terrorism powers, capabilities and expertise, to protect the UK. Alongside our counter-terrorism toolkit, the powers in the National Security Act 2023 will help to keep the UK safe by making it harder for those states who seek to conduct hostile acts against us.
In addition, the UK’s approach to state threats has been set out in the Integrated Review Refresh, which recognises that state threats are increasing and diversifying. It lays out the overarching objectives of our response; to protect the UK and its interests abroad; build consensus internationally and domestically; compete to disrupt and deter threat activity; and understand the evolving threat.
The HMG Russia Strategy is a living document, the details of which are kept under constant review by the Government. However, the broad principles of the Strategy were designed to be enduring, and remain as set out on page 42, paragraph 28, of the Integrated Review Refresh.
I refer the Hon. Member to my response dated 12th June to UIN 187235.
As has been the case under successive administrations, the Prime Minister allocates official residences to ministers, either on the grounds of security or to allow them to better perform their official duties. The following official residences are currently allocated to Ministers:
Flats above 10 and 11 Downing Street, which are allocated to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer respectively;
Hillsborough Castle and Stormont which are available for Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office while on duty in Northern Ireland;
1 Carlton Gardens, which is allocated to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; and
The Chequers and Dorneywood estates are owned and managed by trustees and are available to Ministers for both official and private use and are allocated to the Prime Minister and Chancellor respectively.
Admiralty House is part of the Government estate, which includes rooms that could be used as residential accommodation as required.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is a Crown servant that reports directly to Parliament. The Ombudsman is not accountable to the Government for its performance and sets its own standards for complaints handling and investigations. The Ombudsman is accountable to Parliament through the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, which holds an annual scrutiny session to evaluate its performance.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is a Crown servant that reports directly to Parliament. The Ombudsman is not accountable to the Government for its performance and sets its own standards for complaints handling and investigations. The Ombudsman is accountable to Parliament through the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, which holds an annual scrutiny session to evaluate its performance.
As has been the case under successive Administrations, non-scheduled air travel is necessary at times for undertaking Government and Royal Household official visits. This may be to the timing and flexibility needed, for security reasons, or due to the location being visited. It can also provide better value for money in the cases of larger delegations (which can include journalists).
The Government has procured a single A321 aircraft for use by Ministers and senior members of the Royal Family. The aircraft was procured through an existing Crown Commercial Framework (RM6016 PSTVS Lot 4) in order to achieve a timely, beneficial and cost-effective solution for the government. Early market engagement concluded that a wet lease was able to offer the best balance between value for money, availability and operational flexibility.
The Cabinet Office ran a competition through the Framework and the winning supplier then offered three best options to meet the requirement. Based on this, cost estimates for the procurement of the aircraft were considered against a range of options and it was assessed that an initial term of 2 years, with the opportunity for annual extensions to the full life of the contract, offered the best balance between value for money and flexibility.
The decision to procure an aircraft was based on a range of factors including guaranteed availability; a biosecure aircraft; UK branding; and an aircraft with a transatlantic range. Before the contract is extended beyond the initial 2 years, an assessment will be made on the most cost-effective option that will range from extending the contract to launching an open competition for a new contract.
The Government does not hold this data centrally. We are committed to ensuring that veterans have the best possible opportunities to secure rewarding and sustainable employment after their service and have taken a number of steps to support this. These include making it easier for veterans to join the Civil Service, introducing a National Insurance contribution holiday for employers of veterans and establishing a network of dedicated Armed Forces champions in JobCentre plus.
An Equality Impact Assessment, which includes information on voter identification, was published alongside the Elections Bill:
https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3020/publications
We continue to work with local authorities, the Electoral Commission, charities and civil society organisations to make sure that reforms, including the provision of the free, locally issued Voter Card, are delivered in a way that is inclusive for all voters.
Everyone who is eligible to vote will continue to have the opportunity to do so.
On 13 April, the Office for National Statistics released the latest statistics on EU-UK trade which show a welcome growth in the value of trade with the EU, with goods exports close to the average 2020 level.
The vast majority of traders and hauliers have adapted well, and our focus now is on making sure that any business that is still facing challenges gets the support they need. We are continuing to monitor and assess the situation, including any potential change in trade patterns.
We have made an additional £20m available to support SMEs with new requirements when trading with the EU. More info can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-announces-20-million-sme-brexit-support-fund
The MoD is continuing to work closely with Help for Heroes to transfer management responsibilities for the Personnel Recovery Centres whilst Help for Heroes’ introduce a new community based support model. Remote services will continue to be offered to veterans and the Government is continuing to monitor the situation, to ensure veterans can continue to access the support they need, whether via the NHS or the charitable sector.
This Government has provided unprecedented support to the service charity sector throughout the pandemic. As well as being able to access broader charity sector support, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the sector has benefitted from a £6million COVID Impact Fund. In addition to the £10million per annum that the Government provides to the sector through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, in this year’s budget, the Trust has been allocated a further £10million to deliver charitable projects supporting veterans mental health needs.
As I stated in my answer given to the hon. Member on 11 January 2021, the MOD’s Health Safety and Environmental Protection directorate, alongside the Defence People function will work with the Office for Veterans’ Affairs to explore potential health issues related to exposure to asbestos during service, and to continue to coordinate MOD's asbestos management approach. Claims for compensation in respect of injuries or illnesses arising as a result of service can be made by veterans through the Ministry of Defence.
The Government is committed to providing the necessary support for our Veterans. The vast majority of veterans currently access mental health services available to the general population. For veteran specific mental health services, in 2020-2021 NHS England provided £16.5m, which will be increased to £17.8m for 2021-2022, alongside the launch of the new High Intensity Service across England and Op Courage pathway for accessing all veterans’ mental health services within NHS England.
Service charities are supported by the Government through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, which benefits from £10m annually, and in both years an additional £10m has been allocated to support veterans’ mental health needs. During 2020, the COVID-19 Impact Fund has provided nearly £6m in grants to over 100 Armed Forces charities across the United Kingdom. Of the charities awarded funding, 68% of grants sampled supported members of the Armed Forces and veterans’ community for mental health and crisis support, and 77% for easing isolation and loneliness.
Guidance for small marriages and civil partnerships was published on 22 March and can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships#wedding-and-civil-partnership-ceremony-venues
We recognise that any restrictions on wedding venues may be disappointing for those planning such events, but we have to take necessary steps to limit transmission of COVID-19. This includes the closure of some settings and restrictions on social contact, including wedding and civil partnership ceremonies. By their very nature, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are events that bring families and friends together, making them particularly vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19. We appreciate the sacrifices people have had to make across the COVID-19 pandemic and we do not wish to keep any restrictions in place longer than we need to.
In the COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021, the Government has set out the gradual and cautious approach to reopening in England, guided by science and the data, including the staged return of weddings and civil partnerships, as well as sporting events.
In order to inform the pace and sequencing of the roadmap, the Government commissioned advice and modelling from SAGE and its sub-groups. Scientific evidence supporting the government response to coronavirus is regularly published here - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/scientific-evidence-supporting-the-government-response-to-coronavirus-covid-19.
Throughout the pandemic, we have consistently adapted our response as we have learnt more about the virus and how best to tackle it. Decisions on when to lift restrictions, and in which order, seek to strike a balance between the epidemiological evidence and advice, the impact lockdown is having on people’s health (including mental health and disproportionate impacts on certain groups), wellbeing, and the economy. Scientific evidence supporting the government response to coronavirus is regularly published here - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/scientific-evidence-supporting-the-government-response-to-coronavirus-covid-19.
On 22 February the Government published its 'COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021'
roadmap to recovery. The roadmap outlines four steps for cautiously easing restrictions across England. The first measures of Step 1 took place on the 8th March. Schools breaking up for the Easter holidays will provide an opportunity for further, limited relaxation particularly in outdoor settings where there is less risk. Therefore from 29 March, outdoor sports and leisure facilities will reopen and organised sport (for adults and children) will resume.
The design of the roadmap has been informed by the latest scientific evidence and seeks a balance between our key social and economic priorities, whilst preserving the health and safety of our country.
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions within Government are not normally disclosed. Cabinet Office officials are in regular contact with ports across the UK as part of their regular engagement. This includes all ports which applied to the fund. This contact is ongoing. There were no discussions between Cabinet Office officials or ministers and the Rt Hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell regarding the Port Infrastructure Fund.
The Port Infrastructure Fund (PIF) team worked with an independent eligibility and assessment team, with specialist experience and technical expertise in rail, air and maritime port infrastructure design and build to assess the funding applications. The Fund Allocation Authority (FAA), which is made up of representatives from across the relevant government departments such as HMRC, Defra and Border Force, subsequently made decisions about allocations based on the recommendations of the PIF Team.
The Fund received 53 applications from a range of sea ports, rail facilities and airports. Of the 53 ports that applied to the fund, 41 were successful in their application and a total of £200M has been provisionally allocated. 12 ports were not considered eligible or were unsuccessful at assessment phase.
It is a commercial decision for ports as to whether to provide these facilities. In normal circumstances, ports would be expected to fund such facilities themselves. However - in recognition of the unique circumstances of EU Exit, and the tight timescales for putting infrastructure in place - Government has made £470m of funding available to support border readiness.
Ports will need to fund the remaining 34% themselves. As the maximum amount of funding available was £200 million, a 66% award was applied across all applications ensuring all successful bids received a fair and proportionate level of taxpayer funded support.
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions within Government are not normally disclosed. Cabinet Office officials are in regular contact with ports across the UK as part of their regular engagement. This includes all ports which applied to the fund. This contact is ongoing. There were no discussions between Cabinet Office officials or ministers and the Rt Hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell regarding the Port Infrastructure Fund.
The Port Infrastructure Fund (PIF) team worked with an independent eligibility and assessment team, with specialist experience and technical expertise in rail, air and maritime port infrastructure design and build to assess the funding applications. The Fund Allocation Authority (FAA), which is made up of representatives from across the relevant government departments such as HMRC, Defra and Border Force, subsequently made decisions about allocations based on the recommendations of the PIF Team.
The Fund received 53 applications from a range of sea ports, rail facilities and airports. Of the 53 ports that applied to the fund, 41 were successful in their application and a total of £200M has been provisionally allocated. 12 ports were not considered eligible or were unsuccessful at assessment phase.
It is a commercial decision for ports as to whether to provide these facilities. In normal circumstances, ports would be expected to fund such facilities themselves. However - in recognition of the unique circumstances of EU Exit, and the tight timescales for putting infrastructure in place - Government has made £470m of funding available to support border readiness.
Ports will need to fund the remaining 34% themselves. As the maximum amount of funding available was £200 million, a 66% award was applied across all applications ensuring all successful bids received a fair and proportionate level of taxpayer funded support.
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions within Government are not normally disclosed. Cabinet Office officials are in regular contact with ports across the UK as part of their regular engagement. This includes all ports which applied to the fund. This contact is ongoing. There were no discussions between Cabinet Office officials or ministers and the Rt Hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell regarding the Port Infrastructure Fund.
The Port Infrastructure Fund (PIF) team worked with an independent eligibility and assessment team, with specialist experience and technical expertise in rail, air and maritime port infrastructure design and build to assess the funding applications. The Fund Allocation Authority (FAA), which is made up of representatives from across the relevant government departments such as HMRC, Defra and Border Force, subsequently made decisions about allocations based on the recommendations of the PIF Team.
The Fund received 53 applications from a range of sea ports, rail facilities and airports. Of the 53 ports that applied to the fund, 41 were successful in their application and a total of £200M has been provisionally allocated. 12 ports were not considered eligible or were unsuccessful at assessment phase.
It is a commercial decision for ports as to whether to provide these facilities. In normal circumstances, ports would be expected to fund such facilities themselves. However - in recognition of the unique circumstances of EU Exit, and the tight timescales for putting infrastructure in place - Government has made £470m of funding available to support border readiness.
Ports will need to fund the remaining 34% themselves. As the maximum amount of funding available was £200 million, a 66% award was applied across all applications ensuring all successful bids received a fair and proportionate level of taxpayer funded support.
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions within Government are not normally disclosed. Cabinet Office officials are in regular contact with ports across the UK as part of their regular engagement. This includes all ports which applied to the fund. This contact is ongoing. There were no discussions between Cabinet Office officials or ministers and the Rt Hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell regarding the Port Infrastructure Fund.
The Port Infrastructure Fund (PIF) team worked with an independent eligibility and assessment team, with specialist experience and technical expertise in rail, air and maritime port infrastructure design and build to assess the funding applications. The Fund Allocation Authority (FAA), which is made up of representatives from across the relevant government departments such as HMRC, Defra and Border Force, subsequently made decisions about allocations based on the recommendations of the PIF Team.
The Fund received 53 applications from a range of sea ports, rail facilities and airports. Of the 53 ports that applied to the fund, 41 were successful in their application and a total of £200M has been provisionally allocated. 12 ports were not considered eligible or were unsuccessful at assessment phase.
It is a commercial decision for ports as to whether to provide these facilities. In normal circumstances, ports would be expected to fund such facilities themselves. However - in recognition of the unique circumstances of EU Exit, and the tight timescales for putting infrastructure in place - Government has made £470m of funding available to support border readiness.
Ports will need to fund the remaining 34% themselves. As the maximum amount of funding available was £200 million, a 66% award was applied across all applications ensuring all successful bids received a fair and proportionate level of taxpayer funded support.
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions within Government are not normally disclosed. Cabinet Office officials are in regular contact with ports across the UK as part of their regular engagement. This includes all ports which applied to the fund. This contact is ongoing. There were no discussions between Cabinet Office officials or ministers and the Rt Hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell regarding the Port Infrastructure Fund.
The Port Infrastructure Fund (PIF) team worked with an independent eligibility and assessment team, with specialist experience and technical expertise in rail, air and maritime port infrastructure design and build to assess the funding applications. The Fund Allocation Authority (FAA), which is made up of representatives from across the relevant government departments such as HMRC, Defra and Border Force, subsequently made decisions about allocations based on the recommendations of the PIF Team.
The Fund received 53 applications from a range of sea ports, rail facilities and airports. Of the 53 ports that applied to the fund, 41 were successful in their application and a total of £200M has been provisionally allocated. 12 ports were not considered eligible or were unsuccessful at assessment phase.
It is a commercial decision for ports as to whether to provide these facilities. In normal circumstances, ports would be expected to fund such facilities themselves. However - in recognition of the unique circumstances of EU Exit, and the tight timescales for putting infrastructure in place - Government has made £470m of funding available to support border readiness.
Ports will need to fund the remaining 34% themselves. As the maximum amount of funding available was £200 million, a 66% award was applied across all applications ensuring all successful bids received a fair and proportionate level of taxpayer funded support.
As we have set out previously, the Government's immediate focus is on protecting the lives and livelihoods of the nation, but there is nonetheless the need to mourn those who have died, and to mark and remember this period as one of immense struggle. We will set out the Government’s proposed approach to this important matter in due course.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ107708 on 03 November.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQs 106475 and 106474 on 28 October 2020.
Ministers have regular conversations with interdepartmental colleagues on a range of topics, including the Government’s ongoing commitment to make it as easy as possible to access the clinical and welfare support available to veterans and their families. The Chief Coroner has given coroners clearer guidance so that deaths, including suicide, are recorded more consistently.
The Government continues to invest in mental health support and training whilst individuals are serving in the Armed Forces, as well as significant research to understand and tackle the risks and causes of suicide amongst those who have served. This includes a study commissioned by the MOD to investigate causes of death, including suicide, amongst all those who served in the UK Armed Forces between 2001 and 2014, covering combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2019, we extended this study to include all those who served after 2014, now and into the future. This will be complemented by a new Manchester University study, funded jointly by the MOD and NHS (England), looking at risk factors in the year leading up to a veteran taking their own life. Combined, these studies will provide increasingly robust data, in order to better understand ‘at risk’ groups and support better targeted interventions.
I refer the hon. Member to the Urgent Question responded to by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 30 June 2020.
The position as outlined on gov.uk is that everyone who can work from home should do so.
When that is not possible, people should go into work provided they are not symptomatic, isolating or shielding. Relevant guidance including from Public Health England should be followed.
The Government has placed restrictions on the operations of certain businesses as part of the strategy of enhanced social distancing. Separate guidance has been published on this and is also available on gov.uk.
We are monitoring the situation in Israel and Gaza very closely. All licences are kept under careful and continual review and we are able to amend, suspend, refuse or revoke licences as circumstances require. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade receives legal advice as appropriate
We do not comment on legal advice in accordance with longstanding convention.
As the independent regulator for the postal sector, it is for Ofcom to monitor Royal Mail’s delivery of the universal service obligation and decide how to respond should Royal Mail fail to meet its obligations.
While the Government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions, I have met the Chief Executive of Royal Mail’s parent company to raise concerns about its performance in delivering the Government’s commitment to a universal postal service which meets consumer needs.
Ofcom fined the business £5.6m for failing to meet its service delivery targets in 2022-23 and continues to monitor Royal Mail’s performance to ensure service issues are addressed as a priority.
As the independent regulator for the postal sector, it is for Ofcom to monitor Royal Mail’s delivery of the universal service obligation and decide how to respond should Royal Mail fail to meet its obligations.
While the Government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions, I have met the Chief Executive of Royal Mail’s parent company to raise concerns about its performance in delivering the Government’s commitment to a universal postal service which meets consumer needs.
Ofcom fined the business £5.6m for failing to meet its service delivery targets in 2022-23 and continues to monitor Royal Mail’s performance to ensure service issues are addressed as a priority.
It is the responsibility of Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to ensure that the universal postal service meets the reasonable needs of customers as well as being financially sustainable and efficient.
The Government will consider any recommendations that Ofcom puts forward, but Ministers are not currently minded to introduce new legislation to change the obligations on postal deliveries.
It is the responsibility of Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to ensure that the universal postal service meets the reasonable needs of customers as well as being financially sustainable and efficient. The Government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions.
The Government will consider any recommendations that Ofcom puts forward, but Ministers are not currently minded to introduce new legislation to change the obligations on postal deliveries.
It is the responsibility of Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to ensure that the universal postal service meets the reasonable needs of customers as well as being financially sustainable and efficient. The Government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions.
The Government will consider any recommendations that Ofcom puts forward, but Ministers are not currently minded to introduce new legislation to change the obligations on postal deliveries.
While this is a commercial decision for the company, we understand that this will be a concerning time for workers at The Body Shop, and we stand ready to support those impacted.
Affected employees will be able to access our broad range of support, including Universal Credit and JobCentre Plus, through the Department for Work and Pension's Rapid Response Service.
Employees who worked for the company under an employment contract may be eligible for statutory redundancy pay, compensatory notice pay, and holiday pay, for which they can apply to the Insolvency Service.
My officials at the Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Service have been working with the administrators from FRP Advisory to ensure that employee redundancy claims can be paid as soon as possible. If employee consultation requirements in relation to redundancies have not been met, their representative may make a complaint to an Employment Tribunal. If the complaint is upheld, the Tribunal has discretionary power to make a Protective Award in compensation to the affected employees.
Administrators are licenced by a regulatory body, which would be responsible for investigating any matters relating to their conduct as officeholders. The Insolvency Service will review complaints about the conduct of the company’s directors to assess whether further investigation would be appropriate.