Tracy Brabin

The Childcare ITF is chaired by the Education Secretary and was established to drive delivery of a coherent and effective government-wide childcare offer to support parents in work. To protect the integrity of the policy making process, we do not not publish details of when Implementation Taskforces met or what they discussed.

The estimated cost of the current boundary review, comprising expenditure from 2015-7 and projected expenditure from 2017-19, is approximately £8 million. This includes the usual costs such as staffing and accommodation, and other activities necessary for the boundary review for the boundary commissions for Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office and is included in this reply.

As March 2017, Cabinet Office had 36 staff seconded in from outside of the Civil Service. Full details of the companies and organisations that staff are seconded from are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office and is included in this reply.

As March 2017, Cabinet Office had 36 staff seconded in from outside of the Civil Service. Full details of the companies and organisations that staff are seconded from are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

I visit all parts of the United Kingdom regularly. Details of my visits within the United Kingdom are published on the gov.uk website.

I visit all parts of the United Kingdom regularly. Details of my visits within the United Kingdom are published on the gov.uk website.

The Government considers the issue of exhaustion of rights to be primarily a domestic issue. As free trade agreements do not typically restrict the freedom of countries to choose their own exhaustion regime, we will make full use of our autonomy to choose a permanent exhaustion regime now we have left the European Union.

In my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement on 17 July, close contact services including treatments to the face are allowed to resume as of 1 August, as long as they operate in a COVID-secure way.

Our approach to allowing businesses to resume activity is guided by the scientific and medical advice, and every step is weighed against the evidence, remembering that the more we open-up the more vigilant we will need to be. Making any changes depends on us continuing to meet the five tests, and the fifth test is informed by the Chief Scientific Adviser and Chief Medical Officer’s opinion.

Where a business such as those in the aesthetic industries provides a mix of services, only those services that do not involve work in the highest risk zone – around the face – should be made available to clients. There is a much higher risk of transmission of the virus face-to-face and in very close proximity, such as facial treatments and make up services.

The Government has introduced an unprecedented package of support for businesses which are facing difficulty as a result of the pandemic, including loan schemes, grant funding and wage packages. Businesses from most sectors including the aesthetic industry are able to access this support, provided they meet the eligibility criteria for the schemes for which they are applying.

Our work continues to be led by the science, so we do not put lives at risk.

The Department has considered how decisions on reopening sections of the economy may affect people who are protected under the Equality Act, in fulfilment of its duty under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Our guidance emphasises that employers have a duty under UK law to protect the health and safety of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. This includes considering the risks that COVID-19 represents. Nothing in this guidance affects employers’ existing responsibilities under employment and equalities legislation.

The Government recognises the significant contribution that creative industries make to the UK economy and have consulted with industry stakeholders on intellectual property and trade.

Our intellectual property regime is consistently rated as one of the best in the world. Any future trade agreement must achieve a balanced outcome for creators, producers, performers, users, and consumers, in line with international standards.

The Government is committed to creating a labour market that works for everyone. Effective enforcement is a key element of the Good Work Plan, which sets out the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation.

Casting websites in the acting sector can already meet the definition of an employment agency, as set out in the Employment Agencies Act 1973. If they meet the definition, they need to comply with the current legislation, which includes specific regulations that cover acting and background extras agencies.

The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 includes certain requirements in relation to advertising by employment agencies and such requirements are enforced by the Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate.

EAS work with other enforcement partners, such as HMRC who enforce National Minimum Wage legislation. EAS share information with HMRC where there is information to suggest non-compliance with National Minimum Wage legislation, as well as with other enforcement partners to protect vulnerable workers in the labour market.

We expect to complete the evaluation of the Shared Parental Leave and Pay scheme later this year.

To date we have prioritised collecting empirical data from a variety of sources, including a large-scale survey of nearly 4,500 parents. We plan to hold meetings with interested parties during the later stages of the evaluation.

The Government recognises the hard work of the Munitions workers and is extremely grateful for their input and sacrifices made during both world wars often working in harsh conditions, to ensure that our soldiers were well equipped during the war effort.

There are no plans to introduce a medal for munitions workers who served during the world wars. A commemorative badge is available thanks to the support of the BAE Systems Heritage Department and the efforts of the Munitions Workers Association. This is similar to those badges given to those who worked in the mines during the second world war – the so-called Bevan Boys. Surviving munitions workers and their families can approach the Munitions Workers Association to receive this commemorative badge.

BEIS engages regularly with UK based businesses and trade associations across a range of sectors including consumer goods. We understand the concerns of these businesses about retaining frictionless trade and want all manufacturers across the UK, including in West Yorkshire, to thrive now and in the future.

To help us engage effectively, we have set up sector-specific EU Exit panels. The first consumer goods panel will be taking place in early November and all consumer goods activity in the UK, including furniture manufacturing, is represented.

The Government has been clear that the best outcome is for the UK to leave the EU with a deal and why, following months of intensive work and detailed discussions, we proposed a third option for our future economic relationship, based on the frictionless trade in goods.

At March European Council, the UK and EU agreed that during the implementation period, the UK would be treated as a Member State for the purposes of international agreements, including trade agreements.

This provides certainty and confidence for business that there will be no disruption to existing relationships underpinned by international agreements as we move into the Implementation Period.

Certification of the products and the installation by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) is a key eligibility requirement for two government incentives, the Renewable Heat Incentive and the Feed-in Tariff. The Department works closely with MCS and Consumer Codes operating in this sector to ensure that consumers using an MCS certified contractor for a renewable energy installation are protected.

Where an installer fraudulently claims to be MCS certified, the consumer can contact their local trading standards office https://www.gov.uk/find-local-trading-standards-office.

Where the Department receives individual correspondence regarding such cases, officials work closely with Ofgem and MCS to ensure best possible outcomes can be achieved for the consumer.

Statutory Adoption Pay is paid to eligible employees who are adopting a child to enable them to take time off work to settle the child into their new home. Unlike adoptive parents, the majority of special guardians already have an established relationship with the child. They are often relatives or family friends, and the child has often been living with them for an extended period before applying for a Special Guardianship Order.

Local authorities have a duty to provide for special guardianship support services: including financial support where necessary. Provision of support is discretionary and is based on an assessment of the guardian’s support needs. Where the child was looked after immediately prior to the making of the special guardianship order, funding from the Adoption Support Fund is available to pay for therapeutic services where they need help to recover from their previous experiences and bond with their new family.

The Department organises the Westminster Holiday Play Scheme. This is a childcare facility that takes place during school holidays. It is open to children from the age of 4 years and 9 months up to 15 years’ old. It is run on behalf of a consortium of departments through a contract led and administered by BEIS. It currently operates at 4 London locations. There is a cost of £35 per day per child. The Department meets £18 of this cost for its members of staff with parents/guardians paying the remaining £17.

Between September 2016 and August 2017 (inclusive) BEIS spent £10,244 on the play scheme. The Department does not have details on the number of individual staff members who made use of the scheme or on the amounts spent per child.

HM Revenue and Customs has no powers to sanction companies for withholding holiday pay.

However, HM Revenue and Customs plays a vital role in enforcing the National Minimum Wage and the Government has continued to strengthen enforcement action in this area.

More broadly, the Government has asked Matthew Taylor to consider new forms of work such as the ‘gig economy’ and self-employment, and their implications on employee rights and responsibilities, employer freedoms and obligations, and the existing regulatory framework surrounding employment.

There are currently 40 staff seconded to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The table below shows the organisations that secondees are from and the number of secondees from each organisation:

Entitlement to statutory employment rights, including family related statutory leave and pay, is determined by the individual’s employment status and not the type of contract that they have. This means that many women on casual, fixed-term or zero-hours contracts will already enjoy the same maternity benefits as women in full-time, permanent employment.

The wide ranging independent review of Modern Employment Practices is looking at the impact of non-standard forms of employment on security, pay and rights

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy provides funding to Citizen Advice (CitA), the umbrella body for the Citizen Advice Service in England and Wales through an annual grant to support their core function and to deliver consumer advocacy and advice. Funding over the last three years is set out in the table below.

Central Government does not provide funding directly to local individual Citizen Advice offices, core funding for which is usually provided by the local authority in which they are located.

We appreciate that the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to many of DCMS’ creative sectors including the publishing industry. Through regular ministerial-led roundtables, working groups and contact with DCMS officials, we will continue to work with the publishing sector to assess and understand the difficulties it faces in these challenging times and through recovery.

The Government has provided unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency. The Government’s response has been one of the most generous and comprehensive in the world, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Bounceback Loan Scheme and business rates reliefs.

The publishing sector has also benefited from the government's introduction of a zero rate of VAT to e-publications, which was brought forward to 1st May this year. It ensures e-publications are entitled to the same VAT treatment as their physical counterparts.

We are continuing to meet with creative industries stakeholders to provide support and guidance for the sector during this time.

Through regular ministerial-led roundtables, working groups and contact with DCMS officials, we will continue to work with the publishing sector to assess and understand the difficulties businesses across the creative industries, including SME publishing businesses, face in these challenging times and through recovery.

Regarding other creative SMEs, the CRF complements wider measures to support businesses. Cultural organisations have benefited from, and should continue to explore, the wide variety of additional funding made available by Government beyond the CRF, including the Job Retention Scheme; a reduction in VAT from 20% to 5% for tourism and hospitality firms for six months; and the Bounce Back Loans scheme. The publishing sector has also benefited specifically from the government's introduction of a zero rate of VAT to e-publications, which will make it clear e-publications are entitled to the same VAT treatment as their physical counterparts.

The CRF has not been fully allocated and DCMS and the Culture Recovery Board will take decisions in the coming weeks on how best to allocate the remaining funds to best support the sector.

The UK Government expects funding for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022 to come from a range of sources. Every effort will be made to ensure that any activities and programmes for the Jubilee do not impose an unnecessary burden on the taxpayer.