Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many West Yorkshire based organisations he has met in the last 12 months.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
Departments publish quarterly details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations on GOV.UK. Details for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings.
The latest published data covers July to September 2020. Data for October to December 2020 will be published in due course.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the financial support required by the wedding industry to support its re-opening when it is safe to do so during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
I meet regularly with the industry-led Weddings Taskforce to understand the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and jobs in the sector.
Over the course of the pandemic, the Government has provided an unprecedented package of financial support to businesses, including those in the wedding sector, which we keep under regular review.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the wedding sector and its supply chain on sector re-opening timelines during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
I meet regularly with the industry-led Weddings Taskforce to understand the impact of COVID-19 on wedding businesses and jobs in the sector.
As my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has said, we intend to publish our plan for taking the country out of lockdown in the last week of February.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of the £4.6 billion in new lockdown grants he announced on 5 January 2021 will be made available to (a) Kirklees and (b) the local authorities of West Yorkshire.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department is currently calculating the individual local authority and these will be shared with local authorities week commencing 11 January 2021.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had discussions with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on the future of UK’s copyright exhaustion regime at the end of the transition period; and what representations he has received from the creative industries on the matter.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Intellectual Property Office is working with departments across Government, including the Cabinet Office on the future of the IP exhaustion regime at the end of the transition period. Officials have engaged with a wide cross section of creative industries in consideration of this matter. Any change to the future exhaustion regime will be subject to consultation.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support he is providing for (a) companies and (b) people working in the wedding industry during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
As part of wider support for businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, wedding companies have been able to access a range of government-backed loans and grants. Employers have been able to use the Job Retention Scheme to furlough staff until 31 October. There are a number of self-employed people working in the wedding industry, and they have been able to benefit from the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the implications for the inclusion of a national copyright exhaustion regime in free trade agreements of the effect of that framework on (a) the publishing sector and (b) other creative industries.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
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.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when covid-19 restrictions will be lifted to allow beauty salons to carry out facial procedures.
Answered by Paul Scully
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.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to provide support to the aesthetic industry.
Answered by Paul Scully
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.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department conducts equality impact assessments when making decisions on reopening sections of the economy as covid-19 restrictions are eased.
Answered by Paul Scully
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.