Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many of the 41 Crown post offices in dedicated premises that are earmarked to be franchised and relocated to WH Smith have Applicant Enrolment Identification (AEI) machines; and how many of those AEI machines will be relocated.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.
While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The distribution of branches is an operational matter of commercial judgement for Post Office management team. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many of the post office counters located in Bargain Booze off-licenses that closed in the last eight years were relocated; and at what financial cost was of those relocations.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.
While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The distribution of branches is an operational matter of commercial judgement for Post Office management team. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many post office counters were located in a Bargain Booze off-license in the last eight years; and what estimate his Department has made of the number of those Bargain Booze off-licenses that have subsequently closed down.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.
While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The distribution of branches is an operational matter of commercial judgement for Post Office management team. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
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 trends in the level of digital monopolies.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Responsibility for identifying market-wide competition issues falls to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s independent competition authority. The Government recently announced an expert panel to look at competition in the digital economy. Its role includes providing an independent voice on digital markets to support the ongoing review of competition law, details of which were set out in the Modernising Consumer Markets green paper.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
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 effect of recent trends in the number of pubs closing on the night time economy.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Department does not make assessments of the effect of the number of pub closures on the night time economy.
The Government recognises the importance of pubs to communities and the high street. At Spring Budget 2017, my rt. hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a package of support for pubs in England with their business rates. This provided a £1,000 discount to all pubs with a rateable value of less than £100,000. This scheme was extended by an additional year into 2018/19 at Autumn Budget.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer also announced at Autumn Budget 2017 that he was freezing all alcohol duties.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans to support the proposal for a Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Directive.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Directive is still being negotiated in the European Union. The UK supported the General Approach, the preliminary agreement by Council, on the Directive at EPSCO in June this year. We hope to be able to support the adoption of the final version of the Directive when it comes back to Council in due course.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish the Government’s response to the Taylor Report consultations.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
In the Government Response to the Taylor Review, we set out our commitment to take forward recommendations to improve clarity on employment status, boost protections for agency workers and increase state enforcement of basic rights for vulnerable workers.
We received over 420 detailed responses to the consultations. These will help shape how best to implement the recommendations and achieve change that works for all. We are currently analysing the responses and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
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 risks to UK manufacturing of regulatory divergence from the EU.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Government is undertaking a wide range of analysis for a series of different outcomes.
We recognise it is vital to give governments, businesses and citizens on both sides the time they need to prepare for our new economic partnership. Businesses should only have to plan for one set of changes. To this end, the implementation period will give businesses and citizens certainty, and common rules will remain in place until the end of the period. This means that businesses will be able to trade on the same terms as now up until the end of 2020.
As my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in her Mansion House speech, she wants the UK and EU to have “the broadest and deepest possible partnership – covering more sectors and co-operating more fully than any Free Trade Agreement anywhere in the world today”. The UK will forge a bold and comprehensive economic partnership with our neighbours in the EU; and reach out beyond our continent, to trade with nations across the globe.
We are determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for advanced manufacturing.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assesment his Department has made of trends in retail sales over the last three years.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The UK retail sector forms a vital part of the UK economy. Statistics for 2018 are yet to be published, but for the 3-year period from 2014-2017, retail sales grew from £334 billion in 2014 to £362 billion in 2017, representing growth of 8.6%. In 2017, internet sales as a proportion of total retail sales was 16% compared to 11% in 2014.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
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 has made an estimate of the number of workers working in the UK who are covered by the EU Posted Workers’ Directive.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The Government does not hold information on the number of workers working in the UK who are covered by the EU Posting of Workers Directive.