Dec. 19 2025
Source Page: Government response to resale of live events tickets consultation: analytical noteAsked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on the comparative (a) employment practices and (b) delivery of delivery companies excluding Royal Mail; and what plans he has to ensure similar standards to those applied to Royal Mail to improve delivery outcomes.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ministers and officials meet with Ofcom regularly to discuss a range of issues in relation to its role as the independent regulator for the postal sector.
Delivery companies are independent businesses, and the government has no role in their operational decisions. Ofcom does not regulate the employment models of delivery companies.
The Government will consult on the topic of employment status generally, as soon as possible in the New Year.
Delivery targets covering all postal operators would be a decision for Ofcom to consider as part of its reviews of postal regulation.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with Royal Mail on improving service levels in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I have discussed Royal Mail’s performance with the chief executive of Royal Mail and its parent company, and they recognise the need to do more to meet service delivery targets.
In October, Ofcom, the independent regulator of postal services, fined Royal Mail £21 million for failing to meet its quality of service targets and has told Royal Mail it must urgently publish and deliver a credible plan that delivers major and continuous improvement.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he expects any shift from direct waged or salaried employment towards (a) self employment and (b) use of temp and staffing agencies as a result of measures in the Employment Rights Bill.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Act and this is available here: http://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments
This includes analysis on wider impacts, and considers potential employment effects.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with small and medium-sized enterprises on the potential impact of restrictive software licensing practices on their businesses.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ministers regularly meet with businesses of all sizes.
Government is committed to delivering a competitive and prosperous digital economy. That is why we implemented the new digital markets regime on 1 January 2025. The Competition and Markets Authority now has bespoke powers to increase competition in digital markets.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of measures on zero hours contracts in the Employment Rights Bill on the (a) music festival and live music events, (b) theatre and (c) exhibitions, conferences and business events sectors.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
My department has published a robust set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Act, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments
This analysis includes consideration of increases in labour costs for businesses and the subsequent effects, as well as assessments on how the proposed zero hour contract measures could affect different sectors. The impact on the sectors in question will depend on the regulations that we will bring forward following consultation.
Asked by: Nigel Huddleston (Conservative - Droitwich and Evesham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to reduce youth unemployment in the context of employment levels in the hospitality sector.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the importance of the Hospitality sector in providing employment for young people. The Budget made more than £1.5bn available over the next three years for investment in employment and skills support. This funds £820m for the Youth Guarantee and provides £725m for the Growth and Skills Levy, ensuring young people have the support they need to earn or learn.
We are supporting more than 50,000 young people into apprenticeships in England by fully funding apprenticeship training costs for all eligible 16-24-year-olds, removing the need for non-levy paying employers to co-fund these learners. We are also expanding foundation apprenticeships into sectors such as hospitality and retail, where young people are traditionally recruited. All these measures will be available to assist the hospitality sector in employing young people.
Dec. 18 2025
Source Page: Recognition of UK professional qualifications in EU member states