Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
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 the Office for Product Safety and Standards on the enforcement of existing standards for (a) e-bike batteries and (b) conversion kits.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Under existing UK product safety law, all consumer products, including e-bike batteries and conversion kits, must meet legal requirements for safety when placed on the market. Tackling unsafe e-bikes is a priority for the Office for Product Safety and Standards, in my Department. They and Local Authority Trading Standards have powers to enforce the law including removing non-compliant products from sale. OPSS has prohibited the supply of certain models of unsafe e-bike batteries, and published 22 separate product recalls for non-compliant e-bikes and similar products since 2022.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered the findings of the most recent four day week pilot; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure businesses have a structured forum in which to share insights on effective implementation.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
We are aware of the findings of the 4 Day Week Foundation’s recent trial.
A four-day week is an example of a flexible working arrangement. Currently, all employees have the right to request a flexible working arrangement, and we are changing legislation through the Employment Rights Bill to make it more likely that requests are accepted.
We have no plans to mandate a four-day week, or any other working arrangement. Our priority is to consult with and support businesses and employees with the delivery of these planned changes, as part of the wider Plan to Make Work Pay.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has reviewed the findings of the recent national four-day working week pilot; and whether he plans to respond to the 4 Day Week Foundation’s recommendation to establish a working time council.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
We are aware of the findings of the 4 Day Week Foundation’s recent trial.
A four-day week is an example of a flexible working arrangement. Currently, all employees have the right to request a flexible working arrangement, and we are changing legislation through the Employment Rights Bill to make it more likely that requests are accepted.
We have no plans to mandate a four-day week, or any other working arrangement. Our priority is to consult with and support businesses and employees with the delivery of these planned changes, as part of the wider Plan to Make Work Pay.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 address consumer protection concerns in the locksmith sector.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK’s framework for occupational regulation upholds public protection, while ensuring regulatory burdens on industry are proportionate. Although the locksmithing profession is not subject to statutory regulation, several self-regulating trade associations and accreditation schemes exist within the industry and provide training, conduct criminal record checks, and inspect their members.
The Government encourages consumers to use providers that operate under a regulated trusted trader scheme, such as the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA), which has a Police Crime Prevention-approved licensing scheme in place to ensure approved locksmiths are appropriately vetted, inspected and qualified.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of artificial intelligence technologies on the customer service sector; and what steps they are taking to support job security in the sector.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In November 2023, the Department for Education published a report showing the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on areas within the UK labour market and education The impact of AI on UK jobs and training - GOV.UK. The report noted that professional occupations are more exposed to AI, particularly those associated with more clerical work and across finance, law and business management roles.
The Government is committed to ensuring both learners and employers have access to crucial digital and artificial intelligence skills that have the potential to increase productivity and create new high value jobs in the UK economy. To achieve this, the Government is reforming the skills system. The Government has established Skills England to form a coherent national picture of skills gaps and to help shape the technical education system so that it is responsive to skills needs.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
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 prevent people from selling high-powered e-bikes and scooters that are not legal for use on roads.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK’s legal framework for product safety places responsibility for the safety of e-bikes and e-scooters on the businesses manufacturing or importing them. The Office for Product Safety and Standards and Local Authority Trading Standards enforce the regulations.
Vehicles sold for a legitimate and permitted use but which are used on public land illegally is an enforcement matter for the police, under the Department for Transport’s road safety regime.
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to ban the sale of (a) e-bikes and (b) scooters that are not legally allowed to be used on roads.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK’s legal framework for product safety places responsibility for the safety of e-bikes and e-scooters on the businesses manufacturing or importing them. The Office for Product Safety and Standards and Local Authority Trading Standards enforce the regulations.
Vehicles sold for a legitimate and permitted use but which are used on public land illegally is an enforcement matter for the police, under the Department for Transport’s road safety regime.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to publish a roadmap for the implementation of the commitments made under the investment pillar of the UK–Taiwan Enhanced Trade Partnership.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, flexible trading arrangements and partnerships, such as the UK-Taiwan Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP), are a valuable part of our toolkit.
The Investment Pillar of the ETP, along with the Digital Trade and Energy & Net Zero Pillars, sets out commitments on our respective trade and investment environments and frameworks. Our cooperation through the ETP will support trade and investment across all sectors, especially in the growth driving sectors outlined in the Modern Industrial Strategy. In particular, we will be focusing our implementation activities on complementary strengths between the UK and Taiwan, including in Advanced Manufacturing, Offshore Wind and Digital Infrastructure.
My department will keep businesses informed as we work with Taiwan to deliver our commitments under the ETP.
Asked by: Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of employment protections for individuals engaged on zero-hour contracts.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government does not believe that individuals engaged on zero-hours contracts currently benefit from sufficient employment protections.
The Government is addressing this through the Employment Rights Bill, by ensuring that employers have to offer qualifying workers guaranteed hours. The Bill will also require employers to offer shifts with reasonable notice and make cancellation payments if they cancel, move or curtail shifts at short notice.
This Government is introducing other landmark reforms in the Employment Rights Bill, including day one protection from unfair dismissal, better protection from sexual harassment and improved Statutory Sick Pay.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help support businesses to take up digital technologies.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The SME Digital Adoption Taskforce will shortly publish its final recommendations to accelerate digital adoption among Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, and we are launching pilots to test delivery of support.
Our Industrial Strategy set out ambitions, informed by the Technology Adoption Review, to increase digital adoption in growth-driving sectors. This includes expansion of Made Smarter Adoption up to £99m for manufacturing SMEs.
This complements existing support like Help to Grow: Management which offers training to business leaders (including on digital), National Cyber Security Centre guidance, and implementation of the AI Opportunities Action Plan.