Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which service providers are contracted to carry out third party cleaning contracts for his (a) Department and (b) executive agencies; if he will list all of the services delivered by third party contractors to his (i) Department and (ii) executive agencies; and how many people working for those third party contractors are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
We value all of our staff and they all deserve a fair and competitive wage, whether they are directly employed or working through our contractors. The Department has agreed with its facilities management contractor that they will align the pay of their cleaning, catering, mailroom and security staff to the appropriate median rates for that occupation, as identified in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. The median applies from 1 March 2019 and will be aligned annually.
From 1 March 2019 cleaning services will be delivered to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and our key agencies[1] by ISS.
ISS provide a total facilities management service covering all building support services aside from catering.
We do not hold detailed pay data for contractor employees. Specific rates are a matter for each individual contractor, but assurances are provided to ensure full compliance with the requirements of the National Living Wage. In April 2019 Government will increase the National Living Wage to £8.21 per hour. This is an above inflation increase that will see a full-time minimum wage worker over £2,750 better off over the course of a year compared to when the policy was introduced.
[1] Land Registry, Companies House, Intellectual Property Office, Insolvency Service, Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service and UKRI (Polaris House)
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
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 potential effect on (a) employment patterns and (b) levels of customer service of the planned franchising of 74 Crown post offices to WHSmith.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
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. Staff employment patterns and customer service are both operational matters 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 Rt hon Member on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the number of manufacturing companies that have (a) shortened their supply chains and (b) relocated their production to the UK from abroad in each of the last five years for which data is available.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
No such estimates are available from official sources. Our ambitious Industrial Strategy comprises policies to build an economy fit for the future, helping to foster a competitive environment where businesses can have the confidence to invest in UK manufacturing and thrive.
Around 20% of the 2,072 new inward FDI projects in 2017/18 were in the areas of advanced manufacturing and life sciences. Across the Automotive, Aerospace, and the Advanced Engineering Supply Chain over the same period, DIT supported 320 inward investments into the UK, creating or securing 7,500 jobs in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to encourage businesses to relocate their manufacturing functions to the UK.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
As part of the Industrial Strategy, we are working closely with UK industry to create the right conditions for competitive, world leading manufacturing businesses to flourish and grow across the UK.
Our Grand Challenges look to put the UK at the forefront of the industries of the future, directing the focus of the government and engaging the private sector to ensure we take advantage of major global trends, which will improve people’s lives and the country’s productivity.
The Department for International Trade has a clear mission to attract new manufacturing investment into the UK. The Department for International Trade has dedicated teams who work across the world to promote the UK as a destination for investment into manufacturing and to boost trade from UK manufacturing companies abroad. It launched its Foreign Direct Investment strategy this year to deliver a more targeted approach to promotion and investor support across all sectors, including manufacturing.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
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 plans to introduce an automatic registration scheme with an opt-out mechanism for the collective switching programme on energy tariffs.
Answered by Claire Perry
Ofgem are implementing a number of remedies which aim to increase engagement for those customers that have been on standard variable tariffs for 3 or more years. Following their first trial between February and April this year Ofgem plans to run second collective switching trial this autumn.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what financial support his Department has made available to manufacturing industries to manage energy costs.
Answered by Claire Perry
BEIS currently provides compensation to Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs) including steel, paper and chemicals for the indirect costs of the Small-Scale Feed-In-Tariff (FIT), European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and Carbon Price Support Mechanism (CPS) which electricity suppliers pass on to businesses. We have provided over £820 million since 2013.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
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 plans to extend the collective switching scheme pilot, established in 2017, to switch energy tariffs on consumers' behalf.
Answered by Claire Perry
Ofgem ran a simplified collective switch trial between February and April this year as part of its trials to engage disengaged consumers and helping them switch to a cheaper tariff, which involved around 50,000 customers from one of the six largest energy suppliers who had been on a standard variable tariff for three years or more. Overall, 22.4% of customers in the trial switched. Ofgem plans a larger collective switching trial later this autumn.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of EU carbon reduction policies on the sustainability of UK manufacturing industries.
Answered by Claire Perry
The UK’s overall approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions is set out in the 2008 Climate Change Act, which requires the UK to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. This is consistent with wider EU carbon reduction objectives.
The UK currently has a range of policies to ensure we meet our targets while maximising economic benefits to the UK, set out in the Clean Growth Strategy.
The Government is taking action to help manufacturing industries to decarbonise while maintaining competitiveness as part of our Industrial Strategy. This includes long-term decarbonisation plans for key sectors, and early work on sector deals in the manufacturing sector.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, by what date the Government plans to publish the outcome of its consultation on Employment status.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government is considering the responses to the consultations and will respond in due course. I am grateful to all those who have contributed.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, by what date the Government plans to respond to the recommendations in the 2018-19 strategy of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The government is carefully considering all 37 recommendations made by the Director of Labour Market Enforcement and we will respond in due course.