Asked by: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are considering revising the implementation timetable of the Employment Rights Bill.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There will be several phases of delivery following Royal Assent of the Employment Rights Bill. For many measures, Government will consult on the detail of policy and implementation. As set out in the Implementation Roadmap, we will provide more detail on these policies and our timelines for implementation following consultation, with a clear commitment that we aim to work at pace to deliver these tangible benefits to millions of working people.
Asked by: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to ensure parity of treatment between metal recyclers and steel producers in relation to energy pricing and the proposed carbon border adjustment mechanism.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has recently published a consultation on eligibility for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme which, from 2027, will lower electricity prices for businesses in manufacturing frontier industries and foundational industries in their supply chains. Support is also available through the British Industry Supercharger and the Energy Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme.
The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will ensure that highly traded, carbon-intensive imported goods face a comparable carbon price to UK-produced equivalents. Imported scrap products, including those from aluminium, iron and steel, will remain outside CBAM scope due to their low carbon leakage risk.
Asked by: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to maintain the domestic metal-recycling base to secure the feedstock required for a decarbonised steel industry, and to reduce reliance on imported virgin materials.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recognises the importance of a circular economy and the need for domestic supply of scrap to meet demand, whilst also ensuring the market remains fair and beneficial for all stakeholders. We are actively listening to the perspectives of all involved parties.
Asked by: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the exportation of scrap steel as part of their forthcoming Steel Strategy.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Steel Strategy will articulate what is needed to create a competitive business environment in the UK with the aim of attracting new private investment to secure and expand UK steelmaking capability and capacity which is aligned with our Net Zero goals.
The UK’s abundant scrap supply offers domestic steelmaking a strategic advantage, and will feature in the Strategy. Unfortunately, we cannot comment further ahead of publication later this year, but we can say that the Steel Strategy will set out a long-term vision for a bright and sustainable steel sector in the UK and the actions needed to get there.
Asked by: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to publish their funding plan for the implementation of the Fair Work Agency.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Department has received its funding allocation as part of the most recent Spending Review. Detailed funding arrangements for the implementation of the Fair Work Agency are currently being worked through.
This government is committed to ensuring that the Fair Work Agency is fully resourced and well equipped to do its job. Further information on funding plans will be published in due course
Asked by: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the day-one right to not be unfairly dismissed on employment tribunal caseloads.
Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Employment Rights Bill Impact Assessments were published in October 2024 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments. This analysis includes an assessment of the potential impact of the day-one right to not be unfairly dismissed on employment tribunal caseloads.
Asked by: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to publish their funding plan to ensure that employment tribunals are adequately resources to manage the impact of the Employment Rights Bill.
Answered by Lord Leong - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We recognise the Employment Tribunal system needs appropriate resourcing. The Lord Chancellor has a statutory duty to ensure sufficient funding for an efficient and effective Employment Tribunal. This is done via negotiation with the senior judiciary via the Concordat process.
For the financial year 2025/26, the Government has committed funding to support 33,900 sitting days for Employment Tribunals, which is at maximum judicial capacity. Funding for future years will be subject to future Concordat processes.
We are working to ensure that existing spend on Acas, tribunals, and state enforcement is used in an efficient way.
Asked by: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many policy reviews and consultations the Department for Business and Trade has launched since the General Election on 4 July 2024; what the subject of each review is; and what the anticipated timescales are for their completion.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Following the election, this Government has outlined its ambitions through the Plan for Change, which sets out an ambitious set of milestones - across the missions - for this Parliament.
As the House would expect, Government continually reviews its work to ensure that it is delivering the best outcomes for the people of the United Kingdom, and that its policies continue to represent the best value for the taxpayer.
Public reviews will be available on gov.uk as they are published.