Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has to support businesses that want to implement a 32 hour, four-day working week.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to work arrangements. The government supports flexible working in all its forms, where it has benefits for, and is agreed between, both individuals and employers.
The existing legal framework provides a statutory right to request flexible working, where employees can request a change to their hours, pattern or place of work. Between September and December 2021, the government consulted on changes to this framework to better support the uptake of flexible working arrangements. We will respond in due course.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
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 ban the sale of fireworks to the public.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government has no plans to ban the sale of fireworks to the public.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to review legislation in place on fireworks.
Answered by Paul Scully
There is a comprehensive regulatory framework already in place for fireworks. The Government’s aim is to strike the right balance for people to enjoy fireworks, whilst aiming to reduce risks and disturbances to people, animals, and property.
The Government has no current plans to place further restrictions on the sale of fireworks to the public.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support and advice is available for single parents in full-time employment and who risk losing that employment in the event that they required to self-advised to isolate for 10 days.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is sympathetic to the significant challenges working parents, and single parents in particular, have faced during the pandemic.
The Government has published guidance on employment rights for those who are self-isolating or unable to attend work due to Coronavirus. This guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/if-you-need-to-self-isolate-or-cannot-attend-work-due-to-coronavirus.
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) also provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment rights issues via their website - www.acas.org.uk, by telephone helpline 0300 123 1100 or text phone 18001 0300 123 1100. Acas also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve/settle their workplace dispute without going to court.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timescale is for the roll out of smart meters that work with any energy supplier.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Energy suppliers are installing second generation smart meters as the default option across Great Britain. These meters are connected to the Data Communications Company’s national smart metering communications network, so are compatible across energy suppliers from the point of installation.
The Government has confirmed that a new four-year policy framework with fixed annual installation targets for energy suppliers will commence on 1 January 2022 to drive the consistent, long-term investment needed to achieve market-wide rollout.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent progress his Department has made on increasing neonatal (a) pay and (b) leave.
Answered by Paul Scully
In 2019, we consulted on proposals to introduce a new entitlement to paid leave for employed parents of babies who require neonatal care. In March last year, we published the Government response to the consultation and committed to introducing Neonatal Leave and Pay.
The entitlement will apply to parents of babies who are admitted into hospital up to the age of 28 days, and who have a continuous stay in hospital of 7 days or more. The period of leave and pay available to parents will be capped at 12 weeks. Neonatal Leave will be a ‘day 1’ right, available to an employee from the first day of employment in their job.
We will bring forward legislation to introduce Neonatal Leave and Pay as part of the Employment Bill when Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress the Government has made on the smart meter roll out.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Smart meters are replacing traditional gas and electricity meters in Great Britain as part of an essential infrastructure upgrade to make the energy system more efficient and flexible, enabling the cost-effective delivery of net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
The rollout is making good progress, with 22.2 million smart and advanced meters in homes and small businesses across Great Britain, as of the end of September 2020.
The latest data on the rollout of smart meters is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/smart-meters-statistics.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
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 is planning to provide any further support with fuel and utility costs for people working from home throughout the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
From 6 April 2020 employers have been able to pay employees up to £6 a week tax-free to cover additional costs to their household bills if they have been told to work from home to stop the spread of Covid-19. On 1 October 2020 HMRC launched a new online portal for employed workers whose expenses have not been covered to apply for tax relief for additional expenses from home-working.
In addition, emergency measures with the energy industry have been agreed by the Government to protect the domestic energy supply of those most in need during the disruption caused by COVID-19. In the first instance, any energy customer in financial distress should get in touch with their supplier. Suppliers can then assist customers appropriately. This could include debt repayments and bill payments being reassessed, reduced or paused where necessary. Disconnection of credit meters have also been completely suspended.
The energy price cap currently protects around 11 million households in Great Britain on standard variable and default tariffs. From January 2021 a further 4 million households with prepayment meters will also come under the protection of the cap after the prepayment meter price cap expires. The cap ensures that loyal energy customers are protected from poor value tariffs, saving consumers a total of around £1 billion on their bills annually.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
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 (a) the eligibility criteria for and (b) further details on the New Green Homes Grant.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
Guidance and further details about the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme were published on 28 August. This included information on eligibility, items where support can be claimed as part of energy efficiency measure installations, as well as items that will not be paid for under the voucher scheme. More details will be published in due course.
Asked by: Alan Campbell (Labour - Tynemouth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the Government will make it its policy to ensure the country of origin is displayed on consumer products bought (a) online and (b) offline.
Answered by Paul Scully
Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, retailers are required to provide the geographical address at which they are established. This will not necessarily indicate the place of manufacture of the goods but the consumer can request this information from the retailer when making the purchase and the retailer would be obliged under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 to respond accurately. The Government does not have plans to introduce further requirements.