Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken to provide long-term support in the workplace for people suffering from long covid.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
BEIS works with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Work and Pensions supporting workplace health and wellbeing through the delivery of Health is Everyone’s Business consultation response.
Employees have a statutory right to request flexible working, which can help them to balance employment alongside other aspects of life – such as managing a health condition like Long Covid. We recently announced that the Right to Request Flexible Working will be made available to all employees from their first day of employment. The Government is also supporting the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Private Members Bill.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will undertake an assessment of the potential benefits of implementing £15 an hour minimum wage.
Answered by Jane Hunt
We have set out an ambitious target for the minimum wage to reach 2/3 of median earnings by 2024. It is important that increases are evidence-based, sustainable and affordable for business. That is why we consider the expert and independent advice of the Low Pay Commission when increasing the rates as setting the minimum wage too high may lead to higher unemployment and harm the very people the policy is intended to help.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the net zero strategy will be published; and whether that strategy will include plans on the emissions reductions required to meet the UK’s 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution of reducing emissions by 68 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We will publish the Net Zero Strategy ahead of COP26. We will build on my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan and the Energy White Paper, as well as upcoming plans in key sectors such as the Transport Decarbonisation Plan and Heat and Buildings Strategy.
The UK’s Nationally Determined Contribution is ambitious and demonstrates our continued leadership in tackling climate change. Our Net Zero Strategy will be a comprehensive plan for decarbonising sectors across the economy, both to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and meet our interim targets, making the most of new growth and employment opportunities across the UK.
We are building on the strong foundations we have established in decarbonising our economy; our ambitious manifesto commitments; and announcements from the Prime Minister and my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer of measures to cut emissions as we build back better in our economic recovery from COVID-19.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
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 workers who are expected to be paid less than the National Minimum Wage during the period of the national restrictions that are being introduced from 5 November in (a) Leeds East constituency, (b) Leeds (c) Yorkshire and the Humber and (d) nationwide.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is clear that employers must comply with National Minimum Wage legislation and pay their workers at least the minimum wage for hours worked.
The Government is committed to ensuring workers receive the pay that they are owed, more than doubling the budget for National Minimum Wage enforcement. Indeed, last year was another strong year for minimum wage enforcement, with £20.8 million in pay arrears identified for over 263,000 workers.
The Government will continue to support workers across the United Kingdom during this pandemic. Through our Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, we have supported 9.6 million jobs with claims worth £41.4 million. On August 31st, 4,000 jobs in Leeds East, 35,700 jobs In Leeds and 220,000 jobs in Yorkshire and the Humber were supported through the Job Retention Scheme. My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced that we will extend the scheme through to 31st March 2021, to continue to protect jobs and provide certainty.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
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 change in the number people earning the minimum wage who are living in poverty since 1 March 2020.
Answered by Paul Scully
The National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) ensure that the lowest paid workers are fairly rewarded for their valuable contribution to the economy. Since 2010, the minimum wage rates have increased faster than average wages and inflation, meaning more money for the lowest paid.
This April, we increased the NLW to £8.72, meeting its target to reach 60% of median earnings by 2020, benefiting an estimated 2 million workers. A full-time worker on the NLW will be £930 better off, over the course of the year.
As well as increasing the NLW, the Government has announced an unprecedented series of measures to support businesses and their employees to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. This includes over £6.5 billion of extra support through the welfare system. The Government is continuously monitoring the evolving economic and labour market situation to identify the most effective ways to help people stay in or close to work both now and in the future. Data on the number of people earning the minimum wage who are living in poverty since 1 March 2020 is not currently available.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2020 to Question 41552, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of businesses and (b) value of business rates paid by (i) businesses in shared offices, (ii) regular market traders who do not have their own business rates assessment, (iii) B&Bs that pay council tax instead of business rates and (iv) charity properties in receipt of charitable business rates relief which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief.
Answered by Paul Scully
Overall, for the Discretionary Business Grants Fund we have estimated some 400,000 businesses as potentially in-scope. The National Market Traders Federation estimates that there are 32,400 market traders; we have estimated that 80% do not pay business rates. 93,247 charity properties are in receipt of charitable rates relief. The Bed & Breakfast Association estimates that 5-10,000 Bed and Breakfast pay Council Tax rather than business rates. The numbers of business in shared work spaces, who are not liable for business rates is not fully known and makes up the remainder.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
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 value of Small Business rate relief that businesses in (a) Leeds, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) the UK have been unable to access as a result of being ineligible to apply for that funding as a result of paying business rates as part of their rent or through serviced office costs.
Answered by Paul Scully
Government has made £12.3 billion available to businesses under the Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund. The schemes have been tied to the business rates system to provide a framework for local authorities to make payments to businesses as quickly as possible as these businesses are likely to face particularly high fixed costs, such as fixed rents.
As of 3 May, over 697,000 businesses in England have received grants under the two schemes, totalling £8.6bn. We do not hold data on the value of Small Business rate relief of businesses that are not eligible for this grant funding. We have, however, published a full breakdown of grant funding allocated to and distributed by each local authority here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-localauthority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses.
On 1 May, the Business Secretary announced a further up to £617 million available to local authorities to support small businesses previously outside the scope of the business grant funding, such as businesses in shared offices and regular market traders who do not have their own business rates assessment. For more details, please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/top-up-to-local-business-grant-funds-scheme.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
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 businesses in (a) Leeds, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) the UK that are ineligible for the Small Business rate relief as a result of paying business rates as part of their rent or through serviced office costs.
Answered by Paul Scully
Government has made £12.3 billion available to businesses under the Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund. The schemes have been tied to the business rates system to provide a framework for local authorities to make payments to businesses as quickly as possible as these businesses are likely to face particularly high fixed costs, such as fixed rents.
As of 3 May, over 697,000 businesses in England have received grants under the two schemes, totalling £8.6bn. We do not hold data on the number of businesses that are not eligible for this grant funding. We have, however, published a full breakdown of grant funding allocated to and distributed by each local authority here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-localauthority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses.
On 1 May, the Business Secretary announced a further up to £617 million available to local authorities to support small businesses previously outside the scope of the business grant funding, such as businesses in shared offices and regular market traders who do not have their own business rates assessment. For more details, please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/top-up-to-local-business-grant-funds-scheme.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
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 people employed in businesses in (a) Leeds, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) the UK that are ineligible to receive funding through the Small Business rate relief as a result of their employers paying business rates as part of their rent or through serviced office costs.
Answered by Paul Scully
Government has made £12.3 billion available to businesses under the Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund. The schemes have been tied to the business rates system to provide a framework for local authorities to make payments to businesses as quickly as possible as these businesses are likely to face particularly high fixed costs, such as fixed rents.
As of 3 May, over 697,000 businesses in England have received grants under the two schemes, totalling £8.6bn. We do not hold data on the number of people employed by businesses that are not eligible for this grant funding. We have, however, published a full breakdown of grant funding allocated to and distributed by each local authority here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-localauthority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses.
On 1 May, the Business Secretary announced a further up to £617 million available to local authorities to support small businesses previously outside the scope of the business grant funding, such as businesses in shared offices and regular market traders who do not have their own business rates assessment. For more details, please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/top-up-to-local-business-grant-funds-scheme.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reasons version 2 of the Construction Leadership Council’s guidance Site Operating Procedures Protecting Your Workforce During Coronavirus (Covid-19) stated that no construction work should be carried out on site if social distancing could not be enforced; and for what reasons that instruction has been relaxed in version 3 of that guidance.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has developed Site Operating Procedures (SOP), which align with Public Health England (PHE) guidance on social distancing. The SOP provide practical advice to those seeking to implement the guidance on construction sites.
Following consultation with the industry, the CLC has updated the SOP to align with the latest PHE guidance and provide more detailed advice on safe working. This approach is based on the Health and Safety Executive Hierarchy of Controls for work planning to mitigate risks.