Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with Ofgem on the rise in the energy price cap.
Answered by Greg Hands
Decisions on the level of the price cap are for Ofgem. The government is in regular contact with Ofgem and industry to discuss the impact of unprecedented global gas prices and will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure consumers are protected.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what organisations and stakeholders he has met to discuss the potential merits of a four-day working week.
Answered by Paul Scully
A four-day working week may work well for some workers and employers. However, the Government does not believe there can be a ‘one size fits all’ approach to work arrangements. That is why we put individual agency and choice at the heart of our consultation on “making flexible working the default”, which closed on 1st December 2021. We are currently reviewing the responses and will respond in due course.
BEIS Ministers attend the Flexible Working Taskforce, which is co-chaired by senior officials and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. This considers how to support flexible working in all its forms. The Taskforce’s membership comprises representatives from 16 external organisations including trade unions, voluntary sector organisations, and business groups.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton 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 he has made of the potential contribution of a four-day working week to the Government’s wider strategy for flexible working.
Answered by Paul Scully
A four-day working week may work well for some workers and employers. However, the Government does not believe there can be a ‘one size fits all’ approach to work arrangements. That is why we put individual agency and choice at the heart of our consultation on “making flexible working the default”, which closed on 1st December 2021. We are currently reviewing the responses and will respond in due course.
BEIS Ministers attend the Flexible Working Taskforce, which is co-chaired by senior officials and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. This considers how to support flexible working in all its forms. The Taskforce’s membership comprises representatives from 16 external organisations including trade unions, voluntary sector organisations, and business groups.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to implement trials of a four-day working week in the UK public sector on similar basis to those underway in Scotland and Ireland.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has no plans to implement trials of a four-day working week in the UK Civil Service.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
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 the Government's proposed Employment Bill.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Employment Bill is a core part of Building Back Better, supporting the Government’s aim to build a high skilled, high productivity, high wage economy that delivers on our ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to work and grow a business. COVID-19 is having a profound impact on the labour market, so it is right that we introduce the Employment Bill when we are sure it will address the needs of businesses and workers in the post-Covid economy. We will bring forward the Employment Bill when the Parliamentary time allows it. In the meantime, we will continue to take necessary action to support businesses and protect jobs.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton 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 the Government is taking to counter the practice of intentionally shortening the lifespan of consumer products through planned obsolescence.
Answered by Paul Scully
Subject to the outcome of two public consultations, later this year, the Government plans to introduce ecodesign measures that promote the repairability of consumer products, such as household fridges, washing machines and televisions, in order to increase their lifespan. These measures aim to improve the resource efficiency of energy related products and this will include ensuring that spare parts are available for a minimum of seven years after the placing of new products on the market. They will also ensure that parts can be replaced with the use of commonly available tools, tackling premature obsolescence. We are also seeking powers through the Environment Bill that will enable government to require products to carry information for example relating to product lifetimes, durability and reparability.
Our forthcoming world class energy-related products framework will push products to use even less energy and material resources, in order to reduce carbon emissions and consumer bills, and improve resource productivity.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton 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 is taking to support travel agents during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government recognises the outbound travel sector has been particularly hard hit by covid-19, and we will continue to engage regularly with ABTA and its members about the sector’s recovery.
Businesses in the outbound travel sector have been able to access Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme, the loan schemes, VAT deferrals and cash grants of up to £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, as well as a broad range of other economic support.
Additionally, on 18 July the Government announced that ATOL-protected holidaymakers can book with confidence following confirmation that the Government will protect refund credit notes offered if packages are cancelled as a result of COVID-19.