Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent guidance his Department has issued to employers on ensuring a safe workplace for employees with diabetes.
Answered by Paul Scully
It is critical that employers offer safe workplaces. The Government has published guidance to help ensure workplaces are as safe as possible during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These guides cover a range of working environments and are available at www.gov.uk/workingsafely.
Nothing in this guidance affects employers’ existing responsibilities under employment and equalities legislation. Employers therefore need to bear in mind the particular needs of different groups or individuals, and make sure that the steps they take to address the risk of COVID-19 do not unjustifiably impact on some groups compared with others.
The safer workplaces guidance provides information to employers on how best to meet these responsibilities in the context of COVID-19.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that unpaid carers working in Barnsley Central constituency are supported to remain in work.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government recognises the crucial role unpaid carers play, especially during this difficult period.
On 8th April we published guidance for unpaid carers on GOV.UK, which includes general advice on infection control, advice on caring where someone has symptoms, how to create care plans, make alternative care arrangements at short notice and access links to various NHS resources.
We have provided additional funding to Carers UK’s helpline, information and support services, to help more carers access trusted information and advice. We also continue to signpost carers to the charity’s website for additional information and support during this pandemic.
We are committed to supporting carers in Barnsley Central and across the country to remain in work, recognising the challenges of balancing work and care also in the longer term.
This is why the Government is now consulting on proposals to introduce Carer’s Leave, to support working people who are also carers to balance employment with their caring responsibilities.
This Government is also clear about the benefits of flexible working for employers and for their employees, including those with caring responsibilities. In our manifesto we said that, subject to consultation, we would introduce measures to make flexible working the default.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that employers are following guidance on social distancing in the workplace for employees who are (a) clinically extremely vulnerable and (b) clinically vulnerable.
Answered by Paul Scully
The guidance is non-statutory but does not change existing obligations relating to health and safety, employment, or equalities. Employers have a duty under UK law to protect the health and safety of their workers and other people who might be affected by their business. This includes considering the risks that COVID-19 represents.
Employers should carry out a risk assessment in consultation with their workers to inform what actions to take, to give the best combination of protection from their usual risks as well as the risks of COVID-19. Employers should consider whether workers who are classed as either clinically extremely vulnerable or clinically vulnerable are exposed to any specific risks. If so, they should take the steps needed to protect those individuals.
Health and safety legislation is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive, the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland and by local authorities. If the enforcing authority finds that an employer is not taking action to properly manage workplace risk, a range of actions is open to them including specific advice or issuing notices.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Office, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on businesses of staff (a) accruing paid holiday entitlement and (b) increasing their length of service while furloughed through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Answered by Paul Scully
Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, almost all workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks annual leave, which should be paid as if workers were still at work and working. Annual leave continues to accrue as long as the worker maintains their employment relationship with their employer, which is the case whilst an employee is on a period of furlough through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Regarding length of service, a furlough period is a variation to a worker’s contract of employment. The contract of employment would continue and count towards continuous employment.
The Government has been clear that employment rights remain unchanged under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Therefore, as holiday rights are unaffected by the scheme, and as being placed on furlough does not break the contract of employment, no assessment has been made.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with Royal Mail on the retention of the universal service obligation.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Universal Service Obligation is set out in the Postal Services Act 2011.
Ministers have no role in temporary changes to the service level. The regulatory conditions that require Royal Mail to deliver letters 6 days a week as part of the universal postal service also provide that Royal Mail is not required to sustain these services without interruption, suspension or restriction in the event of an emergency. Ofcom has acknowledged in this context that the COVID-19 pandemic is an emergency.
There is a clear and transparent process for how longer-term changes to service standards would be considered and any changes would need to be made through secondary legislation and agreed by Parliament. Ministers and officials have regular discussions with Ofcom and Royal Mail on matters relating to postal services.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions his department has had with representatives of the travel and tourism industry on compensating holidaymakers that (a) no longer wish to and (b) are unable to travel following the outbreak of covid-19.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government recognises the extremely difficult circumstances consumers and many businesses are currently facing. BEIS officials have held regular discussions with travel and tourism sector representatives, travel businesses and consumer advocacy bodies to assess the impact of cancellations made in light of the covid-19 outbreak.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
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 his Department has made of the potential merits of offering a three month paid extension to maternity leave in response to the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Paul Scully
Maternity Leave and Pay are provided to enable employed women to take time off work in the later stages of their pregnancy and after they have given birth.
The UK’s Maternity Leave offer is already amongst the most generous in the World – up to 52 weeks of leave are available, 39 weeks of which are paid – and we currently have no plans to extend it.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that banks taking part in the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme do not require a personal guarantee from business directors to secure loans of less than £250,000.
Answered by Paul Scully
Under the British Business Bank’s scheme rules, Personal Guarantees of any form cannot be requested to support a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) facility below £250,000. This has been made clear in the guidance provided to all the CBILS accredited lenders.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many businesses have had their Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme applications (a) approved and (b) rejected in the (i) Sheffield City Region and (ii) Barnsley Central constituency.
Answered by Paul Scully
As of 21 April, over £2.8 billion worth of loans have been issued under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme across the UK, to over 16,600 businesses. Lenders have received 36,000 completed applications.
The British Business Bank has streamlined the system by which the biggest accredited CBILS lenders provide information to the Bank, in order to expedite the process. The Bank’s system therefore gathers data from these lenders when loans are offered and drawn. The system does not capture any information on rejected applications.
At this time we cannot provide a breakdown of funding by region, as we have given lenders a temporary dispensation from uploading their data to the British Business Bank’s system in order to let them focus on issuing new loans. This is a pragmatic step that reflects the urgency of getting loans issued. We are working with the British Business Bank, HM Treasury and lenders on regular and transparent data publication going forward.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
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 ensure businesses provide delivery drivers with appropriate personal protective equipment during the outbreak of covid-19.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Government is clear that we will support people in work during the COVID-19 outbreak. We are regularly engaging with industry stakeholders, including the British Retail Consortium, to ensure they are well prepared and that their operations remain in line with the latest health guidance.
The Government is working with the manufacturing sector to ensure additional personal protective equipment (PPE) can be provided to frontline workers as quickly as possible to ensure their safety. While PPE supplies are currently being prioritised for health and social care workers, we are working to ensure additional requirements for PPE and consumables can continue to be sourced through normal distributors.