Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how many investigations the Fair Work Agency has opened into employment status in the parcel delivery sector since 7 April 2026.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The FWA considers all relevant evidence of non-compliance affecting workers, including worker complaints and intelligence from third parties.
BIST Ministers regularly meet the FWA’s CEO and Chair to discuss strategic priorities. The FWA’s first full strategy (covering the period 2027–30) will be published next spring and will include information on risk factors in particular sectors of the economy.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Chair of the Fair Work Agency on employment status in the parcel delivery sector.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The FWA considers all relevant evidence of non-compliance affecting workers, including worker complaints and intelligence from third parties.
BIST Ministers regularly meet the FWA’s CEO and Chair to discuss strategic priorities. The FWA’s first full strategy (covering the period 2027–30) will be published next spring and will include information on risk factors in particular sectors of the economy.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department holds data on the number of parcel delivery drivers engaged on a self-employed basis.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
Businesses’ specific individual staffing levels and arrangement are commercially sensitive. The department does not hold this data.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether the forthcoming consultation on employment status will include proposals specific to the final-mile parcel delivery sector.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
We published our consultation on employment status reform and protections for the self-employed on 14 October 2026. Proposals in the consultation would apply across the labour market and are not targeted at any specific sector or business model.
The consultation seeks views on measures to tackle pressing issues in the current framework, including bogus self-employment and the use of broad substitution clauses.
The government seeks evidence from a wide range of stakeholders, including employers, workers, the self-employed, trade unions and representative organisations – including those in the final mile parcel delivery sector – to understand how the proposals could operate in practice.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, if he will assess the potential merits of applying a set of minimum enforceable standards to all final-mile parcel delivery drivers regardless of employment status.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
It is important that the parcel delivery market works for businesses and customers as well as workers. The government is committed to further exploring employment practices across the sector alongside options for improvement.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made for the potential merits of legally recognising and providing green representatives in workplace unions.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government recognises the valuable role of trade unions and their workplace representatives.
That is why, through the Employment Rights Act 2025 we have strengthened rights to reasonable paid time off for trade union representatives and trade union equality representatives.
While there is no separate statutory framework for trade union green representatives, where a workplace green representative is also a trade union representative, they may benefit from the new statutory rights relating to trade union representatives.
The Government has no current plans to introduce a separate statutory framework for trade union green representatives.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has reviewed the Competition and Markets Authority’s decision of 30 October 2025 to accept legally binding commitments from major housebuilders to tackle anticompetitive behaviour and ensure industry-wide compliance; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that decision on competition enforcement, housing affordability and adherence to competition law.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government notes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) decision of 30 October 2025. The CMA is the UK’s independent competition authority responsible for enforcing competition law, and the Government does not review its individual enforcement decisions. It is for the CMA to ensure compliance with binding commitments given to it and to assess their effectiveness. The Government has ensured the CMA has the tools and resources necessary to do so.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the performance of Royal Mail delivery services in Wellington, Somerset; what steps Royal Mail is taking to increase staffing levels and improve delivery times in that area; and what steps Royal Mail is taking to ensure the timely delivery of medical correspondence and other essential items.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, has powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification. It is for Royal Mail, as an independent business, to determine the appropriate staffing levels it needs to meet its universal service obligation.
Additionally, the government recognises the importance of timely delivery of NHS letters. Royal Mail has introduced an NHS barcode to assist NHS units that continue to rely on post to communicate with patients.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered the potential merits of creating a national mail order fraud database for (a) retailers, (b) delivery companies, (c) customers and (d) other relevant parties to log delivery issues.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business and Trade has not made an assessment on creating a national mail order fraud database. Led by the Home Office, the Government will be setting out its approach to tackling all types of fraud in its upcoming Fraud Strategy.
Report Fraud is the new national reporting service for fraud and for cyber crime operated by City of London Police. They also take information reports on attempted frauds. Reports submitted to Report Fraud are considered by the service’s National Crime Analysis Service and evaluated to assess the information available which could assist an investigation.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of mandatory digital filing requirements on Community Interest Companies (CICs); and what steps he is taking to support CICs to (a) file annual accounts in iXBRL format using compliant software and (b) comply with director identity verification.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
CICs file accounts to Companies House in the same way as other companies. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 Impact Assessment assesses impacts of removing paper accounts filing. We are reviewing our proposed changes in filing requirements at Companies House, to ensure they strike the right balance between tackling economic crime and avoiding undue burden on business.
Identity verification is designed to be straightforward. Individuals can verify digitally through One Login, via an Authorised Corporate Service Provider, or in-person at the Post Office. Companies House contact centre is available for users requiring assistance.