Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has held with Cabinet colleagues on fuel support for households in the North Wales and Merseyside Distribution Network, in the context of that area having the highest capped price for dual fuel and electricity in the country.
Answered by Graham Stuart
My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on fuel support for households.
The setting of the tariffs is a commercial matter for individual suppliers, within the price cap set by Ofgem.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department conducted an equality impact assessment on the setting of the Regional Energy Price Guarantee.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department conducted a full equality impact assessment of the Energy Price Guarantee scheme prior to its launch at the beginning of October.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has held discussions with the Redundancy Payment Service on the National Minimum Wage.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Officials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Low Pay Commission (LPC) speak to a wide range of stakeholders in relation to the National Minimum Wage. The LPC are an independent and expert body which makes annual recommendations on the appropriate rates for the National Living and Minimum Wages, and other low pay related issues. They carry out extensive research that draws on economic, labour market and pay analysis, independent research, and stakeholder evidence to inform their recommendations. That is why we always consider their advice when increasing the minimum wage rates.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many employment tribunal cases have been lodged against the Redundancy Payment Service for each year from 2019 in relation to director employment status.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
For the years 2019-2021 the Redundancy Payments Service was not party to any Employment Tribunal cases where a director’s claim had been rejected on status grounds. To date in 2022 there have been 139 cases.
These figures are internal Insolvency Service data and not official statistics.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
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 he has made of the potential impact of allowing shale gas extraction on the price that UK consumers pay for gas.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has confirmed that it is adopting a presumption against issuing any further hydraulic fracturing consents. This position, an effective moratorium, will be maintained until compelling new evidence is provided which addresses concerns around the prediction and management of induced seismicity. The Government is taking other measures to build energy security and affordability.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has undertaken recent research into the use of technology by employers to closely monitor their employees.
Answered by George Freeman
The Department has not undertaken recent research into the use of technology by employers to closely monitor their employees.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of technology on levels of inequality in the workplace.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The overall net effect of automation and AI on employment is unclear, but a plausible assumption based on historical trends and economic research for the UK would see a broadly neutral effect overall. Research published by BEIS in 2021 estimated that around 7% of existing UK jobs could face a high (over 70%) probability of automation over the next 5 years, rising to 18% after 10 years and just under 30% after 20 years. However, AI will also create many jobs through the boost it gives to productivity and economic growth.
The Government also welcomes research from academics and experts in the field including the ongoing work of the Pissarides Review into the Future of Work and Wellbeing, which is exploring the impacts of automation on work and wellbeing, and analysing how these are differently distributed between socio-demographic groups and geographical communities in the UK.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Boston and Skegness to the former Prime Minister of 1 September 2022, whether his Department is taking steps to help support people who will be most affected by (a) increasing automation and (b) the use of artificial intelligence.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Government welcomes innovation, and the contribution of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to economic growth. The UK is already a world leader in AI, ranking third in the world, with the UK AI sector worth over £15.6bn (DataCity 2020).
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy plays an essential role in helping articulate what employers need from the skills system and support the Government’s ambitious reform programme to support people who will be affected by automation get the skills they need. The Government has expanded investment in postgraduate Master’s conversion courses in AI. Alongside this we are funding scholarships for students from underrepresented groups. We have also announced £117m funding to create 1000 more PhDs.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to end unpaid internships.
Answered by Dean Russell
Current legislation is clear that an individual’s entitlement to the minimum wage depends on whether they are a “worker” for minimum wage purposes. Most internships are already highly likely to constitute work and entitle the individual to be paid at least the minimum wage from the first day of employment.
It is the responsibility of all employers to ensure they are paying their staff correctly and we will continue to take robust enforcement action against employers who fail to pay the minimum wage. Since 2015 we have ordered employers to repay £100 million of unpaid wages to 1 million workers.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the statement made by the Prime Minister in the House on 8 September 2022 that the Government would end the moratorium on shale gas extraction where there is local support, how his Department defines local support in that context.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government will come forward with proposals in due course.