Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 of the impact of Royal Mail's NHS option on delivery of health-related correspondence.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
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. In addition, NHS England and NHS Providers have produced guidance for NHS organisations, including a case study, to increase awareness and uptake of the variety of Royal Mail services for the timely delivery of letters.
NHS Providers understand that they must ensure they are sending patients’ post out within the right timeframe and it is for them to determine what service they use to enable that.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 of the potential impact of the EU's customs charge for small parcels on the (a) comic and (b) wider publishing industry; and whether his Department plans to seek an exemption for published material.
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 Government has been following the development of the EU’s customs reforms closely and is aware of the potential impact on the publishing industry. The Government continues to raise the issue of tariff and non-tariff barriers affecting UK businesses through established UK-EU governance channels, including the removal of customs duty relief for low-value imports, to support UK businesses trading in and with the EU. We continue to engage with UK businesses to understand the potential implications for UK exporters and affected sectors. We encourage businesses and representative organisations to continue raising concerns through their established engagement channels with Government and the Commission, and where appropriate, through relevant stakeholder consultations.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what support is being provided to regional innovation clusters, to i) support UK Research & Development in clean tech ii) promote the export of high-value research and development.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is supporting regional innovation clusters by working with priority city regions to connect universities, Catapult centres and innovative firms, aligning place-based R&D with the UK’s Industrial Strategy and net zero objectives alongside partners such as UK Research and Innovation, ensuring clean tech research is developed, commercialised and scaled across the country.
DBT provides targeted export support, trade missions, clean tech showcases and investor engagement. We help high value, research-intensive firms reach global markets, boosting productivity, attracting knowledge intensive investment that complements local R&D ecosystems and creating skilled jobs in every region of the UK.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether provisions of the UK-India trade deal address the freedom and human rights of minority groups in India.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The landmark UK-India trade deal includes chapters on labour, gender, environment and anti-corruption. In common with most free trade agreements it enables the two partners to discuss important matters including human rights on a regular basis. It is not our only means of advancing concerns.
The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network across India track human rights across the country. We engage Indian stakeholders on a range of human rights matters, working with Union and State Governments, and with civil society.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
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 potential merits of (a) implementing a defined standard for asbestos testing for cosmetics and (b) banning talc in (i) personal care and (ii) cosmetic products.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Regulation is clear that cosmetics must be safe. To demonstrate compliance, a safety assessment must be completed by a qualified safety assessor.
Government intends to perform sector reviews of product regulation that will consider hazards that may impact consumer safety. To ensure that regulations reflects modern supply chains we recently introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill enabling government to create a proportionate regulatory framework that will protect UK consumers from risk.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Government has plans to ban non-disclosure agreements used for victims of sexual misconduct, bullying and discrimination.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Thank you to the Hon. Member for raising this topic. This Government is committed to delivering the Plan to Make Work Pay in full and updating Britain’s employment protections, so they are fit for our modern economy and the future of work. This includes strengthening protections from sexual harassment and harassment in the workplace. Ministers are identifying the most appropriate delivery mechanisms for the commitments in the Plan, including an Employment Rights Bill that will be introduced to Parliament within 100 days of taking office.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she plans to undertake a new review of (a) existing and (b) pending export licences.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
All export licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard. We are able to amend, suspend or revoke extant licences and refuse new licence applications as circumstances require.
The FCDO advises DBT on the situation in country and the risks this poses with respect to the UK’s export control responsibilities. The MOD advises DBT on the risks of diversion of exported goods and national security risks arising from hostile state activity.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of post offices on local communities.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
While the Post Office has the commercial freedom to deliver the branch network within the parameters Government sets, the Government fully appreciates the impact a Post Office branch closure can have on a community.
With the largest retail network in the country, there will inevitably be variations in the number of branches open at any one time and any closures are usually outside the control of Post Office. However, the network is not in decline and in fact, more post offices opened last year than closed, and the network is as large today as it has been for five years, with around 11,700 branches open – above the 11,500 target that we set the Post Office.
The Government protects the branch network by setting minimum access criteria to ensure that 99% of the UK population lives within three miles of a post office. The Government-set access criteria ensures that however the network changes, vital services remain within local reach for all citizens.