Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with Evri on measures to support frontline delivery staff, including a) training, b) working conditions and c) pay.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
All businesses must comply with relevant laws and employers must comply with their legal obligations to ensure that their workforce receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled.
Evri, and other parcel delivery operators, are independent businesses and the government does not have a role in their operational decisions.
Ofcom, the independent regulator for postal services, does not regulate the employment or remuneration models of Evri or other parcel delivery companies.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has held discussions with relevant stakeholders on the adequacy of the operations of major parcel delivery operators during seasonal demands.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ministers have regular discussions with Ofcom in its capacity as the independent regulator for the postal sector with the responsibility and powers to regulate postal services.
The government wants to see all operators provide a good level of service, including during peak seasons. However, parcel delivery companies are independent businesses, and the government has no role in their operational decisions.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to require parcel delivery companies to publish regular data on a) delivery success rates, b) complaints volumes, c) compensation claims and d) average resolution times.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ofcom is the independent regulator for the postal sector. The government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions.
Ofcom last reviewed postal regulation in 2022 and considered extending the requirement on Royal Mail to publish complaints handling reports to the wider parcels sector. It concluded the market, then, was working well.
Following recent market developments, Ofcom is gathering evidence of operator’s compliance levels with their applicable Consumer Protection Conditions.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had recent discussions with Ofcom regarding its monitoring and enforcement activity in respect of Evri.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ministers have regular discussions with Ofcom in its capacity as the independent regulator for the postal sector with the responsibility and powers to regulate postal services. The government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions.
Following market developments, Ofcom are gathering evidence of operator’s compliance levels with their applicable Consumer Protection Conditions.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of consumer and small business protections when parcels are lost or delayed by couriers; and whether he plans to review the refund and reimbursement processes between couriers, sellers, and consumers in such cases.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
When a consumer purchases a product, the contract is with the seller, not the delivery company. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the seller is responsible for delivery of goods bought online until they are in the consumer's possession. This removes the burden of the consumer having to raise the issue with both the delivery company and the retailer. My department currently has no plans to review this process.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has been made of potential differences in postal service performance between urban and rural areas within Newbury constituency.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government does not collect or hold this information. Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, has a duty to secure the provision of a financially sustainable and efficient universal postal service. It monitors Royal Mail’s provision of the universal service and has powers to investigate and take enforcement action if Royal Mail fails to achieve its performance targets as appropriate, taking account of all relevant factors.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to promote UK-manufactured hydrogen technologies in international markets.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As a frontier Industrial Strategy sector, the government has committed to targeted support to boost exports of hydrogen sector goods and services by showcasing UK capabilities through our global network, providing greater access to international supply chains and — as outlined in the Trade Strategy — by expanding clean energy sector agreements, like the UK-Germany Hydrogen Partnership.
To support these opportunities, the UK’s export credit agency, UK Export Finance aims to deliver £10bn in clean growth financing by 2029, alongside options to support overseas sales, including loan guarantees for foreign buyers, and working capital, insurance and bond support products to assist UK suppliers.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure Royal Mail meets its regulatory obligations when local delivery service standards are not achieved.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, is responsible for monitoring Royal Mail’s performance and ensuring that Royal Mail complies with its legal obligations. Ofcom takes compliance with its regulatory targets seriously and this involves conducting thorough investigations where failures have been identified.
In October, Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21 million for failing to meet its quality-of-service targets and has told Royal Mail it must urgently publish and deliver a credible plan that delivers major and continuous improvement.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of current UK import standards in ensuring sustainable practices in tea supply chains.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government launched a review in the Trade Strategy, into the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses and environmental harms in global supply chains.
The review is still progressing and is considering the effectiveness of the UK’s current regime and standards, and the merits of alternative measures to support responsible business practices, including mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence. We shall update the House when the review is complete.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to provide support to people who have hired a registered builder where the work has not been completed due to that builder entering liquidation.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The insolvency framework is designed to ensure that those affected by any business failure receive as much of their money back as possible, and with as much fairness as possible. There are no plans to provide additional support to individuals affected by the failure of construction businesses.