Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
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 suitability of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary joining the Alpha Pensions scheme as directed by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As is the case with other Public Sector employees, the Civil Nuclear Police Authority’s employees will move into the Alpha Pensions scheme. A decision to modify the statutory scheme ultimately rests with HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office. BEIS officials are engaging with all interested parties to provide certainty for CNPA and its staff.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
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 had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on expanding the role of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary to augment police resources in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
There have been no discussions about expanding the roles and responsibilities of the CNC in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
The CNC is part of long-standing arrangements to provide mutual aid to other police forces, and will provide support, when requested, provided there is no impact on meeting their core civil nuclear security mission.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the equality impact assessment prepared by his Department on the pension proposals for the Civil Nuclear Police on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy, Energy and Industrial Strategy will be published.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The BEIS Equality Analysis on the CNC pension age will be published once all policy discussions on this matter are complete.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Civil Nuclear Constabulary's new training facility in West Cumbria will be completed.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
I was delighted to be able to visit the Griffin Park Tactical Training Facility in April this year. As I saw, this is a world class facility which will ensure that the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) are able to continue to effectively deliver their mission of protecting civil nuclear sites and materials. The CNC are planning to take full occupancy of the building in early 2019, and to commence firearms training there in spring.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the oral contribution of 12 December 2017, Official Report, column 171, when he plans to publish the equality impact assessment on the planned increase in the State Pension Age for members of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The equality analysis will be published in due course.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the oral contribution of 12 December 2017, Official Report, column 171, when he plans to publish the equality impact assessment on the planned increase in the State Pension Age for members of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The equality analysis will be published in due course.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
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 is planning to update his Department's guidance, BIS guidance for foreign exchange providers: compliance with consumer protection legislation, published on 20 September 2012.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The Department has no current plans to amend the guidance. Proposals to amend the Cross Border Payments Regulation are currently going through the European Legislative process and HMG is working with other Member States on these proposals. These contain provisions relating to transparency of currency conversion in certain instances. The Department will consider in due course whether an update to the guidance is necessary.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
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 plans to change the 12 week pay reference period used to calculate paid annual leave; and whether his Department plans to implement the recommendation of the Taylor Review of a 52 week pay reference period for annual leave.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices was published in July 2017. On 7 February 2018, the Government published its response. We are taking forward work on the vast majority of the 53 recommendations in the Taylor Review. The response confirmed that we would set out proposals to introduce a 52 week reference period for holiday pay, as recommended in the Review. These proposals are included on our consultation on “Measures to increase transparency in the UK Labour Market”. This consultation is still open and we would welcome responses up to the deadline of 23 May 2018.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
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 plans to re-negotiate the surplus-sharing agreement between the Government and the Trustees of the Mineworkers Pension Scheme.
Answered by Claire Perry
There are no such current plans.
Asked by: Martin Whitfield (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of the closure of the Forties oil pipeline have on the communities in (a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the UK?
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The safety of local residents is the primary concern and a small number were placed in temporary accommodation as a precautionary measure.
There is no impact on the availability of fuel or gas to communities as a result of the repairs needed to the Forties pipeline. Short-term increases in the wholesale gas price will not have an impact on consumer prices and National Grid will continue to monitor market changes. We have been informed that this will be a short-term disruption and we do not expect the very short-term spike in the price of Brent crude to lead to a significant increase in fuel prices.