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.
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 closure of the Forties pipeline closure on UK energy security in the next quarter?
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
There is no security of supply issue for fuel or gas supplies as a result of the repairs needed to the Forties pipeline. We have received reassurances from Petroineos Grangemouth refinery that they will be able to continue to provide fuel due to the availability of oil from other sources. Similarly, National Grid has confirmed that the loss of the FPS will not impact on security of supply for gas.