Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support jobs at the Rolls Royce Advanced Blade Casting Facility at the Advanced Manufacturing Park.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government’s extensive business support measures such as job retention CBILs, and Bounce Back loans have helped companies protect work and jobs in the UK. The aerospace industry and its aviation customers are being supported with around £11bn made available through loan guarantees, support for exporters, the Covid Corporate Financing Facility, and grants for research and development.
Rolls-Royce has made clear that the restructuring reflects the change in medium-term market conditions which have been impacted by the global COVID19 pandemic and is about the survival of the company and securing its long-term, sustainable future.
Rolls-Royce has reopened a voluntary severance scheme and has offered impacted staff job opportunities at alternative sites in the area. If necessary, the Government will work with Rolls-Royce to make sure that those who lose their jobs are supported, and to help them get back into alternative employment as quickly as possible, particularly through the services of DWP and Job Centre Plus.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the sustainability of sourcing minerals for batteries in countries where human rights abuses are taking place.
Answered by Paul Scully
There have been no such discussions.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business. Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) effect of new visa arrangements on the ability of self-employed people to conduct business in the EU and (b) estimated cost of such requirements to the self-employed working in the EU in 2021.
Answered by Paul Scully
While freedom of movement between the UK and the EU has ended, the UK-EU Trade & Co-operation Agreement (TCA) contains provisions on the entry and temporary stay of natural persons for business purposes (Mode IV). This includes self-employed professionals.
The TCA ensures that both parties offer a minimum standard of treatment for this type of professional, such as guaranteed lengths of stay of up to 12 months (subject to Member State reservations), and transparency and procedural facilitation measures where visas or work permits are required by a destination country.
The TCA also guarantees market access to key economic sectors (subject to Member State reservations), including for the self-employed, and eases some burdens on business travellers, such as: removing the need for work permits for some short-term business activities, and reducing the number of economic needs tests a country could impose to block access to exporters.
Taken together, these measures will help self-employed professionals to continue providing services in the EU and the UK. Requirements for visas and work permits, including costs, vary depending on Member State, and on the activity being performed. Those looking to work in the EU should check with their host state’s entry and stay requirements before travelling.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of new immigration rules for UK nationals seeking seasonal work outside tourism in the EU.
Answered by Paul Scully
Seasonal work is not a category normally featured in free trade agreements. However, temporary work routes were negotiated in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), as featured in the chapter on entry and temporary stay. These include: short-term business visitors; intra-company transferees; and those providing services under contract, whether as an employee or a self-employed professional.
The contractual service suppliers and independent (self-employed) professionals categories are most likely to offer appropriate routes to seasonal workers. The TCA ensures both the UK and the EU offer length of stays of up to 12 months (with a limited number of exceptions in some Member States) and guarantees market access for a range of economic sectors, subject to qualification requirements and Member State reservations. Specifically, our agreement with the EU includes sectoral coverage for contractual services suppliers who provide tourist guides services, and travel agency and tour operator services. This mirrors commitments taken by the UK in our recent trade deal with Japan.
The TCA also eases some burdens on business travellers, such as: removing the need for work permits for some short-term trips, and reducing the number of economic needs tests a country could impose to block access to exporters, which will also help seasonal workers.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many staff the Employment Agencies Standards Inspectorate (a) employed in 2019-20 and (b) employs in 2020-21; and how many of those staff were dedicated to working in Scotland in each of those years.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate had 28 staff in post on 31st March 2020 and 22 on 31st December 2020. A recruitment campaign is currently being undertaken to fill the vacant positions. Staff are not allocated to a dedicated location and will deal with casework that covers all of Great Britain.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to publish a list of UK-recognised approved bodies that can carry out conformity assessments for UKCA-marked goods after the transition period.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department published a list of UK approved bodies on 8 December 2020 on the UK Market Conformity Assessment Bodies database (UKMCAB) which can be accessed at https://www.gov.uk/uk-market-conformity-assessment-bodies.
The bodies on this list are the same bodies who already provide conformity assessment services now. This has been previously communicated to industry to help them make plans for the new regulatory regime.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish his proposals on a state aid regime to be implemented after the end of the transition period.
Answered by Paul Scully
On 9th September 2020, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State made a Written Ministerial Statement on the future plans for subsidy control. This can be found here.