Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
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 closing Crown post offices and franchising services to WHSmith on the sustainability of the post office network.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.
While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business and the management of the network is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. A report by Citizen’s Advice in June 2017 stated that franchised branches are performing in line with, or better than Directly Managed branches. As part of its ongoing monitoring role Citizens Advice will continue to track the impact of post office changes on consumers and customer satisfaction of post offices, including with the franchising of Directly Managed branches.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
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 call by Cuadrilla for an increase in the threshold for the maximum magnitude level at which it is allowed to operate.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Traffic Light System is working exactly as intended. As I have already set out to this House, there are no plans to review it. The Traffic Light System ensures that induced seismic events remain at a level that prevents the risk of damage to the environment or property.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what (a) safeguards and (b) terms and conditions are in place to ensure that there is no reduction in operating hours when the Post Office transfers a branch to a franchisee.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Providing customers with convenient access to Post Office services is of vital importance. Over the last few years, as part of the Post Office’s programme to modernise their branch network, the Post Office have increased opening hours at almost 6,000 branches, offering in excess of 200,000 additional opening hours overall. Nearly 4,000 branches are now open on Sundays.
When the Post Office franchises a branch to a new partner, they always ensure that the opening hours are at least equal to those in the existing branch. This agreement on hours is formalised in the Post Office’s contract with the partner. However, in the vast majority of cases, opening hours are extended on Saturday afternoons and often branches will open earlier on weekdays and on Sundays. The Post Office’s recent announcement to franchise branches to WHSmith (subject to public consultation) will see opening hours extended on Saturday afternoons and on Sundays.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department takes to help public sector organisations ensure that their projects are not resourced with high proportions of under-qualified, unqualified or self-designated electrical workers.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Department endorses the industry developed and managed Construction Skills Certification Scheme and the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme. These industry-wide schemes aim to ensure all construction clients and consumers can have confidence that those undertaking electrical work have the relevant training and qualifications to perform the work required.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take account of the Royal Society's update of its report of June 2012 on shale gas extraction before continuing his plans to extract such gas.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Government has always been clear that shale gas development must be safe and environmentally sound. We are committed to ensuring a rigorous, evidence-based approach to shale gas extraction, and as such I welcome any new research that can further enhance our understanding and help inform our policy development.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the implications for the public liability claims handling process of the non-disclosure by organisations of their public liability insurer.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 27th April 2018 to Question 137508.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
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 considered the implications for the public liability claims handling process of the non-disclosure by organisations of their public liability insurer.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
At present, prospective claimants may be able to obtain information about insurance cover held by a prospective defendant under the Third Parties (Rights against Insurers) Act 2010 if the defendant is insolvent or in other similar circumstances covered by that Act and under Part 31 of the Civil Procedure Rules, which permits the court to order the pre-action disclosure of documents in appropriate cases.
The Government does not have any plans to change the law in this area.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recourse is available to companies which share key business information confidentially with a potential buyer company and find that information used against them by a market competitor.
Answered by Margot James
Breaching the terms of a confidentiality agreement is a matter for the courts to enforce.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
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 local government funding changes on the operations of trading standards departments in local authorities.
Answered by Margot James
Funding and prioritisation for trading standards are decisions for local authorities – accountable to local communities and the people they serve.
Government recognises that consumer protection goes beyond local authority boundaries, and therefore provides £15m per year for coordinated Trading Standards activity in the UK.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether electricity companies are required to provide financial compensation to business customers who are affected financially by delays in connection to the electricity network.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Electricity network companies are required, under specified circumstances, to make a payment to business customers where agreed connection dates are missed. For distribution connections these arrangements are covered by the Guaranteed Standards of Performance.[1] For transmission connections any payment to the customer for late delivery of a connection would be set out in the customer’s bilateral connection agreement.
[1] http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/698/contents/made