Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reasons the minimum age to receive the national living wage was set at 25.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government has committed to increase the National Living Wage to reach 60 per cent of median earnings by 2020. Limiting the National Living Wage to workers aged 25 and over helps boost the employment prospects of younger people. For younger workers, the priority in those first years is to secure work and gain experience.
Improvements in the youth labour market have enabled the Low Pay Commission to be more ambitious when setting the youth rates. In April 2018, those entitled to the 21-24 age rate saw the fastest percentage increase since 2006 and those entitled to the 18-20 age rate saw the fastest increase since 2004. The Government is setting minimum thresholds only and we encourage employers to pay more when possible.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs to be lost as a result of automation in the UK in the next five years; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Department has not made a specific forecast on the impact of automation on jobs over the next five years.
As part of the ambitious Industrial Strategy, the Government recognises that demand for skills will continue to change, in part in response to automation. We have committed to improving the UK's system for training in digital skills and lifelong learning to ensure that working people have the support they need to navigate the challenge and opportunities of automation. In particular, a new system of T-level vocational training, high-quality apprenticeships and a new National Retraining Scheme are central to our approach.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much Post Office Ltd paid independent forensic accountants Second Sight to investigate issues relating to the Horizon accounting system.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
While the Post Office is publicly owned it operates as an independent, commercial business. The management of its IT systems are operational matters for the Post Office.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what approval was given by his Department for Post Office Ltd to prosecute sub-postmasters in cases relating to the Horizon accounting system; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
While the Post Office is publicly owned it operates as an independent, commercial business. The relationship with its sub-postmasters and the management of its IT systems are operational matters for the Post Office and as such do not require Government approval.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much Post Office Ltd has spent on prosecutions of sub-postmasters in cases relating to the Horizon accounting system.
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.
While the Post Office is publicly owned it operates as an independent, commercial business. The relationship with its sub-postmasters and the management of its IT systems are operational matters for the Post Office.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many responses his Department received to its consultation on Employment Status, published in February 2018.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government is committed to providing greater clarity for businesses and individuals on employment status. As Matthew Taylor identified in his review, this is a complex issue and is one of the major challenges for public policy.
During the Employment Status Consultation period, we held regional and Ministerial roundtable events to engage in depth with over 70 stakeholder organisations, including representatives from the courier and parcel delivery sector, business groups and trade unions. We also received over 160 detailed written responses to the consultation. We are currently analysing the responses and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which (a) business groups and (b) trade unions his Department held meetings with on the consultation on Employment Status.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government is committed to providing greater clarity for businesses and individuals on employment status. As Matthew Taylor identified in his review, this is a complex issue and is one of the major challenges for public policy.
During the Employment Status Consultation period, we held regional and Ministerial roundtable events to engage in depth with over 70 stakeholder organisations, including representatives from the courier and parcel delivery sector, business groups and trade unions. We also received over 160 detailed written responses to the consultation. We are currently analysing the responses and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with representatives from the (a) courier and (b) parcel delivery sector on the proposals in its consultation on employment status; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government is committed to providing greater clarity for businesses and individuals on employment status. As Matthew Taylor identified in his review, this is a complex issue and is one of the major challenges for public policy.
During the Employment Status Consultation period, we held regional and Ministerial roundtable events to engage in depth with over 70 stakeholder organisations, including representatives from the courier and parcel delivery sector, business groups and trade unions. We also received over 160 detailed written responses to the consultation. We are currently analysing the responses and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government plans to publish its response to the consultation on Employment Status, published on 7 February 2018.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government is committed to providing greater clarity for businesses and individuals on employment status. As Matthew Taylor identified in his review, this is a complex issue and is one of the major challenges for public policy.
During the Employment Status Consultation period, we held regional and Ministerial roundtable events to engage in depth with over 70 stakeholder organisations, including representatives from the courier and parcel delivery sector, business groups and trade unions. We also received over 160 detailed written responses to the consultation. We are currently analysing the responses and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with fashion brands and businesses based in Europe on their concerns on accessing the UK after March 2019.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
This Department engages regularly with UK based businesses across a range of sectors, including fashion brands and businesses, many of whom also have a European base, and we understand the concerns of these businesses about retaining frictionless trade.
This is why Government has been clear that the best outcome is for the UK to leave the EU with a deal and why, following months of intensive work and detailed discussions, we proposed a third option for our future economic relationship, based on the frictionless trade in goods.
At March European Council, the UK and EU agreed that during the implementation period, the UK would be treated as a Member State for the purposes of international agreements, including trade agreements.
This provides certainty and confidence that there will be no disruption to existing relationships underpinned by international agreements as we move into the Implementation Period.