Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance the Health and Safety Executive has provided to employers on managing risk for apprentices aged 16 to 18; and whether the Health and Safety Executive plans to review this guidance.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Under health and safety law, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health and safety of all employees, of any age. As part of this, there are certain considerations that should be made for young people, including apprentices.
Regulation 19 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, deals specifically with employers' responsibilities to protect the health and safety of young people at work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides extensive guidance on its website, to help employers support the important contribution that apprentices make to the world of work, whilst ensuring that risks to their health and safety are properly assessed and controlled. The guidance was last updated in 2022 under the previous administration.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) simplify and (b) clarify health and safety guidance for firms wishing to employ apprentices under the age of 18.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Under health and safety law, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health and safety of all employees, of any age. As part of this, there are certain considerations that should be made for young people, including apprentices.
Regulation 19 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, deals specifically with employers' responsibilities to protect the health and safety of young people at work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides extensive guidance on its website, to help employers support the important contribution that apprentices make to the world of work, whilst ensuring that risks to their health and safety are properly assessed and controlled. The guidance was last updated in 2022 under the previous administration.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of health and safety regulations on the ability of small and medium-sized enterprises to take on apprentices aged between 16 and 18.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Under health and safety law, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health and safety of all employees, of any age. As part of this, there are certain considerations that should be made for young people, including apprentices.
Regulation 19 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, deals specifically with employers' responsibilities to protect the health and safety of young people at work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides extensive guidance on its website, to help employers support the important contribution that apprentices make to the world of work, whilst ensuring that risks to their health and safety are properly assessed and controlled. The guidance was last updated in 2022 under the previous administration.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has received representations from (a) employers and (b) industry bodies on barriers to hiring young apprentices due to health and safety regulations.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Under health and safety law, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health and safety of all employees, of any age. As part of this, there are certain considerations that should be made for young people, including apprentices.
Regulation 19 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, deals specifically with employers' responsibilities to protect the health and safety of young people at work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides extensive guidance on its website, to help employers support the important contribution that apprentices make to the world of work, whilst ensuring that risks to their health and safety are properly assessed and controlled. The guidance was last updated in 2022 under the previous administration.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is taking steps to support retail workers who report abuse while working alone.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has the policy lead for workplace health and safety in Great Britain. However, the primary responsibility for managing risk to health and safety lies with employers. An employer is the person or organisation that is legally responsible, under health and safety law, for managing and controlling risks created by their work activities. It is for the employer to determine the best way to manage those risks taking account of the circumstances of their business and work activity and to take appropriate action if employees report any health and safety concerns.
Local authorities are responsible for the regulation of health and safety in most retail businesses. They can use criteria such as injury rates, trends, numbers and demographics of people at risk and implementation of effective control measures to inform their interventions, and ensure compliance with regulations. HSE does not collect this data centrally.
There may be greater risks for lone workers without direct supervision or someone to help them if things go wrong, and an employer must identify the risks to lone workers and put control measures in place to protect them. HSE provide guidance on lone working: Lone working: Protect those working alone - HSE which includes advice on violence in the workplace. This guidance was updated in 2022 and remains fit for purpose.
HSE has no plans to commission a review or discuss with retailers the safety of lone workers in stores.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has considered commissioning a review into the (a) prevalence and (b) potential risks of lone working in the retail sector.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has the policy lead for workplace health and safety in Great Britain. However, the primary responsibility for managing risk to health and safety lies with employers. An employer is the person or organisation that is legally responsible, under health and safety law, for managing and controlling risks created by their work activities. It is for the employer to determine the best way to manage those risks taking account of the circumstances of their business and work activity and to take appropriate action if employees report any health and safety concerns.
Local authorities are responsible for the regulation of health and safety in most retail businesses. They can use criteria such as injury rates, trends, numbers and demographics of people at risk and implementation of effective control measures to inform their interventions, and ensure compliance with regulations. HSE does not collect this data centrally.
There may be greater risks for lone workers without direct supervision or someone to help them if things go wrong, and an employer must identify the risks to lone workers and put control measures in place to protect them. HSE provide guidance on lone working: Lone working: Protect those working alone - HSE which includes advice on violence in the workplace. This guidance was updated in 2022 and remains fit for purpose.
HSE has no plans to commission a review or discuss with retailers the safety of lone workers in stores.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of existing guidance issued to retailers on lone working.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has the policy lead for workplace health and safety in Great Britain. However, the primary responsibility for managing risk to health and safety lies with employers. An employer is the person or organisation that is legally responsible, under health and safety law, for managing and controlling risks created by their work activities. It is for the employer to determine the best way to manage those risks taking account of the circumstances of their business and work activity and to take appropriate action if employees report any health and safety concerns.
Local authorities are responsible for the regulation of health and safety in most retail businesses. They can use criteria such as injury rates, trends, numbers and demographics of people at risk and implementation of effective control measures to inform their interventions, and ensure compliance with regulations. HSE does not collect this data centrally.
There may be greater risks for lone workers without direct supervision or someone to help them if things go wrong, and an employer must identify the risks to lone workers and put control measures in place to protect them. HSE provide guidance on lone working: Lone working: Protect those working alone - HSE which includes advice on violence in the workplace. This guidance was updated in 2022 and remains fit for purpose.
HSE has no plans to commission a review or discuss with retailers the safety of lone workers in stores.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department taking to ensure that retail employers comply with health and safety regulations in relation to lone working.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has the policy lead for workplace health and safety in Great Britain. However, the primary responsibility for managing risk to health and safety lies with employers. An employer is the person or organisation that is legally responsible, under health and safety law, for managing and controlling risks created by their work activities. It is for the employer to determine the best way to manage those risks taking account of the circumstances of their business and work activity and to take appropriate action if employees report any health and safety concerns.
Local authorities are responsible for the regulation of health and safety in most retail businesses. They can use criteria such as injury rates, trends, numbers and demographics of people at risk and implementation of effective control measures to inform their interventions, and ensure compliance with regulations. HSE does not collect this data centrally.
There may be greater risks for lone workers without direct supervision or someone to help them if things go wrong, and an employer must identify the risks to lone workers and put control measures in place to protect them. HSE provide guidance on lone working: Lone working: Protect those working alone - HSE which includes advice on violence in the workplace. This guidance was updated in 2022 and remains fit for purpose.
HSE has no plans to commission a review or discuss with retailers the safety of lone workers in stores.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of consolidating the (a) Age Addition and (b) other pension supplements into reforms to simplify the State Pension system.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department has not conducted any recent assessments and there are no plans to review the current arrangements. However, a number of Members of Parliament have written to me about the 25 pence Age Addition
The 25 pence a week Age Addition is part of the old State Pension, for those who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016. It is paid with the basic State Pension when somebody reaches the age of 80.
The 25 pence Age Addition is not part of the new State Pension, but for those people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, the 25 pence Age Addition under the existing rules will continue.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make a comparative assessment of the relative value of the 25 pence Age Addition (a) at its introduction in 1971 and (b) in 2025.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department has not conducted any recent assessments and there are no plans to review the current arrangements. However, a number of Members of Parliament have written to me about the 25 pence Age Addition
The 25 pence a week Age Addition is part of the old State Pension, for those who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016. It is paid with the basic State Pension when somebody reaches the age of 80.
The 25 pence Age Addition is not part of the new State Pension, but for those people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, the 25 pence Age Addition under the existing rules will continue.