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1081798

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Labour Market: Inspections
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to increase the number of labour market inspectors in line with the International Labour Organisation benchmark of one for every 10,000 workers.
	tabling member constituency	Aberavon
	tabling member printed	Stephen Kinnock
	uin	228097
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2019 answer text <p>Government is exploring options for a single labour market enforcement body – we will publish proposals on this for consultation shortly. More recently we announced that this consultation will consider extending the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority’s licensing scheme to further sectors and that we will ensure trade unions and businesses are consulted on the strategic direction of labour market enforcement.</p><p> </p><p>As part of the forthcoming Spending Review we will consider what level of funding is appropriate to ensure that it is adequately resourced to deliver its strengthened remit.</p><p> </p><p>Government is committed to ensuring fair and effective enforcement. We have taken concrete measures to increase the number of labour market inspectors and extend their coverage.</p><p> </p><ul><li>Government has increased funding for HMRC’s enforcement of the National Minimum and Living Wage (NMW) to a record high of £26.3 million for 2018/19. The NMW enforcement team went from 140 staff in 2015-16 to 424 in 2017/18 (measured on a full-time equivalent basis).</li><li>Funding for the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) has also risen in the last two years to reflect the expansion of its remit to tackle labour exploitation. The GLAA now receives over £7m per year in funding, up from £4.5m in 2016/17.</li><li>The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate has seen its funding increase from £0.5m in 2016/17 to £0.725m in 2018/19.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The Good Work Plan went further, setting out a number of measures to improve state enforcement of core employment rights. In addition to introducing state enforcement of holiday pay for vulnerable workers, we also committed to expand protection of agency workers to cover umbrella companies.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 11/03/2019 17:43:56 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst previous answer version 106417 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock

1081799

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Minimum Wage: Non-payment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to increase prosecution and conviction rates for non-payment of the minimum wage.
	tabling member constituency	Aberavon
	tabling member printed	Stephen Kinnock
	uin	228098
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2019 answer text <p>The enforcement of the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage (NMW) is a top priority for the Government; we have increased HMRC’s enforcement budget to a record high of £26.3 million for 2018-19.</p><p> </p><p>Last year, HMRC identified a record £15.6 million in arrears of wages for over 200,000 workers. In addition, HMRC issued £14.1 million in financial penalties to employers who breached NMW rules; the highest amount ever.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to civil penalties, since April 2016 Labour Market Enforcement Agencies have been making use of new powers to issue Labour Market Enforcement Undertakings and Orders. A two year custodial sentence and/or unlimited fine is available where a business breaches an LME order.</p><p> </p><p>Prosecution is reserved for the most egregious breaches of NMW law. In most cases it is not the best approach to help workers. Criminal sanctions against employers can mean that workers must wait considerably longer for their lost earnings to be paid back.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 11/03/2019 17:42:37 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst previous answer version 106418 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock

1134255

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Business: Billing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making the Prompt Payment Code compulsory for large businesses.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	268619
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>In the recent Government Response to the Creating a Responsible Payment Culture Call for Evidence we announced that responsibility for the voluntary Prompt Payment Code (the ‘Code’) is to move to the Small Business Commissioner and that the Code will be reformed, following engagement with existing Code signatories.</p><p> </p><p>Turning a voluntary code into a compulsory code would be further legislation respect of payment terms. UK legislation already establishes maximum 30-day payment terms for transactions with public authorities and 60-day payment terms between businesses, unless they agree longer terms and those terms are not grossly unfair to the supplier.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:10:31 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1134256

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Business: Billing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the maximum payment terms of the Prompt Payment Code from 60 days to 30 days.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	268620
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The Prompt Payment Code (‘the Code’) encourages businesses to aim for 30-day payment terms as the norm, with 60 days as the maximum. Signatories commit to paying 95% of invoices within 60 days, unless there are exceptional circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>In the recent Government Response to the Creating a Responsible Payment Culture Call for Evidence we announced that responsibility for the Code is to move to the Small Business Commissioner and that the Code will be reformed, following engagement with existing Code signatories. We are also keen to increase the number of businesses signed up to the Code.</p><p> </p><p>UK legislation already establishes maximum 30-day payment terms for transactions with public authorities and 60-day payment terms between businesses, unless they agree longer terms and those terms are not grossly unfair to the supplier.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:10:37 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1134257

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Billing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how he plans to define late payments that the Small Business Commissioner will enforce.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	268621
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>Within the Small Business Commissioner’s (the Commissioner) remit to tackle late payment and help drive culture change in private sector payment practices, the Commissioner addresses small business complaints about their larger customers. The Commissioner will make non-binding recommendations as to how the issues could be resolved, remedied and mitigated.</p><p> </p><p>Further detail of the Commissioner’s complaints handling scheme is set out in the Small Business Commissioner (Scope &amp; Scheme) Regulations 2017.</p><p> </p><p>I announced in the recent Government Response to the Call for Evidence on Creating a Responsible Payment Culture that we will consult on strengthening the Commissioner’s ability to assist and advocate for small businesses in the area of late payments.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:10:44 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1134258

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Business: Billing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what evidence base the Government used in reaching the decision to provide a £1 million business fund for the use of technology to help reduce late payments.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	268622
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>A £9 million Business Basics Programme was announced in the Industrial Strategy, to test innovative ways of encouraging SMEs to take up the proven technology and business practices that can boost productivity. I announced in the recent Government Response to the Call for Evidence on Creating a Responsible Payment Culture that, as part of that Programme, we will launch a Business Basics fund competition up to £1 million. This will provide funding to trial how to get businesses to take up proven technology and business practices, including a focus on payment technology.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:10:49 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1134259

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Business: Billing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the £1 million technology fund for businesses on the issue of late payments.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	268623
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>Technology adoption can boost productivity in the UK. The £9 million Business Basics Programme was announced in the Industrial Strategy, to test innovative ways of encouraging SMEs to take up the proven technology and business practices that can boost productivity.</p><p> </p><p>Government believes there is also a role for the Commissioner to run a campaign to promote technological solutions to SMEs to reduce late payment, improve cash flow and encourage better credit management. This fits with the Commissioner’s role in offering advice and guidance on payment matters to SMEs.</p><p> </p><p>It is envisaged that this combined approach will improve awareness of the use of technology and begin to make inroads to improve administrative processes that underpin business operations such as streamlining invoicing, payment and credit management, ultimately making payment practices more efficient and businesses more productive.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:10:55 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1134260

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Business: Billing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to page seven of the Government's response to the paper entitled, Creating a responsible payment culture: a call for evidence on tackling late payment, what the evidential basis is for the statement there was no real consensus, either with regard to the extent of the issue itself or what the best solution to the problem is.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	268624
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>We received 283 responses and respondents expressed a wide range of views in relation to payment practices and experiences. From the wide-ranging evidence provided it is clear there is no ‘magic bullet’ solution. That is why are taking action with a broad package of policy measures to tackle late payments and continue to change culture.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:11:01 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1183072

	registered interest
	date	05/03/2020
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Regional Airports
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Government plans to publish the terms of reference for the urgent review into regional connectivity.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	25667
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2020 answer text <p>Levelling up connectivity across our regions and nations is a top priority for this Government. Our review of regional air connectivity will ensure the UK has the domestic transport connections local communities need. We will publish the terms of reference shortly.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 10/03/2020 17:07:52 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1183074

	registered interest
	date	05/03/2020
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Regional Airports
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that the (a) nations and (b) regions of the UK have access to air connections.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	25668
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2020 answer text <p>We are urgently working with industry to identify opportunities to re-establish key Flybe routes throughout the nations and regions of the UK, and have kept in close contact with airlines and airports over the last few days to emphasise this. We are pleased to see that a number of airlines have already committed to operating many of these routes in the near future.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to this immediate work, levelling up connectivity across our regions and nations remains a top priority for this government. This is why we are undertaking a review of regional air connectivity which will ensure the UK has the domestic transport connections local communities need.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 10/03/2020 17:10:17 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman