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1059742

registered interest
date	12/02/2019
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	Post Offices: Closures
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 effect of (a) Post Office and (b) Crown Post Office closures on the local economy in England and Wales.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff South and Penarth
tabling member printed	Stephen Doughty
uin	220235
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>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.</p><p> </p><p>The management of the Post Office network is an operational matter for the Post Office Limited who are responsible for maintaining the network of branches and achieving the accessibility criteria set by Government. The Post Office does not have a branch closure programme, rather they are franchising branches to ensure services remain in communities and are actively looking for areas of the country where there is a demand for Post Office services, with over 350 local branches opened since April 2017 in new locations. Branches can sometimes close for reasons beyond the Post Office’s control and when this happens the Post Office seeks to restore services for the communities affected.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 19/02/2019 16:13:19 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst previous answer version 102489 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4264 label Biography information for Stephen Doughty

1059801

registered interest
date	12/02/2019
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	Asda: Sainsbury's
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 ensure that employees' views are taken into account during the extension of the inquiry by the Competition and Markets Authority into the merger of Sainsbury’s and Asda.
tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
uin	220331
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>Mergers are considered by the independent Competition and Markets Authority under the Enterprise Act 2002.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 19/02/2019 16:14:16 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst previous answer version 102488 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1059802

registered interest
date	12/02/2019
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	Competition and Markets Authority: Trade Unions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the role and function of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to (a) include consultation with trade unions on proposed mergers or takeovers, (b) permanent trade union representation on the CMA and (c) conduct a review of UK takeover laws to consider the effect on and interests of workers.
tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
uin	220332
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>Mergers are considered by the independent Competition and Markets Authority under the Enterprise Act 2002. The Government keeps the law on mergers under constant review.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 19/02/2019 16:15:08 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst previous answer version 102487 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1059869

registered interest
date	12/02/2019
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	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Salisbury
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 the criteria were for the Government decision to allocate the city of Salisbury a ministerial champion in his Department.
tabling member constituency	Wirral South
tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
uin	220212
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>The unprecedented nerve agent attack in Salisbury and subsequent incident in Amesbury was an act of aggression on UK soil, with the hazardous agent involved resulting in the contamination of multiple sites across Salisbury and Amesbury and the tragic death of Dawn Sturgess.</p><p> </p><p>The attack has resulted in an estimated loss of over 1 million visits to Salisbury which is a key tourist attraction in the region, and a potential loss to the local economy of £56 million. With the imminent completion of decontamination activity, the Department has agreed with Defra, Cabinet Office and other key partners that the focus should now move towards building confidence and long-term economic recovery.</p><p> </p><p>In recognition of these unprecedented events, my noble Friend the rt. hon. the Lord Henley in his role as Local Growth Champion for Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) which includes the boundaries of Salisbury and Amesbury has agreed to act as the ongoing single Ministerial point of contact within Government for the leaders of Wilshire Council so that they may continue to raise any legacy issues arising at a political level.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 19/02/2019 16:33:54 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1059916

registered interest
date	12/02/2019
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	Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2019 to Question 216363 on Pay, for what reason his Department does not hold estimates of the total value of wages unlawfully unpaid in the last year.
tabling member constituency	Leeds East
tabling member printed	Richard Burgon
uin	220297
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>The Government does not hold estimates of the total value of wages unlawfully unpaid.</p><p> </p><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>The position of Director of Labour Market Enforcement was created in 2017 with an obligation to assess the scale and nature of labour market non-compliance. The Director draws upon a wide range of information and intelligence, including the Office for National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.</p><p> </p><p>The Director utilises this intelligence to identify future labour market enforcement priorities for the HM Revenue and Customs Minimum Wage team, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate and the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.</p><p> </p><p>The Director’s Labour Market Enforcement Strategy for 2018 to 2019 can be found below: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/labour-market-enforcement-strategy-2018-to-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/labour-market-enforcement-strategy-2018-to-2019</a>. The recommendations set out within the strategy were overwhelmingly adopted by the Government in December 2018.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst grouped question UIN 220298 question first answered 19/02/2019 16:16:53 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst previous answer version 102486 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4493 label Biography information for Richard Burgon

1059917

registered interest
date	12/02/2019
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	Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2019 to Question 216363 on Pay, whether his Department has estimated the value of wages unlawfully unpaid for any periods of time.
tabling member constituency	Leeds East
tabling member printed	Richard Burgon
uin	220298
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>The Government does not hold estimates of the total value of wages unlawfully unpaid.</p><p> </p><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>The position of Director of Labour Market Enforcement was created in 2017 with an obligation to assess the scale and nature of labour market non-compliance. The Director draws upon a wide range of information and intelligence, including the Office for National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.</p><p> </p><p>The Director utilises this intelligence to identify future labour market enforcement priorities for the HM Revenue and Customs Minimum Wage team, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate and the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.</p><p> </p><p>The Director’s Labour Market Enforcement Strategy for 2018 to 2019 can be found below: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/labour-market-enforcement-strategy-2018-to-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/labour-market-enforcement-strategy-2018-to-2019</a>. The recommendations set out within the strategy were overwhelmingly adopted by the Government in December 2018.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst grouped question UIN 220297 question first answered 19/02/2019 16:16:53 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst previous answer version 102484 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4493 label Biography information for Richard Burgon

1060065

registered interest
date	12/02/2019
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	Zero Hours Contracts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he is taking steps to end the use of zero hour contracts.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	220219
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>Both the Government and independent research have identified that zero hours contracts are beneficial for the labour market as they allow flexibility for both employers and individuals. The latest figures show that only 2.4% of the UK’s workforce are on a zero hours contracts because, for that small proportion, that may be the right contract for them.</p><p> </p><p>In the Review of Modern Working Practices, Matthew Taylor said that banning zero hours contracts altogether “would negatively impact many more people than it helped&quot;. We agree with his assessment and have committed to bring forward legislation to introduce the right to request a more predictable and stable contract for all workers, including those on zero hours contracts. This will allow individuals and businesses to strike the right balance between flexibility and job security.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 19/02/2019 16:28:57 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1058707

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate: Training
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 gender awareness training staff at the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate have undertaken in relation to their inspections of employment agencies’ practices; and whether the inspectorate has a gender awareness strategy in place for those inspections.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Yardley
tabling member printed	Jess Phillips
uin	219467
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>All staff in the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate have to undertake mandatory training on diversity and inclusion, including unconscious bias training. The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate has a published enforcement policy statement which details their approach to conducting inspections:</p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/615442/employment-agency-standards-inspectorate-enforcement-statement.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/615442/employment-agency-standards-inspectorate-enforcement-statement.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 19/02/2019 16:26:57 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4370 label Biography information for Jess Phillips

1058742

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Brexit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is drawing up plans for specific sectors to boost the UK economy in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
tabling member constituency	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
tabling member printed	Jonathan Edwards
uin	219385
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>The Government continues to work towards a deal with the EU. This is very much in the interest of the EU as well as the UK.</p><p> </p><p>We are committed to supporting vital industries in any EU exit scenario. Extensive engagement has taken, and is taking, place between Government and industry to communicate actions businesses can take in preparation and to explore the implications of different scenarios on sectors.</p><p> </p><p>Our modern Industrial Strategy has set out a long-term approach to ensure that we’re building an economy fit for the future and will help us make the best of our relations with Europe and beyond. This includes a range of measures aimed at increasing investment from the private and public sector, from cutting business taxes, slashing red tape to investing in new scientific infrastructure on a record scale.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 19/02/2019 16:27:58 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	3943 label Biography information for Jonathan Edwards

1058743

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Brexit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is drawing up plans for specific nations and regions of the UK to boost the economy in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
tabling member constituency	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
tabling member printed	Jonathan Edwards
uin	219386
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2019 answer text <p>The Government continues to work towards a deal and we are confident of securing a relationship with the EU which maintains the current, liberalised access and frictionless trade we enjoy. This is in the interest of business across all regions of the UK.</p><p> </p><p>We are committed to supporting vital industries in any EU exit scenario, including taking action to provide continuity for UK business in trading arrangements wherever possible. Extensive engagement continues between Government and industry to help businesses prepare for different scenarios.</p><p> </p><p>Our modern Industrial Strategy has set out a long-term approach to ensure that we’re building an economy fit for the future and will help us make the best of our relations with Europe and beyond. This includes a range of measures aimed at increasing investment to all regions of the UK from the private and public sector, from cutting business taxes, slashing red tape to investing in new scientific infrastructure on a record scale.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 28/02/2019 17:07:04 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	3943 label Biography information for Jonathan Edwards