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1185181

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2020
	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: Disciplinary Proceedings
	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 his Department is taking to ensure zero-hours contract workers who contract covid-19 are not penalised through disciplinary measures by their employers.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
	tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
	uin	29974
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2020 answer text <p>The Chancellor has outlined an unprecedented package of measures to protect millions of people’s jobs and incomes as part of the national effort in response to Coronavirus.</p><p> </p><p>We urge employers to be understanding when individuals are unable to work as a result of following Government advice on Coronavirus.</p><p> </p><p>Many people on zero-hours contracts will be entitled to statutory sick pay, although some individuals will not meet the qualifying criteria. Those who are ineligible to receive statutory sick pay are able to claim Universal Credit and/or Employment and Support Allowance, where they qualify.</p><p> </p><p>Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, UK employers with a PAYE scheme will be able to access support, so they can continue paying part of their employees’ salary where they might otherwise have been laid off. This applies to furloughed workers that have been asked to stop working, yet are being kept on the payroll. HMRC will reimburse 80% of their wages, up to £2,500 per month, to safeguard workers from being made redundant. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will cover the cost of wages backdated to 1 March and is initially open for 3 months, but will be extended if necessary. This scheme aims to support all those employed through the PAYE system regardless of their employment contract, including those on zero-hour contracts.</p><p> </p><p>Businesses and employees can get further advice on individual employment issues at the Acas website.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 24/03/2020 17:54:00 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1184143

	registered interest
	date	10/03/2020
	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	Unified Patent Court
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on research-led SMEs of the reported decision to withhold the UK's participation in the Unified Patent Court and the associated Unitary Patent.
	tabling member printed	Lord Anderson of Ipswich
	uin	HL2410
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2020 answer text <p>Following publication of the Government’s approach to negotiations with the EU on 27<sup>th </sup>February, the Government will not be seeking continued participation in the Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court. Participating in a court that applies EU law and is bound by the CJEU is inconsistent with our aims of becoming an independent self-governing nation.</p><p>All businesses, including SMEs, will be able to maintain patents in the UK and challenge or enforce them before UK courts as they do currently.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 24/03/2020 14:51:11 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
	tabling member	4705 label Biography information for Lord Anderson of Ipswich

1185471

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2020
	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	Trade Unions: Yorkshire and the Humber
	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 his Department is taking to (a) protect and (b) support trade unions in Yorkshire and the Humber.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
	tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
	uin	30134
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises the important role that trade unions play in industrial relations. We regularly engage with trade unions and employer organisations on employment issues and have ramped up this engagement in light of the COVID-19 outbreak</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully grouped question UIN 30135 question first answered 24/03/2020 13:11:35 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
	tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1185472

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2020
	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	Trade Unions: Yorkshire and the Humber
	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 his Department is taking with trade unions to inform workers in Yorkshire and the Humber of their workplace rights.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
	tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
	uin	30135
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises the important role that trade unions play in industrial relations. We regularly engage with trade unions and employer organisations on employment issues and have ramped up this engagement in light of the COVID-19 outbreak</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully grouped question UIN 30134 question first answered 24/03/2020 13:11:35 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
	tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1184150

	registered interest
	date	10/03/2020
	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	Toilet Paper: Shortages
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of shortages of toilet paper; and what discussions they have had with newspaper operators about whether newspapers can be printed to be used as an alternative to toilet paper.
	tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
	uin	HL2417
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government is in regular contact with businesses, including retailers, to discuss the impact of Coronavirus on industry, including supply chains, and preparedness planning.</p><p> </p><p>On 9 March, we announced an extension of delivery hours for supermarkets and other food retailers, to help the industry respond to Coronavirus. The new measures enable food retailers to increase the frequency of deliveries to their stores, so they can move stock quickly from warehouses across the country to replenish their shelves.</p><p>The Government has also introduced new measures to support businesses to keep food supply flowing on to shelves and into homes. For example, we have temporarily relaxed competition laws, allowing supermarkets to work together. The rules on driver’s hours have also been flexed to allow a higher frequency of deliveries to stores, so shelves can be replenished at pace.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 24/03/2020 16:44:50 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
	tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

1185287

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2020
	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: West Midlands
	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 recent steps he has taken to support small businesses in (a) Dudley and (b) throughout the West Midlands.
	tabling member constituency	Dudley North
	tabling member printed	Marco Longhi
	uin	30025
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government-backed British Business Bank (BBB) is working alongside LEPs in the Midlands to deliver the Investment Strategy for the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF). To date is has made over £80m of investments in firms located across the Midlands and includes £31 million of private sector leverage.</p><p> </p><p>The Chancellor’s has announced temporary measures to support businesses during the coronavirus outbreak. This support is comprised of two packages that we are asking local authorities in England to administer to support small businesses. They are the Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grants Fund.</p><p> </p><p>The first scheme is a £10,000 grant per eligible business. Eligible businesses will be those with a rateable value of £15,000 or less and thus eligible for relief under the Small Business Rates Relief scheme (full relief and tapered relief) or the Rural Rate Relief Scheme. We estimate that this will apply to some 730,000 businesses across England.</p><p><br> The second scheme is the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grants Fund. This fund is intended to support businesses in sectors that we know are being profoundly impacted and which are crucial to local economies across England. The businesses that are eligible will be those that eligible for a discount under the Expanded Retail Discount scheme. Grants will be provided in respect of each property (hereditament); so businesses with multiple outlets would receive more than one grant and may receive grants from separate local authorities.</p><p> </p><p>There will be two levels to this grant: £10,000 for properties with a rateable value for £15,000 or less; £25,000 for properties with a rateable value of more than £15,000 but less than £51,000.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 24/03/2020 17:18:35 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
	tabling member	4789 label Biography information for Marco Longhi

1186304

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2020
	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	Sales: Coronavirus
	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 prevent panic buying.
	tabling member constituency	Putney
	tabling member printed	Fleur Anderson
	uin	31656
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2020 answer text <p>The UK is well prepared for this type of outbreak; we are taking all necessary precautions to protect the public, such as engaging with industry and businesses to discuss their preparedness planning. We will continue to work closely with sectors, companies, and business representative organisations to ensure we are fully aware of the issues and how to best provide support.</p><p> </p><p>In order to help the industry respond to Covid-19, we will work with local authorities to extend delivery hours for supermarkets and other food retailers. This will allow retailers to increase the frequency of their deliveries and move stock quickly from warehouses to shelves.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has also announced a temporary relaxation of the enforcement of EU drivers’ hours rules in England, Scotland, and Wales. This extends to drivers of vehicles involved in the delivery of food, non-food (personal care and household paper and cleaning), and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. Additionally, we have announced a temporary relaxation of drivers’ hours, allowing delivery drivers to work the hours needed to meet the demand for home deliveries.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has also announced the temporary relaxation of elements of competition law to allow supermarkets and retailers to work together. Legislation is being laid to amend elements of the Competition Act 1998, which prevents certain types of anti-competitive behaviour.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 24/03/2020 09:36:58 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi previous answer version 14184 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4788 label Biography information for Fleur Anderson

1185429

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2020
	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	Private Rented Housing: Energy
	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 his Department has taken to ensure that energy efficiency measures are implemented in the private rented sector.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	29940
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2020 answer text <p><em>The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and wales) Regulations 2015</em> require that, subject to certain exemptions, domestic and non-domestic private rented sector landlords improve their properties to a minimum energy efficiency rating of E by: April 2020 for domestic property; and April 2023 for non-domestic property.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has published detailed guidance to assist landlords in complying with their obligations under the existing regulations, and is conducting enforcement pilots with Local Authorities to develop best practice around enforcement of the regulations. The Department has also launched a landlord exemptions register, a requirement of the Regulations, which is used by enforcement authorities to help target their enforcement activities.</p><p> </p><p>On 15 October 2019, the government published a consultation on the future target for the non-domestic private rented sector regulations alongside the government’s response to the Committee on Climate Change Progress Report. The consultation, which closed on 7 January 2020, set out that the government’s preferred target was for all non-domestic rented buildings to achieve an EPC Band B by 2030, where cost-effective. A government response is due to be published later this year. The government will also consult in due course on options for tightening the standards required of domestic private rented properties over time.</p> answering member constituency Spelthorne answering member printed Kwasi Kwarteng question first answered 24/03/2020 17:56:09 answering member 4134 label Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1185320

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2020
	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 Office
	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 oral contribution the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 10 March 2020, Official Report, column 43WH, what steps he is taking to challenge Post Office Ltd leadership on its engagement with sub-postmasters.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough
	tabling member printed	Gill Furniss
	uin	30050
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government believes that Post Office Limited’s commitments for cultural and organisational change following the mediation are of the upmost importance and is determined to see them delivered.</p><p> </p><p>I have personally challenged the Post Office CEO and Chair to strengthen their relationship with postmasters and take onboard the lessons learnt through the litigation. I will continue to raise this issue and test progress during my regular meetings with the CEO going forward. Officials will also monitor progress at regular meetings with Post Office officials.</p><p> </p><p>BEIS has established and chairs a quarterly working group with the National Federation for Subpostmasters and the Post Office. This is a forum for discussing how the relationship between the Post Office and postmasters can be improved and highlighting any concerns that postmasters may have. This is a further forum where we will test whether progress is being made.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is also committed to establishing an independent review to look at these issues further. We will announce more details in due course. We will ensure that any review does not undermine the Criminal Cases Review Commission’s work or the separate Director of Public Prosecution’s consideration.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 24/03/2020 16:03:57 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
	tabling member	4571 label Biography information for Gill Furniss

1186132

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2020
	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	Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries
	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 recent meetings he has had with representatives of (a) the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and (b) Nissan to discuss the health of the UK automotive industry.
	tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
	tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
	uin	31496
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2020 answer text <p>Ministers in the Department have been regularly engaging with with key industry bodies, to understand how we can support the continued resilience and competitiveness of UK manufacturing during the Covid-19 pandemic.</p><p>Organisations include the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and Nissan, which has been a critical part of the UK’s automotive industry and the North East’s manufacturing landscape for the past 30 years.</p><p>In order to support UK business and industry during the Covid-19 outbreak, the Chancellor has announced an unprecedented package including government-backed and guaranteed loans. We have made an initial £330 billion of guarantees available, alongside the Coronavirus Job Retention and VAT deferral schemes.</p><p> </p><p>The Government also has a long-standing programme of support to maintain the competitiveness of the UK automotive sector. Through our landmark Automotive Sector Deal, we have secured joint investment and long-term commitments to develop world-leading battery technologies, positioning the UK as the location of choice for the development and deployment of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies.</p><p> </p><p>The Government, alongside industry, have jointly committed almost £1.5 billion through the Advanced Propulsion Centre and Faraday Battery Challenge to research, develop, and commercialise low carbon automotive innovations. In October last year, we announced up to £1 billion of new money to support research and development, including within supply chains, to support electric vehicle manufacture.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 24/03/2020 09:32:11 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi previous answer version 14182 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson