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1277386

registered interest
date	18/01/2021
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: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ascertain whether businesses are insisting that staff attend the workplace when they could reasonably be expected to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
tabling member printed	Baroness Wheatcroft
uin	HL12267
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2021 answer text <p>The current Covid restrictions guidance states that you can only leave home for work purposes where it is unreasonable to do your job from home. It is important that people stay at home wherever possible to minimise the risk of transmission and Government will continue to reinforce this message when engaging with businesses and representative organisations across a range of different sectors.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 01/02/2021 15:04:58 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
tabling member	4199 label Biography information for Baroness Wheatcroft

1277387

registered interest
date	18/01/2021
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: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what sanctions they will impose on businesses which insist that staff attend the workplace when they could work effectively from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
tabling member printed	Baroness Wheatcroft
uin	HL12268
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2021 answer text <p>The current Covid restrictions guidance states that you can only leave home for work purposes where it is unreasonable to do your job from home. It is important that people stay at home wherever possible to minimise the risk of transmission and Government will continue to reinforce this message when engaging with businesses and representative organisations across a range of different sectors.</p><p> </p><p>Under existing health and safety laws, employers have a duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. Employers must do whatever is reasonably practicable to achieve this and this includes requiring and supporting those who can reasonably work from home to do so.</p><p> </p><p>If employees are concerned that their employer is not taking all practical steps to support working from home, then they can report this to their local authority or the Health and Safety Executive who can take a range of actions.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 01/02/2021 14:54:42 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
tabling member	4199 label Biography information for Baroness Wheatcroft

1277403

registered interest
date	18/01/2021
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	Fringe Benefits
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether employers can pro-rate company premiums for private medical cover for short-term employees; if so, by how much; and whether employers can pro-rate other benefits such as holiday pay.
tabling member printed	Lord Jones of Cheltenham
uin	HL12219
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2021 answer text <p>Fixed-term employees must not be treated less favourably than a comparable permanent member of staff without an objective justification. Beyond this protection, the terms and conditions of employment, except where they are subject to statutory minimum standards such as the national minimum wage, are a contractual matter for negotiation and agreement between employers and employees (or their representatives). Provided they do not discriminate unlawfully, for example on grounds of race, sex or disability, employers are free to offer the terms and conditions of employment which best suit their business needs.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 01/02/2021 15:04:18 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
tabling member	248 label Biography information for Lord Jones of Cheltenham

1277404

registered interest
date	18/01/2021
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	Conditions of Employment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they have published for employers and employees seeking assistance from ACAS in relation to employment contracts and tribunals.
tabling member printed	Lord Jones of Cheltenham
uin	HL12220
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2021 answer text <p>Guidance on employment law and employment tribunals is published on GOV.UK for employees and employers. GOV.UK also signposts users to Acas for more detailed guidance on employment issues, including on employment contracts and the process to resolve disputes.</p><p> </p><p>Acas provide free and impartial advice to employers, employees, and their representatives on employment rights; best practice and policies; and resolving workplace conflict. Acas also publish guidance on different aspects of employment law and employment relationships, and a list of these topics can be found on the Acas site: <a href="https://www.acas.org.uk/advice" target="_blank">https://www.acas.org.uk/advice</a>.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 01/02/2021 15:04:38 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
tabling member	248 label Biography information for Lord Jones of Cheltenham

1277438

registered interest
date	18/01/2021
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	Bounce Back Loan Scheme
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 his Department has made of the potential default rate for SMEs that took out loans under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme; and what steps he is taking to reduce that rate.
tabling member constituency	Wycombe
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
uin	138941
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2021 answer text <p>The preliminary estimate of default rates was published in the BEIS Annual Report and Accounts for 19/20, is based on losses observed in previous programmes which are similar to the Scheme. However these estimates are highly uncertain.</p><p> </p><p>In order to reduce the potential default rate for SMEs, on 24th September my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the Pay As You Grow measures. Under the measures, the Government will give all businesses that borrowed under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) the option to repay their loan over a period of up to ten years. This will reduce their average monthly repayments on the loan by almost half. UK businesses will also have the option to move temporarily to interest-only payments for periods of up to six months (an option which they can use up to three times), or to pause their repayments entirely for up to six months (an option they can use once and only after having made six payments).</p><p> </p><p>These changes will provide greater flexibility to repay these loans over a longer period and in a way that better suits businesses’ individual circumstances. A business which took out a £30,000 Bounce Back Loan would see their average monthly repayments fall from £532 to £309 (42% reduction) if they repaid the loan over 10 years rather than six. The same borrower could temporarily reduce their monthly repayments to just £63 if they switched to interest-only repayments.</p><p> </p><p>The first Bounce Back Loans repayments will begin in May 2021, and businesses will have the opportunity to request these Pay as you Grow measures before their first repayments fall due.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 21/01/2021 16:09:07 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1277473

registered interest
date	18/01/2021
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	Conditions of Employment
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 Prime Minister's answer to oral Question 910650 of 13 January 2021, how many meetings have taken place between Ministers in his Department and ACAS on fire and rehire employment practices.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire North
tabling member printed	Gavin Newlands
uin	139043
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2021 answer text <p>BEIS Ministers meet with Acas monthly. These meetings cover a variety of employment matters.</p><p> </p><p>Acas is holding independent and impartial discussions with a range of stakeholders on the use of fire and rehire practices to change contractual terms and conditions. BEIS officials have met regularly with Acas to discuss insights from this work and the circumstances when fire and hire practices are used.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 26/01/2021 17:41:14 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4420 label Biography information for Gavin Newlands

1277545

registered interest
date	18/01/2021
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	Energy: Conservation
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 put in place a long-term funding strategy for energy efficiency beyond the Green Homes Grant.
tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
tabling member printed	Stuart Anderson
uin	139139
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2021 answer text <p>The Ten-Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution committed to the extension of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) by a further 4 years from 2022 to 2026. The successor ECO scheme from 2022 will require larger energy suppliers to improve the energy efficiency of homes, focusing on those less able to pay across Great Britain.</p><p>The 2019 Conservative manifesto committed to a £3.8billion Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF). A £50 million SHDF Demonstrator was launched in 2020 to test innovative approaches to retrofitting social housing at scale and upgrading the energy performance of poorer-performing homes. A further £60 million has been allocated to continue the development of the SHDF in the next year.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 26/01/2021 15:58:34 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
tabling member	4742 label Biography information for Stuart Anderson

1277606

registered interest
date	18/01/2021
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: 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 his Department plans to take to ensure employees are not forced to go into workplaces that are not covid-compliant.
tabling member constituency	East Worthing and Shoreham
tabling member printed	Tim Loughton
uin	138843
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2021 answer text <p>The Government has provided extensive guidance for businesses and employers on how to conduct a Covid-19 risk assessment and the steps that should be taken to make the working environment Covid-secure for employees or volunteers that cannot work from home.</p><p> </p><p>Under existing health and safety laws, employers have a duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. Employers must do whatever is reasonably practicable to achieve this.</p><p> </p><p>If workers think their employer is exposing them to risks or is not carrying out their legal duties with regards to health and safety, they can report this to their local authority or the Health and Safety Executive who can take a range of actions.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 21/01/2021 16:12:29 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	114 label Biography information for Tim Loughton

1277645

registered interest
date	18/01/2021
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	Shops: Hygiene
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 it mandatory for shops to offer hand sanitiser to customers.
tabling member constituency	Newton Abbot
tabling member printed	Anne Marie Morris
uin	138996
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2021 answer text <p>We have published comprehensive guidance to allow businesses to be able to work safely. The offering of hand sanitiser is part of a range of measures that businesses can take to protect staff and customers.</p><p> </p><p>The Government welcomes efforts by retailers to reduce the spread of Covid-19 through the implementation of this advice.</p><p> </p><p>We have also launched a campaign urging people to act like they have got the virus, reinforcing the message that if it’s essential to go out, you should wash your hands, cover your face indoors and keep your distance from others. We are also encouraging people to shop alone and infrequently to reduce the number of people in stores.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 21/01/2021 16:14:54 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4249 label Biography information for Anne Marie Morris

1277656

registered interest
date	18/01/2021
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	Copyright
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 the end of the EU's orphan works exception on academic institutions; and whether his Department is making an assessment of ways in which UK regulations can be updated to enable research through an orphan works exception.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
uin	139025
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2021 answer text <p>The Government engaged with stakeholders and published guidance in January 2020 on the removal of the exception for affected institutions during the transition period. The UK’s orphan works licensing scheme continues to be available, as do exceptions to copyright for purposes including research and private study. The Government presently has no plans to update these.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 26/01/2021 16:40:33 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner