Kevin Hollinrake: The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill and the powers within it are not intended to remove workers’ rights and protections. The Bill is an enabling Act. The key measures, including the powers to preserve, revoke or replace, will provide UK (and devolved) ministers with the tools to review, amend or repeal their retained EU law in a way that is right for the UK and reflects the...
Kevin Hollinrake: The quantities in which pre-packed alcohol, including English sparkling wine, can be sold will be considered as part of the Government’s review of EU-derived law. An update will be provided in due course.
Kevin Hollinrake: The Government expects all businesses in the UK to respect human rights and the environment throughout their operations and supply relationships according to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises. The Modern Slavery Act already requires businesses with a turnover of £36 million or more, to set out the steps they have taken...
Kevin Hollinrake: The Government is encouraging the creation of businesses through the Start Up Loan scheme which has provided mentoring and financial support to 198 SMEs to the value of £1,920,907 and 504 SMEs to the value of 5,124,978 in Coventry North East and Coventry respectively. We are also committed to supporting SMEs through exemption from new regulations where possible. This exemption was recently...
Kevin Hollinrake: For younger workers, the priorities in those first years are to secure work and gain experience which has always been reflected in the National Minimum Wage rate structure. The Government is committed to increasing the National Minimum Wage as much as possible without damaging employment prospects for younger workers. This is why on 1 April 2023, Government will increase the National Minimum...
Kevin Hollinrake: The Department is currently finalising an impact assessment of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill. This will be published shortly.
Kevin Hollinrake: New clause 27 is interesting. It is about setting up a fund for compensation of victims of economic crime. We have heard estimates that economic crime costs UK citizens £200 billion to £300 billion a year. How much will this cost and who will pay for it?
Kevin Hollinrake: Will the hon. Member confirm that he is expecting the taxpayer to contribute to the fund? Is that what the new clause would effectively lead to?
Kevin Hollinrake: BEIS provides specific HR data/information to DTUS on request in line with our obligations under section 181 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. Alongside this, management information is shared with the recognised trade unions as part of normal engagement on a range of issues. Furthermore, BEIS publishes a range of information about the operation of the...
Kevin Hollinrake: The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill will ensure crucial public services such as rail, ambulance services, and fire services maintain a minimum service during industrial action, reducing risk to lives and livelihoods. The Department is conducting an economic impact assessment of the Bill. This will be published shortly. The Bill also sets out a requirement that Departments must consult...
Kevin Hollinrake: Data on the Help to Grow Schemes will be released in Spring 2023 after Help to Grow: Digital has closed.
Kevin Hollinrake: Following an HMT-led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme will continue to provide a discount to eligible businesses between April and March 2024. In addition, at the Autumn Statement, my Rt Hon Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £13.6 billion of support for businesses over the next five years, reducing the burden of business rates for SMEs. Furthermore, the...
Kevin Hollinrake: Very briefly, and just to the right hon. Lady.
Kevin Hollinrake: As the right hon. Lady knows, new clause 15, which we tabled today, is based on some of the debate we had and the ideas she brought forward in Committee. So I say to her that she should keep bringing forward the ideas, and we will certainly consider them. The Companies Act already requires traded companies to maintain up-to-date lists of their shareholders and report any changes in...
Kevin Hollinrake: I am sorry, but I must conclude. I do apologise. To conclude there, I thank all the Members who have spoken in today’s debate for their insights, and I am sorry if I have not spoken to their points directly. I call on the House to support the Government amendments, and I hope that the explanations I have given provide reassurance that their amendments are not needed to make the Bill and...
Kevin Hollinrake: It is always a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire North (Gavin Newlands), who referenced many of our debates in Committee. I thank hon. Members on both sides of the House for their kind words about my role in the Department and in taking forward this legislation. Let me first say that any reports of the death of my ambition in this area have been greatly...
Kevin Hollinrake: I am always happy to have a meeting with the hon. Lady—we met only last week to discuss her amendments and the Government amendments. Some of the things in her new clause are already reported to Parliament, such as the number of businesses struck off the register. It is important that we do not duplicate in this legislation things that are already being done, but I am always happy to have a...
Kevin Hollinrake: I am happy to have a meeting with the hon. Lady to discuss the different things that she thinks should be reported. Clearly, the annual report should be comprehensive and cover many of the matters that she raises. Much has been made about creating duties and obligations for Companies House. As my hon. Friend the Member for Huntingdon (Mr Djanogly) said, we should not assume that these things...
Kevin Hollinrake: I cannot give a fixed timescale for the regulations, but clearly the quicker we get the Bill to Royal Assent, the better. I am sure that the hon. Lady will assist with that; she has been very co-operative in the past, despite the lengthy debates we have had about various matters. The Opposition’s new clause 16 would require the report to set out the number of fines issued by the registrar....
Kevin Hollinrake: As the hon. Lady knows, the unique identifier will not be public, because we think that could increase the chances of fraud. It is already possible to search the Companies House database to a certain extent; for example, if she searches my name, my previous directorships all link together. We intend to improve the database by linking the hon. Lady’s name, year and month of birth, address...