Written questions by Turner.

If he will have discussions with Royal Mail to encourage timely deliveries in Birmingham.

Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider.In November, I met the CEOs of Royal Mail and International Distribution Services and raised concerns about Royal Mail's performance. They reported continued targeted action to improve reliability. I will continue to raise concerns with Royal Mail if quality of service does not improve.Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services has told Royal Mail it must urgently publish and implement a credible plan that delivers major and continuous improvement.

Whether his Department holds information on delays to postal deliveries in (a) the West Midlands, (b) Birmingham and (c) the Birmingham Northfield constituency.

The government does not collect or hold this information. Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, monitors Royal Mail’s provision of the universal service and has powers to investigate and take enforcement action if Royal Mail fails to achieve its performance targets as appropriate, taking account of all relevant factors.

When his Department plans to respond to the consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime.

The government is committed to protecting consumers who enter subscription contracts. Chapter 2, Part 4 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 sets out a new regime for subscriptions contracts. Secondary legislation is required to implement it and the government ran a 12-week consultation on regulatory proposals (Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime - GOV.UK). We are analysing the responses and carefully considering the points raised. A government response will be published in due course.

What steps he is taking to increase the level of hydrogen and fuel cell technology exports.

As a frontier sector in the Industrial Strategy, the government has committed targeted support to boost exports of hydrogen technologies by showcasing UK capabilities through our global network, greater access to international supply chains and — as outlined in the new Trade Strategy — by expanding clean energy sector agreements, like the UK-Germany Hydrogen Partnership. To support these opportunities, UKEF aims to deliver £10bn in clean growth financing by 2029, DRIVE35 will provide £2.5bn for zero-emission vehicle manufacturing including fuel cells, and the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme offers grants to UK fuel cell manufacturers investing in UK-based research and development.

What plans he has for the future composition of the Steel Council.

Following the publication of the Strategy, the Secretary of State intends to continue to convene the Steel Council throughout this Parliament, so we can make sure we drive implementation of the Strategy. Discussions will be held with members of the Council regarding its future composition.

With reference of the oral contribution by the Rt hon. Member for North West Essex of 12 April 2025, Official Report, column 846, what estimate his Department made of the potential impact of the proposed commercial deal with Jingye on (a) jobs and (b) cost to the public purse.

This Government has not been able to assess the potential impacts of the last Government’s proposed commercial deal with Jingye given it does not exist. We do know there had been a lack of progress before this Government took office. This Government has worked intensively with Jingye to try and reach a co-investment deal that met our public accountability and legal requirements, worked for local people and UK taxpayers, safeguarded as many jobs as possible, and put British Steel on a sustainable footing for the future. When Jingye rejected an offer of substantial financial support and took steps to enact pre-emptive blast furnace closures, we took prompt action which resulted in British Steel cancelling the consultation on a potential 2,700 redundancies.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 to Question 25524 on UK International Consumer Centre, if he will place a copy of the agreement referenced in the Commons Library.

I regret that the grant funding agreement cannot be submitted to the Commons Library. Grant letters and details are commercially sensitive for both the parties.Releasing these details would, or would be likely to, prejudice the interests of those concerned by damaging the confidence which customers, suppliers or investors have, threatening their ability to obtain supplies or secure finance, and potentially weakening their position in a competitive environment by revealing market-sensitive information or information of potential usefulness to others such as its competitors.

What contracts (a) BFS Group Limited and (b) subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited hold with (i) his Department and (ii) agencies of his Department.

I can confirm that the Department does not hold any contracts with BFS Group ltd or any of its subsidiary companies. Likewise, the Department’s agencies also do not have any direct contracts with the company or its subsidiaries.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) funding and (b) staffing capacity for the UK International Consumer Centre.

The government funds the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) to deliver the UK International Consumer Centre. The funding agreement for the current financial year is £456,000. This figure is reviewed annually and agreed with the CTSI each year alongside an agreement over what is to be delivered. The Centre provides information, advice and assistance to consumers in the UK who are experiencing difficulties resolving disputes with traders based outside the UK.

With reference to Section 132 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, whether any employers' associations maintain a political fund.

Unincorporated employers’ associations are able to maintain a political fund in accordance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. None currently maintain a political fund.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2025 to Question 21859, on Flexible Working Taskforce, on what dates that taskforce met in each year from 2018 to 2022.

The Flexible Working Taskforce met on fourteen occasions between 2018 and 2022.The dates of these meetings were:29 March 2018; 09 May 2018; 11 July 2018; 12 September 2018; 16 November 2018; 16 January 2019; 27 March 2019; 02 July 2019; 22 September 2020; 14 April 2021; 27 April 2021; 07 July 2021; 13 October 2021; 07 February 2022.The Government is committed to regular engagement with stakeholders on the topic of flexible working and other related issues.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 20334 on Flexible Working, on what dates the Flexible Working Taskforce met in 2023.

The Flexible Working Taskforce met once in 2023, on April 24th. The government has continued to engage with stakeholders on a regular basis to discuss flexible working and related issues.

Which organisations are represented on his Department's Flexible Working Taskforce; and on what dates that taskforce has met.

The Flexible Working Taskforce last met on 26 Jan 2024. It was comprised of business groups, charities and trade unions and was co-chaired by the Chartered Institute for Professional Development (CIPD) and the government. It met at regular intervals between 2018 and 2024. The Government is committed to engaging with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that policy works for businesses, workers, and the wider economy. That is why we continue to meet with stakeholders on a regular basis to discuss flexible working and related issues.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the Office for Statistics Regulation's publication entitled OSR’s statement on the Labour Force Survey-derived estimates and Annual Population Survey-derived estimates, published on 12 December 2024.

Putting the best evidence at the heart of policy development is critical to achieving the Department’s objective of supporting businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. The Department has been engaging with the Office for Statistics Regulation on quality concerns with the Labour Force Survey, so have noted their statement and welcome the clarity it provides. We will continue to work closely with the OSR and the ONS on their next steps to ensure that our labour market data is as strong as possible.

If he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of producing impact assessments for the Employment Rights Bill.

The publication of Impact Assessments for the Employment Rights Bill meets our requirements under the Better Regulation Framework to provide analysis of the impacts on businesses, households, and the wider economy. This is important to support ministerial decision making, enable parliamentary scrutiny and ensure transparency. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) does not routinely collate information on the specific departmental cost of producing impact assessments. Information on civil servants employed by DBT and payroll data are available at: DBT’s headcount and payroll data for March 2024 - GOV.UK

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2024 to Question 10062 on Animal Welfare: Fireworks, what the Government’s planned timetable is for reviewing the existing policy.

To inform any future decisions on fireworks policy I intend to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities shortly after the fireworks season to gather evidence on the issues and impacts with fireworks. Officials regularly meet and correspond with charities to listen to and understand their views. The Government has recently launched an awareness campaign on the Gov.uk and are working closely with some animal and veteran charities to help amplify their campaign messages.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2024 to Question 10062 on Animal Welfare: Fireworks, what form of engagement the Government plans to undertake with charities on its review of existing policy.

To inform any future decisions on fireworks policy I intend to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities shortly after the fireworks season to gather evidence on the issues and impacts with fireworks. Officials regularly meet and correspond with charities to listen to and understand their views. The Government has recently launched an awareness campaign on the Gov.uk and are working closely with some animal and veteran charities to help amplify their campaign messages.

With reference to the report by the former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills entitled Workplace Employment Relations Study, published on 23 January 2013, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of commissioning a new workplace employment relations study.

There are currently no plans to undertake a new Workplace Employee Relations Study (WERS). The survey methodology is challenging to replicate as it relies on sampling via the employer which is harder to obtain due to increased privacy concerns in recent years. WERS was co-sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Acas, the Economic and Social Research Council, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. The Department undertook the Management and Wellbeing Practices Survey in 2018/19 which provides evidence on employment relations and management practices in British workplaces.