Written questions by Ellis.

How his Department ensures equitable regional distribution of Pub is The Hub funding.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking to ensure that workers in Ribble Valley constituency have the right to a guaranteed hours contract.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 will ensure people can have the security they need by giving eligible workers the right to guaranteed hours.The next stage in implementation is a full public consultation on how the measures are implemented. Consultation will be key to ensure that the regulations deliver the benefits envisaged.Ahead of implementation, the government will publish clear guidance for employers and workers on the new right to guaranteed hours, ensuring that everyone understands their responsibilities and entitlements.

Whether the statutory review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator will consider the feasibility of extending its remit to include (a) farmers supplying via intermediaries and (b) other indirect suppliers affected by retailer practices.

The public consultation to the fourth statutory review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator asked whether there are unfair contractual practices in parts of the supply chain that are not covered by the Groceries Code or the Fair Dealing Regulations under the Agriculture Act 2020, but which are having a negative impact on grocery suppliers.The government is currently considering responses to the consultation, alongside other evidence, and will publish a report on the findings of the review as soon as practicable.

What steps his Department is taking to assess and monitor company buying practices in the UK’s clothing supply chains.

The Government expects all UK companies to respect human rights, workers’ rights and the environment throughout their operations and supply chains in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct (RBC). If there are concerns related to a multinational enterprise contravening the OECD Guidelines, a case can be raised with the Office for Responsible Business Conduct. In the Trade Strategy, the Government also launched a review into the UK’s approach to RBC, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses, modern slavery, and environmental harms in global supply chains. This includes the fashion industry.

What steps his Department is taking to strengthen protections for whistle-blowers.

A worker who ‘blows the whistle’ (known as making a ‘protected disclosure’) on certain types of wrongdoing is entitled to protections under the Employment Rights Act 1996 from detriment or dismissal as a result of blowing the whistle, and a route to redress through Employment Tribunals if those protections are infringed.The Government’s Employment Rights Bill will strengthen protections for whistleblowers, by making it explicit that sexual harassment can be the basis for a protected disclosure. This will mean an employee making a protected disclosure about sexual harassment will be entitled to protection from being subjected to detriment or being dismissed by their employer for speaking out.