Written questions by Blake.

What assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Vashi diamonds case on investor confidence in the UK.

The Government has not made a formal assessment of this case; however, the UK continues to be regarded internationally as a strong and attractive destination for investment, underpinned by a robust rule of law, transparent insolvency processes, and a longstanding pro business environment. These fundamentals provide investors with confidence that commercial disputes are handled fairly and predictably.

Whether he is taking steps to encourage whistleblowing in the business community.

My Department is responsible for routinely updating the Prescribed Persons Order, a list of relevant bodies to which a worker can make a protected disclosure about a wrongdoing. Recent whistleblowing disclosures have been highly concentrated in health, public administration, and the financial and insurance sectors. We continue to regularly review the list and address gaps to support more workers to qualify for whistleblowing protections.

What steps his Department is taking to improve employment regulation applicable to (a) Deliveroo, (b) Just Eat and (c) other online food delivery companies.

Online food delivery companies, like all companies, must comply with their legal obligations to ensure those they engage receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled. However, we recognise the complexity of the UK’s current three-tiered employment status framework, and have committed to consult in detail on moving towards a simpler two-part framework that differentiates between workers and the genuinely self-employed. This consultation will include how to implement measures to strengthen protections for the self-employed including a right to a written contract and extension of health and safety and blacklisting protections to self-employed workers.