Select Committee · Business and Trade Committee

Post-pandemic economic growth: UK labour markets

Status: Closed Opened: 27 May 2022 Closed: 11 Sep 2023 23 recommendations 18 conclusions 1 report

The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee is launching an inquiry into the UK Labour Market. This next strand of the Committee’s overarching Post-Pandemic Economic Growth inquiry, launched in June 2020, will also build on the work of the Committee’s major inquiry into the impact of coronavirus on businesses and workers. The Committee wishes … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic growth: UK labour mar… HC 306 21 Apr 2023 41 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
1 Conclusion Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic g… Rejected

Ministerial responsibility for labour market policy remains fragmented across Whitehall.

Ministerial responsibility for labour market policy is fragmented across Whitehall departments. We therefore call on the Government to consider the following: a) establish a Ministry of Labour b) appoint a new Minister of State for Labour in the Cabinet Office with the authority to convene and coordinate labour market policy … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation, stating that new departmental structures established in February 2023 (including the Department for Business and Trade) are considered effective for labour market policy and delivery. It explicitly states it does not feel it necessary to further alter the machinery of …
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Department for Business and Trade
20 Recommendation Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic g… Rejected

Set out Government plans for statutory protection against unscrupulous umbrella company practices

The actions of unscrupulous umbrella companies are depriving workers of rights and in some cases remuneration, and they are damaging the reputation of umbrella companies as a whole. There is widespread agreement that the Government should act to provide statutory protection from such practices. In response to this Report, the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the committee's characterisation of enforcement, stating it does not agree and detailing existing HMRC minimum wage investigations and increased investment in enforcement bodies, arguing that the UK already has a robust system for enforcing employment rights.
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Department for Business and Trade
30 Recommendation Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic g… Rejected

Amend the Bill to ensure committee examination of retained EU work and employment law regulations.

We recommend that the Bill should be amended to ensure that within a given timeframe a committee also examines any regulations which are part of retained EU law and which govern UK law relating to work, including workplace standards and employment rights, which the Government (a) intends should expire at … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government has replaced the sunset clause in the Retained EU Law Bill with a list of specific revocations and intends to retain powers to amend more complex regulations after its own assessment and consultation, without committing to the recommended amendment for committee examination.
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Department for Business and Trade

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
21 Feb 2023 Kevin Hollinrake MP · Department for Business and Trade, Lucy Standing · Bravestarts, Mike Warren · Department for Business and Trade, Tim Balcon · Construction Industry Training Board, Tony Wilson · Institute for Employment Studies View ↗
10 Jan 2023 Joeli Brearley · Pregnant Then Screwed, Kate Dearden · Community Trade Union, Lizzie Penny · Workstyle Revolution, Philippa Childs · Prospect Union, Professor Keith Ewing · Institute of Employment Rights, Sarah Douglas · Liminal Space View ↗
29 Nov 2022 Hannah Reed · Unite Union, Jennifer Sole · Employment Lawyers Association (ELA), Margaret Beels · Department for Business and Trade, Ms Alexandra Hall-Chen · Institute of Directors View ↗
15 Nov 2022 Andrew Pakes · Prospect Union, Anna Thomas · Institute for the Future of Work, Brian Palmer · Amazon, Carly Kind · Ada Lovelace Institute, Charlotte Holloway · Zoom, Laurence Turner · GMB, Neil Ross · techUK, Tania Bowers · Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCO) View ↗
19 Jul 2022 David Fry · Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Frances O'Grady · Trade Union Congress (TUC), Jane Gratton · British Chambers of Commerce, Matthew Percival · Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Mike Keoghan · Office for National Statistics, Ms Claire Tunley · Financial Services Skills Commission, Neil Carberry · Recruitment and Employment Confederation, Stephen Phipson CBE · Make UK View ↗

Who gave evidence

31 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Andrew Pakes · Deputy General Secretary and Research Director Prospect Union 1
Anna Thomas · Co-Founder and Director Institute for the Future of Work 1
Brian Palmer · Head of Public Policy Europe Amazon 1
Carly Kind · Director Ada Lovelace Institute 1
Charlotte Holloway · Government Relations Director Zoom 1
David Fry · Director, Office of Manpower Economics Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy 1
Frances O'Grady · General Secretary Trade Union Congress (TUC) 1
Hannah Reed · Co-ordinator of Constitutional Affairs Unite Union 1
Jane Gratton · Head of People Policy British Chambers of Commerce 1
Jennifer Sole · Co-Chair of the ELA Working Party Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) 1
Joeli Brearley · Founder and CEO Pregnant Then Screwed 1
Kate Dearden · Head of Research, Policy and External Relations Community Trade Union 1
Kevin Hollinrake MP · Minister for Enteprise, Markets and Small Business Department for Business and Trade 1
Laurence Turner · Head of Research and Policy GMB 1
Lizzie Penny · Co-Founder and Joint CEO Workstyle Revolution 1
Lucy Standing · Co-Founder Bravestarts 1
Margaret Beels · Director of Labour Market Enforcement Department for Business and Trade 1
Matthew Percival · Director, Future of Work and Skills Confederation of British Industry (CBI) 1
Mike Keoghan · Deputy National Statistician and Director General… Office for National Statistics 1
Mike Warren · Director Department for Business and Trade 1
Ms Claire Tunley · Chief Executive Financial Services Skills Commission 1
Ms Alexandra Hall-Chen · Advisor for Sustainability, Skills, and Employment Institute of Directors 1
Neil Carberry · Chief Executive Recruitment and Employment Confederation 1
Neil Ross · Associate Director for Policy techUK 1
Philippa Childs · Head of Bectu Sector Prospect Union 1
Professor Keith Ewing · President Institute of Employment Rights 1
Sarah Douglas · Director Liminal Space 1
Stephen Phipson CBE · Chief Executive Officer Make UK 1
Tania Bowers · Global Public Policy Director Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCO) 1
Tim Balcon · Chief Executive Construction Industry Training Board 1
Tony Wilson · Director Institute for Employment Studies 1

Correspondence

3 letters
DateDirectionTitle
18 Apr 2023 To cttee Letter from Amazon to the Chair relating to AI technology in the workplace, 17 …
18 Apr 2023 To cttee Letter from the Chair to Amazon relating to AI technology in the workplace, 24 …
10 Jan 2023 To cttee Letter from BEIS Chair to Amazon on AI in the workplace, 10 January 2023