Select committee: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee
Recommendation 31
Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic growth: UK labour markets
Published 21 Apr 2023
Paragraph 162
Addressed to Department for Business and Trade
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee Post-pandemic economic growth: UK labour markets All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
To facilitate this scrutiny the Bill should ensure that the Government must present to the committee a notice of any provision which it intends should expire, together with a memorandum of its reasons and an impact assessment in time to allow consideration before sunset. Where the Government intends to incorporate a provision into UK domestic law under the affirmative procedure it should present a draft of the proposed instrument to the committee, together with a memorandum of its reasons for any decision to adapt or amend the regulations and/or for any decision by the Government not to preserve any element of them. In each case that committee should: • provide the Government with an opportunity to give such further explanations of its proposal as the committee may require, except where the committee does not consider it reasonably practicable to do so within the statutory timeframe; • report on the notice or draft instrument and accompanying papers, drawing to the attention of the House any observations or concerns arising from its consideration of such documents; and • have the power to recommend any notice or draft instrument for debate on the floor of the House: if rejecting this recommendation, the Government should be required to make a statement explaining its reasons. The Government must ensure that the flow of notices and proposed instruments to any relevant committee is controlled and consistent, so that the committee has a reasonable opportunity for effective examination of each proposal within the statutory timeframe.
From: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic growth: UK labour markets (HC 306), paragraph 162, 21 April 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 20 July 2023 (deadline 21 June 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the report and points to a strong labour market, accepting little of the structural change recommended: it "do[es] not feel it necessary to further alter the machinery of Government" and "does not agree with the Committee's characterisation of enforcement".
- On a Ministry of Labour and related structures, it says the existing arrangements will drive effective policy, so it does "not feel it necessary to further alter the machinery of Government".
- On workplace technology, it "does not believe excessive restrictions on the use of technology are appropriate", nor that the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill is the appropriate vehicle for the Committee's wider proposals.
- On a single enforcement body, it says it must be "realistic about what we can achieve given the limits on parliamentary time" and is "reviewing what this means" for its creation.
- On a menopause leave pilot, it "does not believe that introducing or piloting a specific policy for menopause leave is necessary". On the Lifelong Loan Entitlement, it will deliver from academic year 2025/26 but says only that it "can share findings one year after it's commencement".