Government inquiries and consultations
Parliament committees and inquires |
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Body |
Summary / brief update |
Low Pay Commission |
Low Pay Commission consultation 2019 For the NLW, the Low Pay Commission is seeking evidence in order to advise on the viability of the stated target - 60 per cent of median earnings by 2020. The NLW has been introduced by the Government to raise pay and productivity, and - unlike for the other minimum wage rates - there is some tolerance of job loss. They are particularly interested in:
For the other rates – affecting workers under 25 and apprentices – they are seeking evidence to make recommendations on our traditional basis of ‘helping raise the pay for as many low-paid workers as possible without damaging their employment prospects’. The consultation has concluded. |
Department of Health and Social Care |
Further advertising restrictions for products high in fat, salt and sugar The aim is to gather views on how the government can reduce children’s exposure to HFSS advertising, to reduce children’s overconsumption of these products. The Department of Health & Social Care want any future advertising restrictions to be focused on HFSS products that are linked to childhood obesity. We also want to encourage brands to make their products healthier. The consultation has closed as of 10 June 2019. Feedback being analysed. |
Home Office |
Violence and abuse toward shop staff: call for evidence The Home Office is seeking the views of organisations and individuals who wish to contribute to our understanding of the problem of violence and abuse toward shop staff in England and Wales. The consultation has concluded. An initial consultation response was published on 7 July 2020. The response sets out a plan to improve support for victims and ensure perpetrators face justice. |
Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport |
The White Paper proposes establishing in law a new duty of care towards users, which will be overseen by an independent regulator. Companies will be held to account for tackling a comprehensive set of online harms, ranging from illegal activity and content to behaviours which are harmful but not necessarily illegal. This consultation aims to gather views on various aspects of the government’s plans for regulation and tackling online harms, including:
The consultation has closed as of 1 July 2019. Feedback being analysed. Call for evidence – Online harms and Covid-19 As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Committee sought evidence on:
The deadline for written evidence was Thursday 21 May.
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Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
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Corporate transparency and register reform The consultation will look at new proposals to enhance the role of Companies House, increase the transparency of UK corporate entities and help combat economic crime. Consideration will be given to reform to the information we require companies to disclose, increasing the checks on this information and measures to improve the exchange of intelligence between Companies House and UK Law Enforcement bodies. The consultation has closed as of 5 August 2019. Feedback being analysed. |
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy |
Smart data: putting consumers in control of their data and enabling innovation Following a green paper in 2018, the consultation is looking at how to better utilise Smart Data to support better consumer outcomes across consumer markets. This includes:
The consultation has closed as of 6 August 2019. Feedback being analysed. |
HM Revenue & Customs |
Draft legislation: Employment Allowance eligibility reforms The technical consultation seeks views on the draft regulations and related documents that will reform the eligibility rules for the Employment Allowance by targeting it at smaller businesses. The consultation has concluded. The government has addressed the comments in the responses by amending the statuary notice to reflect a change to the data being requested: employers will no longer have to provide information about other de minimis state aid they have received or been allocated. |
Department of Health and Social Care |
The consultation is seeking businesses' views on our proposal to make it mandatory for flour millers to add folic acid to flour (a process known as ‘fortification’). The consultation has closed as of 9 September 2019. Feedback being analysed. |
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy |
Groceries Code Adjudicator: statutory review, 2016 to 2019 The consultation is seeking views and evidence which will allow the government to assess the performance of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) against the measures set out in the Groceries Code Adjudicator Act 2013. Consultation has closed as of 12 September 2019. Feedback being analysed. |
Home Office |
The consultation is gathering views on the proposed changes to the Modern Slavery Act 2015, following the independent review of the Modern Slavery Act. The UK government has committed to strengthening section 54 (transparency in supply chains requirements) of the Modern Slavery Act, and is proposing measures intended to:
Consultation has closed as of 17 September 2019. Feedback being analysed. |
Government Equalities Office |
Consultation on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace The consultation aims to gather evidence about whether the current laws on protecting people from sexual harassment in the workplace are effective. The consultation wants to understand people’s experiences, and focus on the following set of issues:
Consultation has closed as of 2 October 2019. Feedback being analysed. |
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy |
Good work plan: establishing a new single enforcement body for employment rights The consultation is seeking views on options for establishing a single enforcement body to improve the enforcement of employment rights for workers and businesses, and whether establishing a new single enforcement body for employment rights could:
Consultation has closed as of 6 October 2019. Feedback being analysed.
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Low Pay Commission |
Good Work Plan: one-sided flexibility - addressing unfair flexible working practices In particular it is seeking views on:
It also seeks views on what guidance government can provide to support employers and encourage best practice to be shared across industries. |
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy |
Good Work Plan: Proposals to support families This section sets out high level options for reforming existing entitlements which could help parents to balance the gender division of parental leave. Consultation has closed as of 29 November 2019. Feedback being analysed. An initial consultation response was published on 16 March 2020. The Government has committed to (i) introduce leave for parents of babies in neonatal care, (ii) introduce statutory pay for parents of babies in neonatal care and (iii) legislate to implement the entitlement and the relevant commitments in the forthcoming Employment Bill. |
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs |
The government wanted to know what you think about banning the distribution and/or sale of plastic straws, drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds in England. These single use plastics are associated with negative effects on the environment if they are littered or discarded incorrectly after their use. Not only do they damage terrestrial and marine life, there are costs associated with their clean-up and consequences for the tourism and fishing industries. Consultation has been concluded, the reports and government response have been published. |
Marine Management Organisation |
February 2020 catch limit consultation The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) sets monthly catch limits for quota species to ensure the UK stays within the overall limit set by the EU. These limits apply to all under 10-meter vessels and the over 10-meter vessels that are not in a co-operative (Producer Organisation). Consultation has closed as of 27 January 2020. Feedback being analysed. |
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs |
Fishing quotas: English reserve quota policy for 2020 The consultation wants to know what you think about Defra’s policy on the use of reserve quota in England for 2020. Reserve quota - formerly known as uplift – is the additional quota used for fish that must be landed under the landing obligation. They are also seeking views on updating the reserve quota policy section of the English Quota Management Rules. The consultation has closed as of 9 March 2020. |
Department for International Trade |
The Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff will enter into force on 1 January 2021. The tariffs will apply to all goods imported into the UK, unless an exception such as a preferential arrangement or tariff suspension applies. In particular, this tariff will not apply to goods coming from developing countries that benefit under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences, or to goods originating from countries with which the UK has negotiated a free trade agreement (FTA). The consultation closed as of 5 March 2020 and a summary of public responses along with Government Guidance was published on 19 May 2020. |
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs |
Food origin labelling: enforcement This consultation regards plans to introduce laws that will allow UK governments to enforce food labelling rules. This applies to labelling the Country of Origin or Place of Provenance of Primary Ingredients of Food where it’s different to the food itself. For example, a cheese labelled as British needs to make clear on the label if the milk used to make the cheese is from elsewhere. The proposed approach matches the enforcement provisions already in place for most non-safety related food labelling offences. This consultation is aimed at food enforcement officials, food manufacturers, food retailers, food producers, importers and consumers. It does not propose new policies on food labelling. This consultation has concluded. The new rules will be enforced in the same way as existing non-safety food labelling rules. These changes will be made through amendment to ‘The Food Information Regulations 2014’ and will come into force in England on 18 June 2020. |
HM Revenue & Customs |
Plastic Packaging Tax: policy design This consultation seeks views on areas of the Plastic Packaging Tax which have been further refined as we move closer to the implementation date of April 2022. This consultation closes on 20 August 2020. |
Low Pay Commission |
Low Pay Commission consultation 2020 The Low Pay Commission (LPC) is the independent body that advises the Government on the level of the minimum wage. We have been asked to recommend in October this year the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) rates to apply from April 2021. All interested parties are invited to submit evidence to our consultation by Thursday 4 June 2020. This consultation closed on 4 June 2020. Feedback being analysed. |
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy |
Pregnancy and maternity discrimination: extending redundancy protection for women and new parents The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy sought views on extending redundancy protection for pregnant women and new parents. This consultation has concluded. The government response published in 2019 proposed to (i) extend the redundancy protection period for 6 months once a new mother has returned to work (ii) to afford the same protection to those taking adoption leave and (iii) to extend redundancy protection for those returning from shared parental leave. Legislative updates are awaited. |
Competition and Markets Authority (Digital Markets Taskforce) |
CMA to publish final report on the market study into platforms and digital advertising The Digital Markets Taskforce launched and is seeking views and evidence from a wide range of stakeholders to inform its work advising Government on a new pro-competition approach for digital markets. The Digital Markets Taskforce published a call for information open to stakeholder responses until 31 July 2020. |
UK Statistics Authority and HM Treasury |
Consultation on the Reform to Retail Prices Index (RPI) Methodology The UK Statistics Authority (the Authority) and HM Treasury are jointly consulting on reforming the methodology of the Retail Prices Index (RPI). The RPI is the oldest measure of inflation in the UK and is used widely across the economy and in financial contracts. However, it has a number of shortcomings meaning that it has at times greatly overestimated, and at other times underestimated the rate of inflation. The consultation is open until 21 August 2020. |
HM Revenue and Customs |
Notification of uncertain tax treatment by large businesses A consultation on the Government’s intention to require large businesses to notify HMRC where they have adopted an uncertain tax treatment. The proposal is designed to improve HM Revenue and Customs’ ability to identify issues where businesses have adopted a different legal interpretation to the view of HM Revenue and Customs. The consultation closes on 27 August 2020. |
Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport |
Online advertising - call for evidence The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) announced it will consider how online advertising is regulated. Its aim is to foster fair, accountable and ethical online advertising that works for citizens, businesses and society as a whole. This call for evidence is focussed on the first pillar of this work - ensuring standards about the placement and content of advertising can be effectively applied and enforced online so that consumers have limited exposure to harmful or misleading advertising. The deadline for submissions was 4 May 2020. |
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |
Contractual relationships in the UK dairy industry This consultation is in response to concerns raised that primary producers, including dairy farmers, tend to occupy positions of relative market weakness in the food supply chain. Consensus among agricultural producers in the UK is that unequal bargaining power with processors and retailers can expose farmers to unfair treatment, with the potential to undermine equitable price transmission along the chain. This consultation closes on 15 September 2020. |
Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport |
Proposals for regulating consumer smart product cyber security This consultation seeks views on whether to change the law to make ‘smart’ products - like televisions, cameras and household appliances which connect to the internet - safer and more secure for people to use. The proposal details the government’s plans to raise the security standard for all consumer smart products sold in the UK. This consultation closes on 6 September 2020. |
Home Affairs Committee |
The Home Affairs Committee has agreed to undertake an inquiry looking at what progress has been made in the three years since the Modern Slavery Act came into force and what more remains to be done. Due to the general election on 12 December 2019 the Committee closed this inquiry. |
Work and Pensions Committee |
Pension costs and transparency inquiry The Committee’s recently completed inquiry into Pension freedom and choice examined ways to ensure that people saving for their pensions are equipped to make well-informed choices and are well served by the pensions marketplace. The inquiry has been concluded. |
Environmental Audit Committee |
Sustainability of the fashion industry inquiry Examines carbon, resource use and water footprint of clothing throughout its lifecycle. The inquiry has been concluded, the reports and Government response have been published |
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee |
Automation and the Future of Work inquiry BEIS Committee hold inquiry into automation and the future of work, looking at its likely impact on UK businesses and the potential it has for productivity, growth and reindustrialisation. The inquiry has been concluded, the reports and Government response has been published |
Science and Technology Committee (Commons) |
Commercial and recreational drone use in the UK inquiry This inquiry will look at the ethical and safety implications of the growing use of civilian drones, of all sizes, across the UK. Following two previous consultations on drone safety and security and incursions at Gatwick and Heathrow airports the Government brought forward a ‘Drones Bill’ in 2019. The inquiry has been concluded, the report and Government response have been published. |
Public Accounts Committee |
The Public Accounts Committee will question the Chief Executives of the four main regulators on the work they are doing to protect consumers. They will also investigate how regulators define the overall outcomes they want for consumers, as well as the action they take to assess their own performance. The inquiry has been concluded, the reports and Government response have been published. |
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee |
Brand Britain: Promoting and Marketing British food and drink inquiry The inquiry will focus on the current success of the Food is GREAT campaign, how the UK Government is working with industry partners to help build global recognition of UK excellence in food and drink, and identifying and opening new markets to UK products. The inquiry has been concluded, and the report and Government response has been published. |
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee |
Corporate governance: delivering on fair pay inquiry The Committee is conducting a short inquiry into aspects of pay in the private sector. The Committee will investigate:
The inquiry has been concluded and the gender pay gap report and Government response have been published. |
Treasury Committee |
The Treasury Committee will be investigating the following areas:
Due to the general election on 12 December 2019 the Committee has now closed this inquiry. |
Women and Equalities Committee |
The use of non-disclosure agreements in discrimination cases inquiry The Committee launches an inquiry to look at the wider use of NDAs in cases where any form of harassment or other discrimination is alleged. This might include, for example:
The inquiry has been concluded, the reports and Government response have been published |
Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Committee |
Plastic food and drink packaging inquiry The Committee is launching an inquiry into plastic food and drink packaging. Due to the general election on 12 December 2019 the Committee has now closed this inquiry. |
Treasury Committee |
The impact of Business Rates on business inquiry The inquiry has been concluded, the reports and Government response have been published. |
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee |
Work of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy inquiry The inquiry has concluded, and an oral evidence session took place on 15 October 2019. |
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee |
Agriculture Bill: Trade Standards The Government has frequently stated that the UK will not compromise on high standards of food safety and animal welfare in future trade agreements. As new international agreements are negotiated, the production standards for imported food are to come under Parliamentary scrutiny. The EFRA Select Committee is to take evidence from senior representatives from the agriculture, animal welfare and trade sectors. Areas likely to be considered include consideration of production standards under the WTO and GATT, the extent to which international standards currently compare to the UK's, the efficacy of tariffs, the impact on food security, and the impact of policy changes on both farmers and consumers. The last oral evidence session took place on 11 March 2020. |
Women and Equalities Committee |
Changing the perfect picture: an inquiry into body image Awareness of the impact of advertising and media consumption on people’s body image has increased in recent years. Negative body image is widely perceived as solely a young women’s problem. But more recently, research has shown that this is a wider issue. This inquiry is currently accepting evidence until 19 July 2020. |
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee |
Labour in the food supply chain inquiry There is a high demand for non-UK workers in agriculture and in the wider food supply chain. Veterinarians, who provide certification for the import and export of animals to third countries and provide official controls at food exporting premises, abattoirs and border inspection posts, are currently on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). The last oral evidence session took place on 7 July 2020. |
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee |
The impact of coronavirus on businesses and workers inquiry The inquiry will keep a close eye on Government policy and its impact on businesses and workers, including the following key areas:
The last oral evidence session took place on 14 May 2020 |
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee |
COVID-19 and food supply inquiry The Committee is enquiring into food supply during the Coronavirus pandemic, including access to healthy food during periods of self-isolation, and how disruptions in the food supply chain should be managed. The Committee will initially identify current problems and strategies for mitigating potential risks. The last oral evidence session took place on 5 June 2020. |
Competition and Markets Authority |
Online platforms and digital advertising market study inquiry As part of its Digital Markets Strategy, the CMA launched a market study into online platforms and digital advertising. |
British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly |
Revitalisation of the high street inquiry On 26 March 2020, the Government published its response to the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly report on the revitalisation of the high street. |