Latest news with #LordHunt
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Measures to establish state-owned GB Energy on verge of becoming law
Great British Energy will not invest in any supply chains that involve slave labour, energy minister Michael Shanks has said, with measures to establish the state-owned energy company on the verge of becoming law. In the Commons on Wednesday, MPs supported a Lords bid to ensure slavery and human trafficking do not take place in GB Energy's business or supply chains. Concerns had been raised about the prevalence of slave labour in the renewables sector, particularly material used in solar panels being linked to exploitation in Xinjiang, China. Speaking in support of Lords amendment 2B, tabled by energy minister Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, Mr Shanks said it would 'strengthen our existing framework'. He added: 'We expect all UK businesses to do everything in their power to remove any instances of forced labour from their supply chains, and Great British Energy will, of course, be no different. But in fact, we have stated many times already that we expect it to be a sector leader on this matter. 'Amendment 2B makes it clear that Great British Energy is committed to adopting measures so that it can take the appropriate steps to act on any evidence of forced labour in its supply chains, as we would expect from any responsible company.' Intervening, Conservative former minister and Father of the House Sir Edward Leigh asked the minister to 'ensure that no solar panels are installed on British farms that are made with slave labour by the Chinese government'. Mr Shanks replied: 'We have absolutely committed that they will not invest in any supply chains that involve any evidence of forced labour, and the measures we are outlining today are how we will deliver that. There is a wider question about forced labour in broader supply chains, of which Great British Energy will not have responsibility.' Shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie accused the Government of making a U-turn after Labour MPs voted down an amendment on slave labour in a previous stage of the Bill. He said: 'A screeching U-turn, literally weeks after having whipped their own MPs against the modern slavery amendment at the last reading, the Government conceded on what we all knew to be the case at the time, that the mechanisms cited by the minister in this House were simply not up to the job. 'And yet we sincerely welcome the acknowledgement that the UK must take a principled stand.' Mr Bowie said his party remains 'resolutely opposed to the creation of Great British Energy entirely', adding: 'If the route to decarbonisation relies on importing technology made with slave labour from China, then surely there should be a rethink of whether or not this mission is indeed conducive to good policy.' Labour peer Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway, former chairwoman of the House of Lords Modern Slavery Act 2015 Committee, has been appointed to ensure Great British Energy employs 'robust practices' to tackle forced labour and ensure ethical supply chains. The Great British Energy Bill is ready for royal assent.
Telegraph
14-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Sick note Britain will get worse under workers' rights reforms, Lords warn
Sick note Britain will get worse under Labour's workers' rights reforms as those who 'would prefer a day off' can more easily stay at home, Lords have warned. Lord Hunt of Wirral said that the Employment Rights Bill, which promises to make more staff eligible for statutory sick pay (SSP), could increase absenteeism by encouraging more workers to call in sick 'when it may not be strictly necessary'. 'There may be little incentive to attend work when they feel under the weather or even when they simply feel they would prefer a day off,' he said, warning that hospitality businesses that rely on younger, part-time workers could be particularly hard hit. 'The absence of financial pressure could lead to increased absenteeism in the short-term, which could lead to operational challenges.' Under the Government's plans, which are being overseen by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, workers will be able to claim sick pay from the first day of their illness, instead of the fourth. A threshold to earn at least £123 a week to qualify for sick pay will also be abolished. Recruiters have already warned that staff could risk losing their jobs under the overhaul, amid concerns that the extra costs could overwhelm small businesses. During a debate on the Bill in the Lords on Tuesday, Baroness Cash also raised concerns about the changes, noting that mental health now accounts for half of all new sickness claims. 'What qualifies? A diagnosis of stress, low mood, burnout – all of these are now signed off on GP sick notes. There's a confusion between transient life difficulty and clinical disorder,' she argued. 'In Sweden they did what this government is proposing to do and it led to rocketing absence levels.' A record 185.6m working days were lost to sickness or injury in Britain in 2022, the most recent year the Office for National Statistics has published data for. Peers have been raising concerns about various parts of the reforms in recent weeks, as the House of Lords continues to examine individual parts of the Bill. The legislation will greatly strengthen the power of workers and trade unions. As well as offering broader eligibility for sick pay, the Bill also includes a greater entitlement to flexible work, a crackdown on zero-hour contracts and full employment rights from the first day in a job. The Bill is currently making its way through Parliament and will continue to face scrutiny in the Lords, where more amendments can be made. Baroness Meyer has previously warned that the Bill would put the country at risk of 'being held to ransom' by unions and could take Britain back to the 'economic chaos of the 1970s'. Last week Conservative peer Lord Sharpe of Epsom said that the Bill could 'unintentionally create significant risks to national security' if Britain's security services were given greater powers to request flexible working. Bosses have been spooked by the package of changes, with data this week showing that business confidence had hit a record low. A quarter of employers plan to make redundancies in the next quarter, the survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found, as fears mount over the impact of the additional red tape.
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Workers will skive off if sick pay offered from day one of illness, say Tories
Labour's plans to introduce sick pay from day one of illness will cause workers to skive, senior Tories have said. Critics of Angela Rayner's Employment Rights Bill claim the proposals will lead to soaring absenteeism. The Bill will end the current situation where new workers are not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for the first three days of a sickness – a so-called three-day waiting period. The Bill will also remove the lower earnings limit to qualify for the payment. Labour argues the existing situation can force people to work when they are unwell, leading to the spread of infection and poorer productivity for businesses. Lord Hunt of Wirral, the Tory business minister, argued the legislation brought with it 'a raft of unintended consequences'. He said: 'Absenteeism is a critical issue for many businesses especially those in hospitality, retail and other service-based industries, where staff shortages can lead to disruption, cancellations and even closures. 'With the removal of waiting days for SSP and the expansion of eligibility it is essential that all of us should understand fully how these changes are going to affect absenteeism patterns across various sectors. 'One of the sectors most concerned with the potential rise in absenteeism that these changes will cause is of course hospitality. 'The concern is that the reforms could result in workers taking sick leave when it may not be strictly necessary as the financial implications of their doing so would be mitigated by the statutory sick pay payment.' He added: 'We believe it is essential that the Government thoroughly evaluates how these statutory sick pay provisions would affect absenteeism. 'When workers can call in sick and expect SSP from day one businesses will inevitably be forced to deal with more absences at short notice.' Baroness Noakes, a fellow Conservative peer, said: 'Extending the days for which payment is made is likely to increase the number of days lost to sickness, as the current incentive to work if the illness is mild will simply disappear. 'The Government say they have no idea what the behavioural impact of the changes will be – whether positive or negative – but I am prepared to bet that there will be far more short-duration absences, which will qualify for statutory sick pay, than there were before.' 'Bad for business' However, Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway, the former general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and a Labour peer, said: 'The Covid pandemic exposed just how precarious life is for those in insecure, low-paid work, and we do not know how many preventable illnesses were caused by people struggling into work and spreading the virus because they could not afford to stay home. 'But we do know, as we have heard, that forcing people back to work when they are ill is bad for workers and bad for business, puts pressure on the NHS and is costly for the economy.' She argued SSP had failed to keep up with the cost of living or increases in the living wage. Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, the business minister, said the proposed changes to sick pay would cost businesses around an extra £15 per employee, which she described as 'a relatively modest amount'. She said: 'I assure the House that the Government remain committed to monitoring the impact of these SSP measures. 'Our proposals have to be seen in the wider context of the Bill. The Bill is intended to improve the experience of employees at work. 'For us, that is an important challenge that we intend to monitor,' she added.
The Independent
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Minister urges ‘much greater development' of solar on factories and homes
Solar panels will continue to be installed on farmland, an energy minister has said, but he insisted he wanted to see 'much greater development' on industrial buildings and domestic homes. However, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath pointed out even realising the Government's goals for the renewable energy source would not see more than 1% of agricultural acreage used. His comments follow continuing concerns at the loss of prime fertile land for food production to sun-powered arrays as part of the drive to net zero. It recently emerged housebuilders will be forced to fit solar panels to new properties by 2027 under Government plans. The move has sparked warnings by the industry over the impact on development in the face of ambitious housing targets set by the Labour administration. Referring to the proposed new legal requirement, former Norfolk MP Lord Bellingham said: 'Will the minister also look at priority for putting these solar panels on the roofs of shops, of supermarkets, warehouses? 'Quite often one goes onto an industrial estate and you see a lot of flat roofs, but no solar panels. And surely that's a much better option than locating solar arrays on top-class agricultural land.' Responding, Lord Hunt said: 'On his substantive point, totally agree. And these are the matters being discussed in Government at the moment. 'On the use of farmland, he knows that if we were to achieve the whole of our solar ambition, we would not use more than 1% of agricultural land. 'So we will continue to see projects of solar on agricultural land, but I want to see a development, much greater development in industrial premises and in domestic houses as well.' Earlier, Labour peer Lord Berkeley urged the Government to press ahead with plans to make solar panels compulsory on new-builds and ignore criticism of the policy by developers. He said: 'I commend them what the government's trying to do, but hasn't the minister seen all the opposition from the housebuilders who say it's too expensive, it won't work, it'll make them fat and everything else? 'Will he keep going with this programme, because it's local and it's very good, and it's something that would give extra alternatives to all the other types of power which have been discussed.' Lord Hunt said Government colleagues at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government were 'discussing these matters at the moment'. He added: 'I do very much understand the contribution that solar can make on rooftops. 'We are taking these forward and I'm sure we'll make announcements, I was going to say very shortly, but certainly as soon as possible.'
The Independent
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Hunterston B site declared nuclear-free as all spent fuel removed
All spent nuclear fuel has been removed from the site of the former Hunterston B power station, leading to it being declared nuclear-free. The site in North Ayrshire provided power for nearly 46 years before it was shut down in 2022. Over the past three years engineers have removed 4,880 elements of spent fuel from Hunterston B, packaging them into large flasks before transport to Sellafield in Cumbria for long-term storage. Owners say the nuclear power plant saved 172 million tonnes of CO2 entering the atmosphere compared to gas-fired power during its time in operation. The focus is now on preparing the site for transfer from current operators EDF to Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) for further decommissioning. There is currently one nuclear power station active in Scotland, at Torness in East Lothian, which is due to close in 2030. Hunterston B station director Andy Dalling said: 'Defueling the station on time and on budget has been down to the hard work and commitment of everyone involved, and we are proud to have been able to deliver such an exceptional performance. 'We are now fully focused on getting the station ready to transfer from EDF to NRS for decommissioning in around a year's time. 'Deconstruction of the site will take place over the coming years, with most of the people working here today staying at the site to carry out that job.' Hunterston B is the first in the UK's fleet of seven advanced gas-cooled reactors to be completely defueled. UK energy security minister Lord Hunt said: 'Hunterston B produced the equivalent of enough clean power for all of Scotland's homes for over 30 years while supporting thousands of jobs – that's why we are backing new nuclear as part of our Plan for Change to get Britain building and become a clean energy superpower. 'Quick and effective decommissioning of old nuclear sites is vital for a successful nuclear industry, and today's milestone demonstrates the UK's leadership in this field.' The SNP has a longstanding opposition to new nuclear power being constructed in Scotland but other parties, including Labour and the Conservatives, have called for it to pave the way for new technology such as small modular reactors.
