Written questions by Hinds.

What assessment his Department has made of trends in the average time for SMEs to receive a decision on bank loan applications.

Awaiting answer.

Whether he expects any shift from direct waged or salaried employment towards (a) self employment and (b) use of temp and staffing agencies as a result of measures in the Employment Rights Bill.

The Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Act and this is available here: http://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments This includes analysis on wider impacts, and considers potential employment effects.

What assessment he has made of the potential effect of measures on zero hours contracts in the Employment Rights Bill on the (a) music festival and live music events, (b) theatre and (c) exhibitions, conferences and business events sectors.

My department has published a robust set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Act, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments This analysis includes consideration of increases in labour costs for businesses and the subsequent effects, as well as assessments on how the proposed zero hour contract measures could affect different sectors. The impact on the sectors in question will depend on the regulations that we will bring forward following consultation.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of varying the reference period for the guaranteed-hours provisions in the Employment Rights Bill for sectors with particularly high degrees of seasonality.

We expect the initial reference period to be 12 weeks long. The frequency and length of subsequent reference periods will be subject to consultation and set out in regulations.We are conscious of the importance of seasonal workers and industries. There will be several ways for employers to maintain seasonal flexibility in line with the Bill. One is that the Bill allows employers to use fixed-term contracts to manage their workforce around the demand they expect.We will consult publicly on the detail of the guaranteed hours measures.

What estimate he has made of the potential impact of the guaranteed-hours provisions in the Employment Rights Bill on (a) levels of self-employment (b) the ratio of fixed-term contracts to permanent contracts.

The Government has published its Impact Assessment and Economic Analysis for the Employment Rights Bill.As stated, the guaranteed hours provisions aim to reduce the risk of workers being pushed into casual employment, increase predictability for workers with variable hours, and still allow those who prefer zero-hours contracts to keep them.The Bill contains provisions to tackle avoidance mechanisms that might be used by employers to avoid the new rights, for example use of fixed-term contracts where work is ongoing. Whether an individual is self-employed or a worker is not a choice but depends on the reality of the relationship.