Written questions by Anderson.

If he will bring forward legislative proposals to establish a licensing regime for hand carwashes.

The Hand Car Wash sector is one of Office of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement (ODLME) priority areas. The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) have taken a proactive stance working closely with the Responsible Hand Car Wash scheme and Nottingham Trent University to understand the issues and maximise opportunities to address them within current legislation.As the scheme has concluded, the Government is assessing these evaluations to understand how both to bolster compliance, and support sector-led initiatives. The Home Office and enforcement bodies, such as the GLAA, continue to support industry initiatives aimed at improving standards.

What steps he is taking to improve protections for whistleblowers.

Workers who blow the whistle are entitled to protections from detriment or dismissal as a result of making a protected disclosure and a route of redress through the Employment Tribunals if these protections are infringed.The Employment Rights Bill will strengthen protections for whistleblowers, by making it explicit that sexual harassment can be the basis for a protected disclosure.

What steps he is taking to support (a) start ups and (b) SMEs in rural areas.

All businesses can access support through their local Growth Hubs, providing advice and support, shaping the offer around unique needs, whether town or country.The Secretary of State recently announced the Business Growth Service ensuring businesses across the UK get support and advice from government.Rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy. DBT works with other departments such as Defra, helping people living and working in rural areas to realise the full potential of rural businesses and communities placing them at the heart of our policymaking.

What recent discussions he has had with Ofcom on the effectiveness of Royal Mail's delivery of the universal service obligation on letter delivery delays.

Ministers and officials meet with Ofcom regularly to discuss a range of issues in relation to its role as the regulatory authority for the postal sector, including the overall provision of the universal service obligation. It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to monitor and enforce Royal Mail’s delivery of the universal service obligation.

What steps he is taking to increase the (a) availability and (b) affordability of Post Office services in rural areas.

To help ensure that there are affordable post office services in rural areas, the government provides an annual £50m network subsidy to support the delivery of both a minimum number of branches and strong geographical spread of branches in line with published access criteria.