Question
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Gareth Snell) for asking the urgent question and for putting very relevant questions to the Minister. Everyone at work at the three Poundland stores in my constituency today will be worried that they will not be in a job tomorrow. It is good that the Minister is talking about how she can help people into jobs if Poundland shuts, and it is good that she is putting pressure on Gordon Brothers, but is she actively considering what proactive measures she can take to intervene and stop closures from happening if that pressure ultimately fails?
Answer
This is obviously a very concerning time for many employees in my hon. Friend’s constituency and in constituencies across the country, and they are at the forefront of our minds. That is why we are asking the business to do everything it can to protect employees and suppliers, and why we need to keep understanding the clarity of its plans and to have a clear understanding of the situation. The meetings we are having this week are important in enabling us to assess that, and to ensure that the company observes its responsibility to its employees. As I have said, there are 12,000 of them—a significant number—and we want to protect them.38% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (30/100)
The reply only partly answers the question. It says the Government is asking Gordon Brothers to protect employees and that meetings this week are helping to assess the situation, but it does not say what the Government would do if that pressure fails. It names no specific intervention, mechanism or commitment, so the answer stays general and the person who asked would likely need to press for specifics.
Verdict: AMBER (30/100)
The reply says the Government is pressing Poundland's owner to protect employees and that upcoming meetings will help assess the company's plans, so it engages with the general issue. It does not say what the Government would do if that pressure fails, and it names no specific action or mechanism for that scenario. The answer is largely hedged, so the person who asked would likely need to submit a follow-up for concrete commitments.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is the Minister actively considering what proactive measures the Government can take to intervene and stop the Poundland store closures if pressure on Gordon Brothers ultimately fails? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply says the Government is asking Poundland's owner to protect employees and that this week's meetings will help assess the company's plans, which touches on active engagement. It never addresses what the Government would do to intervene if pressure on Gordon Brothers fails, and it names no conditional action or mechanism for that scenario. |
| Whether the Minister is actively considering what proactive measures the Government can take to intervene and stop Poundland store closures if pressure on Gordon Brothers ultimately fails | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply says the Government is asking Gordon Brothers to protect employees, that this week's meetings help assess the situation, and that it wants to protect the workers. It never addresses what the Government would do to intervene if pressure on the company fails, and it names no conditional action, mechanism, or commitment to further measures. |