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1156439

registered interest
date	25/10/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Company liquidations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of incentives for directors to apply for voluntary strike-off to dispose of unwanted companies.
tabling member constituency	Alyn and Deeside
tabling member printed	Mark Tami
uin	5410
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2019 answer text <p>A company can apply to Companies House for a voluntary strike off if it has not traded in the last three months. The process is set out in the Companies Act 2006 and is designed to safeguard those who are likely to be affected by a company’s dissolution. Guidance is also available for directors, and is available on gov.uk.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 31/10/2019 10:09:14 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	1383 label Biography information for Mark Tami

1156440

registered interest
date	25/10/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Companies: Registration
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of checks on company registrations in England and Wales.
tabling member constituency	Alyn and Deeside
tabling member printed	Mark Tami
uin	5411
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2019 answer text <p>The Registrar of Companies (Companies House) has a statutory obligation to incorporate a new company on receipt of a validly completed application. When registering a new company, the Registrar is carrying out a function of the state on behalf of the Government.</p><p> </p><p>Companies House undertakes numerous checks on the validity of information, both at incorporation and throughout the life of the company as new information is submitted.</p><p> </p><p>The Department consulted earlier this year on a broad package of possible reforms to Companies House to ensure it is fit for the future and continues to contribute to the UK’s business environment. They are designed to deliver more reliably accurate information on the companies register and enhance Companies House work in support of UK law enforcement efforts to tackle economic crime.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 31/10/2019 09:35:45 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	1383 label Biography information for Mark Tami

1156127

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Retail Trade: Employment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to prevent job losses in the retail industry.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	4919
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2019 answer text <p>Retail remains a high employment sector – approximately 3 million jobs in the UK. More people are involved in retailing than in any other single industry in the country.</p><p> </p><p>There were 84,000 vacancies in the retail sector as of August 2019.</p><p> </p><p>In 2018, Government established the industry led Retail Sector Council to bring Government and industry together to boost the sector’s productivity and economic health. The Council has agreed its six priority work areas with four already underway. These are: Costs to Business, Skills and Lifelong Learning, Industrial Strategy and Employment workstreams.</p><p> </p><p>As part of wider Government efforts to support adult training, we are also investing £100m to develop The National Retraining Scheme, which will help prepare adults for future changes to the economy, including those brought about by automation, and help them retrain into better jobs. This funding has allowed us to start delivering the first part of the service, Get Help to Retrain, whilst developing and evaluating as we build-up the scheme.</p><p> </p><p>We have introduced Get Help to Retrain to 6 areas of England and we will be rolling it out across England in 2020. The digital service helps adults understand their existing skills and explore alternative occupations, and training opportunities to develop new skills.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 30/10/2019 16:34:08 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst previous answer version 2597 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1156135

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Retail Trade
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps her Department is taking to support discussions between local governments and the retail industry to help ensure a joint approach to draw consumers to the high street.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	4920
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to helping communities adapt to market processes and we are taking action to help the high street evolve. In July 2019, my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced a £3.6 billion Towns Fund to re-energise local economies so that everyone can share in a new era of prosperity. This included £1 billion for the Future High Streets Fund, which will support local areas in England to renew and reshape town centres and high streets in a way that improves experience, drives growth and ensures future sustainability.</p><p>We are also supporting local leadership with a High Streets Task Force, giving high streets and town centres expert advice to adapt and thrive. This will provide hands-on support to local areas to develop data-driven innovative strategies and connect local areas to relevant experts. The Task Force will also provide training and help to improve coordination between different groups working to improve their high streets which includes retailers.</p><p>The Government has also established the industry led Retail Sector Council​ to bring Government and industry together to boost the sector's productivity and economic health. The Council has established its six priority workstreams which includes the Industrial Strategy with a focus on place. The Council has identified high streets as an important area to be considered on an ongoing basis.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 30/10/2019 16:33:04 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst previous answer version 2598 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1156154

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Post Office: Credit Cards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Post Office is accredited under the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	4950
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.</p><p>While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Whether the Post Office is accredited is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. I have therefore asked Nick Read the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 04/11/2019 11:15:28 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst previous answer version 2599 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Lord Beamish

1156155

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Brexit: Chester
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of the Brexit Readiness Fund has been allocated to Chester.
tabling member constituency	City of Chester
tabling member printed	Christian Matheson
uin	5039
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>The Business Readiness Fund was set up to help to prepare businesses for leaving the EU on 31 October. £10.6M has been approved across 139 successful bids, with just under £10.2M already paid to Business Representative Organisations. Applications have spanned a wide range of sectors, with organisations delivering activity across all regions of the UK. A list of all successful organisations will be released in due course.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 29/10/2019 14:26:01 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4408 label Biography information for Christian Matheson

1156187

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Nuclear Power Stations: Construction
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to encourage the building of new nuclear power generation plants in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
uin	4917
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>This Government believes nuclear power has an important role in achieving our net zero targets as we transition to a low-carbon economy. We are building the first new nuclear power station in a generation at Hinkley Point C, have published a landmark nuclear sector deal and are looking at alternative funding models for nuclear, where our consultation on the Regulated Asset Base model recently closed. We are reviewing consultation responses and will respond in due course.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 29/10/2019 14:25:43 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson

1156197

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Social Enterprises
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps she has taken to integrate social enterprise into the Government’s Industrial Strategy.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	5001
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>Social enterprise is very much part of the government’s vision for a stronger, greener future for the UK, where we lead the world in tackling climate change and improve lives by taking on the grand challenges facing our society. The Industrial Strategy provides a framework to take action against those goals by boosting productivity and earning power across the UK, and to make the UK the best place to work and grow a business. All enterprises are part of that vision, whether they retain or distribute profits, or re-invest for social or community purposes. Furthermore, the government welcomes the contribution social enterprise makes to local growth and prosperity in communities up and down the country.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 29/10/2019 17:51:14 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1156198

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	New Businesses: Government Assistance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps she has taken to support (a) women and (b) people from ethnic minorities that want to set up businesses.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	5002
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2019 answer text <p>The UK is one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business. Government is committed to supporting all entrepreneurs, whatever their background, to have the opportunity to make their business ideas a reality.</p><p>We provide support to all entrepreneurs to set up businesses through our online services on GOV.UK, the Business Support Helpline, and the network of 38 local Growth Hubs across England. In 2018, 47% of the Business Support Helpline’s callers were women.</p><p>We have been working closely with HM Treasury and industry to implement the eight initiatives from the Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship, to tackle the barriers faced by women when starting and scaling a business. We have set an ambition to increase the number of female entrepreneurs by half by 2030 – equivalent to an additional 600,000 female entrepreneurs.</p><p>The British Business Bank’s Start-Up Loans Programme provides funding and intensive support to new entrepreneurs, and has delivered over 67,000 loans, worth over £534m since it began in 2012 (as at end-September 2019). 40% of Start Up Loans have gone to women – worth over £198m. 20% of Start Up Loans have gone to BAME entrepreneurs – worth over £100m.</p><p>BEIS has also launched an independent review into Young Entrepreneurship, led by the Prince’s Trust, that seeks to better understand young entrepreneurs, including young female and ethnic minority entrepreneurs, the specific barriers and opportunities they face – such as access to finance, and networks - and what more can be done to support them to start and grow a business.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 30/10/2019 16:32:03 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst previous answer version 2600 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1156199

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Civil Society
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps she has taken to promote (a) social enterprise and (b) other alternative forms of business.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	5003
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2019 answer text <p>The Government welcomes the contribution which social enterprises make to local growth and prosperity in our communities up and down the country. The UK’s company law framework allows for a variety of business forms, in part to suit those adopting social or environmental purposes.</p><p> </p><p>We welcome the growth of purposeful businesses and have taken steps to encourage and enable this trend. The Government encouraged the business-led development of ‘Purposely’, a tool to help social entrepreneurs embed purpose into their businesses using the flexibility provided in the Companies Act; it also established the Inclusive Economy Partnership to harness the power of business as a force for good in our society; and it has supported the new Impact Investing Institute to grow social investment.</p><p> </p><p>Community Interest Companies (CICs) are a huge success story. They are delivering benefits to more and more of our communities right across the UK. CICs have grown exponentially since 2005. There are now over 17,000 now on the public register. They are promoted by the Regulator of Community Interest Companies, which is an independent statutory office holder appointed by my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State.</p><p> </p><p>The UK’s corporate governance framework has been updated to promote purpose in businesses. The UK’s Corporate Governance Code was revised, with effect from 1 January 2019, to promote the importance of having a clear corporate purpose. The Governance Principles for Large Private Companies developed last year by Sir James Wates do the same. Company reporting requirements, also introduced this year, now require companies to report how they have regard to wider societal interests within the meaning of Section 172 of the Companies Act.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst grouped question UIN 5004 5005 question first answered 30/10/2019 16:53:08 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst previous answer version 2601 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson