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142065

registered interest
date	06/11/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Business: Regulation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many new statutory regulations on business have been introduced since May 2010; and how many regulations on businesses have been repealed in that time.
tabling member constituency	Christchurch
tabling member printed	Mr Christopher Chope
uin	213792
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>Since this Government came into office we have reduced the stock of existing regulation through the Red Tape Challenge programme and controlled the flow of regulation through the One-in, One-out and One-in, Two-out rules. Any Department wishing to introduce new regulations which impose a cost on business can only do so if they make a reduction in cost through the removal of regulations with equivalent costs from elsewhere. From January 2013 the Government increased its deregulatory ambition by introducing the One-In, Two-Out rule, under which Departments must find two pounds of saving for every pound of extra cost imposed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The achievements of these two programmes will be set out in the Ninth Statement of New Regulation, to be published in December 2014. At the time of publishing the Eighth Statement in July 2014, there had been 72 regulatory ‘INs’ and 152 deregulatory ‘OUTs’ since January 2011, as well as 126 measures with zero net cost to business. As a result, this Government has so far reduced the annual cost to business of domestic regulation by over £1.5 billion since January 2011.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 11/11/2014 15:15:07 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	242 label Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope

142067

registered interest
date	06/11/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Buildings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many buildings owned by his Department have been sold in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Walsall South
tabling member printed	Valerie Vaz
uin	213769
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS Core) have not sold any buildings between 2010 and 2014. BIS Core do not own any freehold property to sell.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 11/11/2014 15:21:57 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4076 label Biography information for Valerie Vaz

142068

registered interest
date	06/11/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Disabled Students' Allowances
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his statement of 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 1WS, on higher education (student support), what reports he has received on the potential effect of changes to the disabled students allowances that provide assistive technology.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North East
tabling member printed	Mr William Bain
uin	213782
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ officials have met representatives of the British Assistive Technology Association (BATA) and other stakeholders to discuss the potential effect of changes to Disabled Students’ Allowances on the provision of assistive technology. The Written Ministerial Statement of 12 September 2014 confirms that we will continue funding for assistive technology.</p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark question first answered 17/11/2014 12:23:49 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
tabling member	1610 label Biography information for Mr William Bain

142204

registered interest
date	06/11/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2014 to Question 212650, what resource he has made available to the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) in each of the last three years; and what resources he is making available to the EAS in 2014-15.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	213790
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employment_Agency_Standards_Inspectorate" target="_blank">Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EAS" target="_blank">EAS</a>) enforce the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 (both as amended).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In the financial year 2012-13 the EAS budget was £526,068 and on 1 April 2012 the number of inspectors in post was 16.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In the financial year 2013-2014 the EAS budget was £532,032 and on 1 April 2013 the number of staff in post was 12.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For the financial year 2014 – 2015 the EAS budget is held at a higher level of aggregation and managed across a number of different programmes, so we are unable to provide a figure for that financial year. Two full-time inspectors currently work in the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) and are based at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_for_Business,_Innovation_and_Skills" target="_blank">Department for Business, Innovation and Skills</a> (BIS) premises at 1 Victoria street, London. They are supported by one administrative officer.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In November 2013, as part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to review regularly the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW), we announced a more targeted enforcement strategy for the recruitment sector, focusing on protecting the most vulnerable, low paid workers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of that strategy, resources from the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) moved to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)’ NMW team.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They formed a new HMRC team which focusses on enforcing non-payment of NMW in the recruitment sector. By increasing HMRC’s NMW team, Government continues to protect the most vulnerable workers and ensures a level playing field is maintained for the vast majority of agencies who play by the rules.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Frontline staff in the inspectorate are supported with other BIS resources. In cases where there is prolonged and wilful non-compliance with the recruitment sector legislation, EAS can consider prosecution in the magistrates court or the Crown court. In such cases EAS inspectors are supported by the Department's legal team.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The level of support provided is dependent on the complexity of the case.</p><p> </p><p>EAS can also work with the Department's legal team and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasury_Solicitor%27s_Department" target="_blank">Treasury Solicitor's Department</a> to take action to prohibit an individual from running an employment agency for up to 10 years. Again the resource given to support EAS is dependent on the case.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Staffing levels are kept under constant review and the budget allocation for next financial year has yet to be determined.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 11/11/2014 16:59:05 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

114569

registered interest
date	05/11/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Young People: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to ensure that EU and UK funding programmes aimed at increasing young people's skills prioritise interpersonal skills known to be highly valued by employers.
tabling member constituency	Belfast North
tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
uin	213502
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>Our mainstream vocational education programmes in England are designed to equip people with the wide range of vocational and generic skills that employers need:</p><p> </p><p>• Employers are in the driving seat of new apprenticeships – by designing frameworks and standards so that they contain the elements, and young people are equipped with the skills, that employers need.</p><p> </p><p>• Work experience and employability skills are key elements of traineeships which are designed for those who are motivated to work but lack the necessary skills, behaviours and experience.</p><p> </p><p>• Projects under the Employer Ownership Pilot cover a wide range of training provision led by employers. Many of these training areas will cover interpersonal skills as it is ultimately for employers to decide which areas of training they value and are of most importance.</p><p> </p><p>• Ofsted inspection of vocational education provision includes consideration of employability skills.</p><p> </p><p>One of the main priorities of the new European Social Fund (ESF) programme for 2014-2020 is to develop the skills of the potential and existing workforce, with special emphasis on helping young people. There will be particular focus on reducing the relatively high proportion of people with low levels of qualifications/skills and developing those skills, including interpersonal skills which have been identified by employers as meeting their needs.</p><p> </p><p>Young people are being given better support to get ready for employment through the Department for Education’s 16-19 Study Programmes. These focus on exactly the areas that employers say matter, such as employability skills and work experience, and under which schools and colleges could chose to prioritise activity which relates to inter-personal skills.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 17/11/2014 11:53:30 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

114570

registered interest
date	05/11/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Service Industries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department plans to take to support further growth in the services sector; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that EU regulations do not negatively affect support to businesses in that sector.
tabling member constituency	Belfast North
tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
uin	213505
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>The UK is the second largest exporter of services globally, with services exports valued at £193bn in 2012, accounting for 40% of overall UK exports. The Government is taking steps to strengthen exports of the service sector through: trade negotiations; UK Trade and Investment business support for service exporters; and through the current Industrial Strategy, incorporating eleven sector strategies, including for the highly regarded Professional and Business Services sector. The UK Government is a strong supporter of the Trade in Services Agreement negotiation which could be worth £2-3bn to the UK as the EU’s most externally competitive services economy. The UK is also working closely with other EU countries to ensure that the new European Commission prioritises deepening of the single market in services through the removal of remaining barriers to trade. We will also work closely with the new Commission and other institutions to emphasise the priority the UK attaches to the reduction of unnecessary EU burdens on business across a range of sectors, to support growth and job creation.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 11/11/2014 15:43:04 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

114575

registered interest
date	05/11/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Apprentices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many apprentices have been employed through the employer ownership pilot for apprenticeships; and how much of the £340 million allocated to this pilot has been spent.
tabling member constituency	Hackney South and Shoreditch
tabling member printed	Meg Hillier
uin	213579
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>Provisional data* from the October 2014 Statistical First Release, shows that for the programme to date (August 2012 to July 2014) there were 4,300 apprenticeship starts associated with the Employer Ownership Pilot (EOP). There were also 32,700 non apprenticeship starts associated with the EOP.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To date, £52.9m of EOP funding has been drawn down by beneficiaries. The balance of funding is expected to be drawn down over the period to financial year 16/17.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>* Provisional data are subject to change. Final data for the 2013/14 academic year will be published on 26 November 2014.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 11/11/2014 15:09:23 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles previous answer version 27398 answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	1524 label Biography information for Dame Meg Hillier

114577

registered interest
date	05/11/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Skilled Workers: Bristol
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to support the retention of skills and jobs in the Bristol region.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Charlotte Leslie
uin	213595
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>Through the West of England Growth Deal, the Government is investing over £212 million in the region to create and safeguard up to 5,000 jobs, and generate up to £180 million in public and private investment. Investment will also be focused on ensuring the West of England has the right skills within the workforce and key sectors such as: aerospace and advanced manufacturing; creative and digital media; and high-tech industries.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This Growth Deal builds on the significant investment the Government has already made in the Bristol region through: the Bristol City Deal; Regional Growth Fund; and Growing Places Fund. Moving forward, the Government, the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, business and local councils will continue to work together to support economic growth, attract inward investment, and ensure the skills needs of the local area are met .</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A task force based on the Skills and Jobs Retention Group, including local and national Government, local partners, Rolls Royce, the supply chain and others will be established to ensure we do all we can. The Group has a successful track record at redeploying engineering talent with other, growing businesses, most recently working with BAe. Contact has already been made with Rolls Royce to discuss how this can best operate alongside the support that the company itself will offer.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 11/11/2014 10:46:05 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 27369 answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3933 label Biography information for Charlotte Leslie

114579

registered interest
date	05/11/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Rolls-Royce
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of job losses at Rolls Royce on the retention of key engineering skills in the Bristol region.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Charlotte Leslie
uin	213600
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>Rolls-Royce has announced plans to reduce its global headcount to secure its competitiveness in a challenging global market. The company is now in consultation with their workforce representatives about where and how these reductions will be made, although their intention is to achieve these on a voluntary basis</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It is not yet clear where jobs will be lost or how many UK employees might be affected. However, we are in regular contact with Rolls-Royce and will be working with them to mitigate the impact on the individuals affected, including any who may be based in the Bristol region. Rolls-Royce will use the Talent Retention Solution which has been jointly developed by Government and industry and which matches skilled engineers with employers looking for talent. This scheme has a successful track record of redeploying engineering talent, most recently with BAE Systems.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/11/2014 11:21:08 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 27372 answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3933 label Biography information for Charlotte Leslie

114581

registered interest
date	05/11/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Manufacturing Industries: Bristol
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Rolls Royce and (b) other aerospace and engineering employers in the Bristol region.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Charlotte Leslie
uin	213601
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p>My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has regular discussions with aerospace and engineering companies who employ people in Bristol, such as Airbus and GKN. Most recently, he spoke with John Rishton, Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce on 3rd November. I also speak to aerospace employers regularly, including through the Aerospace Growth Partnership.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Over the past year, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has visited Bristol on three separate occasions on 3 April, 7 July and 30 October. On 3 April he visited Redcliffe Precision, a small aerospace company, and he also met with West of England Local Enterprise Partnership which includes Bristol Airport and Airbus. On 7 July he visited Bristol Robotics Laboratory. On 30 October he spoke and participated at an event at the National Composites Centre involving around 350 representatives from a wide range of aerospace and engineering employers, including from Bristol.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 10/11/2014 15:44:51 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3933 label Biography information for Charlotte Leslie