Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed attachment file name file name title title question first answered answering member label previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

523836

registered interest
date	08/06/2016
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	British Home Stores: Insolvency
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, by when he expects the findings from the Insolvency Service investigation into BHS to be published.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	39931
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2016 answer text <p>My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills recently announced plans to expedite this Insolvency Service investigation. It is not appropriate for details of the ongoing investigation to be made public as that may prejudice the outcome of any criminal or civil cases which arise from it. This is long standing Insolvency Service policy. However, I have met with the Insolvency Service to discuss the conduct of the investigation and will expect to do so periodically as the investigation progresses.</p><p> </p><p>If any directors are disqualified the Insolvency Service will publish the details of the disqualification on its website (for three months) and will notify Companies House, which keeps the statutory register of disqualifications. In addition, where the investigation uncovers matters of potential criminal misconduct or other regulatory breaches then this will be reported to the relevant authority for further action.</p><p> </p><p>Once the investigation is completed the Government will consider what detail it is appropriate to publish having full regard to any legal restrictions and on the legitimate public interest in the cause of the BHS failure.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 14/06/2016 13:28:49 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry previous answer version 3470 answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

419792

registered interest
date	09/10/2015
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	Construction: Finance
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 merits of a policy of requiring cash retentions from the construction industry to be placed in a trust in the event of insolvency.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	10702
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2015 answer text <p>The Government acknowledges that some people are unhappy with the system of retentions as it stands, but it is an embedded feature of the construction industry. Therefore, our general approach is to work with the industry through the Construction Leadership Council and its supply chain payment charter; endorsing its commitment to zero retentions by 2025.</p><br /><p>That will involve quite far-reaching changes to the way the sector works. With regard to shorter-term measure to require retentions to be held in trust, we must act on the basis of evidence. That is why the Government is commissioning an analysis of the cost and benefit of retention payments to inform future action.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 19/10/2015 13:04:32 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

390914

registered interest
date	17/07/2015
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	Further Education: Finance
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 effect of changes to the adult skills budget on the long-term financial stability of the further education sector.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	7768
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/07/2015 answer text <p>The financial health of further education colleges is under constant review by the Skills Funding Agency based on self-assessment information from colleges and the publication of college accounts. Colleges with inadequate financial health are subject to intervention led by the FE Commissioner.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Across all our grant, loan and capital support for adult FE, we are making available over £3bn in 2015-16 and our funding mechanism is designed to allow providers the freedoms and flexibilities to decide how best to use their allocation to respond to local learner and employer demand. As autonomous organisations it is up to colleges to manage their own budgets.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Apprenticeships are our priority for skills and colleges have been encouraged to expand their apprenticeship offer. As government funding has reduced, many colleges have responded well by looking at generating other income streams and creating sustainable business models for the future. This entrepreneurial approach will help ensure sustainable future business models with less reliance on government funding.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In order to address the significant financial pressures on institutions, a declining 16-19 population and the need to maintain very tight fiscal discipline in order to tackle the deficit, a major reform of post-16 education and training institutions is necessary. On 20 July the Departments for Education and Business, Innovation and Skills announced a programme of area-based reviews to review 16+ provision in every area. These reviews will provide an opportunity for institutions and localities to restructure their provision to ensure it is tailored to the changing context and designed to achieve maximum impact.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 27/07/2015 10:49:55 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

390662

registered interest
date	16/07/2015
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	Further Education: Finance
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 and what proportion of further education colleges reported a financial deficit in 2014-15.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	7745
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2015 answer text <p>Further education colleges report on an academic year basis. The 2014/15 academic year ends in August 2015 so the information requested will not be available until January 2016.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In 2013/14 110 out of 244 colleges, representing 45% of colleges, reported an operating deficit.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 21/07/2015 14:34:42 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

389043

registered interest
date	10/07/2015
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	Living Wage
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 whether the legal basis of the Low Pay Commission will need to be changed in order to set and implement the National Living Wage; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	6507
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2015 answer text <p>The Low Pay Commission (LPC) continues to play a critical role in providing recommendations for the National Minimum Wage rates, and now has new responsibilities to help deliver the Governments’ ambition for the National Living Wage (NLW).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government will continue to set the remit for the LPC on the existing legal base.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 15/07/2015 15:32:47 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

384342

registered interest
date	19/06/2015
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	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Living Wage
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 (a) direct employees, (b) agency staff and (c) outsourced staff working for his Department and its subsidiary agencies are paid less than the living wage.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	3306
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2015 answer text <p>There are no direct employees or agency staff in the core Department paid less than the living wage.</p><p> </p><p>We do not centrally hold details of the pay levels of staff working for outsourced companies contracted by the core Department.</p><p> </p><p>I have asked Chief Executives of the executive agencies to respond directly to the right Hon. Member.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles attachment 1 file name agencies-response-pq-3306.pdf title BIS agencies response to the question 2 file name os-response-pq-3306.pdf title Ordnance Survey response to the question question first answered 29/06/2015 15:11:36 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

347978

registered interest
date	02/06/2015
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	Scottish Power
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 begin an investigation into the liability of ScottishPower and the alleged mis-selling of cashback warranties.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	728
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2015 answer text <p>Information was received in July 2014 from the liquidators of two companies involved in administering the cashback warranty scheme formerly sold by Scottish Power. This information has been reviewed by the Insolvency Service to determine whether or not any further investigation is warranted using powers available in the Companies Act.</p><p> </p><p>The liquidation of the companies involved in the scheme is still under way, and the creditors of those companies will receive reports from the liquidators if they are to be paid further dividends.</p><p> </p><p>Investigations conducted under section 447 Companies Act 1985 are confidential; therefore it is not our practice to announce whether or not such an investigation is taking place, or to report on the investigation outside of strict statutory gateways.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 09/06/2015 13:15:22 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

90409

registered interest
date	03/09/2014
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	Pay
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 (a) direct employees, (b) outsourced workers and (c) agency workers in executive agencies which report to his Department are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	208010
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>I have approached the Chief Executives of the Department’s Executive Agencies (Insolvency Service, Companies House, National Measurement Office, Intellectual Property Office, UK Space Agency, Ordnance Survey, Met Office, Land Registry and the Skills Funding Agency) and they will respond to the Rt Hon. Member directly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We fully support those that choose to pay above the NMW when it is affordable to do so and not at the expense of jobs. In terms of affordability in the public sector, there are important considerations about the impact on public service delivery, which is why it’s important that decisions on pay are made by individual departments.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>On the basis of fairness and affordability the Secretary of State instructed the department to give the lowest paid contracted staff (including cleaners) an above inflation pay rise. From 1 April, the lowest paid contracted staff at BIS offices across the UK will be paid £7.85 per hour, up £1.40 or nearly 22% from the previous £6.45 per hour rate. This increase has restored and surpassed the real value of wages that had fallen in recent years. This also means that BIS contractors will be amongst the top 25% (upper quartile) of contractors across Whitehall and will benefit 252 employees across 81 sites in the UK.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 08/09/2014 13:53:39 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson attachment 1 file name Executive Agencies 20051.pdf title Replies from the Executive Agencies
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

76238

registered interest
date	08/07/2014
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	Consumers: Protection
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 prevent sister companies offering similar products to consumers at substantially different prices.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	204404
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government believes that the consumer is best served by the operation of open competition between companies, and does not generally intervene to regulate what businesses may or may not charge consumers for goods or services. Pricing policies such as these are commercial decisions for the trader, and are best left to the market. However, if there's evidence of collusion that is harming consumers, this should be provided to the Competition and Markets Authority, as the UK's independent competition authority, who will consider it for investigation in line with their prioritisation principles.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 14/07/2014 13:17:47 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

50097

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
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
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 Written Statement of 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 1WS, on higher education (student support), what estimate he has made of how many prospective students will no longer be eligible for the disabled students' allowance once the changes set out in the statement are introduced; and what steps he plans to take to support those prospective students.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	198137
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p>Disabled students will continue to receive support through a combination of disabled students' allowances (DSAs) and reasonable adjustments made by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Each student's needs are unique. Some will receive more support through reasonable adjustments than previously experienced. Written guidance will be available.</p><p> </p><p>It is not possible to make an accurate estimate of how many prospective students will no longer be eligible for DSAs as many students receive more than one type of support.</p><p> </p><p>Current DSA recipients and disabled students applying for DSAs in 2014/15 will not be affected by these changes in 2015/16.</p> answering member constituency Havant answering member printed Mr David Willetts question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 53 label Biography information for Lord Willetts
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead