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100004

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	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	Unpaid Work
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the recent proposal by the Child Poverty and Social Justice Commission that unpaid internships should be illegal.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Berridge
	uin	HL2219
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>This Government is absolutely clear: exploitation of interns is unacceptable and we don’t hesitate to act where we find that employment law has been broken and someone who is entitled to the minimum wage hasn’t been paid it.</p><p> </p><p>Complaints from interns about non-payment of the minimum wage are prioritised by HMRC for investigation and HMRC will investigate every complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline.</p><p> </p><p>Research shows that internships and work experience programmes can be valuable opportunities for young people taking their first steps in the labour market. Our work on interns and the National Minimum Wage aims to achieve the right balance between ensuring that opportunities for young people are not cut off and minimising the risk of exploitation.</p><p> </p><p>Our concern, if we were to prohibit unpaid internships, is that this may lead to employers recruiting interns through informal and privileged networks with adverse effects on social mobility or have adverse consequences on the number of available opportunities.</p><p> </p><p>There is no definition of an internship in minimum wage legislation and interns are considered in the same way as everyone else with regards to whether the minimum wage is due. The key issue is whether or not they are workers as defined by minimum wage legislation. If they are, then they are eligible for the minimum wage unless a specific exemption applies. Volunteers are not workers and are not eligible for the minimum wage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 29/10/2014 16:15:22 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge

100604

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) 16 year-olds, (2) 17 year-olds, and (3) 18 year-olds started apprenticeships in the academic years 2012–13 and 2013–14 in England.
	tabling member printed	Lord Smith of Clifton
	uin	HL2335
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts for 16, 17 and 18 year olds in 2012/13 and provisional full year apprenticeship starts for the same ages in 2013/14. Provisional data are subject to change and should not be directly compared with data from earlier academic years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Table 1: Apprenticeship starts by age (2012/13 and 2013/14 provisional full year)</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012/13</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Full year</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Age</p></td><td><p>Full year</p></td><td><p>(provisional)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>16</p></td><td><p>25,080</p></td><td><p>25,170</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>35,810</p></td><td><p>38,320</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>18</p></td><td><p>53,430</p></td><td><p>54,140</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Notes</p><p> </p><p>1) Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10.</p><p> </p><p>2) Age is calculated based on age at start of the programme rather than based on 31 August.</p><p> </p><p>3) Provisional data are subject to change and should not be directly compared with data from earlier academic years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 29/10/2014 17:05:23 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	3144 label Biography information for Lord Smith of Clifton

93414

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2014
	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	Asylum: English Language
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance is given to successful asylum seekers who wish to learn English.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL2080
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>Refugees recognised by the UK Government, along with their husband, wife, civil partner and children, are eligible for funding to attend an English for Speakers of Other Languages course. The level of funding is determined by existing eligibility rules, which are set out in the Skills Funding Agency’s rules at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/287917/Funding_rules_2014_15.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/287917/Funding_rules_2014_15.pdf</a>. Education and skills funding is devolved and the eligibility criteria apply to England.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Those isolated by their lack of English can also access pre-entry level English training through the Department for Communities and Local Government’s £6million Community-Based English Language programme, which offers tuition to 24,000 adults most isolated by their lack of English in 29 target areas.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 27/10/2014 16:44:21 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

93712

	registered interest
	date	15/10/2014
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new apprenticeships have been created in (1) the United Kingdom, (2) the South West of England, and (3) Bristol, in the last 12 months.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
	uin	HL2141
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>Provisional data for the 2013/14 academic year show there were 432,400 apprenticeship starts in England, 45,200 in the South West Region and 2,970 in Bristol Local Authority. It is not possible to directly compare 2013/14 estimates with figures from previous years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department does not collect Further Education information relating to the devolved administrations.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 27/10/2014 16:57:24 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	3703 label Biography information for Baroness Royall of Blaisdon

92787

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2014
	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	Directors: Equality
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made with achieving diversity on corporate boards; and what percentages of (1) women, (2) disabled people, and (3) black and minority ethnic people there are on the boards of FTSE 100 companies.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
	uin	HL2023
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text <p>Government has been supporting Lord Davies’ voluntary business-led strategy for the advancement of all women, irrespective of ethnicity or disability. These measures are working. Women now account for 22.8% of board members in FTSE100 companies, up from 12.5% in February 2011.And there are no all-male boards in the FTSE 100 down from 21 in 2011.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We do not collect statistics for, and FTSE 100 companies do not have to report on, the number of disabled or ethnic minorities on their boards.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In September 2014 The Financial Reporting Council published an updated UK Corporate Governance Code, including changes to the preface highlighting the importance of diversity on the board. This includes gender, race and a wide range of other factors including difference of approach and experience.</p><p> </p><p>On 30 September the Secretary fo Business Innovation and Skills also announced his support for a business led initiative to support wider ethnic diversity on boards.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 23/10/2014 16:37:38 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley

92393

	registered interest
	date	06/10/2014
	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	Copyright
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have assessed the effect of recent legislative and regulatory changes on contractual relationships between collecting societies in the visual arts sector; and whether they will issue appropriate guidance in cases where there is a contractual dispute between such societies.
	tabling member printed	Lord Clement-Jones
	uin	HL1955
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government has not assessed the effects of recent legislative and regulatory changes on contractual relationships between collecting societies. This is because the policy objective of the regulations is to improve collecting societies’ conduct, rather than to regulate their contractual relationships. However, the impact of the regulations on the conduct of collecting societies will be assessed as part of the usual post-legislative process, which is scheduled for late 2015/ early 2016.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There are no plans for the Government to issue guidance where there is a contractual dispute: Government does not usually interfere in contractual matters between private commercial entities such as collecting societies.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 16/10/2014 14:46:36 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	3396 label Biography information for Lord Clement-Jones

89899

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2014
	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	Consumers: Protection
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the comments by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Jenny Willott, on 13 May (HC Deb, col 691), whether they will set out the additional guidance produced by the Trading Standards Institute in relation to the cited consumer regulations of December 2013.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
	uin	HL1741
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Guidance on the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 has been produced by the Trading Standards Institute, and is available at <a href="http://www.businesscompanion.info/" target="_blank">http://www.businesscompanion.info/</a>. This guidance is updated regularly, and we have asked TSI to consider providing clarification on ticket sales as part of these updates.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 15/09/2014 11:10:30 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

89917

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2014
	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	Supermarkets: Competition
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to lay before Parliament the statutory instrument recommended by the Groceries Code Adjudicator to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the maximum level of fine that can be applied for a breach of the Code; and if so, when.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	uin	HL1759
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government intends to bring legislation before Parliament this autumn to set the maximum level of fine that the Groceries Code Adjudicator may impose in respect of breaches of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 08/09/2014 12:18:45 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

78959

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2014
	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	Postal Services: Competition
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect Ofcom to undertake a review of the impact of end-to-end competitors on the universal postal service.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradshaw
	uin	HL1276
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Ofcom is committed to carrying out a full review on end-to-end competition next year. It has also made clear that it would carry out an earlier review if market developments dictated the need to do so.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Ofcom has set out its approach towards carrying out a full assessment of end-to-end competition in its Guidance published in March 2013 (“Final Guidance on Ofcom’s approach to assessing the impact on the universal service”).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Ofcom has in place a continuous monitoring regime and access to key confidential data from Royal Mail and other postal operators which would enable it to anticipate any potential threat to the universal service. They are keeping market developments under close monthly review and if this monitoring identified cause for concern Ofcom has said that they would be able to carry out a review very quickly.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 01/09/2014 09:19:24 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	2483 label Biography information for Lord Bradshaw

78960

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2014
	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	Postal Services: Competition
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Ofcom has conducted any analysis of regulatory options to protect the universal postal service in the case of a material increase in end-to-end competition.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradshaw
	uin	HL1277
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The regulatory options for protecting the universal service are set out in the Postal Services Act 2011. Parliament has given Ofcom the primary statutory duty to secure the provision of the universal service and the powers and tools it needs to do so.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Ofcom has carried out a consultation on end-to-end competition in the postal services sector and published a Guidance paper on the use of its regulatory options and the circumstances under which it would intervene to protect the universal service from any serious threat from competition.</p><p><br></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>More information about this consultation on end-to-end competition and the Guidance (“Final Guidance on Ofcom’s approach to assessing the impact on the universal service”) can be found on Ofcom’s website (<a href="http://www.ofcom.org.uk/" target="_blank">www.ofcom.org.uk</a>).</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 01/09/2014 09:16:18 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	2483 label Biography information for Lord Bradshaw