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106184

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2014
	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	Productivity
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livingston of Parkhead on 13 October (HL1890), what they consider to be the reasons for the differences between the output per worker per hour in the United Kingdom and those of the other G7 countries, as reported by the Office for National Statistics in its statistical bulletin <i>International Comparisons of Productivity—Final Estimates 2012</i>; and what plans they have to improve the United Kingdom’s relative position.
	tabling member printed	Lord Birt
	uin	HL2655
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>The most up to date productivity data for 2012 are in the table.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Current Price Productivity, 2012, G7 countries, Index UK=100</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong><em> </em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>Japan</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>Germany</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>Canada</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>Italy</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>France</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>US</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>UK</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>G7 excl. UK</em></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>GDP per worker</strong></p></td><td><p>90</p></td><td><p>108</p></td><td><p>104</p></td><td><p>116</p></td><td><p>115</p></td><td><p>140</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>120</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>GDP per hour worked</strong></p></td><td><p>85</p></td><td><p>129</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>109</p></td><td><p>128</p></td><td><p>130</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>117</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source: International Comparisons of Productivity, First Estimates for 2013, ONS (Oct 2014)</p><p> </p><p>http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/icp/international-comparisons-of-productivity/2013---first-estimates/index.html</p><p> </p><p>Analysis undertaken by BIS (2012) to support Lord Heseltine’s Review of UK Competitiveness examined UK productivity in comparison to France, Germany and the USA. An analysis of productivity across all G7 countries has not yet been completed. The full analysis can be found <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/34647/12-1207-benchmarking-uk-competitiveness-in-the-global-economy.pdf" target="_blank">here</a> but the main findings were:</p><p> </p><p>The analysis decomposed the productivity gap (measured by output per hour worked) into two components:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Sector productivity effect – the share of the gap arising due to productivity in a given sector being higher in another country than in the UK.</li><li>Sector mix effect – the share of the gap arising due to employment in another country being more concentrated in high productivity sectors than in the UK.</li></ul><p> </p><p>When UK productivity is compared to France, Germany and the USA, the sector productivity effect in each of the comparator countries fully explains the gap. As such, higher productivity across almost all sectors in each of these economies accounts for the entirety of their lead over the UK. In fact, the UK’s favourable sector mix went some way towards reducing the gap, particularly against France.</p><p> </p><p>Naturally, the factors driving the gap vary by country. However, at the aggregate level, the UK tends to have lower capital per head than France and Germany and a less efficient use of inputs in production (Total Factor Productivity) than the USA (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32101/10-1213-economic-growth.pdf" target="_blank">BIS, 2010</a>). There is also a (smaller) gap between the UK and its major competitors in terms of skills. This is generally characterised as a gap in intermediate skills with France and Germany, and a gap in higher level skills relative to the USA.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Plans to Improve UK Productivity</strong></p><p> </p><p>Government policy focuses on delivering growth which in turn depends on productivity in the longer term. In this sense, the majority of longer run Government economic policy is ultimately about raising productivity.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s industrial strategy and ‘The Plan for Growth’ are creating the right environment for businesses to invest and grow. This will continue to support UK long-term productivity growth.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Data Revisions</strong></p><p> </p><p>Recent changes to national accounts methodology have slightly reduced the productivity gap between the UK and other leading G7 economies. Data for 2012 were revised and are provided in the table above. In case it is of interest, the most recent data for 2013 is also included in the table below. A full decomposition of the productivity gap has not yet been undertaken using the revised data.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Current Price Productivity, 2013, G7 countries, Index UK=100</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong><em> </em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>Japan</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>Germany</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>Canada</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>Italy</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>France</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>US</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>UK</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>G7 excl. UK</em></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>GDP per worker</strong></p></td><td><p>88</p></td><td><p>107</p></td><td><p>103</p></td><td><p>115</p></td><td><p>114</p></td><td><p>139</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>119</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>GDP per hour worked</strong></p></td><td><p>85</p></td><td><p>129</p></td><td><p>101</p></td><td><p>109</p></td><td><p>128</p></td><td><p>130</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>117</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source: International Comparisons of Productivity, First Estimates for 2013, ONS (Oct 2014)</p><p> </p><p>http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/icp/international-comparisons-of-productivity/2013---first-estimates/index.html</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>References</p><p> </p><p>BIS (2010) Economic Growth, BIS Economics Paper No. 9</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32101/10-1213-economic-growth.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32101/10-1213-economic-growth.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>BIS (2012) Benchmarking UK Competitiveness in the Global Economy, BIS Economics Paper No. 19</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/34647/12-1207-benchmarking-uk-competitiveness-in-the-global-economy.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/34647/12-1207-benchmarking-uk-competitiveness-in-the-global-economy.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livingston of Parkhead question first answered 17/11/2014 12:31:53 answering member 4278 label Biography information for Lord Livingston of Parkhead
	tabling member	2533 label Biography information for Lord Birt

114515

	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	UK Membership of EU
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the conclusions of <i>Where's the Insider Advantage</i>? <i>A review of the evidence that withdrawal from the EU would not harm the UK’s exports or foreign investment in the UK</i>, published by Civitas.
	tabling member printed	Lord Pearson of Rannoch
	uin	HL2689
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2014 answer text <p>The Civitas report aims to identify whether there are advantages to the UK of being an ‘EU insider’ in terms of setting the rules of the Single Market. The report focuses on growth in UK exports as the measure of this benefit. It does not account for the broader positive impacts of the Single Market on the UK, including enhanced competition and innovation at home.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The report refers to Switzerland as an example of a county that has negotiated Free trade Agreements (FTA) as a non-member of the EU. The impact on the UK’s exports of withdrawal from the EU would depend on whether the UK could negotiate similar trade agreements’ to those it currently has as a member of the EU. It would also depend on the FTA that it could negotiate with the EU itself. Switzerland has to pay to be part of the EU single market and to negotiate sector by sector, but does not determine the rules.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livingston of Parkhead question first answered 19/11/2014 14:58:58 answering member 4278 label Biography information for Lord Livingston of Parkhead
	tabling member	3153 label Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch

147349

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2014
	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	Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the investor-state dispute settlement system in the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership will not be dealt with by United Kingdom courts.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL2753
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2014 answer text The Transatlantic Trade and Investment partnership (TTIP) will be an agreement with 28 EU countries and the US. In the case of the UK, it has over 90 existing bilateral investment treaties with other countries across the world, UK domestic courts and the UK legal system remain the main route for resolving the overwhelming majority of disputes that foreign investors may have with the actions of the UK Government. Investment protection provisions and Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) clauses in trade and investment treaties are nonetheless valued by investors for providing certainty and protection from discriminatory action by host governments. Well-formulated investment protection and ISDS provisions have the potential to encourage investment while placing effective safeguards on the Government’s ability to regulate in the public interest. The Government believes it is in the UK's interest to create modern investment provisions in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) to both encourage investment and create a potential model for future trade and investment agreements with other countries. As such, we would want the ISDS mechanism in TTIP to be in line with best practice, including the new The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Rules on Transparency in Treaty-based Investor-State Arbitration. answering member printed Lord Livingston of Parkhead question first answered 19/11/2014 12:33:40 answering member 4278 label Biography information for Lord Livingston of Parkhead
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

147375

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2014
	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	European Union
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 24 October (HL2132), whether there are any similar investment protection treaties between the European Union and other countries.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ashcroft
	uin	HL2779
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2014 answer text <p>A large number of EU treaties offer some level of protection to investors or investment. All of these are publically available and can be found on the EUR-lex database of law at <a href="http://eur-lex.europa.eu/" target="_blank">http://eur-lex.europa.eu</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livingston of Parkhead question first answered 24/11/2014 13:31:16 answering member 4278 label Biography information for Lord Livingston of Parkhead
	tabling member	2568 label Biography information for Lord Ashcroft

155706

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	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	Overseas Trade: Cuba
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the level of trade between Cuba and the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hutton of Furness
	uin	HL2890
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2014 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">Sources are:</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">Data on trade in goods with Cuba is available from HMRC and trade in services from the ONS. Services data on the most recent basis are not available before 2007. The goods and services data are on a different basis as figures on the same basis are not available. This information has not been adjusted for inflation.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The data we have is as below. Please see notes for further explanation.</ins></p><p>Value of UK Trade (exports plus imports) with Cuba: current prices (£ million)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Goods</p></td><td><p>Services</p></td><td><p>Goods + Services</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2004</p></td><td><p>24</p></td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>2005</p></td><td><p>25</p></td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>2006</p></td><td><p>29</p></td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p>23</p></td><td><p>149</p></td><td><p>172</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>25</p></td><td><p>155</p></td><td><p>180</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>19</p></td><td><p>171</p></td><td><p>190</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>21</p></td><td><p>196</p></td><td><p>217</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>69</p></td><td><p>145</p></td><td><p>214</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>62</p></td><td><p>188</p></td><td><p>250</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>138</p></td><td><p>213</p></td><td><p>351</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sources are:</p><p>Goods: HMRC, Overseas Trade Statistics (OTS) database, figures are on a border basis, not seasonally adjusted.</p><p> </p><p>Services: ONS, special request from the ONS, figures are on a balance of payments (BPM6) basis, seasonally adjusted.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Data on trade in goods with Cuba is available from HMRC and trade in services from the ONS. Services data on the most recent basis (new balance of payments method) are not available before 2007. The goods and services data are on a different basis as figures on the same basis are not available. This information has not been adjusted for inflation.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livingston of Parkhead question first answered 24/11/2014 14:31:48 question first ministerially corrected 24/11/2014 16:42:00 answering member 4278 label Biography information for Lord Livingston of Parkhead previous answer version 29429 answering member printed Lord Livingston of Parkhead answering member 4278 label Biography information for Lord Livingston of Parkhead
	tabling member	494 label Biography information for Lord Hutton of Furness

156578

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2014
	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	Artificial Sweeteners: Imports
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total amount of artificial sweeteners imported into the United Kingdom in 2013.
	tabling member printed	The Countess of Mar
	uin	HL3001
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>According to HMRC, UK import figures for ‘artificial sweeteners’ are contained within HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics database code HS 21069092 (‘food preparations’, see full definition below). This captures a range of food preparations; it is not possible to split the data to show the amount (value or volume) of UK imports of artificial sweeteners in 2013 separately. The HMRC data shows that the UK imported £326.8 million (76,388,773 kilograms) worth of ‘food preparations’ in 2013.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>Note: definition of HS 21069092</em></p><p> </p><p><em>HS 21069092 - Food preparations, n.e.s., not containing milkfats, sucrose, isoglucose starch or glucose or containing, by weight, &lt; 1,5% milkfat, &lt; 5% sucrose or isoglucose, &lt; 5% glucose or &lt; 5% starch</em></p><p> </p><p><strong><em> </em></strong></p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livingston of Parkhead question first answered 01/12/2014 12:11:31 answering member 4278 label Biography information for Lord Livingston of Parkhead
	tabling member	1861 label Biography information for The Countess of Mar

164223

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2014
	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	EU Internal Trade
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livingston of Parkhead on 19 November (HL2689), what evidence they have of the United Kingdom enjoying benefits which are derived from enhanced competition and innovation as members of the Single Market which it would not have enjoyed had it not been in that Market.
	tabling member printed	Lord Pearson of Rannoch
	uin	HL3053
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>The Single Market encourages competition by removing barriers to trade between EU members. An increase in competition can be expected to reduce prices and increase choice for consumers, encourage firms to innovate, reallocate resources to more productive means, and boost macroeconomic performance. The European Commission have estimated that the competition and innovation impacts of the Internal Market Programme have boosted EU GDP by over 2%<sup><sup>[1]</sup></sup>.</p><p> </p><br /><p>[1] European Commission <em>Steps Towards a Deeper Integration: The Internal Market in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century</em>, 2007</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livingston of Parkhead question first answered 01/12/2014 12:28:58 answering member 4278 label Biography information for Lord Livingston of Parkhead
	tabling member	3153 label Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch

164530

	registered interest
	date	24/11/2014
	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	Poland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment for the last full year of the balance of trade between the United Kingdom and Poland.
	tabling member printed	Lord Patten
	uin	HL3123
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2014 answer text <p>In 2013 the UK had a trade deficit with Poland of £4.3 billion. This consists of UK exports to Poland of £5.2 billion and UK imports from Poland of £9.5 billion in 2013. These data are taken from The United Kingdom Balance of Payments 2014 (The Pink Book).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMG is actively seeking to encourage more exports to Poland, including through six UKTI regional strategic campaigns in key sectors designed to match Polish opportunities with UK capabilities. There is also a new British Business Centre run by the British-Polish Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw, which provides a broader range of support to small and medium sized companies wanting to export to Poland.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livingston of Parkhead question first answered 08/12/2014 14:15:15 answering member 4278 label Biography information for Lord Livingston of Parkhead
	tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

166107

	registered interest
	date	25/11/2014
	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	UK Trade with EU
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total trade deficit or surplus with the European Union in goods and services between 2010 and 2013; and what is their estimate of any deficit in 2014 to date.
	tabling member printed	Lord Stoddart of Swindon
	uin	HL3165
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/12/2014 answer text <p>UK’s trade deficit with the European Union was £28.5bn in 2010, £21.7bn in 2011, £39.5bn in 2012 and £56.2bn in 2013.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Currently, UK trade balance figures cover the period up to the second quarter of 2014. In the first half of 2014, UK’s trade deficit with the European Union was £25.5bn.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Source: ONS UK Economic Accounts 2014Q2</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livingston of Parkhead question first answered 02/12/2014 12:28:47 answering member 4278 label Biography information for Lord Livingston of Parkhead
	tabling member	950 label Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon

167251

	registered interest
	date	02/12/2014
	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	Sri Lanka
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the European Union decision in 2010 to remove trade concessions from Sri Lanka pending the government of that country improving its human rights record has created a precedent for other countries.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
	uin	HL3352
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2014 answer text <p>In 2010 some trade preferences, known as GSP+, were removed from Sri Lanka by the European Union following investigations and reports which found significant shortcomings in respect of Sri Lanka’s implementation of three human rights conventions. Sri Lanka continues to receive beneficial but less generous trade preferences from the EU under the ‘standard’ GSP scheme.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As was the case for Sri Lanka, any decision for the EU to remove GSP+ preferences from a country is based on the objective criteria and following the process established in the GSP Regulation as agreed by European Member States and the European Parliament.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Livingston of Parkhead question first answered 15/12/2014 17:51:12 answering member 4278 label Biography information for Lord Livingston of Parkhead
	tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge