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170291

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
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	Post Offices
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 post offices have been refurbished as a result of the Government's £2 billion investment in the Post Office Network since 2010 in (a) Worcester, (b) Worcestershire and (c) England.
tabling member constituency	Worcester
tabling member printed	Mr Robin Walker
uin	218797
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>The Government understands the important role that post offices play in communities across the country and since 2010 has committed nearly £2 billion to maintain, modernise and protect the network. This is an historic commitment, and is designed to ensure that the Post Office has a vibrant, successful and financially sustainable long-term future where is it less reliant on an annual taxpayer funded subsidy.</p><p> </p><p>The Post Office is undertaking the largest modernisation programme in its history and network transformation is seeing subpostmasters receiving public investment to improve their branches; delivering benefits to customers including longer opening hours, more convenient access and improved branch environments. To date over 3,500 branches have converted to the new Main and Local models and nearly 290 of the Post Office’s directly owned Crown post offices have benefitted from investment.</p><p> </p><p>The following table sets out the numbers of post offices that have received investment in the areas requested:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p>Number of post offices that</p><p>have received investment</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Worcester</p></td><td><p>8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Worcestershire</p></td><td><p>32</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Midlands Government Office Region</p></td><td><p>302</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>England</p></td><td><p>3173</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 05/01/2015 14:03:59 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker

170296

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
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	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, what progress has been made on implementing the findings of the original report compiled by the Office of Fair Trading and Department of Trade and Industry regarding the collapse of Scottish Power's Power Plan.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Walton
tabling member printed	Steve Rotheram
uin	218594
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/01/2015 answer text <p>Statutory investigations by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Business, Innovation and Skills) using Companies Act powers are confidential and their findings cannot be disclosed outside strict statutory gateways.</p><p> </p><p>The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) did not directly investigate the collapse of Scottish Power’s Power Plan. In 2003 an investigation was undertaken by the OFT into the terms and conditions used in contracts with consumers purchasing goods under the PowerPlan scheme sold by Scottish Power plc. As a result a series of recommendations regarding those terms and conditions were made to the companies who operated the scheme, and I understand that the recommendations were implemented by the companies before they entered insolvency.</p><p> </p><p>More generally, the OFT investigated the market for extended warranties in the UK in 2002 and, having found that competition in the market did not appear to be working effectively, referred the market to the Competition Commission (CC). Following the CC’s report in 2003, the DTI implemented the Supply of Extended Warranties on Domestic Electrical Goods Order which came into force in April 2005. The OFT undertook a further study of the market for extended warranties in 2012.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 06/01/2015 17:15:43 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4035 label Biography information for Steve Rotheram

170606

registered interest
date	16/12/2014
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	Christmas Cards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which (a) individuals, (b) companies and (c) other organisations receive Christmas cards from his Department.
tabling member constituency	Leicester South
tabling member printed	Jonathan Ashworth
uin	218987
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>In 2012, 2013 and 2014, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills produced electronic cards at Christmas for Ministers and other senior officials that requested them. These are designed in-house and sent by e-mail, incurring no purchase or postage costs for the Department.</p><p> </p><p>This year’s list contained over 700 recipients in total. A copy of this list can be found in the attached table.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 05/01/2015 14:48:22 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson attachment 1 file name PQ - 218987 - 2014 Christmas card all receipents.xlsx title List of Departmental Christmas card recipients.
tabling member	4244 label Biography information for Jonathan Ashworth

171034

registered interest
date	17/12/2014
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	Apprentices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if his Department will publish the apprentice pay survey for 2014 showing what apprentices are paid by age, gender, ethnicity, industry sector and apprenticeship level.
tabling member constituency	Eastbourne
tabling member printed	Stephen Lloyd
uin	219128
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>The 2014 Apprentice Pay Survey was published on .Gov.uk on 18 December 2014. The report shows levels of pay by age, gender, ethnicity, industry sector and apprenticeship level.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 05/01/2015 16:38:51 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	3968 label Biography information for Stephen Lloyd

171037

registered interest
date	17/12/2014
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	Staff
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 15 December 2014 to Question 217431, if he will make it his policy to record the ethnicity of staff working for companies contracted by his Department.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	219119
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2015 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) seeks to ensure its procurement policy is aligned with wider Government policy as led by the Crown Commercial Service, part of the Cabinet Office. It is not currently BIS policy to request diversity data of the staff working for companies contracted by the Department, but we will keep this option under review.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 08/01/2015 16:16:13 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

171044

registered interest
date	17/12/2014
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	Minimum Wage
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 15 December 2014 to Question 218516, if he will list the 55 employers his Department has named and shamed for the non-payment of the national minimum wage.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	219353
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>Details of the employers that have already been named under the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme can be found on the original press notices. Please see below for the dates when we have named the employers and the links to the press releases.</p><p> </p><p>28 February 2014</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-gets-tough-with-employers-failing-to-pay-minimum-wage" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-gets-tough-with-employers-failing-to-pay-minimum-wage</a></p><p> </p><p>8 June 2014</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-names-employers-who-fail-to-pay-minimum-wage" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-names-employers-who-fail-to-pay-minimum-wage</a></p><p> </p><p>27 November 2014</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-names-employers-who-fail-to-pay-the-national-minimum-wage" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-names-employers-who-fail-to-pay-the-national-minimum-wage</a></p><p> </p><p>Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should call the Pay &amp; Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368. HM Revenue &amp; Customs investigate all complaints.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 05/01/2015 14:07:18 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

171045

registered interest
date	17/12/2014
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	Insolvency: Regulation
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 bring forward legislative proposals to create an independent regulator to regulate insolvencies.
tabling member constituency	Great Grimsby
tabling member printed	Austin Mitchell
uin	219332
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>The Small Business Enterprise and Employment Bill (currently before the Other House) contains a reserve power which will allow the Secretary of State to designate a body to be the sole regulator for insolvency practitioners. We have made clear that we would only exercise this power if the other measures contained within this Bill do not succeed in improving confidence in this regulatory regime; and only with proper consultation and assessment of the costs and benefits.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 05/01/2015 16:52:49 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	372 label Biography information for Austin Mitchell

171047

registered interest
date	17/12/2014
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	Citizens' Advice Bureaux: Wales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding each Citizens Advice Bureau in Wales has received from his Department in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	219351
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2015 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) fund the national umbrella body for the Citizens Advice Service in England and Wales – Citizens Advice – on behalf of all Government departments and the Welsh Government.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Central Government does not fund individual Citizens Advice Bureaux who receive funding from a variety of public, charity and private sources, with core funding typically provided by the Local Authority in which they are located.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>BIS does not hold information on funding of individual bureaux.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 07/01/2015 14:02:30 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

171048

registered interest
date	17/12/2014
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	Housing: Sales
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 make it his policy to provide guidance for the protection of consumers on the practices of cash for property businesses so as to ensure that sellers are fully aware of the financial implications.
tabling member constituency	Colchester
tabling member printed	Sir Bob Russell
uin	219325
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2015 answer text <p>There are government funded consumer websites such as the Money Advice Service and Citizens Advice that provide advice and guidance to home sellers who wish to sell their property quickly and may be considering businesses offering a quick sale service.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In 2013, the Office for Fair Trading published a report on quick house sales and as a result targeted advice and tips were developed for those considering this type of sale. Businesses involved in the quick sale market are subject to consumer laws such as the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) and may be subject to sector specific legislation such as the Estate Agency Act 1979 (EAA), depending on the nature of the work they undertake.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 07/01/2015 14:10:36 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	35 label Biography information for Sir Bob Russell

171236

registered interest
date	17/12/2014
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	Cosalt
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 initiate an inquiry into the performance of the insolvency service in handling the case of COSALT.
tabling member constituency	Great Grimsby
tabling member printed	Austin Mitchell
uin	219223
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2015 answer text <p>A report on the directors’ conduct was submitted by the administrators of Cosalt plc to my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. When considering whether to seek a director’s disqualification The Insolvency Service has to consider the seriousness of the misconduct alleged and whether there is sufficient evidence of the alleged misconduct to satisfy the court that the director should be disqualified. In this case, the Insolvency Service also considered information received from other regulators and the concerns raised by the company’s shareholders. A decision was made that there was insufficient evidence of relevant misconduct for it to be in the public interest to investigate further since the issues raised are unlikely to be viewed by the Court as serious enough misconduct to merit the minimum disqualification period of two years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The allegation of a breach of Companies Act requirements to file accounts with Companies House was considered by BIS prosecuting lawyers, who decided not to bring a criminal prosecution against the directors of Cosalt PLC. A detailed explanation of the basis for the decision has been provided to a number of MPs who had expressed concerns.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Complaints about the work and levels of service provided by the Insolvency Service are taken very seriously. Details about The Insolvency Service’s complaints procedure is available on the websitewww.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-procedure. If matters are not resolved, then individuals can contact The Adjudicator’s Office which acts as an unbiased referee into complaints about The Insolvency Service.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 07/01/2015 14:11:36 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	372 label Biography information for Austin Mitchell