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1136741

	registered interest
	date	03/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Business: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the report entitled, The state of the nation: The UK Family Business Sector 2018-19 by Oxford Economics, published in July 2019, what steps his Department is taking to make it easier for family businesses to access external finance.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	272777
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>As the report notes, the family business sector is vital to the UK economy, employing over 13 million people and generating more than a quarter of the nation’s GDP. In May this year, I attended the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Family Business and discussed a range of issues including access to external finance. The authors of the Report, The Institute for Family Business, are also a member of the BEIS SME Advisory Board, who last met on 24 June.</p><p>As part of the modern Industrial Strategy, this Department’s aim is to improve access to finance for all UK businesses, including family-owned businesses. The Government-backed British Business Bank supports more than £6.4bn of finance to over 85,000 SMEs. The Bank’s online Finance Hub also helps small business owners identify potential sources of finance via the finance finder web tool.</p><p>The Business Bank has also established a UK Network, with team members based within each of the English regions and the three Devolved Nations. The UK Network works with small business finance intermediaries to enhance business finance ecosystems across the UK, so smaller businesses, wherever they are, can grow and prosper.</p><p>In addition, Government has actively supported and invested in the creation of 38 Growth Hubs (one in each Local Enterprise Partnership area), providing businesses across England support and advice via a free and impartial, local single point of contact. At the end of FY18/19, Government had invested £56.4 million in Growth Hubs.</p><p>The Government provides support and advice to all types of businesses through our core services including GOV.UK, the Business Support Helpline and Growth Hubs operating in England.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 16/07/2019 15:34:53 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1137101

	registered interest
	date	04/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Energy: Disconnections
	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 Henley on 26 June (HL16573), why they do not hold data on the number of households who disconnect their energy supply due to the cost; and what assessment they have made of the impact of the lack of such data on their fuel poverty policy.
	tabling member printed	Lord Stevenson of Balmacara
	uin	HL16965
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>Government has given Ofgem, the independent GB energy regulator, a statutory duty to protect the interests of vulnerable consumers, with the regulator enforcing rules to protect consumers at risk of debt and disconnection.</p><p> </p><p>Following a call for evidence, Ofgem is undertaking a review of households who disconnect their energy supplies due to cost and has requested that energy companies provide additional information and data to help their analysis. They will publish their response this summer. Government will consider the findings of this review and the potential impact more detailed information about self disconnection could have on how we target fuel poverty policies, such as the Warm Home Discount and ECO Local Authority Flexible Eligibility<em>.</em></p> answering member printed Lord Henley question first answered 16/07/2019 16:39:49 answering member 2616 label Biography information for Lord Henley
	tabling member	4175 label Biography information for Lord Stevenson of Balmacara

1137102

	registered interest
	date	04/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Energy: Disconnections
	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 Henley on 26 June (HL16573), what sources of data on the number of households who disconnect their energy supplies due to cost they use to inform their policy-making.
	tabling member printed	Lord Stevenson of Balmacara
	uin	HL16966
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>The energy regulator Ofgem, monitors and publishes data on households who disconnect their energy supplies due to cost, which includes data from their annual Consumer Engagement Survey and from the Citizens Advice self disconnection consumer survey.</p><p> </p><p>Following a call for evidence, Ofgem is undertaking a review of households who disconnect their energy supplies due to cost and has requested that energy companies provide additional information and data to help their analysis. They will publish their response this summer.</p> answering member printed Lord Henley question first answered 16/07/2019 16:40:31 answering member 2616 label Biography information for Lord Henley
	tabling member	4175 label Biography information for Lord Stevenson of Balmacara

1137367

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Productivity
	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 reasons for the decline in UK productivity over the last three successive quarters; and of the comparative performance of other advanced economies whose productivity is increasing.
	tabling member printed	Lord Birt
	uin	HL16974
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>The fall in productivity in 2019 Q1 was predominantly due to a fall in manufacturing productivity of -0.9%. Productivity in the services sector grew by 0.2% over the same period. A similar pattern was observed in 2018 Q4, with services productivity outperforming manufacturing; growing by 0.4% compared to a fall of -1.1% for the latter.</p><p>In terms of international comparisons, based on OECD data, all G7 countries excluding the US (for which data are not yet available) experienced a slowdown in productivity growth in 2018. The UK's productivity growth rate of just over 0.5% in 2018, was the second highest in the G7.</p> answering member printed Lord Henley question first answered 17/07/2019 13:30:38 answering member 2616 label Biography information for Lord Henley
	tabling member	2533 label Biography information for Lord Birt

1137734

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Climate Change: International Cooperation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken to preserve international co-operation on climate change when the UK leaves the EU.
	tabling member constituency	Wansbeck
	tabling member printed	Ian Lavery
	uin	275197
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>Leaving the EU does not change the UK's commitment to domestic and international action to tackle climate change. On 27 June, the UK became the first major economy in the world to set a legally binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from across the UK economy by 2050. We will continue to work closely with our European and other international partners to secure ambitious climate objectives. We will do this through continued cooperation in multilateral groups - including the UNFCCC, G7, G20, the Commonwealth and the International Energy Agency – as well as continued strong bilateral relationships on climate with countries around the world. Our recent bid to host COP26 in 2020, under a UK Presidency in partnership with Italy, demonstrates our continued commitment to play a global leadership role in galvanising action on climate change.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 16/07/2019 16:41:01 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	4139 label Biography information for Ian Lavery

1137752

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Employment: Yorkshire and the Humber
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to increase employment in (a) Yorkshire and the Humber and (b) Haltemprice and Howden constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Haltemprice and Howden
	tabling member printed	Mr David Davis
	uin	275116
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>The Industrial Strategy is our long-term plan to boost productivity by backing businesses to create high-quality, well paid jobs throughout the United Kingdom, with investment in skills, industries and infrastructure. The Government is supporting businesses in both the Yorkshire and Humber and Haltemprice and Howden constituencies. For example, the Government-backed British Business Bank’s Start-Up Loans programme provides loans to entrepreneurs seeking to start and grow their own businesses. Since 2012, 5,482 loans have been issued in the Yorkshire and the Humber region, totalling over £45m, and with an average loan amount of £8,249. In the Haltemprice and Howden constituency, 103 loans have been issued, totalling £926,277 (as at end-June 2019).</p><p>The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, which brings together world class UK research with business investment to develop the technologies that will transform existing industries and create entirely new ones, has allocated to date £49,970,387.29 grants to establishments registered within Yorkshire and Humber.</p><p>The Government is investing over £1.3 billion through Yorkshire and Humber Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Deals This is providing financial assistance to local businesses to help create jobs, as well as improving infrastructure and skills. It has also established Enterprise Zones across the region, including the largest award in the country to the Humber, which are attracting business investment and new jobs to the region.</p><p>Also, £13.6m has been awarded through Local Growth Funding for projects in this area to safeguard jobs from flood risks and for road improvements.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 17/07/2019 15:35:01 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
	tabling member	373 label Biography information for Sir David Davis

1137753

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Yorkshire and the Humber
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to support small businesses in (a) Yorkshire and the Humber and (b) Haltemprice and Howden constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Haltemprice and Howden
	tabling member printed	Mr David Davis
	uin	275117
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to supporting all entrepreneurs to start and grow a business. Through our ambitious Industrial Strategy, we want to make the UK the best place to start and grow a business, to create jobs and spread prosperity.</p><p>In addition to accessing national support available such as the Business Support Helpline (0300 456 3565) and advice given on <a href="http://www.gov.uk" target="_blank">www.gov.uk</a>, small and medium sized enterprises in Yorkshire and the Humber can access business advice through their local Growth Hubs. Led and governed by Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), Growth Hubs provide a free, impartial, ‘single point of contact’ to help businesses in the area identify and access the right support for them at the right time no matter their size or sector. The LEPs which cover Yorkshire and the Humber have self-reported that in FY2017-2018 their Growth Hubs supported over 12,000 businesses and helped over 900 individuals start a business.</p><p>The Humber LEP area is being supported with up to £83.4m of investment through the Regional Growth Fund, which includes £30m awarded to the Humber LEP for a business support programme. The Growing Places Fund is supporting business growth investment across the Humber with funding worth £8.8m. The Humber LEP’s ‘Growing the Humber’ business investment programme has supported the creation of over 2,800 jobs to date.</p><p>The Government-backed British Business Bank’s Start-Up Loans programme provides loans to entrepreneurs seeking to start and grow their own businesses. Since 2012, 5,482 loans have been issued in the Yorkshire and the Humber region, totalling over £45m, and with an average loan amount of £8,249. In the Haltemprice and Howden constituency, 103 loans have been issued, totalling £926,277 (as at end-June 2019).</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 16/07/2019 16:40:47 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	373 label Biography information for Sir David Davis

1137818

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Post Office: Herbert Smith Freehills
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2019 to Question 272157, in what capacity the law firm Herbert Smith Freehills is acting on behalf of Post Office Limited; and for what reason that firm was not listed in the six law firms framework agreement, as outlined in Question 272157.
	tabling member constituency	North Durham
	tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
	uin	275136
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>A reference to Herbert Smith Freehills was omitted from my answer to Question 272157 inadvertently. I can confirm that the six law firms previously listed provide legal support to Post Office Limited and are permitted to subcontract to others within the terms of their contract with the Post Office. In addition, Post Office Limited has instructed Herbert Smith Freehills in respect of the Group Litigation.</p><p> </p><p>The selection of law firms to provide legal services to Post Office Limited is an operational matter for the company in which Government plays no role.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 16/07/2019 15:32:29 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst previous answer version 129146 answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

1137831

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Ofgem: Environment Protection
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to his Answer of 19 June 2019 to Question 264294, if he could clarify where in Part 1 of the Electricity Act 1989 (Exemptions from Prohibition) provision is set out for Ofgem to have consideration of decarbonisation.
	tabling member constituency	Southampton, Test
	tabling member printed	Dr Alan Whitehead
	uin	275090
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>Ofgem has a statutory duty to have regard to guidance on social and environmental matters issued by the Secretary of State when carrying out its functions, as set out in Part 1 Section 4AB of the Gas Act 1986 (GA86) and Part 1 Section 3B of the Electricity Act 1989 (EA89). The Parliamentary procedure for this guidance is also set out in Section 3B EA89 and Section 4AB GA86.</p><p>Under subsection 1A of section 3 of the EA89 and subsection 1A of section 4AA of the GA86 respectively, Ofgem’s principal objective is to protect the interests of existing and future consumers, including their interests in the reduction of emissions of targeted greenhouse gases.</p><p>To clarify the response of 19 June, it is not section 5 but <em>subsection 5 </em>of Part 1, section 3A and 4AA of the EA89 and GA86 respectively that sets out Ofgem’s statutory duty to have regard to the effect on the environment of the generation, transmission, distribution or supply of electricity and gas.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore grouped question UIN 275091 275092 question first answered 16/07/2019 16:40:17 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	62 label Biography information for Dr Alan Whitehead

1137832

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Ofgem: Environment Protection
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to his Answer of 19 June 2019 to Question 264294, if he could clarify where in the Gas Act 1986 (Prohibition of Unlicensed Activities), provision is set out for Ofgem to have consideration of decarbonisation.
	tabling member constituency	Southampton, Test
	tabling member printed	Dr Alan Whitehead
	uin	275091
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>Ofgem has a statutory duty to have regard to guidance on social and environmental matters issued by the Secretary of State when carrying out its functions, as set out in Part 1 Section 4AB of the Gas Act 1986 (GA86) and Part 1 Section 3B of the Electricity Act 1989 (EA89). The Parliamentary procedure for this guidance is also set out in Section 3B EA89 and Section 4AB GA86.</p><p>Under subsection 1A of section 3 of the EA89 and subsection 1A of section 4AA of the GA86 respectively, Ofgem’s principal objective is to protect the interests of existing and future consumers, including their interests in the reduction of emissions of targeted greenhouse gases.</p><p>To clarify the response of 19 June, it is not section 5 but <em>subsection 5 </em>of Part 1, section 3A and 4AA of the EA89 and GA86 respectively that sets out Ofgem’s statutory duty to have regard to the effect on the environment of the generation, transmission, distribution or supply of electricity and gas.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore grouped question UIN 275090 275092 question first answered 16/07/2019 16:40:17 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	62 label Biography information for Dr Alan Whitehead