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93747

	registered interest
	date	16/10/2014
	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	Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme
	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 number of (a) cases of mediation undertaken between banks and individuals or companies and (b) outcome of mediation following use of the enterprise finance guarantee scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Delyn
	tabling member printed	Mr David Hanson
	uin	210871
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2014 answer text <p>Operation of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) is devolved by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to the participating lenders. BIS monitors lenders’ administration of EFG but does not intervene in individual disputes between lenders and borrowers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>If a borrower has a complaint regarding their loan they should initially follow their lender’s internal complaints process. If that does not provide a satisfactory outcome then in most cases they have the option of approaching the Financial Ombudsman Service.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Use of mediation as a means of resolving any disputes which may have arisen between participating lenders and borrowers who have received an EFG-backed loan is a matter for the lender and borrower.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 24/10/2014 11:30:48 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	533 label Biography information for David Hanson

100088

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2014
	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	ACAS
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to evaluate the effect of the ACAS early conciliation service on keeping workplace disputes out of court.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	211244
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2014 answer text <p>Early Conciliation was introduced in April 2014 and it is too early to make any meaningful assessment on the effect of Early Conciliation on Employment Tribunal cases at this stage. However, officials in the Department and Acas are already monitoring the impact of Early Conciliation and I will make an announcement on evaluation in due course, once we have a sufficient evidence base to do so.</p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 24/10/2014 11:30:02 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

100103

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2014
	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	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 25 June 2014 to Question 201383, how much was spent on national minimum wage enforcement in 2013-14.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	211245
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2014 answer text <p>£7.5m was spent by HM Revenue and Customs on the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage in 2013/14.</p><p>We have increased the budget allocation for National Minimum Wage enforcement in 2014/15 to £9.2m. This extra funding will enable HMRC to increase the number of compliance officers working in this area who, as well as continuing to respond to every complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline, will also undertake targeted enforcement, focusing on the worst offending employers in the highest-risk sectors.</p><p>Anyone who believes they are entitled to the National Minimum Wage and has not received it should contact this free and confidential helpline on 0800 917 2368.</p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 24/10/2014 11:29:09 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

99777

	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	Arms Trade: Exports
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his Department's policy is on reviewing export licences to a country where defence equipment supplied by UK firms has previously been used for internal repression.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	211054
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2014 answer text <p>The UK aims to operate one of the most rigorous and transparent export control systems in the world. All export licence applications are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking into account all prevailing circumstances at the time of application. In particular, Criterion Two concerns the ‘respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country for international humanitarian law’. The Government will not issue an export licence if there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Export licences are kept under review in the light of changing international circumstances. A cross-government mechanism can suspend or revoke extant licences when a changing situation, such as an outbreak of conflict or acts of internal repression, means the licence would no longer be consistent with the Consolidated Criteria.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 24/10/2014 06:57:14 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 24060 answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

100102

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2014
	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	Video Games
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what funds distributed by the Technology Strategy Board were allocated to the video games sector in each of the last three years; and what proportion of the total funding from that Board this represented in each such year.
	tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
	tabling member printed	Luciana Berger
	uin	211397
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2014 answer text <p>Innovate UK is the new name for the Technology Strategy Board.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In 2011/12 Innovate UK did not provide any funds to organisations in the video games sector. In 2012/13, it provided £277k (0.06% of its core budget) to organisations in the video games sector and in 2013/14 it provided £1.9m (0.4% of its core budget).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The figures above do not include any awards made under Innovate UK’s Smart or Knowledge Transfer Partnership programmes, as this information can only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 24/10/2014 06:55:43 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	4036 label Biography information for Luciana Berger

99775

	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	NHS: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
	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 his Department has made of the potential effect of including the National Health Service in the negative list of exclusion for negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment partnership.
	tabling member constituency	Edinburgh South
	tabling member printed	Ian Murray
	uin	211053
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text <p>The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will not change the fact that it is up to UK Government alone to decide how UK public services, including the NHS, are run. The UK has insisted on maintaining the same safeguards for the NHS in TTIP as it has in all recent trade agreements.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This position was confirmed by the European Commission</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 23/10/2014 17:00:03 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 24061 answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	3966 label Biography information for Ian Murray

93750

	registered interest
	date	16/10/2014
	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	Working Conditions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that companies are held responsible for labour conditions throughout their supply chains.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	210900
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text <p>Companies are held accountable by investors, consumers and civil society as well as governments for the way in which they conduct their operations, including labour conditions, and how they report on their actions in this regard.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Since October 2013, quoted companies have been required to provide information in their Annual Report about social, community and human rights issues, including information about any policies of the company in relation to those matters and the effectiveness of those policies.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department has negotiated at the European level to strengthen current human rights disclosure requirements and make them more specific. Provisions have now been agreed that will apply across all EU Member States from 2017 to large quoted companies and Public Interest Entities. My Department will shortly be consulting on the transposition of these measures into UK law.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Additional disclosure requirements will be introduced in the Modern Slavery Bill. Big businesses will have to publicly state each year what action they have taken to ensure their supply chains are slavery free. This requirement goes further than any similar legislation in the world by applying to businesses regardless of the nature of a company or what it supplies, whether goods or services.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In September 2013, the UK was the first country to publish a National Action Plan implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The Action Plan underlines the duty of businesses to respect the human rights of their employees and those in their supply chains. My Department is taking action to develop guidance for businesses reporting on this obligation, beginning with the retail sector.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In order to toughen up our enforcement of the National Minimum Wage my Department has made it simpler to name and shame employers that break the law on the National Minimum Wage and has increased the financial penalty that employers pay for breaking the law from 50 per cent to 100 per cent of the unpaid wages owed to workers. The maximum penalty has also increased from £5,000 to £20,000 and will be applied per worker not per firm.</p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 23/10/2014 16:23:04 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

93764

	registered interest
	date	16/10/2014
	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	Internet: Data Protection
	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 for online personal information and big data to be used for discriminatory practices by organisations and agencies.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne East
	tabling member printed	Mr Nicholas Brown
	uin	210878
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government is committed to protecting the privacy and data security rights of individuals, and does recognise that the potential exists for online personal information and data to be misused by organisations and agencies, including for discriminatory purposes. For this reason, stringent safeguards are in place to ensure personal data is protected and handled appropriately.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Data Protection Act 1998 and Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights impose clear legal limits on how organisations can record, store, alter, use or disclose personal data. In addition the Information Commissioners Office, the UK’s independent authority for upholding information rights, provides advice to citizens, rulings on eligible complaints and can take action when the law on data privacy is broken.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government is also currently working with the Information Economy Council, business groups, regulators, the third sector, and consumer bodies to develop a framework of trust and privacy principles for businesses. The framework will be in addition to existing data protection legislation and is being developed to help create greater public confidence in how companies use and re-use their personal data.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 23/10/2014 16:00:16 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	523 label Biography information for Mr Nicholas Brown

99805

	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	Apprentices: Young People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to persuade more businesses to offer apprenticeships to 16 to 18 year olds.
	tabling member constituency	West Bromwich West
	tabling member printed	Mr Adrian Bailey
	uin	211057
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text <p>Apprenticeship reforms are putting employers in the lead of designing apprenticeships, making it more attractive for them to offer more in the future.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Across this parliament we have already supported over 500,000 new apprenticeships for 16-18 year olds. Building on the success of the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers, we are providing an additional £170 million to fund over 100,000 incentive payments of £1,500 to employers taking on a young person aged 16-24.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 23/10/2014 15:58:54 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	320 label Biography information for Mr Adrian Bailey

93749

	registered interest
	date	16/10/2014
	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	Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme
	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 applications to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme have been (a) submitted, (b) approved and (c) terminated following approval by his Department since the inception of that scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Delyn
	tabling member printed	Mr David Hanson
	uin	210873
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text <p>Delivery of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) is fully devolved to over 40 participating lenders. As such the Department for Business Innovation and Skills does not directly receive, approve or terminate any EFG applications.</p><p>Participating lenders do not report to the Department numbers of applications submitted or terminated. Since inception of the scheme in January 2009, participating lenders have made offers of 26,189 EFG-backed loans and other types of debt facilities.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 23/10/2014 13:09:56 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	533 label Biography information for David Hanson