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101117

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Energy: Competition
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he has taken to help businesses and individuals to switch their gas and electricity suppliers more quickly.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	211929
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2014 answer text <p>We have worked with Energy UK, Ofgem, suppliers and other key industry partners to develop and implement proposals which will enable domestic customers to switch supplier 17 days, half the time it currently takes. The industry code changes to enable to this will come in to force on 6 November and Energy UK members have all committed to offering it by the end of the year. These code changes will also enable more streamlined switching of non-domestic customers.</p><p>The Department is also working with Ofgem to support their proposals for a longer term move to next day switching. A key element of this is the roll out of smart meters.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 30/10/2014 17:13:29 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

100672

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Tax Allowances: Business
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential costs and benefits of removing the cap on entrepreneurs' tax relief.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	211741
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2014 answer text <p>The last published cost for changing the cap on entrepreneurs' tax relief related to increasing the lifetime limit from £5m of qualifying gains to £10m. This is available in the full Budget 2011 document at the following address on page 42 in table 2.1 of the report.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130129110402/http:/www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2011budget.htm" target="_blank">http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130129110402/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2011budget.htm</a></p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 30/10/2014 17:10:28 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

101106

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Teachers: Secondary Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics there were in UK secondary schools in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	212006
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The following table provides the number of science (by separate science subject), technology, engineering and mathematics teachers in service in publicly funded secondary schools in England in November of each year from 2011 to 2013: [1], [2]</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Subject [3]</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Physics</p></td><td><p>5,900</p></td><td><p>6,000</p></td><td><p>6,200</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Chemistry</p></td><td><p>6,900</p></td><td><p>7,200</p></td><td><p>7,400</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Biology</p></td><td><p>8,500</p></td><td><p>8,700</p></td><td><p>8,800</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Combined/General Science</p></td><td><p>34,700</p></td><td><p>32,700</p></td><td><p>32,900</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Sciences</p></td><td><p>2,800</p></td><td><p>2,400</p></td><td><p>2,400</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Technology</p></td><td><p>14,800</p></td><td><p>13,800</p></td><td><p>13,400</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Engineering</p></td><td><p>1,600</p></td><td><p>1,500</p></td><td><p>1,500</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mathematics</p></td><td><p>35,200</p></td><td><p>32,800</p></td><td><p>33,300</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="4"><p><em>Source: School Workforce Census</em></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>[1] Figures are based on a large sample of over 70% of secondary schools.</p><p>[2] Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.</p><p>[3] Each teacher is counted once under each subject they teach.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Information for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a matter for the respective devolved administrations.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 03/11/2014 13:58:09 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

101104

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Pupil Premium
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will extend the Pupil Premium to children who are educated at home and have (a) foetal alcohol spectrum disorder and (b) other special needs.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	212018
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>There are no plans to extend the Pupil Premium to children who are educated at home, or to children with either foetal alcohol spectrum disorder or other special needs. The aim of the Pupil Premium is to help schools close the attainment gap, with funding focused on those children who have been on free school meals at some point in the last six years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government respects the right of parents to choose how their children are educated, whether this is at home or in any of the institutions available to them. However, parents who choose to home educate their children must take responsibility for the costs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Local authorities have the power to choose to give assistance to parents who home school. This can include providing support to children with special educational needs, whether or not they have a statement or Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. The 0-25 SEND Code of Practice makes it clear that local authorities should work with parents and consider whether to provide support in the home to help the parents make suitable provision. Where an authority draws up a statement or EHC plan which ‘names’ home education as the right provision for the child then they must make any additional special educational provision set out by the statement or plan.</p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 03/11/2014 13:51:55 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

101103

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Pupil Premium
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the merits of extending the Pupil Premium to all children educated at home.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	212017
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The aim of the Pupil Premium is to raise the attainment of mainly economically disadvantaged pupils, which is why the funding is focused on those children who have been on free school meals at some point in the last six years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There are no plans to extend the Pupil Premium to children who are educated at home. The Government respects the right of parents to choose how their children are educated, whether this is at home or in any of the institutions available to them. However, parents who choose to home educate their children must take responsibility for costs. Local authorities have the power to give assistance to parents who home school if they so choose.</p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 03/11/2014 13:54:35 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100311

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Social Services: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of the national minimum wage arrears identified in the social care sector by HM Revenue and Customs in the findings of its social care evaluation of November 2013 have been recovered and paid to the workers affected.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211605
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC does not keep data in a format to enable provision of the statistics requested on the amount of arrears paid or not paid to workers. HMRC contacts every employer whom they find has paid workers below the National Minimum Wage to confirm that they have paid the identified arrears to the workers. In addition, where it has found arrears for five or fewer workers it will contact all the workers to confirm payment by the employer. In cases involving arrears for more than five workers it will contact a minimum sample of five workers to confirm payment by the employer. HMRC will pursue non-payment of arrears through civil recovery action.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline and will always investigate any case of possible National Minimum Wage abuse. Therefore there will always be variation in the number of cases investigated within specific sectors.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 211547 211653 question first answered 03/11/2014 15:22:53 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100315

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Home Care Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2014 to Question 209191, for what reason fewer HM Revenue and Customs investigations into the home-care sector were carried out in 2013-14 than 2012-13.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211547
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC does not keep data in a format to enable provision of the statistics requested on the amount of arrears paid or not paid to workers. HMRC contacts every employer whom they find has paid workers below the National Minimum Wage to confirm that they have paid the identified arrears to the workers. In addition, where it has found arrears for five or fewer workers it will contact all the workers to confirm payment by the employer. In cases involving arrears for more than five workers it will contact a minimum sample of five workers to confirm payment by the employer. HMRC will pursue non-payment of arrears through civil recovery action.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline and will always investigate any case of possible National Minimum Wage abuse. Therefore there will always be variation in the number of cases investigated within specific sectors.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 211605 211653 question first answered 03/11/2014 15:22:53 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100318

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Home Care Services: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2014 to question 209191, how many investigations by HM Revenue and Customs into the home care sector were conducted in the first six months of 2014-15.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211653
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC does not keep data in a format to enable provision of the statistics requested on the amount of arrears paid or not paid to workers. HMRC contacts every employer whom they find has paid workers below the National Minimum Wage to confirm that they have paid the identified arrears to the workers. In addition, where it has found arrears for five or fewer workers it will contact all the workers to confirm payment by the employer. In cases involving arrears for more than five workers it will contact a minimum sample of five workers to confirm payment by the employer. HMRC will pursue non-payment of arrears through civil recovery action.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline and will always investigate any case of possible National Minimum Wage abuse. Therefore there will always be variation in the number of cases investigated within specific sectors.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 211547 211605 question first answered 03/11/2014 15:22:54 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100291

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Minimum Wage
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2014 to Question 209683 to the hon. Member for Stourbridge, what assessment he has made of the factors that resulted in there being no prosecutions for not paying the national minimum wage in each of the last two years.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211604
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) very seriously. HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition, HMRC undertake targeted enforcement on employers across the United Kingdom who are more likely to be not paying NMW.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government has increased the financial penalty percentage from 50% to 100% of the unpaid wages owed to workers, and the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £20,000. These new limits are now in force where arrears are identified in pay reference periods on or after 7 March 2014. The Government will also bring in primary legislation as soon as possible so that the maximum £20,000 penalty can apply to each underpaid worker.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The majority of employers identified as paying below the NMW pay arrears on receipt of a formal Notice of Underpayment. Where they do not do so, HMRC pursues recovery through the civil courts. HMRC‘s approach to tackling underpayment of NMW through the civil courts is the best way to ensure that money is paid back to the person underpaid and provides the most effective resolution for tax-payers. Criminal investigations may not result in arrears being paid to workers and are therefore reserved for the most serious cases.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke question first answered 03/11/2014 15:32:50 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

100853

	registered interest
	date	24/10/2014
	answering body	HM Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Home Care Services: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the benefits and disbenefits of HM Revenue and Customs launching pro-active investigations into the home care sector and the non-payment of the national minimum wage.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211863
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government takes the enforcement of National Minimum Wage very seriously. Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should make a complaint to the Pay &amp; Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368. HMRC review every complaint that is referred to them by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition, by collating and analysing data received from various sources, HMRC ensure targeted enforcement through robust risk assessment processes to identify employers across the United Kingdom who are more likely to be not paying National Minimum Wage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of the targeted enforcement activity undertaken, HMRC have collaborated with care sector representative bodies, such as the UK Home Care Association, and payroll software service providers to improve understanding and awareness of National Minimum Wage compliance issues and assist in the development of compliance toolkits to enable those organisations to promote and facilitate voluntary compliance.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Hertfordshire answering member printed Mr David Gauke grouped question UIN 211864 question first answered 03/11/2014 15:30:25 answering member 1529 label Biography information for Mr David Gauke
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham