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170297

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
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he received reports from the MacDonald Partnership in relation to mis-sold Scottish Power Power Plan warranties; what the titles of such reports were; and when he plans to respond to those reports.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Walton
tabling member printed	Steve Rotheram
uin	218595
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>The initial report from Mr MacDonald was received on 17 July 2014 for review by the Insolvency Service. Further information including another more detailed report was received from him during September and October 2014, and these again have been reviewed by the Insolvency Service. The reports are confidential.</p><p> </p><p>The reports themselves do not require a direct response but I can confirm that the Insolvency Service has completed its review of this material and is in communication with Mr MacDonald.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 17/12/2014 11:11:20 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4035 label Biography information for Steve Rotheram

224364

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
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	Packaging
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for what reasons publication of the final report on the review of enforcement of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 in respect of copycat packaging has been delayed; and when he plans to publish that report.
tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
uin	225807
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p>I regret that it has not yet proved possible to publish the report. The detailed and full responses we received have led to officials making further inquiries into a number of issues. It is important that the views of interested parties are properly considered, and that we take the necessary time to do this. We will issue the report as soon as possible.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 09/03/2015 16:59:31 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright

170299

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, how he plans to keep the people who lost money following the failure of firms involved in Scottish Power's cash back warranty scheme updated on progress on the review of whether there will be a further investigation of that matter.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Walton
tabling member printed	Steve Rotheram
uin	218621
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Investigations conducted under section 447 Companies Act 1985 are confidential, therefore it is not possible to announce whether or not such an investigation is taking place, or to report on the investigation outside of strict statutory gateways.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Whether or not an investigation under section 432 Companies Act 1985 is being undertaken is something which can be announced, and I am able to confirm that such an investigation will not be commenced at this stage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Because the liquidation of the companies involved in the scheme is still under way, I do not propose to make a public announcement about the outcome of any review. However the creditors of those companies will receive reports from the liquidators if they are to be paid further dividends.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 18/12/2014 12:10:36 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4035 label Biography information for Steve Rotheram

179112

registered interest
date	11/02/2015
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 (a) Crown and (b) sub-post offices have been (i) temporarily and (ii) permanently closed in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	224174
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2015 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 a network of at least 11,500 branches that continues to meet strict access criteria that see, for example, 99% of the population nationally living within three miles of a post office outlet.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This Government has also committed that there will be no programme of Post Office closures and there are currently around 11,700 post office branches in the UK, with the Post Office network at its most stable for over two decades.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As the provision of post offices and the investment made under its network transformation programme are the operational responsibility of Post Office Limited I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on these matters. A copy of her reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson grouped question UIN 224172 224217 question first answered 24/02/2015 11:27:56 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

171770

registered interest
date	02/01/2015
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, how many (a) external and (b) Civil Service appointees have worked in ministerial offices in his Department (i) since May 2010 and (ii) between May 2005 and May 2010.
tabling member constituency	Batley and Spen
tabling member printed	Mike Wood
uin	219588
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2015 answer text <p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) currently has 9 Ministers, 7 of whom share offices with other Government Departments. There are no external appointees currently working in BIS ministerial offices. The total number of civil service appointed Private Office staff as at 6 January 2015 is 33.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>BIS is unable to provide any historic data due to changes to the HR systems.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 12/01/2015 17:28:43 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	401 label Biography information for Mike Wood

227689

registered interest
date	17/03/2015
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, how many and what proportion of employees in his Department identify as (a) white or white British, (b) Asian or Asian British, (c) Black or Black British, (d) mixed or multiple ethnic group and (e) another ethnicity.
tabling member constituency	Ashfield
tabling member printed	Gloria De Piero
uin	227951
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2015 answer text <p>Table 1 gives the proportion of staff in each ethnic group in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. These proportions are statistical estimates derived from the 2014 Civil Service People Survey.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Table 1: Ethnicity of staff in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Ethnicity</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Estimated Proportion</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>White or White British</p><p> </p></td><td><p>77%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Asian or Asian British</p></td><td><p>5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Black or Black British</p></td><td><p>5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mixed or multiple ethnic group</p></td><td><p>2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Any Other Ethnicity</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Undeclared Ethnicity</p></td><td><p>10%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong>Source: Civil Service People Survey 2014</strong></p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 24/03/2015 11:26:54 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	3915 label Biography information for Gloria De Piero

227462

registered interest
date	16/03/2015
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	Living Wage
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 and what proportion of staff (a) of his Department and (b) working for companies contracted by his Department in Scotland are paid less than the living wage.
tabling member constituency	East Renfrewshire
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Murphy
uin	227663
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2015 answer text <p>There are no direct employees in this Department paid less than the living wage, either nationally or in Scotland.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We do not centrally hold details of the pay levels of staff working for companies contracted by the Department. However on 1 April 2014 my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills confirmed a requirement for companies contracted by the Department to increase the wages of their lowest paid workers to £7.85.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 19/03/2015 15:35:28 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	595 label Biography information for Mr Jim Murphy

175649

registered interest
date	26/01/2015
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, how many apprentices aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 24 and (c) 25 or over are employed by his Department.
tabling member constituency	Streatham
tabling member printed	Mr Chuka Umunna
uin	222107
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2015 answer text <p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills currently employs 47 apprentices.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>3 apprentices are aged (a) 16 to 18,</p><p> </p><p>12 apprentices are aged (b) 19 to 24 and</p><p> </p><p>32 apprentices are aged (c) 25 or over.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 29/01/2015 15:03:10 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4128 label Biography information for Chuka Umunna

222852

registered interest
date	23/02/2015
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, how many apprentices employed by (a) his Department and (b) its executive agencies and associated bodies are aged (i) 16 to 18, (ii) 19 to 24 and (iii) 25 years or older; and how many of those apprentices employed in each form of body and of each age group were previously employed by the Government.
tabling member constituency	Streatham
tabling member printed	Mr Chuka Umunna
uin	225059
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2015 answer text <p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills currently employs 47 apprentices.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>3 apprentices are aged (i) 16 to 18,</p><p> </p><p>12 apprentices are aged (ii) 19 to 24 and</p><p> </p><p>32 apprentices are aged (iii) 25 or over.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>31 apprentices aged 25 or over were previously employed by the Government. None of the apprentices in the other age groups were previously employed by the Government.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I have asked Chief Executives of the executive agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member and these are attached.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 26/02/2015 16:44:25 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson attachment 1 file name Agencies-Response-to-225059.pdf title Agencies Response to 225059
tabling member	4128 label Biography information for Chuka Umunna

178062

registered interest
date	05/02/2015
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	Tax Avoidance
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 complaints the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate has received about umbrella payroll companies in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	223605
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2015 answer text <p>The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) enforce the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 (both as amended).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These regulations apply only to employment agencies which place people permanently with employers, and employment businesses who place people temporarily with hirers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>If an umbrella company is providing payroll services they would not fall within the definition of either an employment agency or employment business and EAS would not have vires to take enforcement action.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>If, however, they were providing work-finding services in addition to payroll services they could be investigated by EAS, but would be recorded in the investigation as either an employment agency or employment business.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Umbrella companies acting as employers are still required to comply with employment law and where individuals feel that their statutory employment protections have been breached, they are able to seek redress through the normal routes. However, it can be difficult for individuals to be sure of whether they are “employees” or “workers” and which employment protections they have. That is why, in October, the Business Secretary announced a review of employment status aimed at identifying options that provide more clarity and transparency up front.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson grouped question UIN 223606 223607 question first answered 12/02/2015 16:55:08 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck