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1134256

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	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: Billing
	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 assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the maximum payment terms of the Prompt Payment Code from 60 days to 30 days.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	268620
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The Prompt Payment Code (‘the Code’) encourages businesses to aim for 30-day payment terms as the norm, with 60 days as the maximum. Signatories commit to paying 95% of invoices within 60 days, unless there are exceptional circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>In the recent Government Response to the Creating a Responsible Payment Culture Call for Evidence we announced that responsibility for the Code is to move to the Small Business Commissioner and that the Code will be reformed, following engagement with existing Code signatories. We are also keen to increase the number of businesses signed up to the Code.</p><p> </p><p>UK legislation already establishes maximum 30-day payment terms for transactions with public authorities and 60-day payment terms between businesses, unless they agree longer terms and those terms are not grossly unfair to the supplier.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:10:37 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1134260

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	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: Billing
	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 page seven of the Government's response to the paper entitled, Creating a responsible payment culture: a call for evidence on tackling late payment, what the evidential basis is for the statement there was no real consensus, either with regard to the extent of the issue itself or what the best solution to the problem is.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	268624
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>We received 283 responses and respondents expressed a wide range of views in relation to payment practices and experiences. From the wide-ranging evidence provided it is clear there is no ‘magic bullet’ solution. That is why are taking action with a broad package of policy measures to tackle late payments and continue to change culture.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:11:01 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1129325

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2019
	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	Whirlpool Corporation: Tumble Dryers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many members of the public contacted the Office for Product Safety and Standards as a result of its review of Whirlpool’s handling of its tumble dryer safety issue announced in November 2015.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
	tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
	uin	259438
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2019 answer text <p>The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has received just over 7,000 emails from members of the public in relation to its review of Whirlpool’s actions, arising from a Which? correspondence campaign and a further five not initiated by the Which? campaign.</p><p>In the current phase of its ongoing investigation, OPSS is following up with individual consumers who have provided relevant information to ensure that any evidence they hold can be recorded and analysed as incident data. This includes where information has referred to us by third parties, including from the consumer group Which?.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst grouped question UIN 259439 question first answered 06/06/2019 13:00:36 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1129327

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2019
	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	Whirlpool Corporation: Tumble Dryers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how correspondence sent to the Office for Product Safety and Standards by members of the public as a result of its review of Whirlpool’s handling of its tumble dryer safety issue announced in November 2015 was taken into account as part of that inquiry’s final report.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
	tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
	uin	259439
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2019 answer text <p>The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has received just over 7,000 emails from members of the public in relation to its review of Whirlpool’s actions, arising from a Which? correspondence campaign and a further five not initiated by the Which? campaign.</p><p>In the current phase of its ongoing investigation, OPSS is following up with individual consumers who have provided relevant information to ensure that any evidence they hold can be recorded and analysed as incident data. This includes where information has referred to us by third parties, including from the consumer group Which?.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst grouped question UIN 259438 question first answered 06/06/2019 13:00:36 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1134257

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	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: Billing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how he plans to define late payments that the Small Business Commissioner will enforce.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	268621
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>Within the Small Business Commissioner’s (the Commissioner) remit to tackle late payment and help drive culture change in private sector payment practices, the Commissioner addresses small business complaints about their larger customers. The Commissioner will make non-binding recommendations as to how the issues could be resolved, remedied and mitigated.</p><p> </p><p>Further detail of the Commissioner’s complaints handling scheme is set out in the Small Business Commissioner (Scope &amp; Scheme) Regulations 2017.</p><p> </p><p>I announced in the recent Government Response to the Call for Evidence on Creating a Responsible Payment Culture that we will consult on strengthening the Commissioner’s ability to assist and advocate for small businesses in the area of late payments.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:10:44 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1129797

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2019
	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 Card Account
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Post Office card accounts were (a) active and (b) opened in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	260059
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.</p><p> </p><p>While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The number of Post Office card accounts active or opened in each of the last five years are operational matters for Post Office Limited. I have therefore asked Alisdair Cameron, the Group interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the Hon. Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 12/06/2019 14:23:19 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1130369

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	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	Company Liquidations
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many companies have gone into liquidation in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	261193
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2019 answer text <p>The Insolvency Service publishes quarterly statistics containing the number of new company liquidations in England and Wales; Scotland; and Northern Ireland. This is broken down into compulsory liquidations and creditors’ voluntary liquidations. The most recent statistics, covering the period January to March 2019, were published on 30 April 2019 on gov.uk.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 12/06/2019 14:22:26 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1134092

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	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	Corporation Tax
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many companies previously registered as non-resident for corporation tax purposes in countries other than Luxembourg provided an address in Luxembourg to the Land Registry in May 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Walthamstow
	tabling member printed	Stella Creasy
	uin	268475
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2019 answer text <p>HM Land Registry do not hold information about a company’s tax status as this is not required for land registration purposes.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 27/06/2019 11:27:55 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4088 label Biography information for Stella Creasy

1128589

	registered interest
	date	23/05/2019
	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	National Federation of SubPostmasters
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many postmasters (a) are company members of NFSP Ltd and (b) have been registered as voting members with Companies House, as required by the Articles of Association of NFSP Ltd and the Grant Funding Agreement between Post Office and NFSP Ltd.
	tabling member constituency	North Durham
	tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
	uin	257669
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.</p><p> </p><p>While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Matters concerning postmasters and their members of organisational bodies is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. I have therefore asked Alisdair Cameron, the Group interim Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 06/06/2019 09:35:07 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

1131387

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	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	Conditions of Employment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many prosecutions there have been for breaching a labour market enforcement undertaking or order in each year since those undertakings and orders came into force.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
	tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
	uin	263218
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2019 answer text <p>The Immigration Act 2016 introduced the provision for three labour market enforcement bodies to serve labour market enforcement undertakings (LMEU) and orders (LMEO): the Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs – National Minimum Wage Team (HMRC – NMW).</p><p> </p><p>To date, no prosecution has resulted from breaching a labour market enforcement undertaking or order.</p><p> </p><p>Each enforcement body has a different legal framework for the disclosure of information related to LMEUs. Both EAS and HMRC – NMW cannot disclose the name of the employers or the nature of the offences without informed consent from the employers involved as this would be in breach of their respective customer confidentiality clauses. Section 9 of the Employment Agency Act precludes EAS from publishing the name or details of enforcement action without the permission of the employment business or agencies involved. Section 18 of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act (CRCA) 2005 precludes HMRC from disclosing/sharing information about an individual or taxpayer to a third party.</p><p> </p><p>The GLAA routinely discloses the dates and the type of trigger offences for which its LMEUs are served. Whilst the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004 does not preclude the GLAA from disclosing the names of the recipients of LMEUs, the GLAA does not deem appropriate to release their identity. Identity disclosure would defeat the purpose of LMEUs which are a voluntary agreement meant to be a proportionate sanction to encourage compliant behaviour from the recipient.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The table below displays the information that could be disclosed by the three enforcement bodies:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Enforcement Body</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of LMEU served</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Date of commencement</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Trigger offence</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><p><strong>EAS</strong></p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>04/04/18</p></td><td><p>Not disclosed</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>03/04/18</p></td><td><p>Not disclosed</p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="10"><p><strong>GLAA</strong></p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>20/03/18</p></td><td rowspan="10"><p>All these LMEUs have been issued for trigger offences under section 12 and 13 of the Gangmasters Licensing Act 2004 which respectively refer to acting as an unlicensed gangmaster and using labour supplied by an unlicensed gangmaster.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>22/05/18</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>21/06/18</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>13/07/18</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>23/07/18</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>16/08/18</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>21/08/18</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>31/12/18</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>15/04/19</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>26/04/19</p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="8"><p><strong>HMRC - NMW</strong></p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>19/06/18</p></td><td><p>Not disclosed</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>27/06/18</p></td><td><p>Not disclosed</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>21/08/18</p></td><td><p>Not disclosed</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>05/11/18</p></td><td><p>Not disclosed</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>22/10/18</p></td><td><p>Not disclosed</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>30/10/18</p></td><td><p>Not disclosed</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>16/11/18</p></td><td><p>Not disclosed</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>07/03/19</p></td><td><p>Not disclosed</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Total: 28</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst grouped question UIN 263213 question first answered 17/06/2019 09:57:18 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
	tabling member	4607 label Biography information for Stephanie Peacock