Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

47470

	registered interest
	date	08/04/2014
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what appeals process is in place for alternative providers which unsuccessfully applied to have courses designated under the new specific course designation arrangements; and whether any alternative providers have successfully so appealed.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hodge Hill
	tabling member printed	Mr Liam Byrne
	uin	195760
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>Applications for specific designation under the new specific designation arrangements are decided by the Secretary of State. There is no appeals process.</p> answering member constituency Havant answering member printed Mr David Willetts question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 53 label Biography information for Lord Willetts
	tabling member	1171 label Biography information for Liam Byrne

47492

	registered interest
	date	08/04/2014
	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
	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 has taken to improve levels of customer service in UK businesses.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Ann McKechin
	uin	195935
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>Well-functioning, competitive markets encourage growth by creating incentives for firms to become more efficient and innovative to compete for customers including through better service quality. Markets can only be fully competitive if consumers are active and confident, meaning that they are willing to challenge firms to provide a better deal, switch between suppliers, and take up new products.</p><p> </p><p>That is why this Government has undertaken the most fundamental reform to the competition and consumer landscape in decades to make the UK's already world class market framework fit for the future. That has included establishing a new Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), streamlining the landscape of Government-funded consumer organisations to put Citizen's Advice at its centre, and overhauling the UK framework of consumer rights through the Consumer Rights Bill.</p> answering member constituency Cardiff Central answering member printed Jenny Willott question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1497 label Biography information for Jenny Willott
	tabling member	1419 label Biography information for Ann McKechin

47737

	registered interest
	date	08/04/2014
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will introduce financial support for individuals who have worked previously but do not qualify for statutory paternity leave and pay because they have recently started in their new position.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	195838
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The Government has no plans to introduce financial support for individuals who do not qualify for statutory paternity leave and pay because they do not have the required length of service.</p><p> </p><p>Paternity leave and pay was considered as part of a broader examination of family-related leave which led to the introduction of Shared Parental Leave and Pay through the Children and Families Act 2014.</p><p> </p><p>It is important to maintain the right balance between the needs of employees to take leave and the needs of employers to have certainty when recruiting and hiring new staff. Paternity leave and pay can be taken immediately from the birth of a child to allow the father to care for the mother and the newborn. This means that unlike annual leave, where the exact dates of the absence can be agreed in advance, paternity leave dates are subject to change.</p><p> </p><p>The 26 week service qualification period allows employers to plan effectively to cover an employee's absence during the paternity leave period, which would not be possible if the employee had just been recruited.</p><p> </p><p>Unlike paternity leave, maternity leave is a day one right to ensure the health and well-being of both mother and baby. In order to qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay, a mother must have 26 weeks qualifying service (the same requirements as for paternity pay). Those mothers who do not have the requisite service for statutory maternity pay may be entitled to Maternity Allowance. This is because the benefit system recognises pregnant women and new mothers have a specific need for protect their own health and safety, and the health of their child, by allowing them to take time off work. There is no equivalent paternity allowance or adoption allowance, as there are not equivalent health and safety reasons to do so.</p><p> </p><p>We have committed to a review of the changes to employment law enacted by the Children and Families Act after 2018.</p> answering member constituency Cardiff Central answering member printed Jenny Willott question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1497 label Biography information for Jenny Willott
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

47885

	registered interest
	date	09/04/2014
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what progress his Department has made in the development of the growth voucher scheme; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
	tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
	uin	195988
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>Since its launch in January 2014, the Growth Vouchers programme has attracted over 2,500 applications from small businesses and more than £2.5m worth of vouchers have been distributed. Vouchers can only be spent on strategic advice in 5 key areas; raising finance and managing cash flow; recruiting and developing staff; improving leadership and management skills; marketing, attracting and keeping customers; and making the most of digital technology.</p><p> </p><p>We have been working closely with the Professional and Business Services sector and so far over 2,700 private sector business support providers offer their services through a new online marketplace (run by Enterprise Nation), of which over 1,000 are approved to deliver advice under the Growth Vouchers programme.</p><p> </p><p>Providers interested in offering their services should register at: <a href="https://marketplace.enterprisenation.com/marketplaces/users/new" target="_blank">marketplace.enterprisenation.com/marketplaces/users/new</a></p><p> </p><p>Businesses wishing to apply should visit: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/apply-growth-vouchers" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/apply-growth-vouchers</a></p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright

47890

	registered interest
	date	09/04/2014
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, whether UK Trade & Investment has produced the marketing plan and collateral.
	tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
	tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
	uin	195996
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>UK Trade &amp; Investment (UKTI) has developed a professional and business services marketing plan in support of the strategy, setting out marketing messaging which will be used to promote the sector at high profile events such as the Liverpool International Festival of Business in July 2014 and the Global Law Summit in 2015. UKTI has produced images for use in marketing material under the GREAT campaign, is producing a promotional film and is developing a toolkit for reference and use by UKTI in the UK and overseas as an aid to promoting and supporting the sector. UKTI is working to identify case studies and develop messaging for use by stakeholders in their marketing activities.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Michael Fallon question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 88 label Biography information for Sir Michael Fallon
	tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright

48072

	registered interest
	date	09/04/2014
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the evidential basis was of his decision to withdraw Government support from Cheshire Employer and Skills Development Limited (CE&SDL); what assessment he made of the performance of CE&SDL in (a) developing (i) work-based learning and (ii) any other skills, (b) encouraging apprenticeships and (c) other respects in the period (A) following its founding and (B) at the time it was required to cease its activities; and what representations his Department received for and against its decision to withdraw support.
	tabling member constituency	Eddisbury
	tabling member printed	Mr Stephen O'Brien
	uin	196162
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The Government did not withdraw funding from CE&amp;SDL. In 2007, at the request of CE&amp;SDL, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) transferred the contract for skills provision from CE&amp;SDL to a successor legal entity, Total People. CE&amp;SDL continued to operate when the contract was transferred to Total People but did not directly receive any further funding nor did it acquire funding as a subcontractor. It was dissolved as a company in April 2014. The Skills Funding Agency, as the LSC's successor, continued to fund Total People, and still does so today.</p><p> </p><p>Both the earliest and latest performance data available demonstrate a mixed picture. Prior to 2007 CE&amp;SDL's performance was below the national average. After 2007, and the transfer of contact to Total People, performance was stronger and sometimes higher than national average.</p><p> </p><p>Neither the Government nor the Skills Funding Agency has received any representations about this organisation.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	427 label Biography information for Mr Stephen O'Brien

48113

	registered interest
	date	10/04/2014
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what levels of stock his Department holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables.
	tabling member constituency	Wokingham
	tabling member printed	Mr John Redwood
	uin	196195
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Staff are encouraged to help reduce waste in the Department by avoiding printing documents unless completely necessary and by reusing or recycling stationery where appropriate. The default setting on BIS printers is to print in black and white and to print double sided. This uses less energy and ink and cuts down on the demand for paper and reduces costs.</p> answering member constituency Cardiff Central answering member printed Jenny Willott question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1497 label Biography information for Jenny Willott
	tabling member	14 label Biography information for John Redwood

48120

	registered interest
	date	10/04/2014
	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
	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 disqualification reports were submitted by each Official Receiver's office in the year ending 31 March 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	196334
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>Detailed in the following table is the office breakdown for the number of disqualification reports submitted in the year ended 31 March 2014.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>OR Offices</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of reports submitted</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Anglia</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Central Midlands</p></td><td><p>25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Midlands &amp; S Yorks</p></td><td><p>29</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Greater Manchester</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Humber and E Yorks</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Kent</p></td><td><p>9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>London - Essex</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>London - Herts, Bucks</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mid West and N Wales</p></td><td><p>21</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North East</p></td><td><p>19</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North West</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South Central</p></td><td><p>9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South Wales</p></td><td><p>26</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South West</p></td><td><p>7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Surrey and Sussex</p></td><td><p>24</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West England</p></td><td><p>17</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>289</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>PIU</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North</p></td><td><p>71</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South</p></td><td><p>36</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>107</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Cardiff Central answering member printed Jenny Willott question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1497 label Biography information for Jenny Willott
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

48125

	registered interest
	date	10/04/2014
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the annual (a) total cost and (b) cost per (i) female and (ii) male employee of maternity and paternity leave.
	tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
	tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
	uin	196413
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The Government carried out an analysis of the costs and benefits of providing leave for mothers and fathers in the impact assessment which accompanied its consultation on the administration of shared parental leave which was published in February 2013. This can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/110692/13-651-modern-workplaces-shared-parental-leave-and-pay-impact-assessment2.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/110692/13-651-modern-workplaces-shared-parental-leave-and-pay-impact-assessment2.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>The impact assessment reflects the fact that there are costs for both the Exchequer and business associated with the taking of maternity and paternity leave. Business costs include, for example, where employers provide occupational maternity or paternity schemes which go beyond the statutory minimum, and the costs associated with recruiting staff to cover a period of absence.</p><p> </p><p>In relation to Exchequer costs, the Government collects data on the total amount of statutory paternity pay and statutory maternity pay paid to employees by employers and uses this to estimate the numbers taking paternity/maternity leave and the size of average, or average weekly, claims. These figures represent the cost to the Exchequer rather than business as statutory payments can be reclaimed by the employer. The latest available figures for the costs to the Exchequer are as follows:</p><p> </p><p><strong>Maternity pay and maternity allowance</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of claimants commencing in year 2011/12</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total claimed</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average claim (2010/11)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Maternity Pay</p></td><td><p>355,000</p></td><td><p>£2.2 billion</p></td><td><p>£5,890</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>Source: Expenditure is from employer returns to HMRC and is the average amount recovered by employers. Average claim and spells commencing is based on L2 data (a 1% sample of HMRC National Insurance Contribution records). </strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average number of claimants at any one time: May 2013</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total Expenditure: 2012/13</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average weekly claim: May 2013</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Maternity Allowance</p></td><td><p>57,400</p></td><td><p>£395 million</p></td><td><p>£117.57</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Source: A combination of DWP accounting data and 5% Administrative Data. Further figures on Maternity Allowance are available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/maternity-allowance-quarterly-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/maternity-allowance-quarterly-statistics</a></strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Notes</strong></p><ol type="1"><li><strong>SMP</strong><strong>Expenditure is subject to change due to late returns submitted by employers to HM Revenue and Customs.</strong></li><li><strong>Maternity allowance weekly amounts are the average in payment at the end of May 2013.</strong></li><li><strong>Maternity allowance claimants exclude a small number of clerical cases and only include those with a successful claim to Maternity Allowance. </strong></li></ol><p><strong>Paternity pay</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of claimants</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total claimed</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average claim</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2012/13 </strong></p></td><td colspan="3"><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay</p></td><td><p>208,600</p></td><td><p>£50.3 million</p></td><td><p>£241.25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Additional Statutory Paternity Pay</p></td><td><p>3,867</p></td><td><p>£5.8 million</p></td><td><p>£1,218</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>Note: All figures are estimates using the HMRC CANDIF database. Figures are calculated using a 2% or 3% scan of employer National Insurance returns and scaling the results up to create a 100% estimate. Scan conducted in January 2014.</strong></p> answering member constituency Cardiff Central answering member printed Jenny Willott question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1497 label Biography information for Jenny Willott
	tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

48418

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2014
	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
	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 is taking to increase the number of higher apprenticeships in Lancashire.
	tabling member constituency	Fylde
	tabling member printed	Mark Menzies
	uin	196486
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>Higher apprenticeship starts in Lancashire Local Education Authority have increased from 40 in the 2009/10 academic year to 370 in 2012/13.</p><p> </p><p>The Budget announced £20 million over 2014-15 and 2015-16 for new support for employer investment in apprenticeships in England up to postgraduate level, which will provide apprentices with the technical skills that employers need. This will complement the £80 million funding over 2014-15 and 2015-16 for 20,000 more higher apprenticeships announced in the autumn statement – more than doubling current volumes.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	3998 label Biography information for Mark Menzies