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157097

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2014
	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	Further Education: Teachers
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of teachers in further education colleges are employed on zero hours contracts.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
	uin	HL3042
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Business Innovation and Skills does not collect information about the terms and conditions of employment of individuals working in the further education sector. Further education colleges are independent organisations responsible for determining the terms and conditions of their employees.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 01/12/2014 12:10:25 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	3792 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

157098

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2014
	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	Directors: LGBT+ People
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the action they have taken on gender and race, what efforts they are making to improve the representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people on corporate boards in the United Kingdom.
	tabling member printed	Lord Browne of Madingley
	uin	HL3043
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/12/2014 answer text <p>Following Lord Davies’s Review on Women on Boards in 2011, we are now at 22.8% women on FTSE 100 boards (October 2014), from a starting point of 12.5% in 2011.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State for Business innovation and Skills has also recently asked Trevor Phillips to start a new private sector led campaign which will look to address the lack of ethnic diversity in boardrooms, based in part on research that indicates the proportion of Black &amp; Ethnic Minority people in leadership positions is lower than expected compared to the wider population (estimated at 5.1% and 14% respectively).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Recruitment, appointment and promotion should always be on merit, irrespective or gender, race, disability or sexual orientation. We believe it is in the best interests of business to tap into the widest talent pool and that by definition means a diverse and representative leadership team.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We expect that through the progress made on gender and the planned work on ethnic diversity, the momentum will help to improve diversity on corporate boards for all people from different backgrounds, including those from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 03/12/2014 16:07:22 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	2172 label Biography information for Lord Browne of Madingley

164233

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2014
	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	Counterfeit Manufacturing
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to stop the sale of counterfeit goods online in the United Kingdom.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL3063
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/12/2014 answer text <p>This Government takes Intellectual property (IP) crime very seriously and is working closely with law enforcers and rights holders to tackle criminality, including the sale of counterfeit goods online. We recently announced an additional £3 million investment in the police IP crime unit (PIPCU), securing its future until 2017. PIPCU is an operationally independent law enforcement unit dedicated to tackling serious and organized IP crime affecting physical and digital goods.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In addition to this, the Intellectual Property Office continues its coordinating role to ensure that industry, Government and law enforcement share intelligence, and that collaborative operations result in arrests. All this activity is supported by a range of education programmes and a government/private industry partnership to provide IP training to enforcement officers and brand representatives to help them tackle issues arising from counterfeit products.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 03/12/2014 16:03:29 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

164523

	registered interest
	date	24/11/2014
	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	Package Holidays: EU Action
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made on the Package Travel Directive and what is their definition of Assisted Travel Arrangements.
	tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
	uin	HL3116
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2014 answer text <p>Negotiations in the European Council are nearing completion. The proposal was discussed at the Competitiveness Council of Ministers on 4 December and a General Approach was agreed by Member States’ Ministers. We expect final agreement to be achieved in the New Year following the completion of the next stage in the negotiation; discussions between the Presidency of the Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The definition of Assisted Travel Arrangements in the text agreed at Council is:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>'assisted travel arrangement' means at least two different types of travel services purchased for the purpose of the same trip or holiday, not constituting a package within the meaning of paragraph 2(b), resulting in the conclusion of separate contracts with the individual travel service providers, if a trader facilitates:</p><p> </p><p>(a) on the occasion of a single visit or contact with its point of sale, the separate selection and separate payment of each travel service by travellers, or</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>(b) in a targeted manner, the procurement of additional travel services from other traders where contracts with such other traders are concluded not more than 48 hours after the confirmation of the first travel service.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong><br> </strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 08/12/2014 16:42:09 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

166095

	registered interest
	date	25/11/2014
	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	Sign Language: Interpreters
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the market for British Sign Language interpreters to meet the needs of the deaf community.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
	uin	HL3153
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/12/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Business Innovation and Skills supports British Sign Language (BSL) provision in England through the Adult Skills Budget (ASB). Colleges and providers have the freedom and flexibility to use the ASB as best fits the needs of their local learners and businesses. This includes BSL qualifications, for those wishing to learn for their own use or to become an interpreter.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Skills provision in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter and the assessment and adequacy of BSL provision is the responsibility of the devolved administrations.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe grouped question UIN HL3154 question first answered 03/12/2014 16:16:06 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	2024 label Biography information for Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

166096

	registered interest
	date	25/11/2014
	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	Sign Language: Interpreters
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that there are enough fully qualified British Sign Language interpreters to support the needs of the deaf community.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
	uin	HL3154
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/12/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Business Innovation and Skills supports British Sign Language (BSL) provision in England through the Adult Skills Budget (ASB). Colleges and providers have the freedom and flexibility to use the ASB as best fits the needs of their local learners and businesses. This includes BSL qualifications, for those wishing to learn for their own use or to become an interpreter.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Skills provision in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter and the assessment and adequacy of BSL provision is the responsibility of the devolved administrations.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe grouped question UIN HL3153 question first answered 03/12/2014 16:16:06 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	2024 label Biography information for Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

166197

	registered interest
	date	26/11/2014
	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
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to change the eligibility criteria for young people who wish to undertake apprenticeships, but have prior academic qualifications such as A-levels.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL3181
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/12/2014 answer text <p>Having prior academic qualifications does not preclude a young person being eligible to do an apprenticeship. There are therefore no plans to change the eligibility criteria.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Full details of the funding rules can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-rules" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-rules</a> and cover both the current apprenticeship programme and for the Trailblazer Apprenticeship Standards</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 03/12/2014 16:11:28 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

166630

	registered interest
	date	27/11/2014
	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	Post Offices
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many post offices and sub-post offices have closed in the United Kingdom since 2005.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL3221
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2014 answer text <p>In November 2010, this Government published its policy statement “Securing the Post Office network in the digital age”, which made a clear commitment that this Government would end the programmes of closure of the previous administration, and instead invest in the Post Office to secure a network of at least 11,500 branches with a sustainable long-term future.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Since 2010, this Government has committed nearly £2 billion to maintain, modernise and protect the Post Office network, and this is clearly reflected in the network figures that show the size of the network is now stabilised. It is important to note that within a network of over 11,500 branches that is overwhelmingly operated by independent agents, there will be fluctuations in the number of open branches as subpostmasters leave the network for a number of reasons, such as retirement. Where a replacement is not immediately available, the Post Office works hard to restore access to services in the community.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Post Office makes details of the size of its network available to Parliament on a regular basis. These show that at on 31 March 2005, there were 14,609 post offices. The comparative figure at the end of the 2013-14 reporting year showed there were 11,697 branches. The following table sets out changes to the network size for the years between 2005 and 2014:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Reporting date</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Post Office network size</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31 March 2005</p></td><td><p>14,609</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31 March 2006</p></td><td><p>14,376</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31 March 2007</p></td><td><p>14,219</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31 March 2008</p></td><td><p>13,567</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31 March 2009</p></td><td><p>11,952</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31 March 2010</p></td><td><p>11,905</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31 March 2011</p></td><td><p>11,820</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31 March 2012</p></td><td><p>11,818</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31 March 2013</p></td><td><p>11,780</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31 March 2014</p></td><td><p>11,697</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 08/12/2014 15:39:37 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

167253

	registered interest
	date	02/12/2014
	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	Minimum Wage
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent steps they have taken to improve enforcement of the national minimum wage.
	tabling member printed	Lord Browne of Belmont
	uin	HL3354
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2014 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs enforces the National Minimum Wage for all workers and investigates every complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights helpline. In addition, HMRC conducts pro-active enforcement in sectors or areas where there is a higher risk of workers not getting paid the legal minimum wage.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is taking a tough approach towards employers that do not comply with the National Minimum Wage (NMW) law, including through making their non-compliance public. 55 employers have been named so far and between them they owed workers a total of over £139,000 in arrears.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has also increased the financial penalty percentage that employers pay for breaking minimum wage law from 50 per cent to 100 per cent of the unpaid arrears owed to workers and the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £20,000. This came into effect on 7 March 2014. We are introducing primary legislation so that the penalty can be calculated on a per worker basis.</p><p> </p><p>Any worker who thinks they are not being paid what they are legally entitled to can call the Pay and Work Right Helpline on 0800 917 2368. Employers can also call the helpline for free advice if they are unsure of their obligations.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 11/12/2014 14:21:53 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	3801 label Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont

167619

	registered interest
	date	03/12/2014
	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	Apprentices: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about encouraging businesses to offer apprenticeships to young people.
	tabling member printed	Lord Browne of Belmont
	uin	HL3393
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>Apprenticeship policy is a devolved matter. It is for the devolved administration of Northern Ireland to determine how they manage their apprenticeship programme including engagement with employers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The devolved administrations were consulted during the apprenticeship review in England and we have engaged with them since to consider any implications to their own apprenticeship programme.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 17/12/2014 14:12:39 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	3801 label Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont

168127

	registered interest
	date	05/12/2014
	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	Parcels
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action are they taking to ensure people are aware of their rights when they receive poor service from parcel delivery firms.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL3469
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2014 answer text <p>On 31 July this year the UK Statement of Principles on Parcel Deliveries, developed through collaboration between Citizens Advice and the British Retail Consortium, was published. The Principles set out best practice for businesses, such as parcel delivery firms, on how they can ensure fair delivery prices, consumers can obtain delivery cost information upfront and get clear directions to the terms and conditions. This will help consumers to be better informed about online retailers’ pricing policies in particular with regard to delivering to consumers in remote communities. The Statement of Principles is available on the Citizens Advice website: <a href="http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/scotland/news/whats_new_sep14_statement_of_principles_for_parcel_deliveries_now_covers_the_uk.htm" target="_blank">http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/scotland/news/whats_new_sep14_statement_of_principles_for_parcel_deliveries_now_covers_the_uk.htm</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>If a consumer has a problem with a parcel delivery firm they can contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 08454 04 05 06 or through their website (<a href="https://www.adviceguide.org.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.adviceguide.org.uk</a>) which offers a free service on how consumers can proceed with their complaints.</p><p> </p><p>Currently, Citizens Advice is giving Christmas shopping tips, with guidance on what consumers can do if they suffer delivery problems when buying Christmas gifts. This advice can be found on their website: <a href="http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/news/whats_new_dec14_christmas_shopping_tips.htm" target="_blank">http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/news/whats_new_dec14_christmas_shopping_tips.htm</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Consumer Rights Bill which is currently before Parliament, will clarify and enhance consumer rights and remedies when contracting with traders for the provision of services, such as parcel delivery firms. This will make it clear for the first time that if traders breach the rights set out in the Bill, the trader is required to re-perform the service to bring it up to scratch or failing that offers a reduction in price. We have been working closely with consumer groups, including Citizens Advice, to develop an effective publicity campaign, including the use of social media to raise consumers’ awareness of these new rights. The Citizens Advice website will be updated by 1 <strong>October 2015</strong> when the Bill is anticipated to come into force.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 15/12/2014 13:02:28 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

168442

	registered interest
	date	08/12/2014
	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	Summertime
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the 1968–71 experiment of continuous British Summer Time (GMT+1) will be repeated to obtain updated statistics in order to select the best clock time for daylight saving during the winter months.
	tabling member printed	Lord Tanlaw
	uin	HL3472
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2014 answer text <p>We will not be repeating the 1968-71 experiment of continuous British Summer Time (GMT+1), as there is no consensus across the whole of the UK for this experiment to take place. There are both negative and positive effects, but until a UK wide consensus is confirmed we have no plans to change the clocks.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 15/12/2014 14:09:29 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	3200 label Biography information for Lord Tanlaw

168494

	registered interest
	date	08/12/2014
	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	Apprentices
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total number of apprenticeship frameworks started in England in academic years 2012–13 and 2013–14 by young adults aged (1) 19–21, and (b) 22–24.
	tabling member printed	Lord Willis of Knaresborough
	uin	HL3524
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts in England for age groups 19-21 and 22-24 in 2012/13 and 2013/14.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Table 1: Apprenticeship Starts by Age, 2012/13 to 2013/14</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Age group</p></td><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>2013/14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>19-21</p></td><td><p>99,900</p></td><td><p>101,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>22-24</p></td><td><p>65,400</p></td><td><p>58,100</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>19-24 total</p></td><td><p>165,400</p></td><td><p>159,100</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source: Individualised Learner Record</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p> </p><p>1) Volumes are rounded to the nearest 100.</p><p> </p><p>2) Age is calculated based on age at the start of the programme.</p><p> </p><p>3) Volumes are a count of the number of starts at any point in the year. Learners starting more than one apprenticeship will appear more than once.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 17/12/2014 14:34:20 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4151 label Biography information for Lord Willis of Knaresborough

169064

	registered interest
	date	09/12/2014
	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	Private Equity
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to introduce any further transparency requirements for companies owned or substantially owned by private equity funds.
	tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
	uin	HL3554
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2014 answer text <p>Measures to create a central, public register of people with significant control over UK companies are contained within the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill. Where a private equity fund owns more than 25% of a UK company’s shares or voting rights – or otherwise exercises significant control over that company - the company will need to disclose information on the control of the fund in line with the requirements in Schedule 3 of the Bill.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government does not have any plans to introduce any further transparency requirements on such companies.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 22/12/2014 14:52:51 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

169066

	registered interest
	date	09/12/2014
	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	Counterfeit Manufacturing
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the performance of Trading Standards in the United Kingdom in securing convictions for (1) the production, (2) the sale, (3) the distribution, and (4) the importation of counterfeit goods.
	tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
	uin	HL3556
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2014 answer text <p>Trading Standards services, including tackling counterfeit goods, are provided by local authorities. Local authorities operate independently from central government and are accountable to their own electorate, allocating resources according to local priorities.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Local authorities do not report regulatory outputs to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Therefore, the Department does not hold this information.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 19/12/2014 13:13:17 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

169317

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2014
	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	Construction: Recruitment
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the levels of employment in the construction industry, what plans they have to enhance opportunities for school leavers intending to enter the construction industry.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL3603
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/12/2014 answer text <p>The Government is committed to driving up apprenticeship opportunities for young people in the construction sector. New industry designed apprenticeships and employer led training will give construction firms, both large and small, the power to develop the workforce they need. Significant funding and support is available to employers through the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE), through support from the Construction Industry Training Board, and from April 2016 employers will no longer be required to pay employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under the age of 25 on earnings up to the upper earnings limit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>On 10 December the Government announced the creation of a new careers and enterprise company for schools to transform the provision of careers education and advice for young people and inspire them about the opportunities offered by the world of work. Separately, the Construction Leadership Council is examining the image of the sector and looking at the barriers to providing young people with work experience and developing an understanding of the opportunities in the construction industry.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 29/12/2014 17:01:35 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

169346

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2014
	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	Foreign Investment in UK
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what success has thus far been achieved by the Regeneration Investment Organisation in securing investment from overseas investors for projects in (1) Greater London, and (2) parts of the United Kingdom outside Greater London that are not included in the National Investment Plan.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kinnock
	uin	HL3632
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2014 answer text <p>UKTI has been focused on securing investment in UK regeneration projects for three years. The Regeneration Investment Organisation was established within UKTI a year ago to strengthen this support for regeneration projects nationwide.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>RIO currently has more than ten active commercial dialogues between investors and regeneration projects following introductions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Additionally, successes by RIO (or by UKTI preceding the establishment of RIO) include the following:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>1) Greater London: RIO worked in partnership with London &amp; Partners and the Greater London Authority to encourage investment from new participants in markets including China, Malaysia, Singapore, UAE, USA, Canada. UKTI was involved in attracting international investment in to Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms alongside L&amp;P and the GLA.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>2) Outside Greater London: UKTI, working with local partners, helped in the successful introduction of a Chinese investor to Manchester City Airport, an £800m scheme. It also secured investment for residential schemes in Manchester and Solihull. RIO is focused on ensuring that there is a very strong longer-term pipeline of investable projects outside London – currently 90% are outside the capital. RIO works with all parts of the UK, whether or not there are projects in that area that are included in the National Infrastructure Plan. Details remain confidential at this stage but RIO will shortly announce a major project outside of London.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 19/12/2014 13:41:45 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	693 label Biography information for Lord Kinnock

169347

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2014
	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	Regeneration Investment Organisation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for further development of the Regeneration Investment Organisation over (1) the next two years, (2) the next five years, and (3) the next 10 years.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kinnock
	uin	HL3633
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2014 answer text <p>UKTI’s Regeneration Investment Organisation (RIO) was established a year ago to help international investors identify and fund regeneration opportunities in the UK. RIO was established to address the delays and the fragmentation of the current offer for international investors, acting as a “one stop shop”.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In its first year, RIO has identified a pipeline of 41 ‘shovel ready’ projects requiring £33bn of investment and actively markets this pipeline to international investors. Over the next two years, this pipeline will be developed further and RIO will identify additional international investors to match to the pipeline of opportunities.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Success for RIO over the next five to ten years will be to have established a track record of successful investment in regeneration projects, enabling sustainable jobs and growth across the UK.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 19/12/2014 13:41:11 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	693 label Biography information for Lord Kinnock

169358

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2014
	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	Directors: Equality
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they have in place to monitor the diversity of (1) Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, and (2) LGBT, persons serving as directors of public companies.
	tabling member printed	Lord Tebbit
	uin	HL3644
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/12/2014 answer text <p>Under the Companies Act listed companies are required to report on diversity, including gender, in their annual reports. Company reporting is overseen by the Financial Reporting Council and companies are required to follow the UK Corporate Governance Code on a comply-or-explain basis.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In September 2014 FRC published an updated Code, including changes to the preface reinforcing the importance of diversity in all its forms on the board. This includes, but is not limited to, gender and race.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>At the launch on 15<sup>th</sup> December 2014, the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills welcomed a new private sector-led campaign which will look to address the lack of ethnic diversity in boardrooms, based in part on research that indicates the proportion of Black &amp; Ethnic Minority people in leadership positions is lower than expected compared to the wider population (estimated at 5.1% and 14% respectively). Measuring progress is a key part of the campaign.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 29/12/2014 16:08:25 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	952 label Biography information for Lord Tebbit

169661

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2014
	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	Tickets: Fraud
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Neville-Rolfe during the Report Stage of the Consumer Rights Bill on 19 November that "there is fraud in the ticket market; we do not dispute the numbers quoted from the National Fraud Authority on this. In this case of ticket fraud, it reports £1.5 billion of losses" (HL Deb, col 489), whether they intend to take action in the Bill to address the scale of fraud on consumers, in particular sports, music, theatre and entertainment fans.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Heyhoe Flint
	uin	HL3648
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/12/2014 answer text <p>There is existing legislation in place to protect fans, as consumers, when they buy tickets. The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 ensure consumers are given key information before they buy from a trader.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These Regulations exist alongside the Fraud Act 2006 which encompasses frauds involving tickets.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Whilst we do not believe that further legislation is required on the specific issue of ticket fraud, the Government is reflecting on the best way to respond to the debate on tickets during Lords Report Stage of the Consumer Rights Bill.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 24/12/2014 11:57:29 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4224 label Biography information for Baroness Heyhoe Flint

169663

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2014
	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	Sports: Tickets
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking in the Consumer Rights Bill to ensure that sports fans buying tickets through secondary markets have a right to basic information about the seat and row they have on their ticket for a sporting event; whether they consider that fans should have a right to know the original face value of a ticket; and whether they consider that they should have an opportunity to ascertain whether the ticket is genuine by being able to review essential details on the ticket with the box office.
	tabling member printed	Lord Moynihan
	uin	HL3650
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2014 answer text <p>As the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and associated guidance make clear. The provision of certain information on tickets offered for sale to the public is an existing requirement for traders (including “<em>for a ticket associated with a particular reserved seat (e.g. Seat 1, Row A) the seat number</em>”).</p><p> </p><p>However, since Report Stage I have been discussing these issues with Ministerial colleagues and interested parties, and will continue to do so, in order to ensure the genuine concerns of fans and ticket sellers are addressed.</p><p /> <p> </p><p /> <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 19/12/2014 12:52:02 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	924 label Biography information for Lord Moynihan

169664

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2014
	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	Tickets
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to achieve the core Department for Business, Innovation and Skills mission statement objective of increasing transparency and empowering customers in respect of sports fans, theatre-goers and concert-goers seeking to secure reasonably priced tickets from secondary ticket markets.
	tabling member printed	Lord Moynihan
	uin	HL3651
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2014 answer text <p>The Government has issued guidance relating to online ticket sales in the context of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. This guidance establishes how the requirements of these Regulations regarding transparency are interpreted for this market. This ensures that consumers purchasing tickets online from a trader are made aware of “<em>their total price (including delivery costs and other charges)</em>” and the “<em>main characteristics</em>” of the tickets, where “<em>main characteristics” </em>includes<em> “the date and time of the event and the content of the event (e.g. who is performing)</em>” and “<em>for a ticket associated with a particular reserved seat (e.g. Seat 1, Row A) the seat number</em>”.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 19/12/2014 13:23:54 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	924 label Biography information for Lord Moynihan

169665

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2014
	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	Cricket: Tickets
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to investigate the number of tickets available for sale on the secondary market for the Ashes Test at Lords in 2015 which comply with the Consumer Contracts Information Cancellation and Additional Charges Regulations 2013; and what action they intend to take in respect of the findings of any such investigation.
	tabling member printed	Lord Moynihan
	uin	HL3652
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2014 answer text <p>The Government has no plans specifically to investigate the number of tickets available on the secondary market for the Ashes test at Lords in 2015.</p><p> </p><p>Enforcement of The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 is a matter for Trading Standards and any consumers with concerns should approach their local authority’s Trading Standards or Citizens Advice via their helpline which is 03454 040506.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 19/12/2014 13:29:47 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	924 label Biography information for Lord Moynihan

170076

	registered interest
	date	12/12/2014
	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	Aggregates
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the availability of aggregates for the construction industry.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL3711
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills publish data on the aggregates industry, in their statistical bulletin ‘Monthly Statistics of Building Materials and Components’. This does not include any measure of availability (such as stock levels), but does include sales of; sand for building; sand for concreting; gravel for concreting, and other uses; sand and gravel for coating; sand, gravel, and hoggin for fill; and marine dredged sand and gravel.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><p><strong>Sales of Sand and Gravel in Great Britain</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p>Great Britain</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td colspan="2"><p> </p><p>Thousand tonnes</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Sand</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Sand</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Gravel</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Sand &amp;</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Sand,</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Sand &amp;</strong></p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Gravel</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Gravel</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Gravel</strong></p></td><td><p>of which</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>for</p></td><td><p>for</p></td><td><p>for</p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>&amp; Hoggin</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Building</p></td><td><p>Concreting</p></td><td><p>Concreting</p></td><td><p>for</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Marine-</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>&amp; other uses</p></td><td><p>Coating</p></td><td><p>for Fill</p></td><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p><strong>Dredged</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>Q4</p></td><td><p>1,227</p></td><td><p>4,510</p></td><td><p>4,115</p></td><td><p>..</p></td><td><p>..</p></td><td><p>12,074</p></td><td><p>2,634</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>Q1</p></td><td><p>1,420</p></td><td><p>4,450</p></td><td><p>4,463</p></td><td><p>400</p></td><td><p>1,741</p></td><td><p>12,475</p></td><td><p>2,447</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>Q2</p></td><td><p>1,355</p></td><td><p>4,419</p></td><td><p>4,788</p></td><td><p>320</p></td><td><p>1,207</p></td><td><p>12,090</p></td><td><p>2,900</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>Q3 (P)</p></td><td><p>1,674</p></td><td><p>5,277</p></td><td><p>5,122</p></td><td><p>699</p></td><td><p>1,116</p></td><td><p>13,889</p></td><td><p>3,489</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p>P – provisional</p><p>.. – not available</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Source: BIS</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 22/12/2014 14:51:46 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

170077

	registered interest
	date	12/12/2014
	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	Aggregates
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that the United Kingdom aggregates industry can compete fairly against overseas suppliers.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL3712
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2014 answer text <p>Returning the UK to balanced and sustainable growth is a key priority and Industrial Strategy is a key part of the plan. Improving the UK’s trade position is central to much of Industrial Strategy.</p><p> </p><p>The trade position in UK aggregates is positive. In the most recent quarter (2014Q3), provisional figures from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills show that UK exports of aggregates outstripped exports by 5,958 thousand tonnes (6,904 thousand tonnes of exports, compared to 946 thousand tonnes of imports).</p><p> </p><p>The level of imports and exports in non-specialist aggregates to the UK is relatively low. For instance, over the same quarter (2014Q3), provisional figures for UK sales of sand for building and concreting totalled 6,951 thousand tonnes, compared to UK imports of 370 thousand tonnes of sand for construction and exports of 165 thousand tonnes.</p><p> </p><p>The Aggregates Levy – an environmental tax levied on commercially exploited aggregates – has been frozen for the last four years to support the construction industry. The tax is levied on imported aggregate, but not on that exported by UK producers, enabling them to compete fairly with overseas suppliers. The Government remains committed to reinstating the Aggregate Levy Credit Scheme in Northern Ireland following a positive decision by the European Commission earlier this year. The credit scheme helped mitigate the different market conditions the aggregates industry in Northern Ireland faces due to sharing a land boundary with another EU Member State.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 22/12/2014 14:51:15 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark