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432438

	registered interest
	date	25/11/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Refrigerators: Safety
	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 safety of chemicals in domestic refrigerators, in the light of recent reports by <i>Which?</i>.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Byford
	uin	HL3952
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2015 answer text <p>Officials are in regular contact with industry and a range of other stakeholders about the safety of electrical products, including refrigerators. Officials are also regularly in contact with their opposite numbers in other Member States to discuss safety issues. However, no recent specific assessment has been made of the safety of chemicals used in these products.</p><br /> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 10/12/2015 12:29:11 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	3343 label Biography information for Baroness Byford

433050

	registered interest
	date	30/11/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Innovate UK
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what key market sectors have been identified for priority assistance by Innovate UK.
	tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
	uin	HL4010
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2015 answer text <p>Innovate UK consults widely to prioritise technology areas for investment and carefully considers issues such as global market opportunity and UK research excellence and business capability.</p><br /><p>Innovate UK’s current priority areas are agriculture and food, built environment, digital economy, emerging technologies, enabling technologies, energy, health and care, high value manufacturing, resource efficiency, space applications, transport and urban living. Following the Government’s Spending Review, Innovate UK is considering its strategy for business-led innovation support across the UK’s technology areas for the next Spending Review period, which will be presented to Ministers in spring 2016.</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 10/12/2015 12:30:23 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

431562

	registered interest
	date	23/11/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Small Businesses
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking in response to data published by the European Commission in its 2015 Annual Report on European SMEs, which found that access to finance and finding customers are some of the greatest issues faced by SMEs in the EU.
	tabling member printed	Lord Cotter
	uin	HL3825
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2015 answer text <p>The European Commission’s Annual Report on European SMEs 2014/15 found that, access to finance for SMEs across the EU has decreased in importance with only 13% (down from 15% in 2013) citing it as the most pressing problem in 2014 behind a number of other issues. The UK’s SME Finance Monitor also found that 79% of SME loan and overdraft applications were successful in the 18 months to 2015 Q2, up from 67% in Q4 2013.</p><br /><p>The Government continues to take steps to improve access to finance. The British Business Bank, for example, is supporting £2.4 billion of finance to over 40,000 smaller businesses, and participating in a further £3.3 billion of finance to small mid-sized businesses, as of the end of June. In addition, the implementation of measures in the Small Business and Employment Act 2015 will require the largest banks to refer customers who have been declined finance to alternative providers via designated platforms.</p><p>The report also highlights that finding customers remains a problem for SMEs but that this is relatively less problematic than in previous years. We are supporting SMEs by providing advice on a range of issues through Growth Hubs, which join up local resources; the My Business Support Tool which helps businesses find the support they need quickly; and the Business Support Helpline.</p><br /><p>Government has made public contract opportunities easier to find by making them all accessible on an improved single online portal. The Contracts Finder contains current public sector contracts (above £10,000 in Central Government and £25,000 in the wider public sector) and a forwardpipelineof potential contract opportunities up to 2020.</p><br /><p>Of the 50,000 plus businesses that make up the customer base of UK Trade &amp; Investment, some 90% are SMEs.</p><br /><p>UKTI provides tailored help for SMEs, including: working out which markets suit their business; identifying export opportunities; introducing them to key contacts and setting up business meetings; and helping firms exhibit their goods and services at trade fairs.</p><br /> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 10/12/2015 16:56:25 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	3786 label Biography information for Lord Cotter

432581

	registered interest
	date	26/11/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Productivity
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the productivity levels in the UK compared with the rest of the G7 in each year since 1990.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL3990
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2015 answer text <p>The data is available on the ONS website, under the international Comparisons of Productivity section. For your ease, I have provided the table below:</p><p><strong>Current price GDP per hour worked (UK=100)</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>UK</p></td><td><p>G7 exc. UK</p></td><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>UK</p></td><td><p>G7 exc. UK</p></td><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>UK</p></td><td><p>G7 exc. UK</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1990</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td></td><td><p>2000</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>107</p></td><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>115</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1991</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>119</p></td><td><p>2001</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>108</p></td><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>114</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1992</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>116</p></td><td><p>2002</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>106</p></td><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>116</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1993</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>112</p></td><td><p>2003</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>105</p></td><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>117</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1994</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>111</p></td><td><p>2004</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>105</p></td><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>120</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1995</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>111</p></td><td><p>2005</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>106</p></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p>1996</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>109</p></td><td><p>2006</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>104</p></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p>1997</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>109</p></td><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>106</p></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p>1998</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>109</p></td><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>107</p></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><p>1999</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>111</p></td><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>110</p></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Data are in current prices, allowing cross-country comparison of productivity for each individual year.</p><p>Source: International Comparisons of Productivity, First Estimates for 2014, ONS (Sep 2015)</p><p><a href="http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/icp/international-comparisons-of-productivity/2014---first-estimates/stb-icp0915.html" target="_blank">http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/icp/international-comparisons-of-productivity/2014---first-estimates/stb-icp0915.html</a></p><p>* Productivity data for the G7 are unavailable for 1990 due to the absence of comparable data for pre-reunification Germany.</p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 10/12/2015 12:24:35 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

432405

	registered interest
	date	25/11/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Apprentices
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the age profile of the total number of apprentices in 2013–14 and 2014–15.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL3919
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2015 answer text <p>In the 2013/14 academic year there were 851,500 government funded apprentices. Of these, 185,800 were aged under 19, 308,900 were aged 19-24 and 356,900 were aged over 25.</p><br /><p>Over the 2014/15 academic year there were 871,800 government funded apprentices. Of these, 194,100 were aged under 19, 315,000 were aged 19-24 and 362,600 were aged over 25.</p><br /><p>Information on Apprenticeship participation by age in 2013/14 and 2014/15 is published as part of a Statistical First Release:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held</a></p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 10/12/2015 12:14:18 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe attachment 1 file name SFR_commentary_November_2015__1_.pdf title Statistical First release commentary
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

433077

	registered interest
	date	30/11/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Business: Ethnic Groups
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to commission a review into the obstacles that prevent more people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds from reaching senior positions in business, similar to the Women on Boards review by Lord Davies of Abersoch.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL4037
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2015 answer text <br /><p>Government believes that businesses benefit from a rich and wide talent pool including people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.</p><p>Government is fully supportive of the private led Diversity initiative chaired by Sir John Parker who are currently considering this issue. We expect the group to report on their findings in 2016.</p><p>There are no current plans for Government to commission a separate review into the obstacles that are preventing more people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds from reaching senior positions in the boardroom.</p><br /> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 10/12/2015 12:35:15 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

433137

	registered interest
	date	30/11/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Public Houses: Training
	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 have discussions with pub chains on training staff to identify people with suicidal tendencies in order to stop serving such people alcohol.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	18209
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2015 answer text <p>The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has no plans to undertake such discussions but as part of the continuing programme of work to support the government’s suicide prevention strategy, Public Health England has published guidance for local authorities to develop local suicide prevention action plans. The guidance suggests that local authorities establish a local suicide prevention group and work with relevant organisations in their area to co-ordinate activities to reduce suicide. Those groups can work with landlords and pub managers.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 10/12/2015 17:31:40 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

433729

	registered interest
	date	02/12/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has conducted of the adequacy of the level of financial support offered to small businesses that have been in operation for two years or less; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	18526
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2015 answer text <p>The Government recognises that new businesses can encounter difficulties in obtaining the finance they need to start-up or grow. However I am encouraged that net lending to smaller businesses has been recovering strongly since the end of 2014. The Bank of England has reported that credit conditions for SMEs seeking finance are improving and the SME Finance Monitor shows that 80% of SME loan and overdraft applications were successful in the 18 months to 2015 Q3, up from 68% in Q4 2013.</p><p>Latest figures show that net SME lending from banks participating in the Funding for Lending Scheme grew by £675m in the third quarter and the Bank of England recently announced that allowances earned by banks for increasing their net lending under the scheme will be available to draw down for a further two years. The government also continues to fund start-up loans, with more than 33,000 loans worth over £180 million issued so far and a target to deliver 75,000 loans by the end of the parliament.</p><p>I am also encouraged by our growing alternative finance sector, with the UK the leading fin tech centre of Europe.</p><p>A recent report from the Legatum Institute rated the UK as the best country in the EU in which to start a business and the government will continue to back our small businesses to start and grow.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 10/12/2015 17:31:04 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

435759

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	UK Trade and Investment: Staff
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many UK Trade and Investment staff worked in each of the industrial sectors on 1 April 2015; and what the budget for each such sector is in 2015-16.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Paul Flynn
	uin	19008
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2015 answer text <p>UK Trade &amp; Investment supports eleven sectors, and other priority sectors, such as creative industries and the information economy.</p><br /><p>We are working with a number of other Government departments to ensure companies of all sectors are represented in Government efforts overseas.</p><br /><p>The table below shows the number of staff on 1 April 2015 and the most recent budget information for our core sector teams and investment organisations.</p><br /> <br /><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Staff</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Budget, £m</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Consumer, Retail &amp; E-exporting</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>5.7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Creative Industries &amp; Global Sports &amp; Construction</p></td><td><p>25</p></td><td><p>3.1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>UKTI Education</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>1.0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Energy &amp; Transport</p></td><td><p>27</p></td><td><p>3.7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Healthcare UK</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>1.6</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Information Economy</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td><p>2.9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Advanced Manufacturing</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>1.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>UKTI Agri-Tech Organisation</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>1.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>UKTI Automotive Investment Organisation</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>1.7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>UKTI Financial Services Organisation</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>1.7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Innovation Gateway</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>1.3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>UKTI Life Science Organisation</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>2.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>UKTI Offshore Wind Investment Organisation</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>1.1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>UKTI Regeneration Investment Organisation</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1.4</p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 10/12/2015 17:33:13 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
	tabling member	545 label Biography information for Paul Flynn

435760

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Defence and Security Organisation
	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 staff worked for the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation on 1 April 2015; and what the budget of that organisation is for 2015-16.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Paul Flynn
	uin	19009
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2015 answer text <br /><p>At 1 April 2015 the UK Trade &amp; Investment Defence and Security Organisation had 140 staff-in-post. As at 1 April the 2015-16 budget for UKTI DSO was £9.75M NET.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 10/12/2015 17:35:41 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
	tabling member	545 label Biography information for Paul Flynn