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155456

registered interest
date	11/11/2014
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Coal Gasification: Wales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) undertaken on the amount of coal resources in Wales available using gasification technology.
tabling member constituency	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
tabling member printed	Jonathan Edwards
uin	214376
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department has not commissioned any recent research on coal resources in Wales available using gasification technology. There are currently two conditional underground coal gasification licences in Wales, one in the Dee Estuary, the other in the Loughor Estuary and both issued to Cluff Natural Resources plc by one of DECC’s non-departmental public bodies, the Coal Authority.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/11/2014 15:53:51 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3943 label Biography information for Jonathan Edwards

155458

registered interest
date	11/11/2014
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Energy: Competition
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of changes in competitiveness in the gas and electricity market for consumers in (a) Pendle constituency, (b) the North West and (c) England.
tabling member constituency	Pendle
tabling member printed	Andrew Stephenson
uin	214181
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text <p>Great Britain operates as a single energy market and therefore competitiveness is assessed on that basis.</p><p>There are 25 energy suppliers currently operating in the domestic supply market, consisting of 6 major and 19 independent supply companies. Since May 2010, 12 new suppliers have entered the market and they have more than trebled their customer base. Independent suppliers now account for around 9% of the domestic retail market up from 1% in 2010.</p><p>The best way to keep everyone’s bills down is to help people to save energy, ensure fair tariffs and encourage competition. Ofgem’s measures to reform the retail energy market are making it simpler for consumers to understand. While the Government has ensured that everyone is on the cheapest tariff that their supplier offers (that meets their preference).</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 18/11/2014 15:50:25 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson

147415

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
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	Riot Control Weapons: Hong Kong
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which companies have received licences for the export of tear gas to Hong Kong since January 2010.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
uin	213989
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>Seven licences have been granted to four companies for the export of tear gas for Hong Kong since 2010.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The names of the companies who were granted these licences are exempt from disclosure because this information was provided in confidence and such information is commercially sensitive.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government will not issue an export licence if there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/11/2014 15:34:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

147417

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
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	New Businesses: Harlow
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 new businesses were started in the Harlow constituency in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Harlow
tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
uin	214048
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>BankSearch collates data on the number of new business bank accounts opened in Great Britain. This can be used as an indicative measure of business start-up activity and is the most comprehensive source available to the Department. Data goes as far back as 2008.</p><p>The estimated number of business start-ups (rounded) in the Harlow constituency for the years 2008 to 2013 are shown in the table below.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Total estimated number of business start-ups in the Harlow constituency</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>590</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>640</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>770</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>800</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>800</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>670</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Source: BankSearch, based on the number of new business bank accounts opened.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/11/2014 11:15:33 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

147424

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
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	Small Businesses: Rotherham
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 offer additional support to small businesses in Rotherham whose sales have been affected by repeated English Defence League marches in that town; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Rotherham
tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
uin	214111
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>There is a range of support available to help businesses, including those businesses in Rotherham affected by recent marches. Advice and support available for businesses can be found at <a href="http://www.greatbusiness.gov.uk/" target="_blank">www.greatbusiness.gov.uk</a>. The Business Support Helpline can also provide advice and support, from quick responses to a personalised and in-depth advice service for more complex needs, and for businesses in crisis. The Helpline is available on Tel: 0300 456 3565.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For those businesses experiencing cashflow problems, Business Debtline provides confidential and independent advice on managing financial difficulties (Tel: 0800 197 6026). In addition, any business facing a short term difficulty which they couldn’t have planned for can always approach HM Revenue &amp; Customs to discuss the possibility of deffering some payments of tax.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/11/2014 15:32:50 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

142065

registered interest
date	06/11/2014
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	Business: Regulation
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 new statutory regulations on business have been introduced since May 2010; and how many regulations on businesses have been repealed in that time.
tabling member constituency	Christchurch
tabling member printed	Mr Christopher Chope
uin	213792
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>Since this Government came into office we have reduced the stock of existing regulation through the Red Tape Challenge programme and controlled the flow of regulation through the One-in, One-out and One-in, Two-out rules. Any Department wishing to introduce new regulations which impose a cost on business can only do so if they make a reduction in cost through the removal of regulations with equivalent costs from elsewhere. From January 2013 the Government increased its deregulatory ambition by introducing the One-In, Two-Out rule, under which Departments must find two pounds of saving for every pound of extra cost imposed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The achievements of these two programmes will be set out in the Ninth Statement of New Regulation, to be published in December 2014. At the time of publishing the Eighth Statement in July 2014, there had been 72 regulatory ‘INs’ and 152 deregulatory ‘OUTs’ since January 2011, as well as 126 measures with zero net cost to business. As a result, this Government has so far reduced the annual cost to business of domestic regulation by over £1.5 billion since January 2011.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 11/11/2014 15:15:07 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	242 label Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope

142183

registered interest
date	06/11/2014
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent representations he has received on the safety concerns relating to fracking; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Thirsk and Malton
tabling member printed	Miss Anne McIntosh
uin	213684
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department regularly receives representations regarding safety, or other concerns, relating to shale gas development and exploration and we have produced a range of guidance material which set out how these concerns are addressed. These can be found at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/providing-regulation-and-licensing-of-energy-industries-and-infrastructure/supporting-pages/developing-shale-gas-and-oil-in-the-uk" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/providing-regulation-and-licensing-of-energy-industries-and-infrastructure/supporting-pages/developing-shale-gas-and-oil-in-the-uk</a></p><p>We have a strong regulatory framework in place to ensure a comprehensive regime for exploratory activities, and the UK has over 50 years of experience in oil and gas drilling. All of the right regulations are in place to ensure on-site safety, prevent water contamination, air pollution and mitigate seismic activity.</p><p>In June 2012 the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering published an independent review of the scientific and engineering evidence on risks associated with UK shale gas development. Their report concluded that environmental (and health and safety) risks can be managed effectively in the UK, when operational best practices are implemented and enforced through regulation.</p><p>In June 2014, Public Health England published a report that evaluated available evidence on issues including air quality, radon gas, naturally occurring radioactive materials, water contamination and waste water. They concluded that “the risks to public health from exposure to emissions from shale gas extraction are low if operations are properly run and regulated.”</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 10/11/2014 13:59:17 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

142185

registered interest
date	06/11/2014
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Renewable Energy: Scottish Islands
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will introduce incentives for the UK energy market to create the conditions to enable sub-sea cables to be laid to Scotland's islands for renewables.
tabling member constituency	Na h-Eileanan an Iar
tabling member printed	Mr Angus Brendan MacNeil
uin	213726
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government introduced Contracts for Difference (CfDs) to provide efficient long-term support for all forms of low carbon electricity generation, including renewables. The specific strike price for onshore wind on the islands aims to bridge the funding gap identified as being a barrier to deployment. DECC intends that Scottish island onshore wind projects will be considered as a ‘non-established’ technology in group 2 for EMR allocation, subject to State Aid approval.</p><p>DECC is working through the Scottish Islands Renewable Energy Delivery Forum, involving the Islands Councils, Scottish Government, industry and other key partners, towards connecting the Scottish islands to the GB transmission grid and thereby enabling the development of renewable energy at scale.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 11/11/2014 09:42:21 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1546 label Biography information for Angus Brendan MacNeil

114570

registered interest
date	05/11/2014
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	Service Industries
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 plans to take to support further growth in the services sector; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that EU regulations do not negatively affect support to businesses in that sector.
tabling member constituency	Belfast North
tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
uin	213505
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>The UK is the second largest exporter of services globally, with services exports valued at £193bn in 2012, accounting for 40% of overall UK exports. The Government is taking steps to strengthen exports of the service sector through: trade negotiations; UK Trade and Investment business support for service exporters; and through the current Industrial Strategy, incorporating eleven sector strategies, including for the highly regarded Professional and Business Services sector. The UK Government is a strong supporter of the Trade in Services Agreement negotiation which could be worth £2-3bn to the UK as the EU’s most externally competitive services economy. The UK is also working closely with other EU countries to ensure that the new European Commission prioritises deepening of the single market in services through the removal of remaining barriers to trade. We will also work closely with the new Commission and other institutions to emphasise the priority the UK attaches to the reduction of unnecessary EU burdens on business across a range of sectors, to support growth and job creation.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 11/11/2014 15:43:04 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

114577

registered interest
date	05/11/2014
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	Skilled Workers: Bristol
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 support the retention of skills and jobs in the Bristol region.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Charlotte Leslie
uin	213595
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>Through the West of England Growth Deal, the Government is investing over £212 million in the region to create and safeguard up to 5,000 jobs, and generate up to £180 million in public and private investment. Investment will also be focused on ensuring the West of England has the right skills within the workforce and key sectors such as: aerospace and advanced manufacturing; creative and digital media; and high-tech industries.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This Growth Deal builds on the significant investment the Government has already made in the Bristol region through: the Bristol City Deal; Regional Growth Fund; and Growing Places Fund. Moving forward, the Government, the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, business and local councils will continue to work together to support economic growth, attract inward investment, and ensure the skills needs of the local area are met .</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A task force based on the Skills and Jobs Retention Group, including local and national Government, local partners, Rolls Royce, the supply chain and others will be established to ensure we do all we can. The Group has a successful track record at redeploying engineering talent with other, growing businesses, most recently working with BAe. Contact has already been made with Rolls Royce to discuss how this can best operate alongside the support that the company itself will offer.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 11/11/2014 10:46:05 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 27369 answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3933 label Biography information for Charlotte Leslie