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445402

registered interest
date	18/01/2016
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statutory regulations on business have been introduced since May 2015; and how many regulations on businesses have been repealed in that time.
tabling member constituency	Christchurch
tabling member printed	Mr Christopher Chope
uin	22976
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2016 answer text <p>Under the provisions of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, the Government will list the measures it has made since May 2015 affecting business in its annual report to Parliament on delivering the Business Impact Target. The first report will be published in summer 2016. However, details of legislation made by all Government departments, their associated impacts; and regulations that have been repealed can be found on the Legislation.Gov website.</p><p><strong></strong></p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 21/01/2016 17:07:28 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	242 label Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope

445140

registered interest
date	15/01/2016
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	Green Investment Bank
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2015 to Question 902718, what transfer arrangements are in place for the 70 green specialists employed by the Green Investment Bank should they be transferred to the private sector.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff West
tabling member printed	Kevin Brennan
uin	22746
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2016 answer text <p><strong></strong></p><p>Private investors will be buying the Green Investment Bank company and employees will continue to be employed by that company. No transfer arrangements are therefore required.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 20/01/2016 17:37:25 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	1400 label Biography information for Kevin Brennan

444899

registered interest
date	14/01/2016
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	Green Investment Bank
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2015 to Question 14108, which projects are part of the Green Investment Bank's forward business plan; what the (a) stage of completion and (b) amount of funding given is for each of those projects; and what guarantees are in place to ensure that these schemes are completed by any new owners of the Green Investment Bank.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff West
tabling member printed	Kevin Brennan
uin	22578
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/01/2016 answer text <p>Potential investment opportunities identified in the forward business plan of UK Green Investment Bank (GIB), and the company’s estimates of what level of financing it might commit to these, are commercially sensitive matters and are not made public. Potential investors in GIB will be invited to consider the company’s business plan in accordance with appropriate confidentiality agreements.</p><br /><p>Irrespective of whether GIB remains in Government ownership or is moved into the private sector, there is no way to guarantee that any of the projects identified in GIB’s business plan will in fact proceed nor any certainty that GIB will be involved in their financing if they do - they remain only potential investment opportunities.</p><br /><p>Details of the commitments GIB has entered into to date can be found on the company’s website at: <a href="http://www.greeninvestmentbank.com/our-investments/" target="_blank">http://www.greeninvestmentbank.com/our-investments/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 19/01/2016 16:12:50 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	1400 label Biography information for Kevin Brennan

444903

registered interest
date	14/01/2016
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: Small Businesses
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, for what reasons the remit of the proposed Small Business Commissioner does not include businesses in the construction industry; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Falkirk
tabling member printed	John Mc Nally
uin	22536
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2016 answer text <p><strong></strong></p><p>The Small Business Commissioner (SBC) will not consider a complaint which is covered by a statutory right to adjudication; or is within scope of an ombudsman, regulator or another public body.</p><br /><p>We do not want the SBC to duplicate existing dispute resolution bodies or schemes, particularly where these are sector specific. Certain disputes arising under a construction contract are covered by a statutory right to adjudication under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (the “Construction Act”).</p><br /><p>The Government has announced its plans for taking forward a Post Implementation Review of the effectiveness of the “Construction Act” following amendments introduced in 2011 - alongside the review of the practice of cash retention in construction, and is very pleased that the Construction Leadership Council has agreed to oversee this.</p><p><strong></strong></p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 20/01/2016 17:41:49 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

444905

registered interest
date	14/01/2016
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	Insolvency Service: Kingston upon Hull
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the total annual saving to the public purse has been of the closure of the Hull office of the Insolvency Service.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
uin	22593
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/01/2016 answer text <br /><p>The decision to close the Hull office, with effect from 14 November 2014, was based on savings with a Net Present Value of £289,000 over 5 years. The profile of savings is such that they will mainly be realised towards the end of that period. Current information is that we are on course to achieve these savings.</p><p><strong></strong></p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 19/01/2016 16:46:34 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

444912

registered interest
date	14/01/2016
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	Green Investment Bank: Privatisation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2015 to Question 14108, if he will place in the Library a copy of the preliminary feedback on his announcement of the privatisation of the Green Investment Bank.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff West
tabling member printed	Kevin Brennan
uin	22689
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/01/2016 answer text <p>The preliminary feedback to which my earlier answer refers is the outcome of private informal conversations that the Green Investment Bank (GIB) and our financial advisers have had with a number of potential investors on an in‑confidence basis to help gauge market appetite for acquiring a stake in GIB. The substance of these conversations is commercially sensitive and not for publication. The Government does, though, intend to report to Parliament setting out our detailed plans for a sale and to provide a further report following completion of a transaction and any subsequent transactions.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 19/01/2016 16:15:01 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	1400 label Biography information for Kevin Brennan

444542

registered interest
date	13/01/2016
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	Green Investment Bank: Privatisation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what impact assessment the Government has undertaken on its decision to privatise the Green Investment Bank.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff West
tabling member printed	Kevin Brennan
uin	22471
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2016 answer text <p>The Government is moving UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) into private ownership so it can continue operating in the same way it does now only funded with private capital rather than relying on taxpayers’ support. The detailed background and supporting case for this move was set out in the policy statement we published on 18 November. Decisions on the proposed sale are being taken in accordance with best practice to ensure all available options are properly examined in a detailed business case and that a robust valuation process is followed. The process does not involve preparation of an impact assessment as there are no regulatory or significant cost impacts of a majority sale of GIB, or changes to pre-existing policy goals for GIB.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 18/01/2016 16:28:50 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	1400 label Biography information for Kevin Brennan

444751

registered interest
date	13/01/2016
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	Hoverboards: Safety
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 improve the safety of hoverboards.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	22500
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2016 answer text <br /><p>Self-balancing scooters, commonly referred to as hover-boards are regulated for safety under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations. These Regulations require products to be safe. Enforcement of the Regulations rests with Trading Standards for consumer products. Trading Standards have already prevented over 100,000 being made available to consumers and further action is being taken as appropriate.</p><br /><p>The Regulations provide powers for non-compliant products to be prevented from being made available to consumers until they are brought into compliance. Where products are not brought into compliance Trading Standards can apply to the Courts for permission to destroy the goods.</p><br /><p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been working with Trading Standards to ensure consistency of approach to deal with these products and to raise the profile of the potential safety issues with consumers.</p><p><strong></strong></p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 21/01/2016 17:10:37 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

444102

registered interest
date	12/01/2016
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: Billing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which 10 companies owed the greatest amount of late payment debt to SMEs in each six-month period of the last 10 years.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	22124
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2016 answer text <p><strong></strong></p><p>The Department does not hold the information required. However, BACS data shows that small and medium businesses are owed a total of £26.8 billion, and the average small business is waiting for £31,900 in overdue payments.[1]</p><br /><p>The Government recognises that late payment remains an important issue for small businesses in the UK and is taking significant steps to assist small businesses to recover late payment debts. This is part of a package of measures to tackle late payment. We have also legislated for new transparency measures in the public and private sectors.</p><br /><p>The Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 legislated for new reporting requirement on the UK’s largest companies and Regulations will be introduced this year which will compel larger companies to report on payment practices and performance. This information will be published on a six-monthly basis and will be made publicly available.</p><br /><p>The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 introduced a requirement for all public-sector buyers to publish annually, from 2017, their liability to debt interest payments. In central government we have gone further and faster. We will be publishing against these requirements quarterly from April this year. This will allow full public scrutiny of payment performance.</p><br /><p>Through the Enterprise Bill, currently before Parliament, we will legislate to establish a Small Business Commissioner to give general advice and to help small businesses resolve disputes relating to payment matters with larger businesses.</p><br /><p>Tackling late payment is about creating a responsible payment culture where larger companies recognise the benefit of having a sustainable and robust supply chain, and smaller businesses feel able to challenge poor behaviour. Once implemented, the Government is confident that these measures will lead to significant changes in the UK’s payment culture.</p><br /><p><strong></strong></p><br /><p>[1] BACS Data June 2015.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry grouped question UIN 22125 22126 22130 22183 question first answered 20/01/2016 17:48:40 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

444103

registered interest
date	12/01/2016
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: Billing
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 SMEs have been declared bankrupt as a result of late payments in each of the last 10 years.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	22125
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2016 answer text <p><strong></strong></p><p>The Department does not hold the information required. However, BACS data shows that small and medium businesses are owed a total of £26.8 billion, and the average small business is waiting for £31,900 in overdue payments.[1]</p><br /><p>The Government recognises that late payment remains an important issue for small businesses in the UK and is taking significant steps to assist small businesses to recover late payment debts. This is part of a package of measures to tackle late payment. We have also legislated for new transparency measures in the public and private sectors.</p><br /><p>The Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 legislated for new reporting requirement on the UK’s largest companies and Regulations will be introduced this year which will compel larger companies to report on payment practices and performance. This information will be published on a six-monthly basis and will be made publicly available.</p><br /><p>The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 introduced a requirement for all public-sector buyers to publish annually, from 2017, their liability to debt interest payments. In central government we have gone further and faster. We will be publishing against these requirements quarterly from April this year. This will allow full public scrutiny of payment performance.</p><br /><p>Through the Enterprise Bill, currently before Parliament, we will legislate to establish a Small Business Commissioner to give general advice and to help small businesses resolve disputes relating to payment matters with larger businesses.</p><br /><p>Tackling late payment is about creating a responsible payment culture where larger companies recognise the benefit of having a sustainable and robust supply chain, and smaller businesses feel able to challenge poor behaviour. Once implemented, the Government is confident that these measures will lead to significant changes in the UK’s payment culture.</p><br /><p><strong></strong></p><br /><p>[1] BACS Data June 2015.</p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry grouped question UIN 22124 22126 22130 22183 question first answered 20/01/2016 17:48:40 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson