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1535939

registered interest
date	25/10/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Business: Debts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of trends in the regional spread of business debt in (a) each of the last five years, (b) during the covid-19 outbreak and (c) during the cost of living crisis.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	71098
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2022 answer text <p>The Department monitors regional trends in business lending through the British Business Bank (BBB), the SME Finance Monitor survey, and the trade associations UK Finance and Responsible Finance. The BBB’s three regional funds support access to debt and equity finance in Cornwall, the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine, including Coventry.</p><p> </p><p>The regional spread of business debt broadly reflects national demand for business lending and the regional distribution of the business population. Differences within regions are more significant, with Community Development Finance Institutions playing a valuable role in enabling access to debt finance for businesses in under-served areas.</p><p> </p><p>According to the SME Finance Monitor, the proportion of all SMEs using external finance was 38% in Q2 2022, down from the 45% using finance in Q2 2021 and in line with pre-pandemic levels. Use of debt finance is higher for SMEs trading internationally and those with plans to grow. The majority (86%) of SMEs are in the category of ‘happy non-seekers’ of finance, meaning that they have either no debt or a level of borrowing that they consider sufficient for their needs.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 28/10/2022 12:56:15 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1536003

registered interest
date	25/10/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Horizon IT System
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to support postmasters affected by the Horizon scandal.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Mr Jonathan Lord
uin	71059
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2022 answer text <p>The Government is providing substantial funding to help Post Office give postmasters affected by the Horizon scandal the compensation they deserve.</p><p> </p><p>Post Office is negotiating compensation with wrongly convicted postmasters, paying interim compensation of up to £100,000; as of 17 October, £7.6 million has been paid.</p><p>The Government is funding additional compensation to those non-convicted postmasters who took Post Office to the High Court. As of 24 October, interim payments of £15.9 million had been made.</p><p> </p><p>The Historical Shortfall Scheme is compensating other non-convicted postmasters. As of 26 October, offers totalling £57 million had been made to 85% of eligible HSS claimants.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 03/11/2022 16:38:49 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

1536080

registered interest
date	25/10/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Living Wage: Children and Young People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he will take steps to ensure that all workers aged (a) under 16 and (b) 16 to 18 are paid the real living wage as minimum.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	71142
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2022 answer text <p>The Government is committed to increasing the National Minimum Wage as much as possible without damaging employment prospects for younger workers. This is why on 1 April 2022, Government increased the National Minimum Wage rates for both workers under 18 and 18-20 years old by 4.1% to £4.81 and £6.83 respectively. For younger workers, the priorities in those first years are to secure work and gain experience which has always been reflected in the National Minimum Wage rate structure.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 04/11/2022 14:30:39 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1535154

registered interest
date	24/10/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Business: Government Assistance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he will take to support businesses that have reported as being in significant financial distress.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	69601
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2022 answer text <p>The Government has reversed the National Insurance rise, which will save SMEs approximately £4,200 on average, cut fuel duty for 12 months and brought in the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, to protect small businesses from high energy costs over the winter.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) is designed to help SMEs access finance they would otherwise not be able to access commercially. The current iteration of the scheme was launched on 1 August 2022 and supports finance up to £2 million per business group. RLS is available through 38 accredited lenders including banks, asset finance providers, regional and social lenders.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 31/10/2022 14:56:53 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1535389

registered interest
date	24/10/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Gratuities
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timeline is for the implementation of the Government’s reforms to tipping practices, announced in September 2021.
tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
uin	69574
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/11/2022 answer text <p>Tips earned by workers should go to the workers they were intended for. The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Private members bill sponsored by the Hon. Member for Yns Môn, and supported by the Government, will require employers to pass all tips to workers.</p><p>This Bill has just passed Committee stage in the House of Commons and is expected to move to the House of Lords in January. We expect new rules to commence no earlier than one year after legislation is given Royal Assent, giving employers sufficient lead-in time to adjust their business practices.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 01/11/2022 17:25:48 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1535439

registered interest
date	24/10/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Business: Government Assistance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is taking steps to help support the businesses identified by Begbies Traynor Group PLC as being in significant financial distress.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	69604
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/11/2022 answer text <p>Business support is demand-led and business owners are encouraged to seek advice and support based on their individual circumstances. The government has no plans to seek access to the list of businesses identified by Begbies Traynor as being in financial distress.</p><p> </p><p>The Business Support Helpline on 0800 998 1098 enables SMEs in England to access support of all kinds, including grants, loans and business advice. Equivalent services are available in the devolved administrations as follows:</p><p> </p><p>Business Support Scotland - 0300 303 0660;</p><p>Business Wales Helpline - 0300 060 3000;</p><p>Invest Northern Ireland - 0800 181 4422.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 01/11/2022 10:26:23 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1535440

registered interest
date	24/10/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Business
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to Begbies Traynor Group PLC's Business Health Statistics, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings that the number of businesses in critical financial distress has risen 25 per cent year on year between the third quarter of 2021 and the third quarter of 2022.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	69605
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/11/2022 answer text <p>The Government monitors a wide range of data sources in order to inform its policies, including national statistics and industry surveys. These confirm the pressures faced by SMEs from increased input costs since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, notably food ingredients, fertilizer and energy, as well as the ending of measures introduced during the pandemic to protect businesses from their creditors.</p><p> </p><p>The SME Finance Monitor notes that the proportion of SMEs using external finance is down year-on-year, at 38% in Q2 2022 (the most recent period available) compared to 45% for the equivalent period in 2021. Of those using finance in Q2 2022, 16% were concerned about repayment, down from 19% in Q2 2021.</p><p> </p><p>Measures introduced by government between the third quarter of 2021 and the third quarter of 2022 include the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, to protect small businesses from high energy costs over the winter, and the third iteration of the Recovery Loan Scheme.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 01/11/2022 10:25:22 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1535457

registered interest
date	24/10/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Members: Correspondence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to provide a substantive written response to the correspondence of 2 September 2022 from the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, reference MCSL2022/20612.
tabling member constituency	Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
tabling member printed	Gerald Jones
uin	69716
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2022 answer text <p>My Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Climate wrote to the Hon. Member on 12 October about energy cost support for businesses, and on 25 October about standing charges.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 31/10/2022 14:55:43 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	4501 label Biography information for Gerald Jones

1525064

registered interest
date	21/10/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Business: Working Hours
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has to support businesses that want to implement a 32 hour, four-day working week.
tabling member constituency	Tynemouth
tabling member printed	Sir Alan Campbell
uin	68497
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2022 answer text <p>There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to work arrangements. The government supports flexible working in all its forms, where it has benefits for, and is agreed between, both individuals and employers.</p><p> </p><p>The existing legal framework provides a statutory right to request flexible working, where employees can request a change to their hours, pattern or place of work. Between September and December 2021, the government consulted on changes to this framework to better support the uptake of flexible working arrangements. We will respond in due course.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 31/10/2022 15:01:42 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
tabling member	529 label Biography information for Sir Alan Campbell

1524788

registered interest
date	20/10/2022
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Companies House: Fees and Charges
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the Companies House incorporation fee.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	67914
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2022 answer text <p>The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill gives the Government more flexibility to use fees in the future, including for investigation and enforcement activities and as a result the Government is keeping the future fees charged by Companies House under review as reforms progress. The Government will seek to ensure that the UK remains an attractive place for business, whilst also protecting the register from fraud and economic crime.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 31/10/2022 14:43:49 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake previous answer version 27393 answering member constituency Watford answering member printed Dean Russell answering member 4812
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra