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228064

registered interest
date	18/03/2015
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	Fire Prevention: Furniture
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 contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills of 25 November 2014, Official Report, column 257WH, what progress he has made on reviewing proposals to amend the Furniture and Furnishing (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.
tabling member constituency	Pendle
tabling member printed	Andrew Stephenson
uin	228089
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been carefully analysing the responses to the consultation on the proposed amendments to certain test schedules in the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. The Government response to this consultation was published on 25 March 2015 and can be accessed at <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/furniture-fire-safety-regulations-proposed-amendments" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/consultations/furniture-fire-safety-regulations-proposed-amendments</a>.</p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 26/03/2015 13:11:46 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson

228065

registered interest
date	18/03/2015
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	Investment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent steps he has taken to encourage asset owners to do more to engage with investee companies as part of their stewardship duties.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Dr Julian Huppert
uin	228100
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2015 answer text <p>The Government has taken a variety of significant steps to promote stewardship and engagement on the part of institutional investors. A key focus has been to work closely with the investment industry on initiatives involving both institutional investors and asset managers, acknowledging that while some institutional investors engage directly with companies, many others delegate to asset managers to engage on their behalf.</p><p>Specific achievements include:</p><ul><li>a strengthening of the Stewardship Code to emphasise engagement on companies’ long-term strategy;</li><li>the creation of an Investor Forum to improve the amount and effectiveness of collective engagement by key institutional investors;</li><li>the development, by the National Association of Pension Funds, of a new Stewardship Disclosure Framework to encourage asset managers to report on their activities and to enable investors to hold them to account.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The Government has comprehensively reformed the legislative framework for corporate reporting to boost transparency on company directors’ remuneration and ensure annual reports are more focused on long-term company strategy. In this way we are encouraging companies to report the information which is relevant to long-term stewardship investors.</p><p>The Law Commission’s report on the fiduciary duties of investment intermediaries, commissioned by the Government, concluded that fiduciary investors such as pension scheme trustees should consider whether and how to engage with companies to promote their long-term success, either directly or through their investment managers. The Government is now taking forward the Law Commission’s recommendations in a number of areas, including by consulting currently on whether the Occupational Pension Schemes (Investment) Regulations 2005 should be amended to require trustees to state their policy on stewardship with reference to the Stewardship Code.</p><p>This work has been part of a broader commitment – in response to the Kay Review of equity markets - to address the longstanding concern that short-termism has impeded the creation of sustainable value by British companies. The Government published a comprehensive progress report on the implementation of the Review in October 2014. This is available online at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/367070/bis-14-1157-implementation-of-the-kay-review-progress-report.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/367070/bis-14-1157-implementation-of-the-kay-review-progress-report.pdf</a></p><p>The Government is now undertaking further work in a number of areas, including:</p><ul><li>supporting the work of the Financial Reporting Council to monitor how signatories to the Stewardship Code are delivering against their commitment;</li><li>supporting the work of the Association of Member Nominated Trustees (AMNT) to develop “Red Line Voting” – an initiative which will enable pension schemes and other investors to adopt common voting positions on a range of governance issues; and research to examine how shares are held by institutional and individual investors – to provide an insight into how the Government can encourage greater investment engagement.</li></ul> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 23/03/2015 14:41:50 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	3931 label Biography information for Dr Julian Huppert

228067

registered interest
date	18/03/2015
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	New Businesses
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much his Department has invested in start-up accelerators and incubators in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Pendle
tabling member printed	Andrew Stephenson
uin	228057
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2015 answer text <p>Growth Deals</p><p>Several accelerator and incubator projects were proposed under Growth Deals and the details of these and the associated costs are attached in the annex. Note that Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) have the flexibility to reprioritise projects based on local needs.</p><p> </p><p>At Budget 2015 the government announced an additional £11m investment in new tech entrepreneur hubs in Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield. They will create thriving local ecosystems by nurturing start-ups, fostering collaboration, and providing mentoring, learning and business support.</p><p> </p><p>University Enterprise Zones</p><p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is investing £15m capital in a three year pilot (14/15 – 16/17) to establish four University Enterprise Zones (UEZs) in Bradford, Bristol, Liverpool and Nottingham. Led by Universities, the UEZs will provide physical space/facilities for small, innovative start-up businesses. Businesses will also be able to access wraparound business support packages, specialist facilities and expert knowledge, including support from <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-trade-investment" target="_blank">UKTI</a> to promote inward investment onto their sites. The Government investment of £15m will leverage over £47m from private and public sector sources. The UEZs are focused on sectors of relevance to the areas – digital health, robotics, sensors and advance manufacturing.</p><p> </p><p>Projects commenced in the second half of 2014/15 and the majority of the funding will be pulled down in years 15/16 and 16/17. The first centres will open for business in spring 2016.</p><p> </p><p>Profiled expenditure is in the table below.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Total</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>£0.848m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>£7.054m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>£7.499m</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Science Park Business Incubator</p><p>The Government is providing £4.8m capital funding in 2015/16 for a new business incubator on Cambridge Science Park (Cambridge Science Park Technology Centre). The incubator will support innovative, early stage companies, primarily in the life sciences sector. This forms part of the Government’s long term economic plan for the East of England to increase the growth rate, building on the world class science and technology base of Cambridge and the surrounding area.</p><p>Full details of current Growth Deals projects can be found in the attached document.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 24/03/2015 11:28:02 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock attachment 1 file name Growth-Deals-Projects-Details-228057.doc title Growth Deals project details
tabling member	4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson

228068

registered interest
date	18/03/2015
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	Adult Education: Lancashire
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 address the adult skills gap in Pendle and East Lancashire.
tabling member constituency	Pendle
tabling member printed	Andrew Stephenson
uin	228059
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>We are reforming the further education (FE) and skills system so that it is increasingly responsive to local needs, particularly focused on Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), and driven by the needs of local growth opportunities. LEPs are responsible for identifying local skills priorities working in partnership with key players across their local economies. Growth Deals enable them to align investment in skills capital to their key growth priorities. For example, Nelson and Colne College has successfully has secured investment of £1.4m for an Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing Centre. Since December 2011 Government funding has also supported capital projects at the FE Colleges of Accrington and Rossendale, Blackburn, and Burnley. Greater devolution has enabled a Lancashire LEP scheme to support 4,000 employees aged 19 and over in small and medium-sized businesses to develop the skills that will give those businesses the confidence to grow. In addition, 610 adults started apprenticeships in Pendle in 2013/14 and 7,780 in Lancashire as a whole. 6,150 adults participated in FE and Leaning in 2013/14 in Pendle and 74,840 in Lancashire.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 25/03/2015 11:51:54 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson

228070

registered interest
date	18/03/2015
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	Adult Education: Leeds
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what non-apprenticeship adult skills budget was allocated for Leeds City College in 2014-15; and what such allocation he plans to make in 2015-16.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	228113
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2015 answer text <p>The non-apprenticeship adult skills budget allocated for Leeds City College in 2014-15 is attached.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 23/03/2015 17:14:11 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles attachment 1 file name Leeds-City-College-non-apprenticeships-budget.docx title Leeds City College non-apprenticeships budget
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

228072

registered interest
date	18/03/2015
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	Ouija Boards
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 bring forward legislative proposals for regulating the sale of ouija boards.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	228164
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2015 answer text <p>The Government has no plans to regulate the sale of Ouija boards.</p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 23/03/2015 14:43:25 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

228259

registered interest
date	18/03/2015
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	Arms Trade: Export Controls
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Government's response to the First Joint Report of the Committees on Arms Export Controls, Cm 935, published in October 2014, what progress has been made on the review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Clarion Events and the Export Control Organisation; and if he will publish the (a) findings of that review and (b) revised MoU.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	228210
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2015 answer text <p>Discussions with Clarion Defence and Security Limited on the review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) have commenced. These discussions have not yet been concluded and are unlikely to do so before the early summer of 2015. When complete, the MOU will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 24/03/2015 15:28:54 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 52075 answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

228260

registered interest
date	18/03/2015
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	Adult Education: York
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 12 March 2015 to Question 226805, where in the weblinks provided the information requested can be found on how much the Government has made available in adult skills funding in (a) York Central constituency, (b) City of York Council and (c) all areas using York College in 2015-16; how much such funding was made available in each of the last six years (i) in cash terms and (ii) at current prices; and if he will place in the Library a table showing that information.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Sir Hugh Bayley
uin	228227
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 12 March 2015 to Question UIN <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-03-09/226806/" target="_blank">226806</a>. Adult skills funding is made available to further education providers, not local areas. The funding system is demand led and money follows the learners.</p><p>Allocations for 2015-16 are available on the Skills Funding Agency website. Historic allocations are also available on the Skills Funding Agency website.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2005-to-2013" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2005-to-2013</a></p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2014-to-2015" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2014-to-2015</a></p><p>To offer accountability as to how allocations money is spent we publish tables showing a summary of learning associated with each provider. For York College in 2012/13, see row 1,235 in the link below:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/310265/feandskills-learners-by-provider-local-authority-learner-characteristics-1213.xls" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/310265/feandskills-learners-by-provider-local-authority-learner-characteristics-1213.xls</a></p><p>It should be noted that in any given area, learners are supported by a range of different providers. For a summary of further education providers and their delivery in the York local authority in 2012/13, see rows 53,186 to 53,387 of the link below:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/349344/Jan14_Learners_Delivery_Local_Authority_District_ProviderLevel_1213.zip" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/349344/Jan14_Learners_Delivery_Local_Authority_District_ProviderLevel_1213.zip</a></p><p>All provider and local authority tables are published in the FE Data Library:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-local-authority-tables" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-local-authority-tables</a></p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 23/03/2015 15:59:27 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	385 label Biography information for Sir Hugh Bayley

228261

registered interest
date	18/03/2015
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	Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he plans to increase the resources and staffing available to the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	228233
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2015 answer text <p>The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) enforce the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 (both as amended).</p><p>We have doubled EAS resource this financial year and will increase resource again for the financial year 2015/16. This additional resource is being used for targeted enforcement in high risk areas in order to protect the most vulnerable agency workers.</p><p>In February, EAS inspectors led a targeted enforcement operation in the Sheffield area. They were accompanied by officers from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC’s) National Minimum Wage (NMW) team and, on some visits, by the Pensions Regulator.</p><p>During the inspections of 15 employment businesses, EAS identified 32 potential breaches of the Conduct Regulations, as well as a potential breach of the Employment Agencies Act. Where breaches were identified, warning letters were issued and the agencies were required to change practices and demonstrate compliance or face further enforcement action.</p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 23/03/2015 14:44:45 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

228305

registered interest
date	18/03/2015
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	Trade Promotion
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 cost was of the GREAT campaign launch in Shanghai; what the cost was of each element of that launch; and if he will publish a list of attendees at that launch.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	228206
answer	answer is ministerial correction answer text <p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith