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76238

registered interest
date	08/07/2014
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	Consumers: Protection
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 take steps to prevent sister companies offering similar products to consumers at substantially different prices.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	204404
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government believes that the consumer is best served by the operation of open competition between companies, and does not generally intervene to regulate what businesses may or may not charge consumers for goods or services. Pricing policies such as these are commercial decisions for the trader, and are best left to the market. However, if there's evidence of collusion that is harming consumers, this should be provided to the Competition and Markets Authority, as the UK's independent competition authority, who will consider it for investigation in line with their prioritisation principles.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 14/07/2014 13:17:47 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

76243

registered interest
date	08/07/2014
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	Agriculture: Business
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 businesses in England were registered as agricultural businesses in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	204540
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Numbers of agricultural businesses registered for either VAT and/or PAYE in England are provided in the table below.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These estimates are drawn from the ONS publication ‘UK Business: activity, size and location', which provides information on the number of active VAT and/or PAYE registered businesses in the UK. Any smaller non-employing businesses that are not registered for VAT will not be included. This publication is available at:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bus-register/uk-business/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bus-register/uk-business/index.html</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Number of Agricultural businesses in England registered for VAT/PAYE</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>87,985</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>86,695</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>88,325</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>87,775</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>92,115</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>1. The figures are based on all VAT/PAYE registered businesses in the SIC industrial classification sector ‘01 Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities.</p><p> </p><p>2. A small number of businesses were not included on the Inter Departmental Business Register before 2012; the effect at this level of detail is not known but the statistics given here for 2009 to 2011 may be slightly lower than if those businesses had been included.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Michael Fallon question first answered 14/07/2014 13:29:33 answering member 88 label Biography information for Sir Michael Fallon
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

76245

registered interest
date	08/07/2014
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	Postal Services
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 discussions he has had with Ofcom on any regulatory changes in regard to the Universal Postal Service; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Peterborough
tabling member printed	Mr Stewart Jackson
uin	204602
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Ministers and officials in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills meet with officials from Ofcom, the independent regulator for postal services, on a regular basis to discuss a broad range of market issues. There have not been any specific discussions about regulatory changes to the universal service.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The minimum requirements for the universal postal service, which includes among other things, the 6 day a week postal service to all addresses in the UK – rural and urban – at an affordable and uniform rate, are enshrined and protected in primary legislation – the Postal Services Act 2011. These minimum requirements can only be changed by Government with the approval of both houses of Parliament.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This Government has no plans for making any changes to the minimum requirements.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 14/07/2014 13:15:34 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	1551 label Biography information for Lord Jackson of Peterborough

76246

registered interest
date	08/07/2014
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	Manufacturing Industries: Scotland
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 encourage the manufacturing industry in Scotland.
tabling member constituency	Inverclyde
tabling member printed	Iain McKenzie
uin	204600
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Targeted initiatives to encourage manufacturing in Scotland are a devolved matter for the Scottish Government. However we are taking steps to strengthen manufacturing capability across the UK. These include support for innovation and technology commercialisation through the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, help for businesses seeking to tap into opportunities in foreign markets, and in January 2014, Reshore UK was set up to assist UK manufacturers looking to win back production and jobs from overseas.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are taking action to increase manufacturing investment. In the 2014 Budget, my Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer doubled the annual investment allowance to £500,000 until the end of 2015. 100% first year capital allowances in enterprise zones will also be extended for three years to 31 March 2020.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are also helping energy intensive industries by compensating them for indirect costs of the carbon price floor and EU ETS extending beyond 2015-16. EIIs will also be compensated for the Renewable Obligation and Feed In Tariffs from 2016-17.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Michael Fallon question first answered 14/07/2014 13:43:57 answering member 88 label Biography information for Sir Michael Fallon
tabling member	4246 label Biography information for Iain McKenzie

65931

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
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	Disabled Students' Allowances
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government which criteria they will use, under the proposed changes to the Disabled Students' Allowance, to distinguish between the need for higher specification or higher cost computers where a student needs one by virtue of their disability, as opposed to a need because of the way in which a course is delivered.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL858
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The criteria for determining when Disabled Student Allowances (DSAs) will contribute to the cost of higher specification or higher cost computers will be set out in guidance that will be published alongside the appropriate regulations in the autumn. Support under DSAs will continue to be available if the need for a higher specification or higher cost computer is by virtue of the student's disability, rather than how the course is being delivered by the Higher Education Institution (HEI). If access to a higher specification or higher cost computer is essential to all students on that course, regardless of whether they are disabled or not, then provision of such computers would be a matter for the HEI.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 14/07/2014 14:49:11 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

65967

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
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	Healthcare UK
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether public sector organisations from the devolved administrations have been invited to participate in Healthcare UK's Business Forum for stakeholders on 24 July 2014.
tabling member constituency	Bury South
tabling member printed	Mr Ivan Lewis
uin	204220
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Yes, public sector organisations from the devolved administrations have been invited to participate in Healthcare UK's Business Forum for stakeholders on 24 July 2014.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Havant answering member printed Mr David Willetts question first answered 10/07/2014 14:40:33 answering member 53 label Biography information for Lord Willetts
tabling member	441 label Biography information for Mr Ivan Lewis

65970

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
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	Apprentices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of apprenticeships commenced in the last 12 months were with (a) small and medium-sized enterprises, (b) larger firms, (c) public sector employers and (d) voluntary sector employers.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	204315
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Information on the size of organisations offering Apprenticeships is presented in the <em>Apprenticeship Evaluation: Employer</em> research publication:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeships-evaluation-employer" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeships-evaluation-employer</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We do not separately measure the number of apprenticeship starts in the public, private and voluntary sectors.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 10/07/2014 14:46:03 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

65850

registered interest
date	04/07/2014
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	Apprentices
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 apprenticeships have been taken up by (a) men and (b) women (i) aged up to 21 years, (ii) aged 22 to 24 years and (iii) aged 25 years and above in the last year.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	204107
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Information on Apprenticeship starts by gender and age is published in a supplementary table, entitled <em>Breakdown by age, gender and level: starts 2002/03 to 2012/13</em>, to a Statistical First Release (SFR). The age breakdowns provided are under 19, 19-24 and 25+.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships--2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships--2</a></p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/317564/apprenticeship-starts-by-age-gender-level.xls" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/317564/apprenticeship-starts-by-age-gender-level.xls</a></p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 09/07/2014 15:20:02 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

65630

registered interest
date	03/07/2014
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	Individual Voluntary Arrangements
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 he has made of the value of publishing the average total debt of individuals subject to individual voluntary arrangements.
tabling member constituency	Walthamstow
tabling member printed	Stella Creasy
uin	204045
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2014 answer text <p>Individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) are supervised by licensed insolvency practitioners, who are required to notify the Insolvency Service of the registration of new IVAs, the name, date of birth and address of the individual, and the date of completion or termination of the IVA. They are not required to provide information on the amount of debt, so it is not possible to publish such information.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 09/07/2014 16:09:41 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4088 label Biography information for Stella Creasy

65632

registered interest
date	03/07/2014
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	Civil Servants: Codes of Practice
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 (a) internal and (b) external complaints have been received by his Department about alleged breaches of the Civil Service Code of Conduct since 2010; and what steps his Department has taken in response to each such complaint.
tabling member constituency	Glenrothes
tabling member printed	Lindsay Roy
uin	203953
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2014 answer text <p>There have been no internal or external complaints about alleged breaches of the Civil Service Code of Conduct received by the Departmental Complaints Officer since 2010.</p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 09/07/2014 16:16:15 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	1608 label Biography information for Lindsay Roy