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444107

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	Disability Aids: Sales
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 the exploitation of consumers by salesmen of stair lifts and other aids to the elderly and disabled.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	22189
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2016 answer text <br /><p><strong></strong></p><p>The Department funds the Citizens Advice Service to provide valuable advice to consumers, including how to avoid scams. Citizens Advice also lead the annual Scams Awareness Month, working with Trading Standards to help give consumers the confidence to spot and report a scam.</p><br /><p>Trading Standards Officers have powers to take action under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 against salesmen who use misleading practices and aggressive pressure selling. Additionally, National Trading Standards Scambuster Teams take action against large scale national and regional scammers, including those who exploit the elderly and vulnerable through the sale of substandard or unnecessary mobility aids.</p><br /><p>Since 2014 the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Regulations 2014 introduced important new rights for consumers to take their own action against such traders to get their money back.</p><p><strong></strong></p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 20/01/2016 17:45:38 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

429332

registered interest
date	19/11/2015
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	STEM Subjects: Postgraduate Education
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 help increase the number of women completing PhDs in STEM subjects.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	17031
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2015 answer text <p>The number of female doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects increased from 5,485 in 2009/10 to 6,300 in 2013/14, an increase of 15%. The total number of doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects also increased over this period, from 12,830 in 2009/10 to 14,020 in 2013/14, and the proportion of female doctorate qualifiers in STEM subjects who are female increased from 43% to 45%.<sup><sup>[i]</sup></sup></p><p>The Government is committed to developing a strong, diverse research community. The Research Councils and National Academies share this commitment. We are taking steps to encourage greater representation of women in STEM subjects at university and in the academic community through the establishment of a Diversity Steering Group and support for such initiatives as the Athena SWAN charter which promotes gender equality in academia.</p><br /><p>[i] Higher Education Statistics Agency: Number of Doctorate Qualifiers in STEM subjects by Gender. (Academic Years 2009/10 to 2013/14). Excel spreadsheet is attached to this PQ.</p><br /> <br /> answering member constituency Orpington answering member printed Joseph Johnson question first answered 27/11/2015 14:20:36 answering member 4039 label Biography information for Lord Johnson of Marylebone attachment 1 file name female_stem_phd_students_final2.xls title Doctorate Qualifiers in STEM Subjects by Gender
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

423923

registered interest
date	26/10/2015
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	Electronic Publishing: EU Action
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the potential effect of the European Commission's Digital Single Market proposals on UK publishers; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	13272
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2015 answer text <p>The Digital Single Market is a stated priority for the Juncker Commission, which could deliver significant gains for both consumers and businesses. As such, Ministers across Government regularly hold discussions in Europe and the UK with our European counterparts on the Digital Single Market including its potential effects on UK’s creative industries and publishers in particular.</p><p>Currently there are no Digital Single Market legislative proposals on the table, but we are encouraging the Commission to ensure that future proposals are carefully assessed to ensure that they do not damage incentives to invest in the production of creative content.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 28/10/2015 17:50:26 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

419785

registered interest
date	09/10/2015
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	Science: South West
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans he has to expand the Bristol and Bath Science Park.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	10729
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2015 answer text <p>The Bristol and Bath Science Park provides a world-class environment for innovative businesses to locate and grow their operations. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) continues to work closely with the Homes and Communities Agency, the private sector development partners and local partners to ensure that the existing site is developed to its full potential.</p><p>The Homes and Communities Agency manages the development on behalf of BIS. The Department is the beneficial owner of the site and the Homes and Communities Agency holds the freehold rights.</p><p>A Local Steering Group has been established to steer the development, which includes representatives from the private sector development partners, the local universities (Bath, Bristol, and the University of the West of England), South Gloucestershire Council, West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, the National Composites Centre which is situated on the Science Park and is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, Invest Bristol &amp; Bath, the Homes &amp; Communities Agency and BIS.</p> answering member constituency Orpington answering member printed Joseph Johnson question first answered 19/10/2015 13:10:03 answering member 4039 label Biography information for Lord Johnson of Marylebone
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

419786

registered interest
date	09/10/2015
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	Universities: Economic Situation
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 assessment he has made of the effect of universities on their local economy.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	10732
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2015 answer text <p>Higher education institutions play an important role in their local areas. Several universities have undertaken individual studies of their impact on their local area, and such studies have generally found positive impacts. Universities UK and others have also assessed the important impact of universities on national growth.</p> answering member constituency Orpington answering member printed Joseph Johnson question first answered 19/10/2015 13:07:45 answering member 4039 label Biography information for Lord Johnson of Marylebone
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

419787

registered interest
date	09/10/2015
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	Higher Education: Arts
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 collaboration between higher education institutions and the creative economy.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	10733
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2015 answer text <p>The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and supports collaboration between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the creative economy using a variety of mechanisms including knowledge exchange centres and collaborative doctoral studentships.</p><p>AHRC will invest £16m during the period 2012-16 in the Knowledge Exchange Hubs for the Creative Economy. These Hubs, based in Bristol, Dundee, London and Lancaster, have drawn over 350 businesses, 320 academics and 170 third sector organisations into new forms of collaboration.</p><p>Innovate UK encourages collaboration between HEIs and the creative economy through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (8 currently being supported in the Creative Industries) and through support of the creative industries council’s strategy.</p> answering member constituency Orpington answering member printed Joseph Johnson question first answered 19/10/2015 13:05:55 answering member 4039 label Biography information for Lord Johnson of Marylebone
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

349808

registered interest
date	10/06/2015
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	Further Education: Finance
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 Chancellor of the Exchequer's announcement on reducing spending of 4 June 2015, if he will make it his policy to maintain the existing level of funding to further education colleges over the next five years.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	1859
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The majority of the Department’s £450m savings will be delivered through known underspends and releasing unallocated funding. Officials in my department are working with the Skills Funding Agency to determine how Further Education savings can best be achieved in line with ministers’ priorities.</p><p> </p><p>All spending decisions for 16-17 and beyond will be taken as part of the Spending Review, the timetable for which is yet to be finalised.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 16/06/2015 10:59:04 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

349827

registered interest
date	10/06/2015
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	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 responsibilities the National Apprenticeship Service has for regulation of apprenticeships in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	1971
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2015 answer text <p>The National Apprenticeship Service is not an organisation in its own right, but is a service delivery brand operated by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). The SFA, as the funder of post 16 education and training in England, has the responsibility for the funding of apprenticeships in England. Any organisation in receipt of SFA funds to deliver apprenticeships is required to comply with the associated Funding Rules which detail compliance for the apprenticeship programme as referenced in the Deregulation Bill of 2015.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 18/06/2015 13:11:59 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett