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170299

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
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	Scottish Power
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how he plans to keep the people who lost money following the failure of firms involved in Scottish Power's cash back warranty scheme updated on progress on the review of whether there will be a further investigation of that matter.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Walton
tabling member printed	Steve Rotheram
uin	218621
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Investigations conducted under section 447 Companies Act 1985 are confidential, therefore it is not possible to announce whether or not such an investigation is taking place, or to report on the investigation outside of strict statutory gateways.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Whether or not an investigation under section 432 Companies Act 1985 is being undertaken is something which can be announced, and I am able to confirm that such an investigation will not be commenced at this stage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Because the liquidation of the companies involved in the scheme is still under way, I do not propose to make a public announcement about the outcome of any review. However the creditors of those companies will receive reports from the liquidators if they are to be paid further dividends.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 18/12/2014 12:10:36 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4035 label Biography information for Steve Rotheram

170298

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
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	Scottish Power
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what meetings he has had with his ministerial colleagues on what steps to take in response to allegations that Scottish Power mis-sold cashback warranties in the 1990s.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Walton
tabling member printed	Steve Rotheram
uin	218620
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>No meetings have been held between myself, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills or other ministerial colleagues concerning this matter. The Secretary of State and I have both met with the Insolvency Service for briefing on their conclusions following review of material submitted by liquidators of two companies involved in administering the cash-back warranty scheme.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 18/12/2014 12:11:50 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4035 label Biography information for Steve Rotheram

170289

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
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	Minimum Wage
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 ensure that interns used for full-time work are paid at least the National Minimum Wage; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Warrington North
tabling member printed	Helen Jones
uin	218759
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>The term “intern” is not defined in any legislation: entitlement to the minimum wage depends on whether or not an individual is a worker. If an internship meets the legal definition of a worker, then they must be paid at least the minimum wage from the start.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Given this dependency on employment status, it is vital that employers and workers understand how this is determined. We continue to carry out targeted awareness raising initiatives with interns and HMRC have been working with employers to identify potential non-compliance.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Complaints from interns about non-payment of the minimum wage are prioritised by HMRC for investigation and HMRC will investigate every complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should call the helpline on 0800 917 2368.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Determining an individual’s employment status can be complicated. This is why the Business Secretary announced a review of employment status in October this year, to help ensure an employment status framework in the UK that meets the needs of everyone. This is an internal review and will present findings to ministers early next year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 18/12/2014 12:13:10 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	432 label Biography information for Helen Jones

170301

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
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: Minimum Wage
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 11 December 2014 to Question 217684, how many employers have been fined for non-payment of the apprentice National Minimum Wage at the rate introduced in March 2014.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	218677
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>The Notice of Underpayment issued to an employer by HMRC following the identification of underpayments of the National Minimum Wage does not differentiate between underpayments to workers and apprentices. Non-compliance involving apprentices is not restricted to the Apprentice National Minimum Wage; some non-compliance will occur where an apprentice is entitled to the relevant age rate (where they are aged over 19 and have completed their first year).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It is therefore not possible to provide information on the number of employers who have faced a penalty for non-payment of the apprentice National Minimum Wage since March 2014, as HMRC do not hold this information. Nor is it possible to provide details of the number of naming cases involving underpayments to apprentices. We can confirm that every employer that has been named has faced a financial penalty. These penalties will have related to pay reference periods falling before and after 7 March 2014 and so will have been calculated at the previous and current rates.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In 2014/15, the National Minimum Wage enforcement budget was increased by £1.2m from £8m to £9.2m. There are currently 189 staff across HMRC contributing to enforcing NMW, including people who work in legal advice, debt management, technical support and criminal investigation, amongst others. This includes an additional 26 inspectors recently recruited following the in-year 14/15 funding increase. Within this overall resource, we do not specify an amount that should be allocated to enforcing the apprentice National Minimum Wage. HMRC are required to respond to every complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition to this, complaints from apprentices are prioritised and fast-tracked.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Anyone who is concerned that they have been underpaid the National Minimum Wage should call the Pay and Work Rights Helpline for free and confidential advice on 0800 917 2368.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson grouped question UIN 218678 218679 question first answered 18/12/2014 12:16:41 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

170302

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
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: Minimum Wage
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 11 December 2014 to Question 217684, how many of the 55 companies named for non-payment of the National Minimum Wage had underpaid apprentices; and how many of those 55 companies have been fined for non-payment of the apprentice National Minimum Wage.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	218678
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>The Notice of Underpayment issued to an employer by HMRC following the identification of underpayments of the National Minimum Wage does not differentiate between underpayments to workers and apprentices. Non-compliance involving apprentices is not restricted to the Apprentice National Minimum Wage; some non-compliance will occur where an apprentice is entitled to the relevant age rate (where they are aged over 19 and have completed their first year).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It is therefore not possible to provide information on the number of employers who have faced a penalty for non-payment of the apprentice National Minimum Wage since March 2014, as HMRC do not hold this information. Nor is it possible to provide details of the number of naming cases involving underpayments to apprentices. We can confirm that every employer that has been named has faced a financial penalty. These penalties will have related to pay reference periods falling before and after 7 March 2014 and so will have been calculated at the previous and current rates.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In 2014/15, the National Minimum Wage enforcement budget was increased by £1.2m from £8m to £9.2m. There are currently 189 staff across HMRC contributing to enforcing NMW, including people who work in legal advice, debt management, technical support and criminal investigation, amongst others. This includes an additional 26 inspectors recently recruited following the in-year 14/15 funding increase. Within this overall resource, we do not specify an amount that should be allocated to enforcing the apprentice National Minimum Wage. HMRC are required to respond to every complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition to this, complaints from apprentices are prioritised and fast-tracked.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Anyone who is concerned that they have been underpaid the National Minimum Wage should call the Pay and Work Rights Helpline for free and confidential advice on 0800 917 2368.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson grouped question UIN 218677 218679 question first answered 18/12/2014 12:16:41 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

170303

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
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: Minimum Wage
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 11 December 2014 to Question 217684, what (a) funding and (b) staffing has been allocated to enforcement of the apprentice National Minimum Wage.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	218679
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>The Notice of Underpayment issued to an employer by HMRC following the identification of underpayments of the National Minimum Wage does not differentiate between underpayments to workers and apprentices. Non-compliance involving apprentices is not restricted to the Apprentice National Minimum Wage; some non-compliance will occur where an apprentice is entitled to the relevant age rate (where they are aged over 19 and have completed their first year).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It is therefore not possible to provide information on the number of employers who have faced a penalty for non-payment of the apprentice National Minimum Wage since March 2014, as HMRC do not hold this information. Nor is it possible to provide details of the number of naming cases involving underpayments to apprentices. We can confirm that every employer that has been named has faced a financial penalty. These penalties will have related to pay reference periods falling before and after 7 March 2014 and so will have been calculated at the previous and current rates.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In 2014/15, the National Minimum Wage enforcement budget was increased by £1.2m from £8m to £9.2m. There are currently 189 staff across HMRC contributing to enforcing NMW, including people who work in legal advice, debt management, technical support and criminal investigation, amongst others. This includes an additional 26 inspectors recently recruited following the in-year 14/15 funding increase. Within this overall resource, we do not specify an amount that should be allocated to enforcing the apprentice National Minimum Wage. HMRC are required to respond to every complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition to this, complaints from apprentices are prioritised and fast-tracked.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Anyone who is concerned that they have been underpaid the National Minimum Wage should call the Pay and Work Rights Helpline for free and confidential advice on 0800 917 2368.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson grouped question UIN 218677 218678 question first answered 18/12/2014 12:16:41 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

170334

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Shared Ownership Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 2.42 of the Autumn Statement 2014, when he plans to launch the consultation on options for streamlining the process for selling on shared ownership properties.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	218731
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>We will be seeking views on streamlining the process for selling on shared ownership properties early in 2015.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 18/12/2014 14:57:23 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

170333

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Local Government Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to recommendation (a) of the report of the National Audit Office entitled Financial sustainability of local authorities 2014, published in November 2014, if his Department will publish a real-terms series of change in individual local authority income since 2010-11.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	218730
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>The Government will publish a formal response to the Public Accounts Committee's consideration of the National Audit Office report; this will be presented to Parliament in the New Year.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins grouped question UIN 218732 218733 218734 question first answered 18/12/2014 15:34:12 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

170335

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Local Government Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to recommendation (c) of the report of the National Audit Office entitled Financial sustainability of local authorities 2014, published in November 2014, what steps he is taking to develop a clearer understanding of whether local authorities' funding is sufficient to support their core services.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	218732
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>The Government will publish a formal response to the Public Accounts Committee's consideration of the National Audit Office report; this will be presented to Parliament in the New Year.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins grouped question UIN 218730 218733 218734 question first answered 18/12/2014 15:34:12 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

170336

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Local Government Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraphs 3.5 to 3.11 of the report of the National Audit Office entitled Financial sustainability of local authorities 2014, published in November 2014, what steps he is taking to improve understanding of the financial sustainability of local authorities and the extent to which they may be at risk of financial failure.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	218733
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>The Government will publish a formal response to the Public Accounts Committee's consideration of the National Audit Office report; this will be presented to Parliament in the New Year.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins grouped question UIN 218730 218732 218734 question first answered 18/12/2014 15:34:12 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn