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91669

registered interest
date	12/09/2014
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, which sectors of the economy he estimates to have the lowest compliance with national minimum wage legislation.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	209186
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>The main estimate of non-compliance used is from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)[1]. The table below shows the proportion of jobs held by those aged 22 and over, paid below the full adult national minimum wage (NMW) (at the time of the ASHE survey) by sector. It is reproduced from the latest Low Pay Commission report[2].</p><p>This is a proxy measure for non-compliance as these figures include people who for legitimate reasons are paid less than the adult NMW for example because they are on the apprentice NMW rate or are living in accommodation provided by their employer. The ASHE survey is based on a sample of employee jobs drawn from HMRC’s Pay-As-You-Earn income tax records and consequently it does not include all workers who earn below the Lower Earnings Limit. These two factors tend to offset each other but we do not know definitively how large the combined effect is. However, we believe that it is small.</p><p> </p><p>Proportion of jobs held by those aged 22 and over, paid below the national minimum wage by sector, UK, 2012-13</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Sectors</p></td><td><p>Paid below 2013 April NMW rate (£6.19)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hairdressing</p></td><td><p>3.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Childcare</p></td><td><p>2.8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hospitality</p></td><td><p>2.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cleaning</p></td><td><p>2.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Leisure, travel &amp; sport</p></td><td><p>1.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Retail</p></td><td><p>1.3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Transport</p></td><td><p>1.3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Agriculture</p></td><td><p>1.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Storage</p></td><td><p>0.9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Social care</p></td><td><p>0.8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Textiles &amp; clothing</p></td><td><p>0.8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Office work</p></td><td><p>0.8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Employment agencies</p></td><td><p>0.7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Food processing</p></td><td><p>0.6</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Non-food Processing</p></td><td><p>0.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Whole economy</strong></p></td><td><p>0.8</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[1] ASHE is a survey of employees completed by employers which we can use to look at workers earning at or below the NMW rate.</p><p>[2]<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/288841/The_National_Minimum_Wage_LPC_Report_2014.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/288841/The_National_Minimum_Wage_LPC_Report_2014.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 13/10/2014 12:16:52 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

91671

registered interest
date	12/09/2014
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	Business: Loans
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 has taken to implement the Tomlinson report.
tabling member constituency	Great Grimsby
tabling member printed	Austin Mitchell
uin	209195
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>Mr Tomlinson’s report called for an independent investigation of allegations about bank treatment of businesses in financial difficulty. This Department therefore passed the report to the financial services regulators including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Serious Fraud Office. The FCA has subsequently appointed Promontory Financial Group and Mazars to conduct an independent skilled persons report under section 166 of the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) 2000. The first stage of the review is considering Royal Bank of Scotland’s treatment of a sample of customers referred to its Global Restructuring Group. If the review reveals that poor practices are widespread and systematic, a second stage will identify the root causes and make recommendations to address the shortcomings. In addition, the FCA has sought confirmation from other relevant banks that they are satisfied that they do not engage in any of the poor practices alleged in the report.</p><p> </p><p>The FCA expects that the skilled person will report outcomes from the review in early 2015.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 13/10/2014 14:24:31 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	372 label Biography information for Austin Mitchell

91674

registered interest
date	12/09/2014
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 integrity of the marketing of IVA products; and what steps his Department is taking to regulate that practice.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Andrew Bingham
uin	209197
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>BIS officials regularly discuss the operation of Individual Voluntary Arrangements with creditors, advice bodies and others with an interest in the process and a Protocol is in place to help raise standards in this area.</p><p> </p><p>Where an insolvency practitioner appears to be connected to any instance of inappropriate marketing, this could be a breach of the Code of Ethics for insolvency practitioners and is referred to the appropriate authorising body. The Insolvency Service also considers whether if companies are giving misleading or inaccurate information, action to wind them up in the public interest would be appropriate. In 2013, eight companies were wound up in the public interest because of concerns about misleading marketing.</p><p> </p><p>Regulation of advertising rests with the Advertising Standards Authority.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 13/10/2014 13:38:05 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	3994 label Biography information for Andrew Bingham

91675

registered interest
date	12/09/2014
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	Portsmouth International Port
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he last met (a) officials and (b) trades union representatives from Portsmouth International Port.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Mr Mike Hancock
uin	209206
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations are published quarterly on the Gov.uk website:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills&amp;publication_type=transparency-data" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills&amp;publication_type=transparency-data</a></p><p> </p><p>Information for January – June 2014 is due to be published soon.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 13/10/2014 13:59:57 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	59 label Biography information for Mr Mike Hancock

91677

registered interest
date	12/09/2014
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	Home Care Services: Pay
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 he is taking to tackle non-payment of the national minimum wage in the home care sector; and what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the estimate of the numbers not in receipt of the national minimum wage in paragraph 2.20 of the National Audit Office report, Adult social care in England: overview, HC 1102.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	209189
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and the effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has collaborated with care sector representative bodies to improve understanding of compliance risks and design controls within payroll systems that prevent workers being underpaid the minimum wage, in order to improve compliance.</p><p> </p><p>Guidance on Gov.uk has been updated to make it as clear as possible that travel time and rest breaks between assignments must be paid at least the national minimum wage (NMW).</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Government will continue to work with the sector to ensure that understanding improves. This will include the Department of Health’s statutory guidance as part of the overall guidance on market shaping and commissioning the final version of which will be published in Autumn 2014.</p><p> </p><p>We have considered the National Audit Office report and note that their estimates come from a self-reported survey of care workers. Examination of surveys of individuals (such as the Labour Force Survey) find that some people tend to report longer working hours and a lower hourly rate compared to those reported by employers who pay the minimum wage.</p><p> </p><p>The current best estimate of non-compliance is derived from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)[1]. The Low Pay Commission[2] published the proportion of jobs held by those aged 22 and over, paid below the NMW by sector. Figures show that non-compliance is relatively low in social care (0.8%) compared with other sectors. This is generally in line with non-compliance in the whole economy.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This estimate, as well as all estimates of non-compliance, has some limitations. However, there are no reasons to suppose that these limitations affect the social care sector more or less than the econom<ins class="ministerial">y</ins> <ins class="ministerial">as a whole.</ins></p><p> </p><p>[1] ASHE is a survey of employees completed by employers which we can use to look at workers earning at or below the NMW rate.</p><p>[2]<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/288841/The_National_Minimum_Wage_LPC_Report_2014.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/288841/The_National_Minimum_Wage_LPC_Report_2014.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 13/10/2014 14:26:37 question first ministerially corrected 13/10/2014 15:49:32 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson previous answer version 21455 answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

91678

registered interest
date	12/09/2014
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	Home Care Services: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the profitability of the home care sector of the economy and (b) the proportion of home care providers which do not pay their employees the national minimum wage.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	209190
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>The Department of Health has discussions with homecare providers and the trade bodies that represent them, but they do not measure the profitability of the sector as a whole.</p><p> </p><p>Between the periods of 1<sup>st</sup> April 2011 and 31<sup>st</sup> March 2013, HMRC made targeted enquiries into 224 employers in the social care sector of which 206 have been completed. HMRC found non-compliance in 104 (50%) of these enquiries identifying for 6,367 workers.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 13/10/2014 13:40:27 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

91679

registered interest
date	12/09/2014
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, what representations he has received on national minimum wage and travel time; and if he will take steps to publicise guidance on travel time and the national minimum wage.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	209188
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government is clear that travel time and rest breaks between assignments should be paid at least the appropriate National Minimum Wage rate.</p><p> </p><p>Despite this the Government has received information from a number of sources that there are concerns about the relationship between the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and travel time.</p><p> </p><p>In response to these concerns the Government has taken a number of steps to publicise and inform employers and workers of the NMW rules around travel time:-</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>the Department of Health have developed statutory guidance, in conjunction with a range of stakeholders, which refers to employment law and to HMRC guidance on payment of travel time, to help Local Authorities assure themselves that the care companies they contract with comply with NMW regulations.</li><li>The Government has collaborated with care sector representative bodies to improve understanding of compliance risks and design controls within payroll systems that prevent workers being underpaid the minimum wage, in order to improve compliance.</li><li>Guidance on Gov.uk has been updated to make it as clear as possible that travel time and rest breaks between assignments must be paid at least the NMW.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Government will continue to work with the sector to ensure that understanding improves. This will include the Department of Health’s statutory guidance as part of the overall guidance on market shaping and commissioning, the final version of which will be published in Autumn 2014.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 13/10/2014 13:43:17 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

91680

registered interest
date	12/09/2014
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	Insolvency
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 representations he has received on the independence and impartiality of the Institute of Chartered Accountants as regulator of insolvencies.
tabling member constituency	Great Grimsby
tabling member printed	Austin Mitchell
uin	209200
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>I have received no such recent representations.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 13/10/2014 13:30:17 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	372 label Biography information for Austin Mitchell

91683

registered interest
date	12/09/2014
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: Catapult Centres
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 make it his policy to establish an agricultural technology catapult centre.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	209248
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>This Department is investing £90 million to establish a small number of Centres for Agricultural Innovation. These Centres have similar overarching objectives to Catapult Centres and will drive increased translation of research and levels of innovation in agriculture and its supply chains, whilst both improving UK competitiveness and leadership in the Agri-Tech sector, and encouraging greater inward investment.</p><p> </p><p>Innovate UK is responsible for the establishment of new Catapult Centres, and is guided by specific criteria when considering new sectors and challenges. Whilst the current funding arrangements mean we cannot establish these existing Centres as a Catapult Centre, we will continue to explore the potential future Centres for Agricultural Innovation.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark question first answered 13/10/2014 13:52:48 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

91690

registered interest
date	12/09/2014
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Charities
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, into how many charities the Charity Commission has opened an inquiry in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014 to date; and in how many of those cases the Charity Commission (i) did and (ii) did not make a public statement.
tabling member constituency	Stretford and Urmston
tabling member printed	Kate Green
uin	209230
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission's chief executive to reply.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading East answering member printed Mr Rob Wilson question first answered 13/10/2014 12:40:22 answering member 1556 label Biography information for Mr Rob Wilson attachment 1 file name Kate Green MP PQ public statements re inquiries 17 Sep 14.pdf title Letter from Charity Commission - Charities
tabling member	4120 label Biography information for Kate Green