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105812

registered interest
date	03/11/2014
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: North West
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 employers in (a) the North West and (b) Warrington have been (i) named and (ii) prosecuted since 1 October 2013.
tabling member constituency	Warrington North
tabling member printed	Helen Jones
uin	212902
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government has named 30 employers under the revised Naming and Shaming Scheme. Between them they owed workers a total of over £50,000 in arrears and have been charged financial penalties totalling over £24,000. Details of these employers can be found on the original press notices (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-gets-tough-with-employers-failing-to-pay-minimum-wage" target="_blank">28 February 2014</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-names-employers-who-fail-to-pay-minimum-wage" target="_blank">8 June 2014</a>), including the town in which the employer is based. However, these organisations may employ staff or have offices or other operations in other geographical locations.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>No employers have been prosecuted under the National Minimum Wage Act since October 2013.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 06/11/2014 16:01:40 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	432 label Biography information for Helen Jones

105813

registered interest
date	03/11/2014
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: Northern Ireland
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 Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on encouraging businesses to offer apprenticeships to young people.
tabling member constituency	South Antrim
tabling member printed	Dr William McCrea
uin	212916
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p>My Rt. Hon. Friend the then Minister for Skills and Enterprise (Matthew Hancock) met with the four nation Ministers including Dr Stephen Farry, MLA, Minister for Employment and Learning, on 19 June 2014.</p><p>He updated Ministers on the review of apprenticeships and trailblazer reforms in England.</p><p>Dr Stephen Farry informed Ministers that Northern Ireland would be producing a new strategy on apprenticeships and this was formally announced on 24 June 2014.</p><p>Ministers agreed that an official-level group would be beneficial and my Rt. Hon. Friend. the now Minister for Business and Energy Matthew Hancock suggested extending the remit of the UK strategic policy forum to include apprenticeships. The UK Strategic Forum meets approximately one month prior to the four nation Ministerial meetings and the first meeting took place on 4 June 2014.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 10/11/2014 12:43:40 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

105814

registered interest
date	03/11/2014
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	Technology: Greater London
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what future investment the Government plans to make to promote the technology sector in London.
tabling member constituency	Tottenham
tabling member printed	Mr David Lammy
uin	212963
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>London is the tech capital of Europe. The Government has played a key part in its success. It supports Tech City UK which delivers support services and programmes to tech businesses in London and UK-wide. London and Partners promotes the London wide tech sector, working on behalf of the Mayor of London and other commercial partners, including Tech City for which it took over specific responsibility in April this year.</p><p> </p><p>Technology companies in London will benefit from a range of government funding such as the:</p><p> </p><p>• recently announced 5m funding (£2m in 2015/2016 and a provisional allocation of £3m in 2016/17) for a pilot digital skills programme to be run by the London Enterprise Panel as part of the London Growth Deal.</p><p> </p><p>• A new Digital Catapult, located in King’s Cross, with £50m over 5 years to provide tech companies with access to expertise and enable them to develop new products and services.</p><p> </p><p>• £40K, this financial year, for Tech City UK’s Future Fifty Programme. Of the 50 tech companies, 37 of them are headquartered in London.</p><p> </p><p>• £400K this financial year for Tech City UK’s Digital Business Academy - an online training programme to ensure everyone has the much needed digital skills.</p><p> </p><p>We will have the lowest corporation tax rate in the G7 from next year. Technology companies can also benefit from other tax incentives such as the Patent Box, which can give an effective 10% tax rate for qualifying net revenue arising from EU or UK registered patents, R&amp;D tax credits, the Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme.</p><p> </p><p>The Government launched the new computing curriculum in September 2014, to ensure a pipeline of digitally skilled individuals. £3.5m of funding has been provided to ensure teachers have the skills to teach the curriculum and there are a number of coding clubs available in London schools, to inspire young people about the career opportunities digital skills provide.</p><p> </p><p>There is also good work at a local level, for example, Camden Council has started to set up code clubs in schools, see the following link: <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/local-government-network/2013/sep/02/camden-council-pioneers-coding-in-schools" target="_blank">http://www.theguardian.com/local-government-network/2013/sep/02/camden-council-pioneers-coding-in-schools</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 17/11/2014 17:06:59 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
tabling member	206 label Biography information for Mr David Lammy

105815

registered interest
date	03/11/2014
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 the company registration number is of (a) Master Distribution Limited, Essex and (b) Zoom Limited, Havant, named for non-payment of the national minimum wage in his Department's press notice of 8 June 2014.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	212931
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>Details of the employers that have already been named under the BIS Naming Scheme can be found on the original press notices (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-gets-tough-with-employers-failing-to-pay-minimum-wage" target="_blank">28 February 2014</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-names-employers-who-fail-to-pay-minimum-wage" target="_blank">8 June 2014</a>).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Information about individual companies, including registration numbers, is available through the Companies House website <a href="http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/" target="_blank">www.companieshouse.gov.uk</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should call the Pay &amp; Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368. HM Revenue &amp; Customs investigate all complaints.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 06/11/2014 17:29:40 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

105816

registered interest
date	03/11/2014
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	Chemicals: Syria
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether licences grated to companies to export dual-use chemicals that could be used as precursors to the production of chemical weapons to Syria remain in place.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
uin	213006
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>No licences granted to companies to export dual-use chemicals that could be used as precursors to the production of chemical weapons to Syria remain in place.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 06/11/2014 15:57:24 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

105817

registered interest
date	03/11/2014
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	Chemicals: Syria
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 public the names of the companies which had licences approved to export dual-use chemicals that could be used as precursors to the production of chemical weapons to Syria.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
uin	213007
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The names of the companies which had licences approved to export dual-use chemicals that could be used as precursors to the production of chemical weapons to Syria cannot be disclosed. Following an assessment under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act the public interest, in the maintenance of the confidentiality and overall integrity of the export licensing system, on this occasion outweighs the public interest in the disclosure of the name of the exporter.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 06/11/2014 15:56:08 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

105818

registered interest
date	03/11/2014
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	Freedom of Information
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 spent on legal fees over prevention of release of information requested by Freedom of Information requests since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Barrow and Furness
tabling member printed	John Woodcock
uin	213100
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p>I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 July 2014, Official Report Col 537W.</p><p> </p><p>Although the Hon. Member has requested information in respect of a slightly shorter period (i.e. since 2010 and not each of the past 5 years) and has asked about fees over the prevention of release of information requested by Freedom of Information requests rather than in relation to freedom of information cases generally, the answer remains the same as that previously given.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 10/11/2014 16:42:01 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	3917 label Biography information for Lord Walney

105819

registered interest
date	03/11/2014
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	Public Appointments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, on how many occasions his Department has made appointments by exception since 2010; and who was appointed for each such post.
tabling member constituency	Barrow and Furness
tabling member printed	John Woodcock
uin	213019
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department has made 269 appointments by exception since April 2011. Centrally held records are not available prior to April 2011.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not release the name of individuals appointed to posts.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 10/11/2014 15:58:05 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	3917 label Biography information for Lord Walney

105820

registered interest
date	03/11/2014
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	Pay
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 Instant Rewards of what value were given to his Department's officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date.
tabling member constituency	Barrow and Furness
tabling member printed	John Woodcock
uin	213059
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p>An element of the Department’s overall pay bill for staff below the Senior Civil Service (SCS) is allocated to payments related directly to performance. There are two types of award:</p><p> </p><ol start="1" type="1"><li>Annual performance awards, that reward staff based on their annual performance rating.</li><li>In-year awards that recognise strong performance in particularly demanding tasks or situations. These can be in the form of cash payments or vouchers.</li></ol><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These non-consolidated, non-pensionable one-off payments are used to drive high performance in the department and do not add to future pay bills.</p><p> </p><p>Details of the number and cost of in-year awards in 2013, and until the end of September in 2014 are contained in table below.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Cash Awards</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total Value of Cash Awards</strong></p><p><strong>(£)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Vouchers</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total Value of Vouchers</strong></p><p><strong>(£)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>1,489</p></td><td><p>434,743</p></td><td><p>803</p></td><td><p>32,110</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014*</p></td><td><p>1,145</p></td><td><p>353,200</p></td><td><p>788</p></td><td><p>41,525</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>* Jan – Sept 2014</p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 10/11/2014 15:48:11 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	3917 label Biography information for Lord Walney

105821

registered interest
date	03/11/2014
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	Public Appointments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, on how many occasions his Department has had requests for appointments by exception to the Senior Civil Service turned down by the Civil Service Commission since 2010; and who was appointed for each such post.
tabling member constituency	Barrow and Furness
tabling member printed	John Woodcock
uin	213039
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p>The Civil Service Commission publish details of appointments made by exception and approved by them in their annual reports and on their website. These reports are available in the Library of the House. It would not be appropriate to publish details of the requests turned down by the Commission as the numbers involved are so small.</p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 10/11/2014 15:49:40 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	3917 label Biography information for Lord Walney