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100100

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2014
	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	Innovation
	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 effect of the EU Precautionary Principle on the scale of scientific innovation in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	211393
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2014 answer text <p>The Department has made no systematic assessment of the effect of the precautionary principle on scientific innovation in the UK.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark question first answered 30/10/2014 16:14:04 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

155723

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	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	New Businesses: Windsor
	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 the Government has taken to support disabled people in Windsor constituency who want to start their own business.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	214744
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2014 answer text <p>We are continuing to work hard to provide the right support to make life easier for everyone who wants to start their own business, including disabled people.</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.greatbusiness.gov.uk/" target="_blank">www.greatbusiness.gov.uk</a> provides support and advice for anyone trying to grow a business as well as for entrepreneurs starting out. This includes a 'Business Finance and Support Finder' that can provide a customised source of government backed support and finance for business. In addition to on-line support, the Business Support Helpline (0300 456 3565) is available to provide a quick response on queries about starting a business, or a personalised and in-depth advice service for more complex needs. For those looking for start-up finance and advice there are Start-Up Loans: 10 loans worth a total of £47,500 have been drawn down in Windsor to date.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, the New Enterprise Allowance helps people claiming certain out of work benefits to start up their own business. As of June 2014, 10,040 disabled people (from a total of 53,350) had started a new business with the help of the NEA.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 24/11/2014 15:08:21 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

156126

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	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	ICT
	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 has taken to encourage growth of the big data industry in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	214448
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government has identified big data as one of the ‘eight great technologies’ that will propel the UK’s future economic growth. Since 2010, the Government has made a series of strategic investments to support the growth of the big data industry in the UK. These include:</p><p> </p><p>- a £159 million investment programme in the UK’s high performance computing and networks infrastructure announced in 2011.</p><p> </p><p>- £189 million investment announced in 2012 to support a programme of big data and energy-efficient computing projects across the UK co-ordinated by the Economic and Social Research Council.</p><p> </p><p>- £10.7 million announced in December 2013 to create a new Higgs Centre for Innovation at the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh that will focus on big data and space technologies.</p><p> </p><p>- £42 million announced in March 2014 to establish a world-leading Alan Turing Institute, which will be established in 2015 to research the analysis and application of big data.</p><p> </p><p>- Investment of over £50 million to establish the Digital Catapult, based in London, which will bring researchers and business together to accelerate new innovative products to market.</p><p> </p><p>On 31 October 2013, the Government also published ‘Seizing the Data Opportunity: a strategy for UK data capability’, which examines the UK’s capability to make best use of all data including big data, public sector held data, research data, and data collected by companies. The strategy was developed in partnership with industry to place the UK at the forefront of extracting knowledge and value from data.</p><p> </p><p>Since the publication of the strategy, the Government has introduced new legislation on copyright exceptions in June 2014 to enable text and data-mining for non-commercial purpose, and has developed new UK Trade &amp; Industry marketing material to attract increased overseas investment and custom to the UK data centre market.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 24/11/2014 10:42:59 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

156127

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	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	Financial Services: ICT
	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 value of the financial technology sector to the economy.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	214449
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2014 answer text <p>Financial technology is not separately identified within Official Statistics and there is at present no workable definition to identify business activity in this area from other financial or computer and information services. Therefore the employment and financial contribution of these specific activities cannot easily be assessed.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 25/11/2014 10:55:54 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

100843

	registered interest
	date	24/10/2014
	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	Social 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 assessment his Department has made of the merits of HM Revenue and Customs launching pro-active investigations into the non-payment of the national minimum wage.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	211865
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government has not undertaken a formal assessment of the merits of pro-active investigations but believes they are an important part of enforcement.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMRC published findings from their targeted social care evaluation on 25 November 2013. Over the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2013, HMRC had made enquiries into 224 employers in the social care sector. Of the cases completed by the end of September 2014, HMRC have found non-compliance in 108 (48%) of their enquiries, identifying £1,319,729 arrears of pay for 6,550 workers, with penalties issued with a total value of £146,931.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of this targeted enforcement activity, HMRC have 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.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department of Health has recently published statutory guidance for local authorities as part of the package of secondary legislation that accompanies the Care Act. The chapter of statutory guidance on commissioning and market shaping explicitly states that local authorities should have evidence that contract terms, conditions and fee levels will not compromise care providers’ ability to pay at least minimum wages. A copy of the guidance can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-2014-statutory-guidance-for-implementation" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-2014-statutory-guidance-for-implementation</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department of Health is asking all Local Authorities to sign up to the Social Care Commitment which incorporates a statement about employer compliance with minimum wage legislation. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services has written out to all its members encouraging them to support the Commitment as a way of raising standards in adult social care.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We regularly update our Guidance on Gov.UK and we will continue to work with the sector to improve understanding and compliance.</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 03/11/2014 11:47:07 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

101306

	registered interest
	date	28/10/2014
	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 his Department has taken to take account of the omission of (a) some workers paid below the lower earnings limit and (b) unpaid travel time from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings when using that survey to estimate non-payment of the national minimum wage among homecare workers.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	212198
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) is an employer based pay survey and provides the most accurate information available from which we can derive non-compliance estimates. Estimates are based on a sample from pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) data and may not include some workers earning below the lower earnings limit. However, following the introduction of Real Time Information, ASHE now includes the majority of those earning below the lower earnings limit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The HMRC paper “National Minimum Wage compliance in the social care sector” (November 2013) looked at, amongst other things, the issue of unpaid travel time in compliance. It found that unpaid travel time was not the main cause of non-compliance in the sector.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We take non-compliance in the care sector very seriously, and to proactively tackle non-compliance HMRC have 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.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to increasing compliance with minimum wage legislation and effective enforcement of it. Everyone who is entitled to the minimum wage should receive it. Individuals should contact the Pay and Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368. HMRC investigates every complaint made.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 05/11/2014 15:11:25 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

101762

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2014
	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	Students: Plagiarism
	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 his Department has made of the number of higher education students purchasing assignment writing services.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	212580
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p>This is an issue which the Higher Education sector takes very seriously and where institutions have clear policies in place.</p><p>Institutions are supported in this area by the work of Plagiarism Advice (<a href="http://www.plagiarismadvice.org/" target="_blank">www.plagiarismadvice.org</a>) which was established to address concerns about plagiarism and the authenticity of student work. The sanctions that universities are able to apply to students who attempt to pass off work as their own, when it is not, are serious and significant.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark grouped question UIN 212825 question first answered 10/11/2014 14:09:25 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

102018

	registered interest
	date	31/10/2014
	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	Students: Plagiarism
	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 (a) considered and (b) taken to ensure that businesses advertising assignment writing services clearly state the potential ramifications for students of portraying such materials as their own work.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	212825
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p>This is an issue which the Higher Education sector takes very seriously and where institutions have clear policies in place.</p><p>Institutions are supported in this area by the work of Plagiarism Advice (<a href="http://www.plagiarismadvice.org/" target="_blank">www.plagiarismadvice.org</a>) which was established to address concerns about plagiarism and the authenticity of student work. The sanctions that universities are able to apply to students who attempt to pass off work as their own, when it is not, are serious and significant.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark grouped question UIN 212580 question first answered 10/11/2014 14:09:25 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

114591

	registered interest
	date	05/11/2014
	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	Students: Plagiarism
	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 bring forward proposals to prohibit businesses advertising assignment-writing services to higher education students; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	213634
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2014 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 November 2014 to Question UIN <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2014-10-30/212580/" target="_blank">212580</a> and <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2014-10-31/212825/" target="_blank">212825</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark question first answered 19/11/2014 16:01:18 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

101311

	registered interest
	date	28/10/2014
	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	Mobile Phones: Contracts
	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 mobile telephone operators and other companies display the total cost of consumer contracts over the contracts' lifetime, including predicted inflation rises at the point of sale.
	tabling member constituency	Brigg and Goole
	tabling member printed	Andrew Percy
	uin	212259
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 set out the information that a consumer must be given before they enter into a contract with a trader. This includes “the total price of the goods or services inclusive of taxes, or where the nature of the goods or services is such that the price cannot reasonably be calculated in advance, the manner in which the price is to be calculated”.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To further safeguard consumers, Ofcom introduced new rules in January 2014 which mean that for contracts entered into after 23 January 2014, when the agreed core price increases mid-contract, consumers can exit their contracts without penalty and hence can switch to another provider or tariff. This applies to all communications provider<em>s.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 03/11/2014 16:21:56 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
	tabling member	3939 label Biography information for Andrew Percy