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164311

	registered interest
	date	24/11/2014
	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	Regeneration
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what investment in regeneration projects the Regeneration Investment Organisation has secured in the last six months.
	tabling member constituency	Caerphilly
	tabling member printed	Wayne David
	uin	215654
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>Having built up a ‘shovel ready’ pipeline of 41 projects within 12 months, UK Trade and Investment’s Regeneration Investment Organisation (RIO) will shortly announce its first win for this financial year. RIO hopes to deliver two more project wins this financial year.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Beyond this, RIO’s £112bn long-term pipeline has the potential to create 640,000 jobs. 41 out of a total 180 projects have undergone technical investment evaluation and this number will soon rise to 100 verified projects. RIO has prioritised its overseas investors from 7 key markets and continues to support investment and supply chain development into ongoing projects such as Manchester Airport City and Battersea Power Station.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/12/2014 16:16:40 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 30716 answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	1398 label Biography information for Wayne David

164313

	registered interest
	date	24/11/2014
	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	Iron and Steel
	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 or spoke to representatives of the UK Certification Authority for Reinforcing Steels regarding the traceability and certification of Chinese and Turkish steel products imported to the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff South and Penarth
	tabling member printed	Stephen Doughty
	uin	215766
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has maintained close contact with the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) who investigated a complaint about CARES from UK Steel about labelling and traceability of imports.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>UKAS concluded that CARES responded in an appropriate way to the concerns raised, in line with the expectations and requirements of the accreditation standard. That conclusion has been communicated to UK steel and to the All Party Parliamentary Group on steel.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We understand from UKAS that there has been an increase in CARES’ vigilance with increased sampling and checks.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I have also been advised that, as a result of ongoing discussions between CARES and UK Steel, the association supplied samples of imported rebar and CARES testing found it was non-compliant. As a consequence we understand CARES visited the Chinese steel mill and conducted further sampling and testing but found no evidence of stock production being non-compliant.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/12/2014 16:25:04 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 30526 answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	4264 label Biography information for Stephen Doughty

167973

	registered interest
	date	04/12/2014
	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	Productivity
	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 is taking to improve productivity.
	tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
	tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
	uin	217275
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>Government policy focuses on delivering growth; this in turn partly depends on longer term improvements to productivity. As such, much of the Government’s economic policy is about raising productivity, including but not limited to:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Tax cuts</strong>: Government is actively working to reduce the tax burden where possible to help give businesses the confidence to invest and grow. Initiatives announced at this year’s Autumn Statement include a doubling of the Small Business Rate Relief for a further year, and a continued cap on the annual increase in business rates at 2% from April 2015 to March 2016. More widely the UK now has the lowest headline corporate tax rate in the G7 and 4th lowest in the G20. Budget 2013 announced further measures to reduce the main corporate tax rate to 20% by 2015.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Deregulation</strong>: Government departments are working together to simplify and reduce the regulatory burden for UK businesses through the Red Tape Challenge, One In, One Out , and One In, Two Out policies. This will create a regulatory environment in which businesses have the confidence to invest and grow. This work is already showing significant signs of success; excluding EU regulation, the estimated annual net cost of regulation to UK business has fallen by £1.5bn since 2011.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Skills</strong>: Ensuring employers have access to workers with the right skills plays a crucial role in enhancing the UK’s productivity. This Government has driven up participation in education, employment or training for 16-24 year olds since 2011. Apprenticeship participation has risen by 77% from 2009/10 to 2012/13, and there have been over 2 million Apprentices started since 2010.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government is giving employers more direct control over the design and delivery of training solutions to address skills shortages and improve business performance through the Employer Ownership Pilot (EOP) and its successor Employer Ownership Fund (EOF). The Government is completing round 2 of EOP which will be worth £238m and has announced targeted activity for the auto supply chain and engineering under EOF.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Infrastructure</strong>: High quality infrastructure is essential for supporting productivity growth. Delivering the right infrastructure at a local, regional and national level, across the UK, is therefore key to the government’s long-term economic plan. Since 2010, this Government has completed 55 major roads and local transport projects, completed major improvements to Kings Cross station as well as 400 other stations, opened Heathrow Terminal 2 and introduced £22 billion of private sector investment in water assets.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The National Infrastructure Plan for 2014 outlines a £466 billion plan for the UK’s infrastructure, of which £189 billion is future investment. This includes £15 billion of road improvements, £38bn investment in rail and £46 billion investment in the gas and electricity network.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Science and Innovation</strong>: The government funds and supports innovation in science, technology and engineering to help the UK’s high-tech industries to thrive. This has already seen £600m of government funding committed to the development and commercialisation of eight great technologies, a further £106m investment in new Centres for Doctoral Training, which will train more than 750 new students, and £42m in the creation of the Alan Turing Institute – a world-class research institute specialising in Big Data science. Details of the government’s on-going commitment to science and innovation will feature in the soon to be released Science and Innovation Strategy.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/12/2014 16:23:19 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 32571 answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark answering member 1578
	tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

168580

	registered interest
	date	08/12/2014
	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	Iron and Steel: Wales
	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 Answers to Questions 58 and 86 in his oral evidence of 29 January 2014 to the Welsh Affairs Committee on the steel industry in Wales, HC 882-i, what progress he has made in initiatives to create supply chain groups.
	tabling member constituency	Islwyn
	tabling member printed	Chris Evans
	uin	217589
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>The Government has initiated a supply chain plan policy in the renewable electricity sector. To be able to take part in the allocation process for a Contract for Difference, developers of projects above 300MW must submit a supply chain plan providing evidence that the project will make a material contribution to the economic growth and viability of the industrial supply chain. Any plans assessed by Government to be unsatisfactory would not be allowed to enter the Contract for Difference round. In addition the Offshore Wind Industry Council – a partnership between industry and Government - is taking forward actions from the offshore wind supply chain review conducted by Matthew Chinn that was published last month.</p><p> </p><p>Through the industrial strategy programme, we are working in partnership with industry to develop strong supply chains in the UK. We have set out a range of measures in our sector strategies published last year, which we are continuing to deliver.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/12/2014 11:31:17 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	4040 label Biography information for Chris Evans

168642

	registered interest
	date	08/12/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Renewables Obligation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what role is played by Ofgem in the calculation and recovery of the renewable obligation certificate from customers.
	tabling member constituency	Stirling
	tabling member printed	Mrs Anne McGuire
	uin	217664
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>The Renewables Obligation (RO) places an obligation on UK electricity suppliers to source a specified proportion of the electricity they supply to customers from renewable sources. This proportion – called ‘the Obligation’ – is set each year by government in line with legislation. The scheme is administered by Ofgem, who issue Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) to generators in relation to the renewable electricity they generate. Further details of how the scheme operates can be found on Ofgem’s website:</p><p><a href="https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/renewables-obligation-ro?page=1#block-views-publications-and-updates-block" target="_blank">https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/renewables-obligation-ro?page=1#block-views-publications-and-updates-block</a>.</p><p>It is assumed that the cost of the RO to suppliers is passed on to consumers through their energy bills. The total cost that can be levied on consumers through the RO is controlled through DECC’s Levy Control Framework.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/12/2014 16:12:45 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock attachment 1 file name control_framework_decc250311.pdf title Control framework for DECC levy-funded spending
	tabling member	636 label Biography information for Dame Anne McGuire

169364

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2014
	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	EU Trade: Trade Agreements
	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 trade negotiations are being conducted by the EU on behalf of the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	Mr John Spellar
	uin	218050
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>The European Commission is conducting, on behalf of the UK, nine bilateral trade negotiations, and a number of negotiations at the World Trade Organisation where the EU negotiates on behalf of the UK and the EU.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/12/2014 16:21:46 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

169472

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Power Stations
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate his Department has made of the dispatch period required to increase capacity at (a) nuclear, (b) combined cycle gas turbine, (c) open cycle gas turbine and (d) coal-fired power stations.
	tabling member constituency	Rutherglen and Hamilton West
	tabling member printed	Tom Greatrex
	uin	218065
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>A report by independent energy consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff commissioned by this Department considers the flexibility of coal and gas power technologies:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/technical-assessment-of-the-operation-of-coal-gas-fired-plants" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/technical-assessment-of-the-operation-of-coal-gas-fired-plants</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The table below contains information from the report and shows indicative start up times for coal, existing and modern gas combined cycle gas turbines (CCGT) and large and aero-derivative open cycle gas turbines (OCGT):</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p><strong>Technology</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Notice to Synch* (mins)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Synch to Full Load (mins)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Hot Start</strong></p></td><td><p>Coal</p><p>Existing Gas CCGT</p><p>Modern Gas CCGT</p><p>Gas Large OCGT</p></td><td><p>80-90</p><p>15</p><p>15</p><p>2-5</p></td><td><p>50-100</p><p>35-80</p><p>25</p><p>15-30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Warm Start</strong></p></td><td><p>Coal</p><p>Existing Gas CCGT</p><p>Modern Gas CCGT</p><p>Gas Large OCGT</p></td><td><p>300</p><p>15</p><p>15</p><p>2-5</p></td><td><p>85</p><p>80</p><p>-</p><p>15-30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Cold Start</strong></p></td><td><p>Coal</p><p>Existing Gas CCGT</p><p>Modern Gas CCGT</p><p>Gas Large OCGT</p></td><td><p>360-420</p><p>15</p><p>15</p><p>2-5</p></td><td><p>80-250</p><p>190-240</p><p>190</p><p>15-30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>All Starts</strong></p></td><td><p>Gas (Aero) OCGT</p></td><td><p>2-5</p></td><td><p>4-8</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><em>*‘Notice to Synch’ is the period of prior notice that a power plant requires to be able to start up the plant to the point of synchronisation.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The current nuclear fleet is not specifically designed for load following and generally plants will operate at their full nominal load. Plants that are offline for maintenance or refuelling will not usually be available to come back on line rapidly as there are a number of safety requirements that must be observed on re-start.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/12/2014 16:14:11 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 33756 answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	4047 label Biography information for Tom Greatrex

169723

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2014
	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	Small Businesses: Procurement
	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 from small and medium-sized businesses about companies that require a supplier company to make a payment in order to join or to remain on a list of suppliers.
	tabling member constituency	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
	tabling member printed	Simon Hart
	uin	218269
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has received a number of representations about this issue both from small business representative organisations and from small- and medium-sized businesses themselves. The recent media coverage relating to Premier Foods has prompted an increase in such representations. However, there is not a consensus amongst correspondents: some are in favour of company investment and/ or discount schemes and have explained how they have helped them thrive as a supplier; others are against such schemes and have highlighted the negative impact of their imposition.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/12/2014 16:20:33 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	3944 label Biography information for Simon Hart

169749

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Fuels: Prices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent changes in the global price of oil on domestic fuel prices.
	tabling member constituency	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
	tabling member printed	Jonathan Edwards
	uin	218366
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>Movements in pump prices are largely driven by crude oil prices and reduction in fuel duty. In January 2013, the Office for Fair Trading published the results of a Call for Information to investigate whether or not competition problems existed in the road fuels market.</p><p>The Government believes that it is important that consumers get a fair deal and that falls in oil prices materialise into lower prices for motorists. We wrote to major fuel retailers on 7 November seeking reassurance that they were fully passing on changes in the oil price to UK consumers at pumps in full and as quickly as possible.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/12/2014 15:56:09 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	3943 label Biography information for Jonathan Edwards

169816

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Energy: Meters
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of prepayment meter customers who self-disconnected at least once in each year since 2010 and (b) total number of prepayment meter customers in each year since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Rutherglen and Hamilton West
	tabling member printed	Tom Greatrex
	uin	218286
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>The Department does not hold information on the number of pre-payment meter customers who self-disconnected.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 17/12/2014 16:02:45 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
	tabling member	4047 label Biography information for Tom Greatrex