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1134255

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Business: Billing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making the Prompt Payment Code compulsory for large businesses.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
uin	268619
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>In the recent Government Response to the Creating a Responsible Payment Culture Call for Evidence we announced that responsibility for the voluntary Prompt Payment Code (the ‘Code’) is to move to the Small Business Commissioner and that the Code will be reformed, following engagement with existing Code signatories.</p><p> </p><p>Turning a voluntary code into a compulsory code would be further legislation respect of payment terms. UK legislation already establishes maximum 30-day payment terms for transactions with public authorities and 60-day payment terms between businesses, unless they agree longer terms and those terms are not grossly unfair to the supplier.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:10:31 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1134256

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Business: Billing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the maximum payment terms of the Prompt Payment Code from 60 days to 30 days.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
uin	268620
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The Prompt Payment Code (‘the Code’) encourages businesses to aim for 30-day payment terms as the norm, with 60 days as the maximum. Signatories commit to paying 95% of invoices within 60 days, unless there are exceptional circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>In the recent Government Response to the Creating a Responsible Payment Culture Call for Evidence we announced that responsibility for the Code is to move to the Small Business Commissioner and that the Code will be reformed, following engagement with existing Code signatories. We are also keen to increase the number of businesses signed up to the Code.</p><p> </p><p>UK legislation already establishes maximum 30-day payment terms for transactions with public authorities and 60-day payment terms between businesses, unless they agree longer terms and those terms are not grossly unfair to the supplier.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:10:37 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1134257

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Small Businesses: Billing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how he plans to define late payments that the Small Business Commissioner will enforce.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
uin	268621
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>Within the Small Business Commissioner’s (the Commissioner) remit to tackle late payment and help drive culture change in private sector payment practices, the Commissioner addresses small business complaints about their larger customers. The Commissioner will make non-binding recommendations as to how the issues could be resolved, remedied and mitigated.</p><p> </p><p>Further detail of the Commissioner’s complaints handling scheme is set out in the Small Business Commissioner (Scope &amp; Scheme) Regulations 2017.</p><p> </p><p>I announced in the recent Government Response to the Call for Evidence on Creating a Responsible Payment Culture that we will consult on strengthening the Commissioner’s ability to assist and advocate for small businesses in the area of late payments.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:10:44 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1134258

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Business: Billing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what evidence base the Government used in reaching the decision to provide a £1 million business fund for the use of technology to help reduce late payments.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
uin	268622
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>A £9 million Business Basics Programme was announced in the Industrial Strategy, to test innovative ways of encouraging SMEs to take up the proven technology and business practices that can boost productivity. I announced in the recent Government Response to the Call for Evidence on Creating a Responsible Payment Culture that, as part of that Programme, we will launch a Business Basics fund competition up to £1 million. This will provide funding to trial how to get businesses to take up proven technology and business practices, including a focus on payment technology.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:10:49 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1134259

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Business: Billing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the £1 million technology fund for businesses on the issue of late payments.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
uin	268623
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>Technology adoption can boost productivity in the UK. The £9 million Business Basics Programme was announced in the Industrial Strategy, to test innovative ways of encouraging SMEs to take up the proven technology and business practices that can boost productivity.</p><p> </p><p>Government believes there is also a role for the Commissioner to run a campaign to promote technological solutions to SMEs to reduce late payment, improve cash flow and encourage better credit management. This fits with the Commissioner’s role in offering advice and guidance on payment matters to SMEs.</p><p> </p><p>It is envisaged that this combined approach will improve awareness of the use of technology and begin to make inroads to improve administrative processes that underpin business operations such as streamlining invoicing, payment and credit management, ultimately making payment practices more efficient and businesses more productive.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:10:55 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1134260

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Business: Billing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to page seven of the Government's response to the paper entitled, Creating a responsible payment culture: a call for evidence on tackling late payment, what the evidential basis is for the statement there was no real consensus, either with regard to the extent of the issue itself or what the best solution to the problem is.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
uin	268624
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>We received 283 responses and respondents expressed a wide range of views in relation to payment practices and experiences. From the wide-ranging evidence provided it is clear there is no ‘magic bullet’ solution. That is why are taking action with a broad package of policy measures to tackle late payments and continue to change culture.</p><p> </p><p>Government has worked closely with trade bodies and businesses to develop this. Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said of the recent announcement: “Small businesses will be delighted with today’s announcement” and “the measures today could finally see an end to poor payment practice. Changing our business culture will boost the small business community, productivity and growth.”</p> answering member constituency Rochester and Strood answering member printed Kelly Tolhurst question first answered 02/07/2019 14:11:01 answering member 4487 label Biography information for Kelly Tolhurst
tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1144620

registered interest
date	04/09/2019
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Reserve Forces: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the daily rate of pay for armed forces reservists is calculated from the regular equivalents.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
uin	286771
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>In order to safeguard operational effectiveness, the Armed Forces are exempt from the provisions of the 1998 National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act. Nevertheless, we aim to ensure that the Armed Forces are remunerated in line with NMW provisions.</p><p>The daily pay offered to Part-Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR) personnel is derived from the equivalent annual salary paid to their Regular counterparts. The annual salary is made up of base pay plus X-Factor, the latter reflecting the different conditions in Service life experienced by members of the Armed Forces compared to conditions in civilian life, averaged over a whole career and across all three Services. All pay rates, including X-Factor percentages, are recommended by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB). At present, full-time Regular personnel are paid X-Factor at 14½% and PTVR personnel get 5% X-Factor. In giving their recommendations, the AFPRB give due consideration to the needs of the Services to recruit and retain suitably able, motivated and qualified people.</p><p>Following the Government's acceptance of the AFPRB's most recent recommendations (HCWS1770), the current annual starting salary for a Regular private or equivalent (pay increment OR2-1) has risen to £20,000 p.a., whilst the equivalent PTVR annual salary, derived using the lower level of X-Factor, has risen to £18,341 p.a. PTVR daily rates of pay are calculated by dividing the annual salary by 365¼, and a day's pay is earned through voluntary attendance of eight hours or more. For an eight-hour day, this is the equivalent of £6.28 per hour. In addition, PTVR personnel are provided with additional payments in lieu of untaken leave, equivalent to just over 10% of their pay; they may also claim an annual tax-free training bounty of up £470 in their first year of service where they meet their unit's minimum training requirements (approximately 30 days' relevant attendance). When PTVR personnel are called-up, for example for operational deployment, they are paid the same annual salary as their Regular counterparts, i.e. the rate inclusive of the higher level of X-Factor, and they also gain access to the same range of allowances payable for Regular service.</p><p>This Government will continue to work with the independent AFPRB to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces are fairly remunerated for the work that they do.</p> answering member constituency Plymouth, Moor View answering member printed Johnny Mercer grouped question UIN 286772 286773 286774 question first answered 09/09/2019 15:42:47 answering member 4485 label Biography information for Johnny Mercer
tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1144621

registered interest
date	04/09/2019
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Reserve Forces: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the minimum number of hours is that an armed forces reservist is expected to work to qualify for a day's pay.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
uin	286772
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>In order to safeguard operational effectiveness, the Armed Forces are exempt from the provisions of the 1998 National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act. Nevertheless, we aim to ensure that the Armed Forces are remunerated in line with NMW provisions.</p><p>The daily pay offered to Part-Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR) personnel is derived from the equivalent annual salary paid to their Regular counterparts. The annual salary is made up of base pay plus X-Factor, the latter reflecting the different conditions in Service life experienced by members of the Armed Forces compared to conditions in civilian life, averaged over a whole career and across all three Services. All pay rates, including X-Factor percentages, are recommended by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB). At present, full-time Regular personnel are paid X-Factor at 14½% and PTVR personnel get 5% X-Factor. In giving their recommendations, the AFPRB give due consideration to the needs of the Services to recruit and retain suitably able, motivated and qualified people.</p><p>Following the Government's acceptance of the AFPRB's most recent recommendations (HCWS1770), the current annual starting salary for a Regular private or equivalent (pay increment OR2-1) has risen to £20,000 p.a., whilst the equivalent PTVR annual salary, derived using the lower level of X-Factor, has risen to £18,341 p.a. PTVR daily rates of pay are calculated by dividing the annual salary by 365¼, and a day's pay is earned through voluntary attendance of eight hours or more. For an eight-hour day, this is the equivalent of £6.28 per hour. In addition, PTVR personnel are provided with additional payments in lieu of untaken leave, equivalent to just over 10% of their pay; they may also claim an annual tax-free training bounty of up £470 in their first year of service where they meet their unit's minimum training requirements (approximately 30 days' relevant attendance). When PTVR personnel are called-up, for example for operational deployment, they are paid the same annual salary as their Regular counterparts, i.e. the rate inclusive of the higher level of X-Factor, and they also gain access to the same range of allowances payable for Regular service.</p><p>This Government will continue to work with the independent AFPRB to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces are fairly remunerated for the work that they do.</p> answering member constituency Plymouth, Moor View answering member printed Johnny Mercer grouped question UIN 286771 286773 286774 question first answered 09/09/2019 15:42:48 answering member 4485 label Biography information for Johnny Mercer
tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1144622

registered interest
date	04/09/2019
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Reserve Forces: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the equivalent hourly rate would be for a (a) Private and (b)equivalent rank (OR-2-1) in the Armed Forces Reserves working an eight hour day.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
uin	286773
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>In order to safeguard operational effectiveness, the Armed Forces are exempt from the provisions of the 1998 National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act. Nevertheless, we aim to ensure that the Armed Forces are remunerated in line with NMW provisions.</p><p>The daily pay offered to Part-Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR) personnel is derived from the equivalent annual salary paid to their Regular counterparts. The annual salary is made up of base pay plus X-Factor, the latter reflecting the different conditions in Service life experienced by members of the Armed Forces compared to conditions in civilian life, averaged over a whole career and across all three Services. All pay rates, including X-Factor percentages, are recommended by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB). At present, full-time Regular personnel are paid X-Factor at 14½% and PTVR personnel get 5% X-Factor. In giving their recommendations, the AFPRB give due consideration to the needs of the Services to recruit and retain suitably able, motivated and qualified people.</p><p>Following the Government's acceptance of the AFPRB's most recent recommendations (HCWS1770), the current annual starting salary for a Regular private or equivalent (pay increment OR2-1) has risen to £20,000 p.a., whilst the equivalent PTVR annual salary, derived using the lower level of X-Factor, has risen to £18,341 p.a. PTVR daily rates of pay are calculated by dividing the annual salary by 365¼, and a day's pay is earned through voluntary attendance of eight hours or more. For an eight-hour day, this is the equivalent of £6.28 per hour. In addition, PTVR personnel are provided with additional payments in lieu of untaken leave, equivalent to just over 10% of their pay; they may also claim an annual tax-free training bounty of up £470 in their first year of service where they meet their unit's minimum training requirements (approximately 30 days' relevant attendance). When PTVR personnel are called-up, for example for operational deployment, they are paid the same annual salary as their Regular counterparts, i.e. the rate inclusive of the higher level of X-Factor, and they also gain access to the same range of allowances payable for Regular service.</p><p>This Government will continue to work with the independent AFPRB to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces are fairly remunerated for the work that they do.</p> answering member constituency Plymouth, Moor View answering member printed Johnny Mercer grouped question UIN 286771 286772 286774 question first answered 09/09/2019 15:42:48 answering member 4485 label Biography information for Johnny Mercer
tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1144623

registered interest
date	04/09/2019
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Reserve Forces: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the lowest paid armed forces Reserve personnel are paid rates equivalent to the National Living Wage.
tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
uin	286774
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>In order to safeguard operational effectiveness, the Armed Forces are exempt from the provisions of the 1998 National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act. Nevertheless, we aim to ensure that the Armed Forces are remunerated in line with NMW provisions.</p><p>The daily pay offered to Part-Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR) personnel is derived from the equivalent annual salary paid to their Regular counterparts. The annual salary is made up of base pay plus X-Factor, the latter reflecting the different conditions in Service life experienced by members of the Armed Forces compared to conditions in civilian life, averaged over a whole career and across all three Services. All pay rates, including X-Factor percentages, are recommended by the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB). At present, full-time Regular personnel are paid X-Factor at 14½% and PTVR personnel get 5% X-Factor. In giving their recommendations, the AFPRB give due consideration to the needs of the Services to recruit and retain suitably able, motivated and qualified people.</p><p>Following the Government's acceptance of the AFPRB's most recent recommendations (HCWS1770), the current annual starting salary for a Regular private or equivalent (pay increment OR2-1) has risen to £20,000 p.a., whilst the equivalent PTVR annual salary, derived using the lower level of X-Factor, has risen to £18,341 p.a. PTVR daily rates of pay are calculated by dividing the annual salary by 365¼, and a day's pay is earned through voluntary attendance of eight hours or more. For an eight-hour day, this is the equivalent of £6.28 per hour. In addition, PTVR personnel are provided with additional payments in lieu of untaken leave, equivalent to just over 10% of their pay; they may also claim an annual tax-free training bounty of up £470 in their first year of service where they meet their unit's minimum training requirements (approximately 30 days' relevant attendance). When PTVR personnel are called-up, for example for operational deployment, they are paid the same annual salary as their Regular counterparts, i.e. the rate inclusive of the higher level of X-Factor, and they also gain access to the same range of allowances payable for Regular service.</p><p>This Government will continue to work with the independent AFPRB to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces are fairly remunerated for the work that they do.</p> answering member constituency Plymouth, Moor View answering member printed Johnny Mercer grouped question UIN 286771 286772 286773 question first answered 09/09/2019 15:42:48 answering member 4485 label Biography information for Johnny Mercer
tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman