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The Government considered the impact of late payment on Small and Medium Enterprises in our discussion paper Building a Responsible Payment Culture. As a result we are working with industry to create greater transparency of payment practices and a more responsible payment culture. This will include a statutory requirement, via the Small Business Enterprise and Employment Bill, for large firms to publish their payment practices. In addition, we are committed to working with the Institute for Credit Management and businesses to strengthen the Prompt Payment Code.<\/p>
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<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4284", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Neville-Rolfe"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-07-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-07-28T16:56:25.245607Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-07-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Business: Billing"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what assessment they have made of the current impact of late payments on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and what steps they are taking to support SMEs to mitigate the impact of late payments.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1018", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Barnett"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Barnett"} ], "uin" : "HL1209"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/78241", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/78241/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
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The Government is taking a range of actions to ensure young people have the skills and experience needed in the workplace.<\/p>
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The Government published a Careers Inspiration Vision in September 2013 calling on schools and colleges to work closely with employers to provide more inspiration and career insights for children and young people for example through workplace visits, inspiring speakers, coaching and mentoring. To help schools achieve this we have published revised Statutory Guidance which underpins their duty to secure independent careers guidance. This makes it clear that schools should inspire their pupils through more real-life contact with the world of work. We have also published new departmental advice, which provides examples of good practice and case studies, demonstrating how schools can build closer links with employers.<\/p>
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<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4284", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Neville-Rolfe"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-07-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-07-30T16:48:18.2289171Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-07-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Training"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government what action, beyond the changes they are to make to apprenticeships, they intend to take in order to<\/b>prepare young people for the world of work and deliver businesses with a supply of<\/b>young people with appropriate skill sets for the business environment.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4304", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Allen of Kensington"} ], "uin" : "HL1136"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/77774", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/77774/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
<\/p>
The regulatory options to protect the universal service are set out in the Postal Services Act 2011.<\/p>
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Parliament has given Ofcom the primary statutory duty to secure the provision of the universal service and the powers and tools its needs to do so.<\/p>
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Ofcom has carried out a consultation on end-to-end competition in the postal services sector and published a Guidance paper on the use of its regulatory options and the circumstances under which it would intervene to protect the universal service from any serious threat from competition. More information about Ofcom\u2019s consultation on end-to-end competition and its Guidance (\u201cFinal Guidance on Ofcom\u2019s approach to assessing the impact on the universal service\u201d) can be found on its website (www.ofcom.org.uk<\/a>).<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4284", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Neville-Rolfe"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-07-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-07-28T14:41:38.1100905Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "26"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Innovation and Skills"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-07-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Postal Services: Competition"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty\u2019s Government whether Ofcom has conducted any analysis of regulatory options to protect the universal postal service in the event of a significant increase in end-to-end competition.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2444", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Whitty"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Whitty"}
], "uin" : "HL1071"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/77775", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/77775/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> Ofcom has set out its approach towards carrying out a full assessment of end-to-end competition in its Guidance published in March 2013 (\u201cFinal Guidance on Ofcom\u2019s approach to assessing the impact on the universal service\u201d). Although it has not set out a specific timescale for a full review, Ofcom has in place a continuous monitoring regime and access to key confidential data from Royal Mail and other postal operators which would enable it to anticipate any potential threat to the universal service.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> Ofcom has said that they are keeping market developments under close monthly review and if this monitoring identified cause for concern they would be able to carry out a review very quickly.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>