{ "format" : "linked-data-api", "version" : "0.2", "result" : {"_about" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2015-11-30&tablingMemberConstituency=Strangford&answer.previousAnswerVersion.answeringMember.label=Biography+information+for+Nick+Boles", "definition" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/meta/answeredquestions.text?date=2015-11-30&tablingMemberConstituency=Strangford&answer.previousAnswerVersion.answeringMember.label=Biography+information+for+Nick+Boles", "extendedMetadataVersion" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2015-11-30&tablingMemberConstituency=Strangford&_metadata=all&answer.previousAnswerVersion.answeringMember.label=Biography+information+for+Nick+Boles", "first" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2015-11-30&_page=0&tablingMemberConstituency=Strangford&answer.previousAnswerVersion.answeringMember.label=Biography+information+for+Nick+Boles", "hasPart" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2015-11-30&tablingMemberConstituency=Strangford&answer.previousAnswerVersion.answeringMember.label=Biography+information+for+Nick+Boles", "isPartOf" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?date=2015-11-30&tablingMemberConstituency=Strangford&answer.previousAnswerVersion.answeringMember.label=Biography+information+for+Nick+Boles", "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/433138", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Innovation and Skills"}
      ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/433138/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "<p><del class=\"ministerial\">Late payment remains an important issue for small businesses in the UK. The Government is taking significant steps to assist small businesses to recover late payment debts.<\/del><\/p><p><del class=\"ministerial\">Through the Enterprise Bill, currently before Parliament, we will legislate to establish a Small Business Commissioner to help small business resolve disputes with large companies, tackling, in particular, late payment. The Commissioner will act as a disincentive to unfavourable payment practices, and build the confidence and capabilities of small businesses to help them to assert themselves in contractual disputes and negotiate more effectively with larger businesses.<\/del><\/p><p><del class=\"ministerial\">This is part of a package of measures to tackle late payment. We have also legislated for new transparency measures in the public and private sectors. This will allow full public scrutiny of payment performance.<\/del><\/p><p><del class=\"ministerial\">We have also strengthened the Prompt Payment Code to ensure it is a recognised and demonstrated beacon of best practice, and we recently consulted on proposals to give representative bodies wider powers to challenge grossly unfair payment practices.<\/del><\/p><p><del class=\"ministerial\">Government promotes fair payment practices in construction through legislation (the &quot;Construction Act&quot;), the use of public procurement (promoting prompt payment to Tier 3 and the use of Project Bank Accounts), and by working with the industry through voluntary measures (such as the Prompt Payment Code and the Construction Leadership Council's Payment Charter).<\/del><\/p><p><del class=\"ministerial\">The Payment Charter includes a commitment of zero retentions by 2025. To support this work, the Government recently announced a review of the practice of cash retentions under construction contracts.<\/del><\/p><p><del class=\"ministerial\">Tackling late payment is about creating a responsible payment culture where larger companies recognise the benefit of having a sustainable and robust supply chain, and smaller businesses feel able to challenge poor behaviour. Once implemented, the Government is confident that these measures will lead to significant changes in the UK's payment culture.<\/del><\/p><br /><p><ins class=\"ministerial\">Opportunities in painting and decorating will be created through the steps Government is taking to increase demand in the construction industry, including its support for housebuilding in England.<\/ins><\/p><p><ins class=\"ministerial\"><\/ins><\/p><p><ins class=\"ministerial\">Last week the Chancellor announced that the public housing budget for England is to double to over £2 billion per year, and the Housing Bill sets out plans to build 1 million homes in England by 2020.<\/ins><\/p><p><ins class=\"ministerial\"><\/ins><\/p><p><ins class=\"ministerial\">To deliver Government ambitions for construction it is vital to attract new people to the industry. The government is committed to significantly increasing the quantity and quality of all apprenticeships in England to 3 million starts by 2020; the construction industry will have a significant part to play in achieving this target.<\/ins><\/p><p><ins class=\"ministerial\">However, skills policy (including apprenticeships policy) is a devolved matter and, in Northern Ireland (NI), is the responsibility of the Department of Employment and Learning.<\/ins><\/p><p><ins class=\"ministerial\">The Minister of Employment and Learning, Dr Stephen Farry, published <em>Securing our Success, <\/em>a new NI Strategy on Apprenticeships in June 2014. This Strategy aims to reform the system of apprenticeships in NI, introducing them in a much broader range of occupational areas and establishing them as an attractive route to gaining higher level qualifications including at degree level and above.<\/ins><\/p><p><ins class=\"ministerial\">The Construction Skills Network Report for NI suggests that there will be an annual recruitment requirement of 100 painters and decorators over the next five years, within a total requirement of 1,490 construction trades each year.<\/ins><\/p><p><ins class=\"ministerial\"><\/ins><\/p><p><ins class=\"ministerial\">The Construction Industry Training Board NI has a role to encourage the adequate training of those employed or intending to be employed in the construction industry and to improve the skills and productivity of the sector. NI\u2019s six Further Education Colleges provide professional and technical training for the painting and decorating trades.<\/ins><\/p>"}
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      ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to support the creation of painting and decorating opportunities in the construction sector.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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