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1236507

answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/09/2020 answer text <p>Organisers of package holidays are required to comply with the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. Consumers are entitled to a refund if they cancel a package holiday due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occurring at the place of destination or its immediate vicinity which would significantly affect the performance of the package or transport to the destination, or if the organiser terminates the contract because of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>Given the evolving situation, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has updated its guidance for businesses to help them understand their legal obligations. This can found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds</a>. If the CMA finds evidence that companies are failing to comply with the law, the CMA will take appropriate enforcement action. For example, recent action from the CMA has led to an undertaking from TUI to refund affected customers by the end of September.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 22/09/2020 15:17:07 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully

1178000

registered interest
date	12/02/2020
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	Post Offices
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 many Crown post offices have (a) operated and (b) closed in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) Northern Ireland and (iv) England in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	1247
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.</p><p> </p><p>While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The number of Crown Post Office which are either operational or closed throughout the UK is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. I have therefore asked Nick Read, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 28/02/2020 14:18:01 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1178945

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	New Businesses
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 estimate he has made of the number of business start-ups in (a) North East Bedfordshire constituency, (b) Bedfordshire and (c) the UK in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	North East Bedfordshire
tabling member printed	Richard Fuller
uin	18513
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The table below provides ONS data on new business registrations for VAT and/or PAYE (ONS Business Demography 2018 – Enterprise births, deaths and survivals).</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p>1) Timeseries data for business births is not available at Parliamentary Constituency level but we can provide figures as below for the three districts which make up Bedfordshire.</p><p>2) Data is not available for periods earlier than 2013 or later than 2018.</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>UK</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Bedfordshire (county)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Bedford (district)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Central Bedfordshire (district)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Luton (district)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2013</strong></p></td><td><p>346275</p></td><td><p>3450</p></td><td><p>875</p></td><td><p>1540</p></td><td><p>1035</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2014</strong></p></td><td><p>350305</p></td><td><p>3560</p></td><td><p>870</p></td><td><p>1550</p></td><td><p>1140</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2015</strong></p></td><td><p>382755</p></td><td><p>3990</p></td><td><p>980</p></td><td><p>1585</p></td><td><p>1425</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2016</strong></p></td><td><p>413900</p></td><td><p>10370</p></td><td><p>1065</p></td><td><p>4865</p></td><td><p>4440</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p>381885</p></td><td><p>4915</p></td><td><p>925</p></td><td><p>2245</p></td><td><p>1745</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2018</strong></p></td><td><p>380580</p></td><td><p>4710</p></td><td><p>910</p></td><td><p>2200</p></td><td><p>1600</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 02/03/2020 17:00:56 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	3912 label Biography information for Richard Fuller

1178956

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Fireworks: Sales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2020 to Question 13075, on Fireworks: Sales, when the Office for Product Safety and Standards plans to publish its evidence base; what evidence that organisation plans to gather in Scotland; and from whom in Scotland that organisation plans to gather evidence.
tabling member constituency	East Lothian
tabling member printed	Kenny MacAskill
uin	18868
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) work on the fireworks evidence base is ongoing and will be published in due course.</p><p> </p><p>OPSS is engaging with officials in the Scottish Government about their consultation and Fireworks Action Plan for Scotland. Any evidence that has emerged from that consultation will be considered as part of the wider fireworks evidence base.</p><p> </p><p>OPSS invited evidence from a range of stakeholders across the UK including those in Scotland such as the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 02/03/2020 17:01:35 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4772 label Biography information for Kenny MacAskill

1179146

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Tickets: Touting
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will increase the funding available for National Trading Standards investigations into secondary ticket abuse.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	18531
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to tackling fraudulent practices in secondary ticketing. The department works closely with National Trading Standards to ensure they have adequate funding to tackle consumer detriment in the secondary ticketing market.</p><p> </p><p>As a result of this work, earlier this month two individuals from London were found guilty of fraudulently and dishonestly buying and reselling tickets for high-profile music and entertainment events. They have now been sentenced to a combined six and a half years in jail. This landmark case marks the first successful prosecution against the fraudulent reselling of tickets on a large scale. This is directly a result of the work of National Trading Standards, North Yorkshire County Council, and City of York Council.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 02/03/2020 17:01:07 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

1179204

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Public Houses: Yorkshire and the Humber
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 steps his Department is taking to prevent the closure of independent pubs in Yorkshire and the Humber.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	18976
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of having a diverse range of pubs in local communities across the country, and the contribution pubs make to the economy and to community life in providing a place to socialise and encourage responsible drinking.</p><p> </p><p>In order to provide support for pubs, the Government announced a freeze on beer duty at Budget 2018. Due to this freeze, the price of a typical pint of beer in 2020 is 2p lower than it would have been had duty increased with inflation and 14p lower than it otherwise would have been since ending the beer duty escalator in 2013.</p><p> </p><p>Many pubs will benefit from the business rates retail discount announced at Budget 2018, which cuts bills for eligible businesses by one third for two years from April 2019. The Government has committed to increasing the discount to 50% in 2020/21. It is available to eligible businesses, including pubs, with a rateable value below £51,000.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 02/03/2020 17:01:41 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1179279

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Pay
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 effect of the increase in (a) the National Living Wage and (b) the National Minimum Wage in April 2020 on the number of (i) jobs and (ii) hours that people are employed.
tabling member constituency	Shipley
tabling member printed	Philip Davies
uin	18558
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>Through the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW), we are ensuring the lowest paid are fairly rewarded for their contribution to the economy. This April, the NLW will increase by 6.2% to £8.72, meaning that a full-time worker on the wage will see their pay increase by over £930 over the year. Young workers on the NMW will see their pay increase between 4.6% and 6.5%. Collectively, these increases to the minimum wage are estimated to directly benefit 2.4 million workers.</p><p> </p><p>In setting these rates, the Government consider the expert and independent advice of the Low Pay Commission (LPC). The LPC draws on economic, labour market and pay analysis, independent research and stakeholder evidence, to assess the impact of past minimum wage increases and their proposed rates for the following year.</p><p> </p><p>To date, the LPC have found that the minimum wage has increased pay for the lowest earners without harming employment. They will publish their 2020 report later this year, which will contain a further assessment on the impact of the latest increases.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 02/03/2020 17:22:18 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

1179335

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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: Government Assistance
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 steps he plans to take to support small businesses in (a) Harlow and (b) the UK.
tabling member constituency	Harlow
tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
uin	18758
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government-backed British Business Bank helps to drive economic growth by making finance markets work better for smaller businesses, enabling them to prosper and grow. The British Business Bank is currently supporting over £7.2bn of finance to over 93,000 SMEs across the UK (as at September 2019). The Bank’s Online Finance Hub offers independent and impartial information on different finance options, helping smaller businesses to identify the right finance options for their needs.</p><p> </p><p>The Bank’s Start Up Loans programme has delivered over 69,000 loans worth over £565m since it was established in 2012. In Harlow, the programme has delivered 75 loans worth over £598,000. Each Start Up Loan comes with 12 months free mentoring and support.</p><p> </p><p>Harlow has also been invited to develop proposals a Town Deal of up to £25 million. The new Town Board met for the first time in January and is developing a Town Investment Plan. The Towns Fund will address various town centre issues, including business environment.</p><p> </p><p>The objective of the Towns Fund is to drive the economic regeneration of towns to deliver long term economic and productivity growth, including through ensuring towns have the space to support small business development.</p><p> </p><p>Harlow Enterprise Zone (EZ) is one of 45 government-designated EZs which aim to incentivise small business start-ups and growth principally by offering business rates relief and simplified planning. Key objectives include attracting increased inward investment, and the creation of job opportunities for local residents.</p><p> </p><p>Government supports a network of 38 Growth Hubs across England, which offer free expert advice to on the most suitable business finance as well as access to regional and national organisations and networks. Businesses in Harlow and across Essex are encouraged to access support and advice at South East Business Hub<sup><sup>[1]</sup></sup><sup>.</sup></p><p> </p><p>Harlow firms are also encouraged to access the BEST (Essex) Growth Hub. Although physically based in Southend, the Growth Hub’s services are available to Harlow businesses.</p><p> </p><p>The recently launched Government’s own Business Support Website brings together on one new and easy-to-use site, information, support and advice to businesses in England. The support is organised around four themes: Finance and business planning; Leadership and talent; Innovation and technology; and Exporting. The site also offers a live web chat facility with business advisers and the Business Support Helpline – 0300 456 3565.</p><p>[1] <a href="https://southeastbusiness.org.uk/" target="_blank">https://southeastbusiness.org.uk/</a></p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 02/03/2020 17:01:27 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1179580

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Post Office: Cash Dispensing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the reasons for a decision by Post Office Ltd not to renew a licence for an ATM in a branch.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	18852
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK, which is why we committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.</p><p> </p><p>While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Any decision regarding renewal of ATM licences for a branch is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. I have asked Nick Read, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the Hon Member about POL’s reasons for not renewing an ATM licence in a branch. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 02/03/2020 17:08:27 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1179581

registered interest
date	21/02/2020
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	Post Office: Cash Dispensing
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 support his Department is providing to Post Office Ltd to help (a) maintain and (b) increase the number of ATMs in Post Office branches.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	18853
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises that widespread access to cash remains extremely important in the context of bank closures, particularly for the more vulnerable and remote customers and businesses. The Government supports the renegotiated Banking Framework agreement, which is a three-year agreement and took effect in January 2020. This agreement enables 99% of personal banking customers and 95% of business banking customers to do their day-to-day banking at the Post Office, including cash withdrawals.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, LINK, the main provider of ATMs in the UK, has assured Government that they are committed to maintaining an extensive network of free-to-use cash machines, including via Post Offices, and bolstering its Financial Inclusion Programme.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 02/03/2020 17:22:43 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows