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1307325

registered interest
date	12/04/2021
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	Additional Restrictions Grant
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 Additional Restrictions grants have been issued by each local authority in England.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	179639
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2021 answer text <p>The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) is a discretionary scheme aimed at supporting businesses, including those that have not been mandated to close but have had their trade adversely affected by the nationalised restrictions. At Budget on 3 March, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced an additional £425 million will be made available via the ARG, meaning that more than £2 billion has been made available to Local Authorities since November 2020.</p><p> </p><p>All data on Government allocations and Local Authority payments of the ARG is available at: <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fcoronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses&amp;data=04%7C01%7CAmanda.Thomas%40beis.gov.uk%7Ca88eb77e374d426e981508d8e3d0d87d%7Ccbac700502c143ebb497e6492d1b2dd8%7C0%7C0%7C637509833413244741%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=sk15Kc2995xcLr95vyyXzW%2B0dszcRw%2FJCayewktgj9U%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses</a>.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 15/04/2021 16:14:24 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1307326

registered interest
date	12/04/2021
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	Additional Restrictions Grant
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 on businesses of the differences in criteria used by local authorities to determine applications for the Additional Restrictions Grant.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	179640
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2021 answer text <p>The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) provides Local Authorities with discretionary funding to enable them to support businesses including those not mandated to close, but which have had their trade affected by the restrictions that have been put in place to tackle Covid-19 and save lives.</p><p> </p><p>The flexibility of the ARG allows Local Authorities to provide support that suits their local area, to determine how much funding to provide to businesses and exactly which businesses to target. The scheme aims to support businesses when most needed, and Local Authorities should use this funding as quickly as possible. We are working closely with Local Authorities to ensure that grants are delivered swiftly to businesses in scope of this funding.</p><p><em> </em></p><p>All data on Government allocations and Local Authority payments of the ARG is available at: <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fcoronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses&amp;data=04%7C01%7CAmanda.Thomas%40beis.gov.uk%7Ca88eb77e374d426e981508d8e3d0d87d%7Ccbac700502c143ebb497e6492d1b2dd8%7C0%7C0%7C637509833413244741%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=sk15Kc2995xcLr95vyyXzW%2B0dszcRw%2FJCayewktgj9U%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses</a>.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 15/04/2021 16:12:21 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1308203

registered interest
date	12/04/2021
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	Personal Care Services: Coronavirus
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 provide further guidance to businesses in the personal care sector on the meaning of the advice to consider providing shorter, more basic treatments as part of the covid-19 secure guidance.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	179641
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2021 answer text <p>The Safer Working <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/close-contact-services" target="_blank">guidance</a> on close contact services was updated on 30 March ahead of reopening on Step 2. Extended treatments have not been banned. Since July 2020, the guidance has made clear that the personal care sector should keep appointments shorter as best practice and consider how the length of the appointment could be minimised to reduce the risk of transmission. We expect the personal care sector to continue to use their discretion and experience.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 15/04/2021 16:16:46 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1308204

registered interest
date	12/04/2021
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	Personal Care Services: Coronavirus
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 undertook an equalities impact assessment before publishing the guidance to businesses in the personal care sector on providing shorter, more basic treatments as part of the covid-19 secure guidance.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	179642
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2021 answer text <p>The Safer Working guidance was developed by BEIS with input from firms, unions, industry bodies and the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, and in consultation with Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive. An equalities impact assessment was undertaken when the guidance was first published in May 2020. It has been kept under constant review and updated regularly.</p><p> </p><p>Since July 2020, the guidance has made clear that the personal care sector should keep appointments shorter as best practice and consider how the length of the appointment could be minimised to reduce the risk of transmission. We expect the personal care sector to continue to use their discretion and experience.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 15/04/2021 16:15:41 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1417748

registered interest
date	28/01/2022
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: Coronavirus
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 his Department produced a strategy for preventing fraud in the coronavirus business support schemes.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	113841
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2022 answer text <p>The National Audit Office follow-up report into the Bounce Back Loan Scheme recommended the Department produces a formal strategy that sets out the longer-term ambitions, objectives and metrics for the impact of successful counter-fraud activity. We are considering the recommendation and will respond in due course.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 02/02/2022 16:23:44 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1417749

registered interest
date	28/01/2022
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: Coronavirus
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 his Department will publish any strategy it has produced for recovering fraudulent loans made as part of the coronavirus business support schemes.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	113842
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2022 answer text <p>The National Audit Office follow-up report into the Bounce Back Loan Scheme recommended the Department produces a formal strategy that sets out the longer-term ambitions, objectives and metrics for the impact of successful counter-fraud activity. We are considering the recommendation and will respond in due course.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 02/02/2022 16:24:19 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1417750

registered interest
date	28/01/2022
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: Coronavirus
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 officials in his Department worked on preventing fraud in the coronavirus business support schemes in each month since April 2020.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	113843
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2022 answer text <p>The resource BEIS deployed in counter fraud was proportionate to the level of fraud risk.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 02/02/2022 16:26:21 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1417751

registered interest
date	28/01/2022
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: Coronavirus
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 much his Department spent on tackling fraud in coronavirus business support schemes in (a) 2020 and (b) 2021.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	113844
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2022 answer text <p>It is difficult to put a figure on the total being spent on tackling Covid fraud as our response involves the contribution of many partners organisations.</p><p> </p><ul><li>BEIS and BBB’s response includes: <ul><li>Lender resource identifying fraud, providing information and intelligence for investigations/prosecution, referring appropriate cases to INSS and recovery procedures.</li><li>INSS resource for enforcement procedures against companies and directors</li><li>NATIS investigations, prosecutions and recoveries.</li><li>Collaboration with a wide range of law enforcement agencies</li><li>The core BEIS Covid loans team.</li></ul></li></ul><p> </p><p>Funding for subsequent years will be determined through the current Business Planning Process.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 02/02/2022 16:28:04 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1418791

registered interest
date	01/02/2022
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: Coronavirus
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 (a) discussions and (b) correspondence his Department has had with the National Crime Agency on the issue of fraud in respect of the coronavirus business support schemes in each of the last three months.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	116081
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2022 answer text <p>The Department has been in correspondence with the National Crime Agency on the issue of fraud in respect of the coronavirus business support schemes on several occasions on each of the last three months. The details of the correspondence cannot be disclosed as this may prejudice live or future investigations. The Department continues to work closely with the NCA and other law enforcement agencies to tackle serious fraud and other criminality.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 04/02/2022 14:49:39 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1419230

registered interest
date	02/02/2022
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	Bounce Back Loan Scheme: Fraud
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 the oral contribution of the Paymaster General of 1 February 2022, Official Report, column 160, that the estimate of fraud in the bounce back loan scheme had been revised down from £4.9 billion to £3.3 billion, if he will publish the methodology used to produce that revised figure.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	117089
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2022 answer text <p>The Department’s 2020-2021 Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) estimates a loss of £4.9 billion relating to the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) because of fraud. This is based upon the sampling exercise work undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in 2020, details of which are set out in the ARA. The fraud and error estimate for the scheme, it was concluded, ranges from £3.6 billion to £6.3 billion, with the central estimate value being £4.9 billion (11.15%) of loan facilities.</p><p> </p><p>More recent information from PwC suggests a reduction in the central BBLS fraud estimate to 7.5%. This estimate requires further verification as our work with lenders and government agencies to identify fraudulent loans continues.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 07/02/2022 17:28:17 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare