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1242066

registered interest
date	09/10/2020
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	Consumers: Prices
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 tackle the loyalty penalty in the (a) mobile, (b) broadband and (c) mortgage market.
tabling member constituency	Makerfield
tabling member printed	Yvonne Fovargue
uin	101273
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/10/2020 answer text <p>In 2019, new rules for mobile phones were created by Ofcom which required companies to provide better upfront contract information on pricing for bundled handset and airtime services, and several companies voluntarily agreed to reduce bills for out-of-contract customers. In broadband, a number of major providers took steps to reduce the loyalty penalty, including capping prices. An updated review was published by Ofcom in July 2020.</p><p> </p><p>Other telecoms interventions have been developed, including Ofcom’s new rules which require communication providers to send a notification to their customers when they are nearing the end of their contract. The Government and Ofcom continue to work on ‘Open Communications’ as part of the Smart Data project to help consumers access information and switch providers accordingly, for which Ofcom published a consultation in July 2020.</p><p> </p><p>The Financial Conduct Authority conducted a mortgage market study in 2019 which noted that they are working with lenders to make it easier for borrowers to switch, where that is possible and would be of benefit, in light of the ‘loyalty penalty’. That work continues.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 14/10/2020 16:38:06 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4034 label Biography information for Yvonne Fovargue

1241708

registered interest
date	08/10/2020
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	Hospitality Industry: 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 allocate additional financial support to businesses in the West Lancashire hospitality sector affected by covid-19 restrictions.
tabling member constituency	West Lancashire
tabling member printed	Rosie Cooper
uin	100914
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2020 answer text <p>The Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) was announced on 9 September to support businesses in England that are required to close during enhanced local restrictions introduced in areas by Her Majesty’s Government to prevent the spread of COVID-19.</p><p> </p><p>On 9 October, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced changes to the grants within this scheme to provide further support to businesses required to close due to local restrictions.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/job-support-scheme-expanded-to-firms-required-to-close-due-to-covid-restrictions" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/job-support-scheme-expanded-to-firms-required-to-close-due-to-covid-restrictions</a></p><p> </p><p>These grants will be issued for each two-week period that a business is closed following the implementation of statutory localised restrictions and business closures.</p><p> </p><p>The Government continues to monitor local restrictions and will work closely with any Local Authorities that become eligible for this grant scheme.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 13/10/2020 13:42:46 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	1538 label Biography information for Rosie Cooper

1241745

registered interest
date	08/10/2020
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	Local Restrictions Support 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, which local authorities have received or are in the process of receiving funding under the Local Restrictions Support Grant scheme.
tabling member constituency	Oxford East
tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
uin	101057
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2020 answer text <p>The Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) announced on 9 September provides support to businesses required to close as part of localised restrictions to control Covid-19. On 9 October, government increased the cash grants to businesses eligible under the LRSG to up to £3,000 per month for each hereditament required to close as a result of restrictions. Grants will be issued for each two-week period that a business is closed following the implementation of statutory localised restrictions and business closures.</p><p>Business closures in Bolton triggered the LRSG on Wednesday 30 September. We have worked closely with Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council to ensure they can distribute grants to eligible businesses as quickly as possible and will adjust their funding allocation so businesses are able to benefit from the increased grant amount from the beginning of their closure period. We continue to monitor local restrictions across the country and are ready to provide LRSG funding to other local authorities as appropriate.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 13/10/2020 13:39:38 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds

1241746

registered interest
date	08/10/2020
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	Local Restrictions Support 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, with reference to the five per cent top-up for discretionary business support that can be received by local authorities in receipt of funds under the Local Restrictions Support Grant scheme, on what basis the five per cent is calculated; and at what stage local authorities are notified of the size of the five per cent top-up.
tabling member constituency	Oxford East
tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
uin	101058
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2020 answer text <p>The 5% discretionary element of the Local Restrictions Support Grant scheme is designed to help those businesses that are required to close but are not on the ratings list, as well as those affected by closures or indirectly forced to close due to restrictions. This funding will only be available in areas that have triggered the main Local Restrictions Support Grant scheme element.</p><p> </p><p>The Government will work with the affected Local Authority to assess the number of businesses in a Local Authority area in scope for the business rate element of the scheme. This will enable a figure to be calculated for that part of the grant fund. An additional 5% of this figure will be supplied to cover the discretionary element of the fund. This will apply for each two-week qualifying period.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 13/10/2020 13:35:13 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds

1241217

registered interest
date	07/10/2020
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	Insolvency
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 on the number of insolvencies of the decision not to extend the temporary provisions on wrongful trading in the Corporate Governance and Insolvency Act 2020.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	100404
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2020 answer text <p>The wrongful trading provisions were temporarily suspended in March at the height of the pandemic when many businesses across the country were required to close. The temporary suspension gave company directors the confidence to continue trading while considering their options, giving them time to access the financial support introduced by Government. It was further extended in May to 30 June, and then again to 30 September, during the passage of the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 in Parliament.</p><p> </p><p>Since the suspension was first introduced businesses have received billions in loans, tax deferrals, Business Rate reliefs, and general and sector-specific grants to support them and help save jobs, and the Government’s recently launched Winter Economy Plan has a further package of targeted measures to continue that support.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, a range of temporary measures to protect businesses from insolvency have been further extended.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 12/10/2020 16:21:22 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

1241218

registered interest
date	07/10/2020
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	Insolvency
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 levels of company insolvency in each sector of the economy of the decision not to extend the provisions on wrongful trading in the Corporate Governance and Insolvency Act 2020.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	100405
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2020 answer text <p>The wrongful trading provisions are an important protection for creditors against insolvent trading but were suspended at the peak of lockdown to support directors to continue to trade whilst accessing the financial support put in place by Government.</p><p> </p><p>Since the suspension was first introduced a range of measures have been brought in by the Government to provide support for business and save jobs across all sectors of the economy. In addition, a range of temporary measures to protect businesses in all sectors from insolvency have been further extended.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 12/10/2020 16:18:48 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

1241219

registered interest
date	07/10/2020
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	Insolvency
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 the evidential basis was for not extending the wrongful trading measures in the Corporate Governance and Insolvency Act 2020.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	100406
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2020 answer text <p>The Government engaged with a number of stakeholders in considering the extension of all the temporary provisions in the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020. The further extension of measures to protect businesses from insolvency and the additional financial support introduced by Government will continue to protect jobs and help businesses through the months ahead.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 12/10/2020 16:17:21 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

1241291

registered interest
date	07/10/2020
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: 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 make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) notifying the European Commission that local authority grants to businesses impacted by local lockdown restrictions fall outside of any state aid provisions restricting businesses receiving full compensation and (b) directing local authorities that payments can be made to local businesses outside of such state aid restrictions.
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	100352
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2020 answer text <p>The United Kingdom left the EU on 31 January 2020. Under the Withdrawal Agreement, EU State aid rules continue to apply during the transition period, subject to regulation by the EU Commission.</p><p>In administering the Local Restrictions Support Grant, the Government will provide to an eligible business up to £1,500 of funding for each three-week period that the business is required to close by local restrictions implemented by Government. Local authorities administering the schemes must be satisfied that all State Aid requirements have been fully met and complied with when making grant payments.</p><p>Although payments under this scheme and certain other Covid-19 related business grant schemes are treated as State aid and therefore count toward the total de minimis State Aid limit of €200,000, if firms have reached that threshold they may still be eligible for funding under the Covid-19 temporary State aid framework where the limit is €800,000.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 12/10/2020 16:15:51 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1241442

registered interest
date	07/10/2020
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: Bolton
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 7 October 2020 to Question 98704 on Business: Coronavirus, how much funding has been allocated to Bolton Council through the Local Restrictions Support Grant.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	100407
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2020 answer text <p>The Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) announced on 9 September provides support to businesses closed as part of localised restrictions to control Covid-19. Grants of up to £1,500 every three weeks will be available where businesses are required to close and funding will be issued upon confirmation of a three-week closure period.</p><p> </p><p>We have worked closely with Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council to best calculate the amount of funding required, using business rates data and local business information. The situation is evolving and we continue to monitor Bolton’s LRSG allocation.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 12/10/2020 16:12:49 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

1240700

registered interest
date	06/10/2020
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	Licensed Premises: 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 assessment his Department has made of the feasibility of allowing licensed venues to undertake their own risk assessments to determine how many people their facilities can hold whilst adhering to social distancing rules to enable events to go ahead.
tabling member constituency	Loughborough
tabling member printed	Jane Hunt
uin	99773
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/10/2020 answer text <p>There is no change from the usual requirements of risk assessment. Employers have a duty to conduct a risk assessment in consultation with workers and unions where applicable.</p><p> </p><p>All employers and self-employed people whose activities may pose a risk to the health and safety of other people should meet the objectives in the guidance to help keep people safe, but the actions they take will depend on the working environment, the size of their workforce and the site.</p><p> </p><p>Businesses that have fewer than five workers do not need to record their risk assessment but still need to take all reasonably practical steps to reduce the risks of COVID-19.</p><p> </p><p>As per guidance outside of new tiering local restrictions, people will still be able to meet in a group of larger than 6 for work purposes while maintaining social distancing.</p><p> </p><p>Any meeting in a hotel venue, or similar, should also follow relevant guidance for the specific venue, including any relevant risk assessment and compliance with social distancing requirements.</p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 14/10/2020 16:31:59 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
tabling member	4839 label Biography information for Jane Hunt