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101759

registered interest
date	30/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Agency Workers: Conditions of Employment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen enforcement of regulatory safeguards for agency workers.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	212650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills takes a targeted approach to enforcing employment law protections for agency workers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) enforce the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 (both as amended).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>These Regulations ensure protections for work-seekers because of the number of parties involved in the employment relationship – the work-seeker, the agency and the hirer. The Regulations include protections relating to ensuring work-seekers must be paid for all hours worked, cannot be charged a fee for work-finding and cannot be prevented from taking up a permanent position with a hirer.</p><p> </p><p>Employment agencies must also comply with national minimum wage (NMW) legislation which is enforced by HM Revenue and Customs. There are also health and safety protections in place for all workers, which are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive.</p><p> </p><p>EAS works collaboratively with these bodies on investigations and also works with a number of external bodies These include trade associations, Trading Standards and organisations such as SAFERjobs (Safe Advice for Employment and Recruitment).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>SAFRERjobs is a non-profit, joint industry and law enforcement organisation set up to raise awareness and combat criminal activities that may be attempted on those seeking a job, or through the services provided by the recruitment industry.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 04/11/2014 17:03:31 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

101764

registered interest
date	30/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Students: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Education (Student Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, when Student Finance England will issue guidance for students intending to apply for financial support for 2015-16.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough
tabling member printed	Mr David Blunkett
uin	212588
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>Student Finance England will issue new guidance for current and prospective higher education students intending to apply for financial support for 2015/16 in the New Year. This will be available in a variety of formats. Information on financial support for 2015/16 is already available for students on a number of websites, including Gov.uk.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark question first answered 04/11/2014 16:50:44 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
tabling member	395 label Biography information for Lord Blunkett

101781

registered interest
date	30/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Video Games
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many grants were distributed to the video games industry under Innovate UK's Smart Programme in 2013-14; and what the value of such grants was.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Luciana Berger
uin	212706
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>Eleven grant offers were issued to businesses in the video games industry under Innovate UK's Smart Programme in 2013-14. The total value of those grants was £971,179.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 04/11/2014 16:47:46 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
tabling member	4036 label Biography information for Luciana Berger

101524

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Public Opinion
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much his Department spent on (a) focus groups and (b) surveys in (i) 2013 and (ii) 2014 to date.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	212492
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>This information is not held centrally within BIS and could only be provided at disproportionate cost to the Department.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 05/11/2014 12:52:16 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

101619

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	UK Coal
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many full-time equivalent officials of what grade in his Department have been assigned to assist UK Coal in the drafting of a state aid bid.
tabling member constituency	Rutherglen and Hamilton West
tabling member printed	Tom Greatrex
uin	212484
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>Senior Officials from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Yorkshire Humber North East Office have been assigned to assist UK Coal following their interest in applying for government funding to extend the operation of the two remaining deep mines until the end of 2018. These officials met with UK Coal on 10 October and are now working with them to help prepare a case for Government support. The company fully understands that this is the first phase of a complex and challenging process before the government submits a state aid case to the European Commission.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 03/11/2014 16:24:19 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	4047 label Biography information for Tom Greatrex

101683

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	EU Grants and Loans
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government which United Kingdom organisations have received European Union funding in the last year from structural, cohesion or other funds.
tabling member printed	Lord Vinson
uin	HL2505
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>The United Kingdom receives an allocation for the Structural Funds (the European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund) but not the Cohesion Fund.</p><p> </p><p>A large number of United Kingdom organisations received European Funding under Structural Funds programmes in the last year. As these are too numerous to set down here, I have provided below details of websites which contain lists of beneficiary organisations.</p><p> </p><p>The links to the Structural Funds programmes are:</p><p> </p><p>ERDF Programmes in England: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/erdf-programmes-progress-and-achievements" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/erdf-programmes-progress-and-achievements</a>.</p><p> </p><p>ESF England and Gibraltar: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/european-social-fund-2007-to-2013" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/european-social-fund-2007-to-2013</a></p><p> </p><p>Devolved Administrations (ERDF &amp; ESF)</p><p> </p><p>Northern Ireland: <a href="http://www.dfpni.gov.uk/index/finance/european-funding.htm" target="_blank">http://www.dfpni.gov.uk/index/finance/european-funding.htm</a></p><p> </p><p>Scotland: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/support/17404/StructuralFunds2007-2013" target="_blank">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/support/17404/StructuralFunds2007-2013</a></p><p> </p><p>Wales: <a href="http://wefo.wales.gov.uk/programmes/progress/searchprojects/?lang=en" target="_blank">http://wefo.wales.gov.uk/programmes/progress/searchprojects/?lang=en</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In terms of other sources of EU funding that BIS is responsible for, this includes the Framework Programme 7 for Research &amp; Innovation with numerous participants from Higher Education, Research Organisations, Private Sector and Public bodies. Project information is not set out on the Commission website in such a way as to make it easy to identify UK recipients of EU funding in a calendar year.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Another source of EU funding that BIS was responsible for was the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP) under the Competitiveness of Innovation and Enterprises (CIP). The latest beneficiaries report is the 2012 version. The following link will provide more information about the recipients of the programme, <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/cip/files/cip/docs/beneficiaries-report-october-2012_en.pdf" target="_blank">Beneficiaries Report October 2012 Final Version</a> – <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/cip/files/cip/docs/beneficiaries-report-october-2012.en.pdf" target="_blank">http://ec.europa.eu/cip/files/cip/docs/beneficiaries-report-october-2012.en.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 05/11/2014 14:00:24 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
tabling member	1807 label Biography information for Lord Vinson

101303

registered interest
date	28/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Video Games
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2014 to Question 211397, what plans the Government has to increase the proportion of Technology Strategy Board funds allocated to the video games sector.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Luciana Berger
uin	212346
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>Innovate UK is responsible for determining its spending priorities, in the context of the Tasking Framework Letter issued to it by my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills after each Spending Review.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The main competition that has supported games businesses is Innovate UK’s £15M &quot;Cross-Platform Production in Digital Media&quot; programme, which is directed towards encouraging games, film and TV sectors to innovate together. This competition is now closed and Innovate UK has no more planned competitions within the current Spending Review period.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Video games businesses have wider capabilities which make them suited to addressing challenges in areas such as healthcare management, transport management and urban living. Innovate UK funds are available for innovation in each of these areas, and games businesses expertise may have a strong role to play, but the award of any funding will be subject to Innovate UK’s normal competitive processes.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Also, Innovate UK support for small and medium-sized businesses is continually available through programmes like its Smart scheme, which is open to businesses in all technology areas.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed Mr Edward Vaizey question first answered 03/11/2014 16:23:16 answering member 1580 label Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot
tabling member	4036 label Biography information for Luciana Berger

101304

registered interest
date	28/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Minimum Wage
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many employers in (a) Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency, (b) the London Borough of Hackney, (c) London and (d) England that have broken the national minimum wage law have been (i) prosecuted and (ii) named since the revision to the national minimum wage law came into effect on 1 October 2013.
tabling member constituency	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
tabling member printed	Ms Diane Abbott
uin	212281
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government has named 30 employers under the revised Naming and Shaming. Between them they owed workers a total of over £50,000 in arrears and have been charged financial penalties totalling over £24,000. Details of these employers can be found on the original press notices (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-gets-tough-with-employers-failing-to-pay-minimum-wage" target="_blank">28 February 2014</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-names-employers-who-fail-to-pay-minimum-wage" target="_blank">8 June 2014</a>), including the town in which the employer is based. However, these organisations may employ staff or have offices or other operations in other geographical locations.</p><p>No employers have been prosecuted under the National Minimum Wage Act since October 2013.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 04/11/2014 14:09:07 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	172 label Biography information for Ms Diane Abbott

101307

registered interest
date	28/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Social Enterprises: South East
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many social enterprises there were in (a) Brighton and Hove, (b) East Sussex and (c) the South East in the most recent period for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	212201
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) does not produce statistics giving geographical breakdowns of the number of social enterprises. National level estimates are produced using the Small Business Survey, which does not have a sufficiently large sample to provide sub-national estimates. BIS estimates there are 280,000 social enterprises in the UK.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 05/11/2014 12:54:28 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

101308

registered interest
date	28/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Farepak
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, in which publications the Insolvency Service has placed advertisements about Farepak unclaimed funds.
tabling member constituency	Newport East
tabling member printed	Jessica Morden
uin	212231
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Insolvency Service has not placed any adverts about Farepak in any publications. However, the Insolvency Service has liaised with media outlets and the matter has been covered by BBC Moneybox, MoneySaving Expert and BBC Watchdog. The issue has also been covered in the Western Daily Press, Accountancy Age, Scotland Mail, and the Swindon Advertiser.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In addition, a statement has been published on the Insolvency Service website asking creditors to contact them to claim their money (<a href="http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/insolvency/Companies/Farepak" target="_blank">http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/insolvency/Companies/Farepak</a>). The statement was also sent out via Twitter and generated 21 associated tweets, discussing the dividends.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 03/11/2014 17:19:57 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	1548 label Biography information for Jessica Morden