Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label attachment file name title
tabling member	label

Search

100092

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
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	Zero Hours Contracts
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 he is taking to help workers on zero hours contracts who desire regular, contracted employment.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	211362
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>Under the Flexible Working Regulations, brought in on 30 June, all employees with 26 continuous weeks of service have the right to request flexible working from their employer. Individuals on zero hours contracts, who are employees, can request a change in their contracts, which could also include a request to move to a fixed hours contract.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 27/10/2014 14:48:39 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

100093

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
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	STEM Subjects: Females
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 the Government is taking to increase the participation of women in STEM fields.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	211363
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government is backing the three-year Your Life campaign, which aims to increase the number of people participating in a wide range of careers that need skills in science, technology, engineering and maths, particularly women. To date more than 200 organisations have pledged action to the campaign to boost the role of women in STEM fields. A publicity drive to encourage young people, especially girls, aged 14 to 16 to take STEM subjects, will launch in November 2014.</p><p>We fund the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering to run a joint STEM Diversity Programme to understand and address issues of diversity, including gender, in the STEM workforce. Actions include a 10 point plan to ensure that women in science, technology, engineering and manufacturing have the same opportunities to progress in their career as their male counterparts</p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark question first answered 27/10/2014 15:01:24 answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

99773

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
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	Written Questions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's latest internal guidance for officials on the drafting of answers to parliamentary questions.
tabling member constituency	Shipley
tabling member printed	Philip Davies
uin	211071
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>A copy of the Department’s internal guidance will be placed in the Libraries of the House.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Office of the Leader of the House also provides guidance to all Departments on the practice of answering Parliamentary Questions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The full Guide is available on the gov.uk website at: http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A copy of this guidance has already been placed in the libraries of the House. The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons intends to review the Guide to Parliamentary Work in the coming months.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 27/10/2014 14:36:52 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson attachment 1 file name mpst-WrittenPQs - 211071 attachment.doc title Parliamentary Unit Process and Guidance
tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

99774

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
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	New Businesses: Surrey
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 start-up loans have been granted to businesses in (a) Woking constituency and (b) Surrey to date.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Jonathan Lord
uin	211072
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Woking Constituency</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Surrey</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Volume of drawn Start Up Loans</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>31 loans</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>223 loans</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 27/10/2014 14:46:19 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

99776

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
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	Scottish Power
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he last reviewed the adequacy of prior investigations in connection with the nature of the warranties sold by Scottish Power to its customers between 1980 and 1999 and any potential losses suffered by such customers.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North East
tabling member printed	Mr William Bain
uin	211060
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>It is not the policy of the Secretary of State to announce or comment on confidential enquiries conducted using powers contained in the Companies Acts.</p><p>However, the Secretary of State has recently received further information regarding the Extended Warranty schemes sold by Scottish Power between 1997 and 2001 from the liquidators of two companies involved in administering the schemes. Officials are currently reviewing this information together with the conclusions of an earlier investigation to determine what further action, if any, is appropriate.</p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 27/10/2014 14:06:40 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	1610 label Biography information for Mr William Bain

99778

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
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	Scottish Power
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will reopen the enquiry into the nature of the warranties sold by Scottish Power to its customers between 1980 and 1999 and any potential losses suffered by such customers.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North East
tabling member printed	Mr William Bain
uin	211059
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The Secretary of State has recently received further information regarding the Extended Warranty schemes sold by Scottish Power between 1997 and 2001 from the liquidators of two companies involved in administering the schemes. Officials are currently reviewing this information together with the conclusions of an earlier investigation to determine what further action, if any, is appropriate, within the limits of his powers of investigation under the Companies Acts.</p><p> </p><p>The liquidators have also notified other regulators who may have an interest in this matter and who will be considering their own courses of action.</p><p> </p><p>It should be noted that any decision whether or not to commence an investigation using s447 Companies Act 1986 is confidential and the existence or otherwise of such an investigation will not be announced or commented on.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 27/10/2014 14:09:30 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	1610 label Biography information for Mr William Bain

99779

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
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	Interest Rate Hedging Products
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on the interest rate swap redress scheme.
tabling member constituency	Aberconwy
tabling member printed	Guto Bebb
uin	211066
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>We have asked the Chief Executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for an assurance that redress offers which take the form of a substitute hedging product are only being offered where it is fair and reasonable to do so. In response, the FCA has said that robust oversight and challenge processes are in place to ensure that this is the case and that a replacement product offer can only be made if an independent reviewer is satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to support the decision.</p><p>In addition, my officials liaise regularly with the FCA to draw the regulator’s attention to swaps redress cases that have been raised with the department where we think this is justified.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 27/10/2014 14:15:56 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3910 label Biography information for Guto Bebb

99780

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
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	Apprentices: Surrey
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 apprenticeship starts there were in each sector in (a) Woking constituency and (b) Surrey in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Jonathan Lord
uin	211117
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>Information on apprenticeship starts by geography and sector subject area is published in a supplementary table to a Statistical First Release (SFR): <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/364257/apprenticeships-starts-by-geography-and-sector-subject-area.xls" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/364257/apprenticeships-starts-by-geography-and-sector-subject-area.xls</a></p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 27/10/2014 14:13:29 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

99948

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
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, what recent steps he has taken to ensure employer compliance with minimum wage legislation.
tabling member constituency	Newport West
tabling member printed	Paul Flynn
uin	211009
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>Individuals who are entitled to the National Minimum Wage should receive it and we are committed to taking the steps necessary to improve compliance; ensuring employers understand their responsibilities and workers know their rights, and ensuring robust enforcement of the law.</p><p>Detailed guidance, including how to calculate the minimum wage, is available on the gov.uk website. Confidential advice is also available for both workers and employers through the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. Any worker who is concerned that they have not been paid what they are legally entitled to or who wants to make a complaint, should call the helpline on 0800 917 2368.</p><p>We have taken a number of steps to strengthen enforcement activity. This year, HMRC’s enforcement budget has increased by £1.2million to £9.2 million. This extra funding will enable HMRC to increase the number of National Minimum Wage compliance officers who, as well as continuing to respond to every complaint, will also undertake targeted enforcement, focusing on the worst offending employers in the highest-risk sectors.</p><p>Employers who are found to have broken the law face substantially higher penalties. We increased the financial penalty percentage that employers pay for breaking minimum wage law from 50 per cent to 100 per cent of the unpaid wages owed to workers and the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £20,000. The increase came into effect on 7 March 2014. Since revising the Government’s naming scheme, we have also named 30 employers who between them owed over £50,000 in arrears, to provide further incentive to all employers to comply.</p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 27/10/2014 14:11:14 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	545 label Biography information for Paul Flynn

93747

registered interest
date	16/10/2014
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	Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the number of (a) cases of mediation undertaken between banks and individuals or companies and (b) outcome of mediation following use of the enterprise finance guarantee scheme.
tabling member constituency	Delyn
tabling member printed	Mr David Hanson
uin	210871
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2014 answer text <p>Operation of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) is devolved by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to the participating lenders. BIS monitors lenders’ administration of EFG but does not intervene in individual disputes between lenders and borrowers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>If a borrower has a complaint regarding their loan they should initially follow their lender’s internal complaints process. If that does not provide a satisfactory outcome then in most cases they have the option of approaching the Financial Ombudsman Service.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Use of mediation as a means of resolving any disputes which may have arisen between participating lenders and borrowers who have received an EFG-backed loan is a matter for the lender and borrower.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 24/10/2014 11:30:48 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	533 label Biography information for David Hanson