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100087

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	UK Export Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of successful applicants to the UK Export Finance buyer credit facility of credit guarantee scheme have been small to medium sized enterprises in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Ann McKechin
uin	211335
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The table below shows the proportion, expressed as a percentage, of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of the total number of exporters UK Export Finance (UKEF) has supported broken down by UKEF product for the last five financial full years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2009/10</p></td><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>2013/14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Buyer Credit</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>11%</p></td><td><p>7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bond Support Scheme*</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>67%</p></td><td><p>78%</p></td><td><p>91%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Export Insurance Policy</p></td><td><p>20%</p></td><td><p>75%</p></td><td><p>75%</p></td><td><p>54%</p></td><td><p>63%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Export Working Capital Scheme*</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>83%</p></td><td><p>100%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Letter of Credit Guarantee Scheme</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>50%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Supplier Credit Facility</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>50%</p></td><td><p>29%</p></td><td><p>33%</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>*Products launched in 2011/12</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>SMEs are defined by the EU as companies that have fewer than 250 employees, and either a turnover of less than €50m or a balance sheet total of less than €43m.</p><p> </p><p>Information on UKEFs Bond Support Scheme has been included given that it was introduced specifically to support to smaller exporters, especially SMEs.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock grouped question UIN 211331 211332 211333 211334 question first answered 27/10/2014 14:39:54 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 24216 answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1419 label Biography information for Ann McKechin

100088

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	ACAS
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 plans to evaluate the effect of the ACAS early conciliation service on keeping workplace disputes out of court.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	211244
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2014 answer text <p>Early Conciliation was introduced in April 2014 and it is too early to make any meaningful assessment on the effect of Early Conciliation on Employment Tribunal cases at this stage. However, officials in the Department and Acas are already monitoring the impact of Early Conciliation and I will make an announcement on evaluation in due course, once we have a sufficient evidence base to do so.</p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 24/10/2014 11:30:02 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

100089

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	Venture Capital
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 his Department has made of a potential equity gap in UK venture capital sector.
tabling member constituency	Stratford-on-Avon
tabling member printed	Nadhim Zahawi
uin	211212
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>I have asked the British Business Bank to publish its analysis of equity finance available to UK small business before the end of the year, which will include analysis on UK venture capital. The Department also published an economics paper in January 2012 on SME access to finance, which summarized the evidence at that time about the equity gap in UK venture capital. The paper is available at the following web address: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32263/12-539-sme-access-external-finance.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32263/12-539-sme-access-external-finance.pdf</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 28/10/2014 11:00:19 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi

100090

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	Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries
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 and is planning on taking to invest in training and apprenticeships in the UK steel industry given Tata Steel's recent announcement.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Ladywood
tabling member printed	Shabana Mahmood
uin	211386
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government remains committed to a healthy and growing steel industry in the UK and as part of this we are supporting the development of skills in the sector.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are funding over 100 postgraduate research students working on Tata projects, over 250 apprentices and directly offering over £2 million for direct training of staff.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To boost the pool of potential engineers, Government is making a series of interventions, including £30 million in funding for employers to bid for to address engineering skills shortages in sectors with specific needs and an £18 million investment in a new National College at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Total numbers of apprentices starting apprenticeships in the Engineering and Manufacturing Sector stood at 42,520 in 2009/10 which grew to 66,410 in 2012/13.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 28/10/2014 16:19:42 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3914 label Biography information for Shabana Mahmood

100091

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	Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries
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 (a) taking and (b) planning to take to increase investment in the UK steel industry given Tata Steel's recent announcement.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Ladywood
tabling member printed	Shabana Mahmood
uin	211387
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills met the global head of Tata in India on 14th October, who re-affirmed his company's commitment to the British steel industry and to investing substantially in Port Talbot and strip steel.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Working within EU rules, we are implementing a £7billion package of measures to address energy costs including £3billion to compensate energy intensive businesses for the impact of policy costs in their electricity bills.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government has offered just over £12.7 million in funding through the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI) for the £22 million Proving Factory, which specialises in the industrialisation and low-volume production of advanced propulsion systems to automotive standards. Tata Steel is a key partner in this project, which is already producing commercial products.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Rounds 1 to 5 of the RGF have supported 430 projects and programmes across England – allocating £2.9 billion of government support. We project this to deliver 573,000 jobs and £16 billion of private investment between now and the mid-2020s.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The 2014 Budget doubled the annual investment allowance to £500,000 until the end of 2015. Government has also cut corporation tax from 28% to 21% - it will fall to 20% next year, the joint lowest rate in the G20, making Britain one of the most attractive places to invest and do business.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 28/10/2014 16:03:20 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3914 label Biography information for Shabana Mahmood

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

100094

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	Low Pay
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 the Government has taken to reduce the number of people in work who are in poverty.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	211364
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>Work is the best route out of poverty. Universal Credit allows people who work to keep more of the money that they earn by introducing work allowances, which, in most cases, are more generous than the current system. The Department for Work and Pensions estimates that 2.4 million working families will be better off, potentially by £167 per month, as a result of Universal Credit. Furthermore, additional support for childcare costs for families on Universal Credit will see 500,000 working families getting more out of the money they earn.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 28/10/2014 15:36:24 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

100095

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	Directors
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 representations he has received about ensuring the presence of workforce representatives on Board of Directors of companies.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	211365
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>I have received no recent representations about ensuring the presence of workforce representatives on Board of Directors of companies. Giving employees both a meaningful stake and a ‘voice’ in the business can lead to growth and productivity benefits. While what is right will vary from business to business, I therefore encourage employee ownership. Guidance, model documents and links to further expert advice for businesses and employees considering a move to employee ownership, are at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employee-ownership-company-model-documentation" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employee-ownership-company-model-documentation</a></p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employee-ownership-guide-for-employees" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employee-ownership-guide-for-employees</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Research also suggests a link between employee engagement and enhanced employee wellbeing. Initiatives such as Engage for Success (<a href="http://www.engageforsuccess.org/" target="_blank">http://www.engageforsuccess.org/</a>) support employers to bring these practices into their workplaces.</p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 28/10/2014 15:22:41 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

100096

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	Manufacturing Industries
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 the Government has taken to ensure continued investment into the manufacturing industry.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	211366
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>Business is being encouraged to invest by a strong stable economy; competitive corporate tax rates; a good regulatory environment; strong legal frameworks; a dynamic labour market and a long-term sustainable industrial strategy. This provides stability for UK businesses and gives them the confidence to invest.</p><p>A £3.2 billion Regional Growth Fund (RGF) is providing investment, across England, for projects and programmes such as capital investment, training and research &amp; development. Additionally, the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI) has made £345 million available, over 5 national rounds and a regional scheme, to support the repatriation, anchoring and growth of supply chains in England.</p><p>The Government continues to support inward investment in the UK and, in Coventry &amp; Warwickshire, the local LEP successfully achieved 43 Foreign Direct Investment projects in 2013/14 (30 involving UKTI) - an increase on 2012/13 - creating 2,427 new jobs and safeguarding 719. The majority of these projects are spread across advanced engineering &amp; manufacturing and business, professional &amp; financial services.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 28/10/2014 11:47:57 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham