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  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the total amount of arrears recovered by HM Revenue and Customs for non-compliance with the national minimum wage is in 2016-17 to date; how many (a) workers and (b) employers those arrears relate to; and how many of those employers (i) were issued a financial penalty, (ii) self-corrected and paid those arrears back to the workers concerned without being issued a financial penalty and (iii) have been named and shamed for that non-compliance.

    Margot James

    HM Revenue and Customs do not provide ad-hoc data for National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage enforcement, although mid-year figures will be available later in the year.

    Employers found to have broken minimum wage law will be issued with a Notice of Underpayment by HMRC and will have 28 days to appeal against it. If the employer does not appeal or an appeal has been unsuccessful, HMRC will issue a case closure letter to the employer and refer them to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to be considered for naming and shaming. The employer will then have 14 days from the date of the case closure letter to make written representations to BEIS outlining whether they fall under any of the exceptional circumstances for not being named under the scheme. Employers issued with a case closure letter after 1 April 2016 will be named by BEIS in future naming rounds.

  • Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many times his Department has used the services of (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) other consulting firms in the last three financial years; and what (i) work was undertaken and (ii) the cost to the public purse was on each such occasion.

    Joseph Johnson

    The information requested for this PQ is publicly available. Since BEIS has recently been created through a machinery of government change the data is available through separate weblinks.

    The ex-DECC link is: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/departmental-spend-over-500. This contains all monthly transactions in excess of £500.

    The ex-BIS link is: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bis-spending-totals. This contains all monthly transactions in excess of £500.

    “

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-09-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the average annual household insurance premiums paid by (a) existing customers and (b) new customers in each of the last five years.

    Simon Kirby

    The Government does not hold information on average annual household and motor insurance premiums. There are a range of estimates of the cost of insurance published by industry, including the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the AA and Confused.com. The ABI’s data is available at: https://www.abi.org.uk/News/Industry-data-updates.

    The Government encourages consumers to shop around for the most suitable cover at the best price. To this end, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recently published rules and guidance requiring insurers to disclose the previous year’s premium on renewal notices for general insurance products including motor and home insurance. The measures also require insurers to identify consumers who will be renewing with them for the fourth consecutive time and give them a prescribed shopping around message. The rules will come into force in April 2017.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-09-02.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the average car insurance premiums paid by (a) existing customers and (b) new customers in each of the last five years.

    Simon Kirby

    The Government does not hold information on average annual household and motor insurance premiums. There are a range of estimates of the cost of insurance published by industry, including the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the AA and Confused.com. The ABI’s data is available at: https://www.abi.org.uk/News/Industry-data-updates.

    The Government encourages consumers to shop around for the most suitable cover at the best price. To this end, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recently published rules and guidance requiring insurers to disclose the previous year’s premium on renewal notices for general insurance products including motor and home insurance. The measures also require insurers to identify consumers who will be renewing with them for the fourth consecutive time and give them a prescribed shopping around message. The rules will come into force in April 2017.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans to increase funding to Citizens Advice Scotland in response to the transfer of social security powers to the Scottish Parliament by the Scotland Act 2016.

    Margot James

    The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy provides Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) with core funding on behalf of all Whitehall Departments and the Scottish Government. This enables CAS to provide essential services to the Scottish network of Citizens Advice Bureaux and deliver advice on all manner of issues direct to Scottish citizens via its website.

    There are no plans to increase core funding across the current Spending Review period.

  • Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Ian Murray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what Ministerial oversight he plans to put in place of the implementation of the key findings and recommendations of the Citizens Advice Scotland Independent governance review, published on 27 July 2016.

    Margot James

    The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy takes its responsibility for managing public money seriously and was deeply concerned by the issues raised in the independent governance review. Citizens Advice Scotland has since committed to taking concrete steps to instil robust governance and financial controls.

    My Department has agreed to continue funding on the basis that these changes are made and will report to me regularly on progress.

    Citizens Advice Scotland provides a vital service to the people of Scotland, as well high-quality support to vulnerable consumers throughout Britain. My Department will keep working with the Scottish Government and the organisation to improve governance and help make sure this continues.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will meet with Millom Without Parish Council to discuss options to ensure that the North West Coast Connection Project does not affect the landscape of the west of the Lake District National Park.

    Jesse Norman

    As my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be responsible for determining the application for consent for the proposed North West Coast Connection Project, it would not be appropriate for him to meet with Millom Without Parish Council to discuss the merits of the project.

    The application for this project is expected to be submitted by National Grid to the Planning Inspectorate in 2017. During the pre-application stage, the Parish Council and other interested parties can get involved in the consultation process. When the application is lodged, the Parish Council will be able to make representations on it. The Planning Inspectorate can provide advice about the planning process for the project and advice about the process in general is available on its website: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/application-process/the-process/

    “

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Ian C. Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the average annual energy charges paid by (a) existing and (b) new customers in each of the last five years.

    Jesse Norman

    Average annual domestic bills for gas and electricity and industrial energy prices are published as part of the BEIS’s quarterly energy prices publication. The latest available figures are for the average annual domestic bills in 2015 which are £714 for gas (GB) and £584 (UK) for standard electricity.

    The information required to distinguish between existing and new customers is not held by BEIS.

  • Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Tom Blenkinsop – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2016 to Question 40241, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the reconstituting of her Department on the continuation of (a) the Employer Skills Survey, (b) the Employer Perspectives Survey, (c) Labour Market Information and (d) other research products previously produced by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

    Robert Halfon

    My written statement of 21 July [HCWS121] confirmed that management of the Employer Skills Survey, the Employer Perspectives Survey and the LMI (Labour Market Information) for All Portal would be transferred to the Department for Education.

    The contract for maintaining the LMI for All portal has been re-let to the Institute for Employment Research, the Employer Perspectives Survey is being prepared for publication and we will shortly begin commissioning of the Employer Skills Survey.

  • Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Margaret Hodge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Hodge on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish a list of all secondees to his Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) KPMG and (e) other consulting firms in the last three financial years; and what the role was of each of those secondees.

    Joseph Johnson

    This response covers the former Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and former Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC):

    Financial year:

    From:

    To:

    Role:

    2013/14

    (b) Deloitte

    1 secondee to “Office for Life Sciences” which is a joint Department of health / BIS team

    Director

    2014 / 15

    (a) PwC

    1 secondee to former BIS

    Strategic advisor

    (e) Other consulting firm

    1 secondee to former BIS

    Information not held centrally

    1 secondee to former DECC

    Corporate Finance Advisor

    2015 / 16

    (b) Deloitte

    1 secondee to former DECC

    Information not held centrally

    “