The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Elmore on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what options his Department provides to people whose application for a Start Up Loan has been unsuccessful due to their credit score.
Margot James
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 44747.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what timeline he has set for the appointment of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement.
Margot James
The appointment of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement is being made through a formal recruitment process. A campaign was jointly launched by the Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy (BEIS) and the Home Office in June after the Immigration Act received Royal Assent in May 2016. Shortlisting took place during the summer and interviews are scheduled for early October.
My Rt hon Friends the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Home Department plan to meet appointable candidates following interviews, and will have discussions before making a joint decision. The successful candidate will be announced as soon as practicably possible.
BEIS and the Home Office are working together to implement a Labour market Enforcement programme. This followed a formal consultation, Tackling Exploitation in the Labour Market, to which groups representing workers and victims of labour market exploitation responded.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the appointment of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement.
Margot James
The appointment of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement is being made through a formal recruitment process. A campaign was jointly launched by the Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy (BEIS) and the Home Office in June after the Immigration Act received Royal Assent in May 2016. Shortlisting took place during the summer and interviews are scheduled for early October.
My Rt hon Friends the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Home Department plan to meet appointable candidates following interviews, and will have discussions before making a joint decision. The successful candidate will be announced as soon as practicably possible.
BEIS and the Home Office are working together to implement a Labour market Enforcement programme. This followed a formal consultation, Tackling Exploitation in the Labour Market, to which groups representing workers and victims of labour market exploitation responded.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Nandy on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether it is his Department’s policy to comply with the EU 2020 target on renewable energy.
Mr Nick Hurd
There will be no immediate changes to our relationship with the EU. Until we have left the EU, the UK will remain a member of the EU with all of the rights and obligations that membership entails.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to reduce domestic energy bills for consumers.
Jesse Norman
Effective competition is key to keeping bills down, and consumers must have trust in the market. It is important every household gets a fair deal and that is why we supported the Competition and Markets Authority investigation into the energy market and will be responding in due course.
There are now over 40 energy suppliers in the domestic retail energy market, up from 13 in 2010. Independent suppliers now have over 17% of the duel fuel market. Customers on expensive standard tariffs could save around £300 by switching to the cheapest fixed deal.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the press release of 11 August 2016 entitled Largest ever list of National Minimum Wage offenders published, what checks HM Revenue and Customs conducted at those social care employers where workers were found to be owed arrears to ensure that all workers at those employers were not paid below the national living and minimum wage.
Margot James
HM Revenue and Customs respond to 100% of worker complaints, and where applicable open an investigation to ensure that the National Minimum Wage has been paid. The aim of enforcement is to ensure all arrears owed to workers are paid back.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with representatives of car manufacturers who have construction plants in the UK about expanding their operations in this country.
Mr Nick Hurd
The automotive sector is of vital importance to the UK. In 2015, car production hit a ten year high at almost 1.6 million units adding £14.6 billion of Gross Value Added to the UK economy. We are in regular dialogue with companies in the sector on a range of issues and work in partnership with the Automotive Council on an Automotive Industrial Strategy to deliver sustainable growth in the sector.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Clegg on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much his Department has spent to date on legal advice relating to Britain’s exit from the EU from (a) the Government Legal Department and (b) external legal firms; and how much he plans to spend on such advice over the next 12 months.
Mark Garnier
DIT already has a strong and capable in-house legal team and has not needed to spend on external legal advice. In the next two years we will be developing our in-house team to build the expertise needed to deliver the best outcomes for the UK and position the UK as a global leader in free trade. We have also received many offers of pro bono support from the UK’s outstanding legal profession.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Clegg on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff are on secondment to his Department from the private sector; from which companies they are seconded; what roles they perform; and what the cost to the public purse will be of their secondment.
Mark Garnier
Following her appointment on 13 July 2016 the Prime Minister established the Department for International Trade (DIT). The DIT aggregates UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UK Export and Finance (UKEF), Trade Policy Units from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), as well as some new hires.
Until such time as a transfer of functions order establishes the Secretary of State as a corporation sole, DIT remains a unified Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department for accounting purposes.
Since the department was formed in July there have been no secondees appointed from the Private Sector. Secondees previously in post with syndicate organisations have moved across to DIT on legacy terms as tabled below. These are seconded from a number of companies and occupy different roles across the department and across grades.
|
DIT Secondees |
Monthly Costs |
|
|
Trade Policy & Ministerial (BEIS) |
1 |
£0.00 |
|
International Trade & Investment (UKTI) |
*12 |
£14,299.27 |
|
UK Export Finance |
0 |
– |
|
Total |
13 |
£14,299.27 |
* The majority of secondees are funded by seconding companies. Costs are based on collective monthly salaries of DIT funded secondees.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Clegg on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many additional employees he plans to hire from outside the civil service for the purposes of negotiating or renegotiating trade deals as a result of the decision to leave the EU; in what roles such employees will be deployed; over what timescale their deployment will take place; and what the cost to the public purse will be of their deployment.
Greg Hands
The Department for International Trade has already established a strong and capable trade policy team with significant negotiating experience. The team has more than doubled in size since 23 June and is still growing. On 8th of September, my rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced an open and fair competition to recruit a new Permanent Secretary to lead the Department. We will continue to hire the brightest and best talent from within the UK civil service and from elsewhere in order to deliver the best outcomes for the UK.