The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the cost of the trade envoy programme has been since its launch in September 2012.
Anna Soubry
To fulfil their overseas and UK travel commitments, there is a dedicated budget for the Trade Envoys.
Total cost of the programme to date has been £424,529
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his Department’s wellness strategy is.
Joseph Johnson
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is committed to supporting health and wellbeing by encouraging health promotion and the adoption of healthier lifestyles for all our staff.
The Department’s wellbeing strategy is based around three key strands:
Preventing Problems
The Department runs ‘fit for work’ activities, promoting and supporting health lifestyles, and ‘healthy work’ activities, ensuring wellbeing is not threatened by negative working environments.
Reacting to Problems
As an organisation, we take action to help those experiencing poor health or wellbeing, and support them in returning to work as soon as possible.
Measuring Wellbeing in BIS
We monitor progress in the Department in improving health and wellbeing, for example through monitoring turnover, and the results from People Surveys.
The Department provides a number of facilities for staff, including but not limited to childcare vouchers to support parents and guardians, a mediation service to manage stressful situations, and flexible working options.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the (a) policy and (b) other responsibilities are of each special adviser in his Department.
Joseph Johnson
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 29 February 2016 to Question UIN 27946.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the variation in the number of teaching hours provided to and fees paid by university students.
Joseph Johnson
No such assessment currently exists. However, in our Green Paper: “Fulfilling our potential: Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice,” we proposed that the new Teaching Excellence Framework could consider information about levels of teaching intensity and contact hours. We will be setting out our response to the Green Paper in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will instruct the National Measurement and Regulation Office to publish a list of all known heat networks in the UK.
Andrea Leadsom
In the final quarter of this year DECC will publish summary tables, including regional breakdowns, of the data gathered as a result of the notification requirement in the Heat Networks (Metering and Billing) Regulations. Due to the commercially sensitive nature of the data, this information will be aggregated rather than a list of individual networks.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Pennycook on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether energy suppliers are obligated to report to the National Measurement and Regulation Office when a heat network is established or a lease is acquired.
Joseph Johnson
Under Regulation 3(2)(b) of The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014 heat suppliers have a duty to notify the National Measurement and Regulation Office in relation to a district heat network or communal heating that commences operation after 31st December 2015, on or before the first date of operation.
If a change of ownership occurs (or a lease is acquired) on a district heat network or communal heating that has already been notified there is no requirement to re-notify within four years of the date of the first notification submitted. If the network has not been previously notified, then the duty to notify applies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 25652, whether people resident in Northern Ireland are able to apply for apprenticeships in England.
Nick Boles
The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) funds apprenticeships training in England. The devolved administrations of Northern Ireland (NI), Wales, and Scotland have their own funding arrangements for apprenticeships. Employers and training providers must not actively recruit learners who live or work outside of England.
Residents in NI can apply for English Apprenticeships provided they want to live in, or travel to, England to work and study. The SFA will only apply funding under these circumstances.
The SFA will not fund individuals whose main employment or normal place of work is not in England.
Skills is a devolved matter to NI and are funded by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) in NI.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 25652, whether EU nationals are able to apply for apprenticeships in England.
Nick Boles
An EU national can be employed in an apprenticeship in England, and will be eligible for funding for their apprenticeship provided they meet set eligibility criteria.
These criteria are set out in the Skills Funding Agency: common funding rules for the 2016 to 2017 funding year.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 25652, what media outlets will be used to carry advertising as part of the national campaign for apprenticeships.
Nick Boles
The national campaign for apprenticeships will target a range of audiences including young people, employers and parents.
Advertising will be through a number of different media channels including television, out of home advertising (e.g. posters), radio, digital and social media.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hoey on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many and what proportion of members in Northern Ireland of each trade union opted to pay the political levy; and which of those trade unions’ headquarters are in (a) Great Britain and (b) Northern Ireland.
Nick Boles
The latest Annual Report of the Certification Officer shows that 4,954,606 union members in Great Britain paid the political levy in the period 2013-2014. This represents 70.67% of the total number of individuals who were union members in the same period.[1]
Employment law is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and I am not able to respond to the questions relating to Northern Ireland.
[1] Political Funds of Trade Unions, 2013-2014, Annual Report 2015/2016 of the Certification Officer, page 68-69, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/449387/CO_Annual_Report__2014-2015_.pdf
“