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  • Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Adam Afriyie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Adam Afriyie on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to support (a) peer-to-peer lending and (b) challenger banks.

    Anna Soubry

    Access to finance on flexible, competitive terms is essential for growing businesses. Challenger banks and alternative finance providers have an important role to play in widening choice and promoting competition.

    Government is bringing into effect provisions in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 which will require the largest banks – where they decline lending requests from small business customers – to offer those customers the opportunity for their details to be referred to a government-designated funding platform. These platforms will be brought into operation later this year and will allow SMEs to match their requirements with offers from peer-to-peer platforms and challenger banks.

    During the last 12 months, the British Business Bank has supported 3,301 businesses through the peer-to-peer platforms Funding Circle, RateSetter and Zopa. The British Business Bank also supports the growth of challenger banks by providing wholesale funds alongside private sector investors.

  • Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Louise Haigh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the (a) premium income, (b) claims paid and (c) monies at risk of UK Export Finance were relating to the defence sector in each financial year from 2010-11 to 2014-15.

    Nick Boles

    The Information requested is in the table below:

    Year

    Net Premium Income[1]

    Gross Amounts At Risk[2]

    Claims Paid

    2010/11

    £ 2,597,418

    £ 1,156,123,326

    £ 0

    2011/12

    £ 11,832

    £ 1,743,249,113

    £ 0

    2012/13

    £ 42,664,931

    £ 3,364,357,183

    £ 0

    2013/14

    £ 27,162

    £ 3,063,150,515

    £ 0

    2014/15

    £ 3,472,656

    £ 2,899,169,497

    £ 0

    It should be noted that premium income relates to business supported in that financial year, whereas amounts at risk will relate to all business in respect of which contingent liability still remains.

    [1] Net of Premium due where reinsurance (if any) has been obtained.

    [2] Inclusive of amounts reinsured (if any)

  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to restrict the amount that mobile telephone companies and other communication providers can charge for the provision of a Porting Authorisation Code to customers; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Industry rules require mobile telephone companies to provide mobile number portability (the ability to transfer a mobile phone number) to customers within the shortest possible time, and the Porting Authorisation Code (PAC) must be issued over the phone, or by text message, within two hours of a customer’s request. Companies are permitted to make reasonable charges for providing number portability, but those charges should be based on the costs of providing the PAC and should not disincentivise customers from switching. In general, mobile telephone companies do not charge customers for requesting or issuing a PAC, nor for the process of switching a customer to another provider. However, some service providers may make a termination charge, if for example a customer terminates a contract before the expiry of the minimum contract term, or if the customer changes provider before they have served out any required minimum notice period for termination (usually 30 days). The Government is committed to making it easier and quicker for consumers to switch services enabling more customers to obtain better value from their mobile service provider and fully supports Ofcom’s interim findings in the recent digital communications review. This includes Government efforts encouraging industry on a voluntary basis to remove/reduce charges for handset unlocking for consumers at the end of their contracts.

  • Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Helen Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Jones on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to prevent mobile telephone providers from imposing long notice periods on customers who are out of contract and wish to move to another provider.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Most mobile telephone providers include terms within contracts that require customers to serve up to 30 days’ minimum notice period in order to terminate a contract, regardless of whether the customer is within the minimum term of their contract or not. Ofcom’s view is that this may be longer than necessary and is currently consulting to make improvements with regards to mobile switching for consumers. In addition, the Government is committed to making it easier and quicker to switch services and fully supports Ofcom’s interim findings in the recent digital communications review.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when his Department plans to publish its Skills White Paper.

    Nick Boles

    The Government is implementing reforms to the skills system to ensure we have the technical skills that the economy needs. We are considering when and how to publish details of our plans for further reform of the skills strategy.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the liability of multi-academy trusts to pay the apprenticeship levy.

    Nick Boles

    My Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on a wide variety of issues, including the apprenticeship levy.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with the Cabinet Office on the liability of charities and voluntary organisations to pay the apprenticeship levy.

    Nick Boles

    We are working with the Cabinet Office and other government departments on helping employers in different sectors prepare for the apprenticeship levy. Only charities and voluntary organisations with a pay bill greater than £3million will pay the apprenticeship levy. These organisations and all other employers will be able to get back the funds they pay in levy if they take on apprentices. Apprenticeships can benefit all sectors, including charities, and we will work with these organisations to grow the number of apprenticeships they offer.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what definition of the degree apprenticeship his Department uses in its work on that proposal.

    Nick Boles

    A degree apprenticeship is an approved English apprenticeship where one of the outcomes of the apprenticeship standard is a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree awarded by the university where the apprentice undertook their academic study.

    Degree Apprenticeships policy is still under development within the existing legal framework.

  • Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many existing staff from the Skills Funding Agency it is planned will be transferred to the new Institute for Apprenticeships.

    Nick Boles

    The final size and structure of the Institute for Apprenticeships will be determined in due course. No decisions have yet been made about its structure or staffing.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-05-03.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the agenda for the Anti-Corruption Summit on 12 May 2016 will include the issue of reverse burden of proof as it applies to senior managers across the financial services industry.

    Matthew Hancock

    The summit will include wide-ranging discussions of ways of tackling corruption, including corporate secrecy, government transparency, the enforcement of international anti-corruption laws and the strengthening of international institutions.