Tag: Bill Esterson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which directorate of his Department oversaw the appointment of the Pubs Code Adjudicator.

Anna Soubry

The development of the Pubs Code and the appointment of the Pubs Code Adjudicator were overseen by the Pubs Code and Adjudicator Team.

Due to departmental restructuring this team has sat within two different directorates in BIS: the Consumer and Competition Directorate (prior to July 2015 and currently) and Enterprise Directorate (from July 2015 to March 2016).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on (a) businesses affected by pre-pack insolvencies and (b) employees of such businesses of such insolvencies.

Anna Soubry

The University of Wolverhampton undertook research as part of Teresa Graham’s June 2014 review into pre-pack administrations. This found that returns to creditors from a pre-pack were slightly lower than from non pre-packed administrations.

The report also found that in about 60% of pre-pack deals all jobs were saved, and in a further 10% some jobs were saved. No data is available on the impact of the insolvency on employment at creditors of the company.

A voluntary package of reforms to pre-packs, as recommended by the Graham review, was launched on 2 November with support from the insolvency industry and creditor groups. The reforms are intended to bring greater transparency and improved creditor confidence in pre-packs, and especially those in which sales are to connected parties.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which 10 companies owed the greatest amount of late payment debt to SMEs in each six-month period of the last 10 years.

Anna Soubry

The Department does not hold the information required. However, BACS data shows that small and medium businesses are owed a total of £26.8 billion, and the average small business is waiting for £31,900 in overdue payments.[1]

The Government recognises that late payment remains an important issue for small businesses in the UK and is taking significant steps to assist small businesses to recover late payment debts. This is part of a package of measures to tackle late payment. We have also legislated for new transparency measures in the public and private sectors.

The Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 legislated for new reporting requirement on the UK’s largest companies and Regulations will be introduced this year which will compel larger companies to report on payment practices and performance. This information will be published on a six-monthly basis and will be made publicly available.

The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 introduced a requirement for all public-sector buyers to publish annually, from 2017, their liability to debt interest payments. In central government we have gone further and faster. We will be publishing against these requirements quarterly from April this year. This will allow full public scrutiny of payment performance.

Through the Enterprise Bill, currently before Parliament, we will legislate to establish a Small Business Commissioner to give general advice and to help small businesses resolve disputes relating to payment matters with larger businesses.

Tackling late payment is about creating a responsible payment culture where larger companies recognise the benefit of having a sustainable and robust supply chain, and smaller businesses feel able to challenge poor behaviour. Once implemented, the Government is confident that these measures will lead to significant changes in the UK’s payment culture.

[1] BACS Data June 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which directorate of his Department oversaw the development of the Pubs Code.

Anna Soubry

The development of the Pubs Code and the appointment of the Pubs Code Adjudicator were overseen by the Pubs Code and Adjudicator Team.

Due to departmental restructuring this team has sat within two different directorates in BIS: the Consumer and Competition Directorate (prior to July 2015 and currently) and Enterprise Directorate (from July 2015 to March 2016).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent estimate he has made of the predicted default rate of university maintenance loans.

Joseph Johnson

Student loans are not like a bank loan or credit card. Repayments do not have to made if the borrower’s income is below £21k. There is, therefore, no default rate as such, but a borrower who moves overseas and fails to repay even though they are earning over the threshold would be in default.

Maintenance loans are either repaid during the loan term, or written off after 30 years, or if the borrower dies or becomes permanently unable to work as a result of disability. Provision for the cost of future write offs is made in BIS accounts each year. This is known as the RAB charge.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many SMEs have been declared bankrupt as a result of late payments in each of the last 10 years.

Anna Soubry

The Department does not hold the information required. However, BACS data shows that small and medium businesses are owed a total of £26.8 billion, and the average small business is waiting for £31,900 in overdue payments.[1]

The Government recognises that late payment remains an important issue for small businesses in the UK and is taking significant steps to assist small businesses to recover late payment debts. This is part of a package of measures to tackle late payment. We have also legislated for new transparency measures in the public and private sectors.

The Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 legislated for new reporting requirement on the UK’s largest companies and Regulations will be introduced this year which will compel larger companies to report on payment practices and performance. This information will be published on a six-monthly basis and will be made publicly available.

The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 introduced a requirement for all public-sector buyers to publish annually, from 2017, their liability to debt interest payments. In central government we have gone further and faster. We will be publishing against these requirements quarterly from April this year. This will allow full public scrutiny of payment performance.

Through the Enterprise Bill, currently before Parliament, we will legislate to establish a Small Business Commissioner to give general advice and to help small businesses resolve disputes relating to payment matters with larger businesses.

Tackling late payment is about creating a responsible payment culture where larger companies recognise the benefit of having a sustainable and robust supply chain, and smaller businesses feel able to challenge poor behaviour. Once implemented, the Government is confident that these measures will lead to significant changes in the UK’s payment culture.

[1] BACS Data June 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2016-06-09.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of the agreements reached at the Anti-Corruption Summit in May 2016 in tackling corruption.

Matthew Hancock

This Government the UK has taken a global lead on tackling the scourge of corruption. Each delegation signed up to the commitments set out in the communiqué. In addition, 42 countries and 8 international organisations issued statements setting out further measures they will take.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what financial and other assistance his Department is giving to suppliers of SSI in Redcar.

Anna Soubry

The Government has announced a support package, worth up to £80m, to support workers affected by SSI’s closure and invest in the future of the Tees Valley economy. This will include support for local businesses and the supply chain working closely with the Government appointed local taskforce on how best to target money and resources.

In addition, HMRC has a track record of helping individuals and business which are experiencing a genuine short term difficulty in paying their tax liabilities. Where appropriate HMRC will agree a payment arrangement to allow the customer some breathing space to get their tax affairs back up to date. Details are available on the websiteProblems Payingor affected customers should ring theBusiness Payment Support Service (BPSS) on0300 200 3835.

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-10-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the number of jobs at risk in the supply chain and wider economy of Redcar as a result of the closure of the SSI steelworks.

Anna Soubry

There will undoubtedly be a significant impact on SSI’s supply chain and the local economy following its closure. That is why the Government has announced a package, worth up to £80m, to support the individuals affected and invest in the future of the Tees Valley economy.

We are working with the local Task Force that Government established to understand the impacts of SSI’s closure, including on its supply chain and the Tees Valley economy, and develop tailored proposals to mitigate this.

For example, a specific supply chain event has been organised by the Teesside Engineering Network (TEN) is being held on Friday 23^rd October at Redcar and Cleveland Leisure and Community Heart.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-10-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will commission a study of the prevalence of births of children damaged as a result of alcohol consumed by their mothers during pregnancy.

Jane Ellison

We recognise the fact that too many women may be unaware of the health risks and possible harmful fetal effects associated with drinking during pregnancy. The Chief Medical Officer’s review of the alcohol guidelines will include consideration to the current Government’s advice on drinking during pregnancy.

Whilst we have no current plans to commission a study of the prevalence of births of children damaged as a result of alcohol consumed by their mothers during pregnancy the World Health Organization is starting a global prevalence study on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, recognising that this information is lacking in many countries. There are a number of challenges on the feasibility of estimating prevalence, which should be addressed in this study. We welcome this study and will consider participating.