Tag: Bill Esterson

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2016-03-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2016 to Question 30688, if he will publish the interests submitted by Mr Paul Newby when he applied for the role of Pubs Code Adjudicator.

Anna Soubry

The appointment panel satisfied itself there were no conflicts of interest when they made recommendations to ministers in relation to the appointment of the Pubs Code Adjudicator.

The Department does not intend to publish any information provided by candidates during this appointment process.

In due course and as is usual practice, the Adjudicator’s office will publish a register of interests.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will hold discussions with manufacturers about developing antifreeze products without ethylene glycol.

Anna Soubry

There have been no recent discussions between the Department and manufacturers of anti-freeze on developing products without ethylene glycol and there is no immediate plan to do so.

We consider the existing legislation to be effective. Consumers should be aware of the dangers presented by antifreeze products because these products are legally required to carry appropriate safety warnings under the Classification and Labelling (CLP) Regulations.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, who will act on behalf of the Pubs Code Adjudicator in situations where one of the parties to that adjudication objects to the Adjudicator’s involvement.

Anna Soubry

The Pubs Code Adjudicator has been appointed by the Secretary of State to arbitrate alleged breaches of the statutory obligations set out in the Pubs Code. The Adjudicator will therefore be operating within the statutory framework provided in the SBEE Act and Pubs Code regulations. The parties to an alleged breach of the Pubs Code are not afforded an automatic right to object to the Adjudicator discharging what is a statutory duty. This is in contrast to the position of arbitrators appointed to deal with a private arbitration of contractual disputes.

The Adjudicator will make and publish arrangements for dealing with any conflict of interest as he is required to do by the SBEE Act [Schedule 1 para 10]. These will be the relevant arrangements for any parties wishing to raise any questions about conflicts of interest. Where the parties raise any objection to the Adjudicator arbitrating a dispute, it is for the Adjudicator to decide whether it is appropriate for him to appoint another arbitrator (as the Act allows).

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the number of (a) cats and (b) dogs killed by accidental ingestion of poisonous antifreeze in each of the last five years.

George Eustice

We have no estimates of the numbers of cats or dogs killed by antifreeze.

However there are periodically reported cases where antifreeze may have contributed to the death of pet animals. This issue was most recently debated in Parliament on the 2 December 2014.

www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmhansrd/cm141202/halltext/141202h0002.htm#14120263000003

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the role of the Enterprise Directorate of his Department was in the (a) appointment of the Pubs Code Adjudicator and (b) 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 2016-01-13.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of late payment of claims by insurance companies on SMEs.

Harriett Baldwin

In the Enterprise Bill, Government has proposed to introduce a new requirement for insurers to pay claims within a reasonable time, which will also entitle policyholders to claim damages where a claims is paid late. An assessment of the impact of late payment of insurance claims, including on small and medium sized enterprises, has been published by the government:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/461200/BIS-15-517-IA-late-payment-of-insurance-claims.pdf

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what support his Department plans to provide to the Pubs Code Adjudicator; and which directorate of his Department will oversee that support.

Anna Soubry

The Department is providing support to Mr. Newby to set up the Pubs Code Adjudicator office and prepare for the service it will deliver. The support includes finalising the office location and helping with logistical matters such as staff recruitment, IT provision, communication and stakeholder planning, financial modelling and service design. As the Pubs Code Adjudicator office becomes staffed, the Department will reduce its support.

Following commencement of the Pubs Code, the Department will perform a sponsorship role to ensure that the Pubs Code Adjudicator is accountable and delivering value for money services whilst maintaining its independence.

The Consumer and Competition Directorate in Economics and Markets Group will provide the ongoing support and the sponsorship function.

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.

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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.