Tag: Kevin Brennan

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to (a) improve customer confidence in and (b) ensure continuity of client contracts with Tata steel.

Anna Soubry

Tata have confirmed to us that they working closely with all of their customers and suppliers at this time, and HMG is supporting Tata to make sure that their customers and suppliers are fully aware of all the efforts the Government is making to secure a sale of their UK facilities.

The Government has also written a letter to Tata’s supply chain and customers highlighting our commitment to the UK steel sector, and the steps we are taking to support the industry.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-06-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department made of the health benefits of milk as part of the development of the Government’s Eatwell guide.

Jane Ellison

Dairy products are a valuable source of essential nutrients including protein and calcium. Government advice continues to encourage the inclusion of dairy products as part of a healthy, balanced diet for all age groups. This recommendation is depicted in the Eatwell Guide which promotes the consumption of lower fat and lower sugar dairy products to help reduce saturated fat and sugar intakes in the United Kingdom, which are currently above dietary recommendations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans the Government has for potential financial proceeds from the privatisation of the Green Investment Bank.

Anna Soubry

The government has put paying down our debt while investing in infrastructure at the heart of our long term economic plan. The sale proceeds will therefore help us deliver on both those objectives.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to encourage manufacturers to introduce sustainable manufacturing processes.

Anna Soubry

The Government’s top priority is to continue creating a highly competitive business environment that makes the UK an attractive location for new manufacturing investment in sustainable processes. We are protecting spending on innovation and the cutting-edge smart manufacturing technologies that will encourage digital, virtual, resource-efficient factories in the future. The High Value Manufacturing Catapult has skills, expertise and equipment available to help partner companies improve the efficiency and sustainability of their processes. As part of Autumn Statement 2015, my Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that funding to the nine existing Catapults would increase in real terms over the Spending Review period ensuring the UK remains a world leader in high-value manufacturing.

In addition, we are taking into account UK business opportunities during negotiations on the EU Circular Economy proposals which include aims to improve business sustainability, resource and energy efficiency.

At the Summer Budget 2015, the Chancellor announced a review of the business energy efficiency tax landscape and Government launched a consultation in September. The consultation set out proposals for delivering a simpler and more stable environment for business that will reduce administrative costs and improve incentives to invest in energy efficiency. This will help increase the productivity of UK businesses, save carbon emissions and ensure secure energy supplies. The Government is currently considering all consultation responses and is likely to publish its formal response at Budget 2016.

I would be delighted to receive further representations from the Manufacturing Commission on their recent Industrial Evolution report.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with the Office for National Statistics on the issuing of special shares in the Green Investment Bank.

Anna Soubry

The Government is currently exploring with the Office of National Statistics whether there is scope to implement a special share style arrangement in a way that would not amount to a form of state control.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the public sector exit payments cap on morale in the Civil Service.

Matthew Hancock

The Civil Service has successfully changed the way it operates and become more efficient – it is now delivering far more, for less, than it did before 2010. The Government has delivered a range of policy changes over the last five years to modernise the Civil Service and save taxpayers money. During this time employee engagement rates have actually increased.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether he plans to invest any unallocated funding held by the Green Investment Bank at its point of privatisation into green projects in the UK.

Anna Soubry

The Government has put paying down our debt while investing in infrastructure at the heart of our long term economic plan. Proceeds from a sale of UK Green investment Bank plc (GIB) will help us deliver on both those objectives. Any proposal to allocate Government funding to other types of intervention to achieve green policy objectives would need to be considered individually on its merits.

GIB’s remit has always been to invest in green projects on fully commercial terms to help demonstrate green investment can be profitable and attract additional private sector investment into green sectors from mainstream finance providers. GIB will continue to perform that role in private ownership. Details of the other Government policy mechanisms in place aimed at promoting investment in more high risk projects and early stage technologies are provided at paragraphs 31 – 36 of our November 2015 policy statement on the future of GIB which can be found on the GIB pages of the GOV.UK website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-01-28.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to exempt employers from the proposed public sector exit payment cap if an employer can demonstrate that they are in the middle of an ongoing restructuring exercise.

Greg Hands

The Government made a manifesto commitment to end six-figure payouts in the public sector and wants to do so as soon as possible. These payments cost around £2 billion a year and it is important that they are fair, proportionate and provide value for money to the taxpayer that funds them. As such, the Government does not see any case for transitional arrangements to delay ending six-figure exit payments. However, the power for Ministers to relax the restrictions imposed by the cap provides the flexibility to do so in appropriate circumstances.

Automatic indexing would fail to offer the flexibility that the clause currently provides for. As it stands, the Government can amend the level of the cap to take into account all prevailing circumstances, and with the additional scrutiny of the affirmative resolution procedure in Parliament.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending trade defence instruments to add a further exemption to the lesser duty rules in cases of social and environmental dumping.

Anna Soubry

The Government supports the use of the lesser duty rule in trade defence cases, as it allows for protection against unfair trade while at the same time avoiding the imposition of disproportionate costs on the wider economy. We do not support changes that would lessen its effectiveness as a trade defence instrument.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of UK firms was owed money for late payments in each of the last ten years.

Anna Soubry

The Department does not hold the information required to make an estimate of proportion of UK firms owed money for late payments in each of the last ten years. As late payment affects so many different types of business in different ways, no single survey gives a full picture of the impact of late payment on businesses. The three sources that we look to as an indicator of late payment are the SME finance monitor, the regular BACs survey and Experian’s late payment index. BACS data shows that small and medium businesses were owed a total of £26.8 billion as at June 2015, and the average small business is waiting for £31,900 in overdue payments.

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. 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.