Tag: Kevin Brennan

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 has made an assessment of the projects with which the Green Investment Bank has been involved which would not have gone ahead without investment from that Bank.

Anna Soubry

One of the UK Green Investment Bank’s (GIB’s) objectives is to invest in green projects that would not go ahead, or would not go ahead as quickly, without investment from GIB. The majority of the projects GIB supports fall into this category.

Where GIB has invested in projects that are already operational, this has been for the purpose of building a secondary market for such assets which releases the funds of project developers to invest in new construction projects

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

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will consider allowing public bodies to continue to have the right, under the Local Government Pension scheme, to allow individuals to access an unreduced pension on compassionate grounds under the proposed public sector exit payments cap.

Greg Hands

The Government consulted on implementing a public sector exit payment cap in July 2015. The Government response to this consultation was published on 16 September 2015. This response provides detail on which organisations and types of payments the Government intends to capture within the scope of the public sector exit payment cap. This accords with the Government’s manifesto commitment to end tax payer funded six figure payoffs for public sector workers.

The response document can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/464367/Public_sector_exit_payments_response.pdf

The exit payment cap will apply to payments made as a result of an employee leaving their employment. It will not affect any pension a person has earned through their years of service or have any impact on accrued pension rights or pension lump sum entitlements on retirement. It will capture contributions, made by the employer, to fund early access to an unreduced or partially reduced pension. This is because such costs are ultimately funded by the tax payer.

The Government has been clear that early retirements relating to ill health are outside the scope of the cap and will not be affected. Additionally, any payments directed by a Court or Tribunal will not be included in the scope of the cap.

Exits on compassionate grounds are not such a clearly defined concept as exits related to ill health or redundancy. There will generally be a large degree of employer discretion on the terms of such exits, and on any payments. In these cases there will be discretion available to relax the cap in individual cases, subject to relevant Ministerial or local council approval, as will be set out in further detail in forthcoming Treasury guidance and directions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what support the Government plans to provide to local authorities for implementation of the extension of primary authority under the Enterprise Bill.

Anna Soubry

The Government has engaged extensively with local authorities to ensure that Primary Authority is modelled around how local authorities engage with businesses.

We will continue to work closely with local authorities, including providing free training and guidance materials to local authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the value of the illicit tobacco trade in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Damian Hinds

Estimates of tax revenue losses associated with illicit tobacco are published every year. The latest estimates, for the years 2006/7 to 2014/15, are published in ‘Tobacco Tax Gap estimates 2014-15’.

This can be accessed via the GOV.UK website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tobacco-tax-gap-estimates

HM Revenue and Customs makes no other estimate of the value of the illicit tobacco trade.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make it his policy to conduct a systematic analysis of existing science and research-based infrastructure in the UK for the purpose of guiding his Department’s future investment priorities.

Joseph Johnson

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is considering the National Audit Office’s recent report on capital investment in science projects, and will respond in due course.

All funding decisions are subject to BIS and HM Treasury’s rigorous scrutiny process and must pass a robust business case process before spending is approved.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what value and proportion of central government procurement was made by each department in each year since 2010.

Matthew Hancock

Total central government procurement spend is published as part of the annual reporting of spend with small and medium-sized businesses at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/central-government-spend-with-smes-2014-to-2015

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the state of democracy and human rights in Bahrain.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We welcome the progress made by Bahrain on their reform programme particularly in the areas of youth justice, the establishment and increasing effectiveness of the Ombudsman’s office, the Prisoner and Detainees’ Rights Commission and the reformed National Institute of Human Rights. Some challenges remain and we regularly discuss human rights and reform with the Government of Bahrain. I did so most recently when I met the Bahraini Ambassador to the UK, Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, on 8 March 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevin Brennan on 2016-04-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to his oral contribution of 18 April 2016, Official Report, column 712, on the national minimum wage, how many of the employers who approached his Department and requested not to be named and shamed for breaking national minimum legislation were named and shamed.

Nick Boles

Since the naming scheme began we have named 490 employers and received 107 representations from employers asking not to be named. Of these 107 employers 85 were ultimately named.

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.