Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2020 to Question 1357, what the current status is of The Office for Product Safety and Standards fact-based evidence base on the key issues that have been raised on fireworks.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government does not have plans to bring forward additional legislative proposals on fireworks. There is a comprehensive regulatory framework already in place.
We are taking action to promote the safe and considerate use of fireworks, including a public awareness campaign on fireworks for this season involving safety charities, animal welfare organisations and retail bodies.
Product safety and liability are reserved matters. The regulation of fireworks for these purposes is covered by the Fireworks Regulations 2004 and the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015. The misuse and discharge of fireworks is a devolved matter to Scotland. Northern Ireland has its own fireworks regulatory framework. We continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations to ensure the safety of the public across the UK.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to devolve legislation regarding fireworks.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government does not have plans to bring forward additional legislative proposals on fireworks. There is a comprehensive regulatory framework already in place.
We are taking action to promote the safe and considerate use of fireworks, including a public awareness campaign on fireworks for this season involving safety charities, animal welfare organisations and retail bodies.
Product safety and liability are reserved matters. The regulation of fireworks for these purposes is covered by the Fireworks Regulations 2004 and the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015. The misuse and discharge of fireworks is a devolved matter to Scotland. Northern Ireland has its own fireworks regulatory framework. We continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations to ensure the safety of the public across the UK.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals on fireworks in the 2019-21 session of Parliament.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government does not have plans to bring forward additional legislative proposals on fireworks. There is a comprehensive regulatory framework already in place.
We are taking action to promote the safe and considerate use of fireworks, including a public awareness campaign on fireworks for this season involving safety charities, animal welfare organisations and retail bodies.
Product safety and liability are reserved matters. The regulation of fireworks for these purposes is covered by the Fireworks Regulations 2004 and the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015. The misuse and discharge of fireworks is a devolved matter to Scotland. Northern Ireland has its own fireworks regulatory framework. We continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations to ensure the safety of the public across the UK.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Scottish Limited Partnerships have failed to register a Person of Significant Control in each of the last three years.
Answered by Paul Scully
Companies House considers 10,800 of the Scottish Limited Partnerships (‘SLPs’) on the register to be active. Of these, 948 SLPs have not filed PSC information as at 31st January 2020.1 This compares to 2,019 in January 2019 and 7,078 in January 2018.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many fines have been levied against Scottish Limited Partnerships for failing to register a Person of Significant Control in each of the last three years.
Answered by Paul Scully
No Scottish Limited Partnerships (SLPs) have been fined since the People with Significant Control register came into force. Compliance is Companies House’s primary aim, rather than prosecution. It is taking action to ensure that all SLPs report their PSC information. Companies House is actively engaged with SLPs and their representatives to make them aware of their responsibilities. Failure to comply with the requirement to report PSC information does not incur a civil penalty but it is an offence and may lead to a fine or imprisonment upon prosecution. Companies House is not a prosecuting body and will refer cases to a relevant prosecutor when all other avenues have been exhausted and an SLP has not complied with their obligations.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Scottish Limited Partnerships are qualifying under the terms of the Scottish Partnerships (Register of People with Significant Control) Regulations 2017 and the Companies and Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) Regulations 2013.
Answered by Paul Scully
All registered Scottish Limited Partnerships (SLPs) are required to comply with the Scottish Partnerships (Register of People with Significant Control) Regulations 2017. As of 31 January 2020, there were 34,245 live1 Scottish limited partnerships (“SLPs”) on the register. Of these, Companies House considers around 10,800 of these SLPs to be active. These regulations also require a Scottish qualifying partnership (SQP) to register with Companies House and deliver information concerning its People with Significant Control (PSC). A SQP is a general partnership constituted under the law of Scotland that is a qualifying partnership under the Partnership (Accounts) Regulations 2008. As at the end of January 2020, there were 330 Scottish Qualified Partnerships bodies that declared as being eligible as SQPs.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the value was of fines levied against Scottish Limited Partnerships for failing to register a Person of Significant Control in each of the last three years.
Answered by Paul Scully
No such fines have been levied against Scottish Limited Partnerships. Compliance is Companies House’s primary aim, rather than prosecution. It is taking action to ensure that all SLPs report their PSC information. Companies House is actively engaged with SLPs and their representatives to make them aware of their responsibilities. Failure to comply with the requirement to report PSC information does not incur a civil penalty but it is an offence and may lead to a fine or imprisonment upon prosecution. Companies House is not a prosecuting body and will refer cases to a relevant prosecutor when all other avenues have been exhausted and an SLP has not complied with their obligations.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people have been prosecuted for filing false information to Companies House in each of the last three years.
Answered by Paul Scully
The knowing or reckless filing of false information at Companies House is a criminal offence under section 1112 of the Companies Act 2006. According to its internal case management system, the Insolvency Service – which has lead responsibility for bringing prosecutions for this offence in England and Wales - has prosecuted five separate individuals under section 1112 of the Companies Act 2006 in the last three years.
The Enforcement Team at Companies House is unaware of any such prosecutions having been brought in Scotland or Northern Ireland during this period.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent progress her Department has made in its assessment of the use of fireworks in the UK.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is developing a fact-based evidence base on the key issues that have been raised around fireworks. This includes looking at data on noise and disturbance, anti-social behaviour, non-compliance, environmental impact, and the impact on humans and animals. This will build a fuller picture of the data around fireworks in order to identify whether further action is appropriate.
The work to develop a full evidence base is an ongoing exercise which is not time limited and we will report in due course.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to her Written Statement of 7 January 2020, Official Report HCWS20, whether an equality impact assessment was carried out when setting those national minimum wage rates.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
This April, the Government will be increasing the National Living Wage by 6.2% to £8.72, meeting the Government’s target of reaching 60% of median earnings by 2020. Younger workers and apprentices will also see inflation beating increases in the NMW rates of between 4.6% and 6.5%. The Low Pay Commission estimates that these increases to the NMW and NLW will directly benefit over 2.8 million workers.
An equality impact assessment was carried out when setting these minimum wage rates. The evidence suggests that there will be disproportionate positive wage impacts on protected groups as a result of the proposed increase in the minimum wage rates. As in previous years, the equality impact assessment will be published within the Government’s full impact assessment in due course.