Asked by: Ann McKechin (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to promote the Open Access academic publishing movement in the UK.
Answered by Lord Willetts
The Government remains committed to making publicly funded and published research freely and openly available. In the long term we believe the most effective form of Open Access (OA) will be Gold OA. I last commented on this subject in November 2013 in the Government's response to the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee report on OA and this answer updates on progress since that statement.
I was very pleased that in May 2014 the Institute of Physics (IoP) Publishing, a major publisher of academic papers, introduced an ‘offsetting' arrangement that will allow institutions to publish more open access papers without incurring additional costs. I strongly encourage other publishers to follow the IoP Publishing's lead.
Further, the ‘Access to Research' initiative was launched in February 2014 through the support of the publishing community. It allows students, independent researchers and small businesses to access many of the world's best academic papers through their local libraries.
We intend to maintain this level of progress and I am pleased that Universities UK (UUK) have agreed to take on a co-ordinating role for the continued implementation of OA policy in the UK. This follows a recommendation in the Finch Group's report ‘Review of progress in Implementing the Recommendations of the Finch Report‘, UUK are in the process of setting up a group which will consist of key stakeholders similar to that of the Finch Group.
Additionally the Research Sector Transparency Board (RSTB) which I chair advises Government on how to increase access to research data. My intention is that the RSTB will also continue to play a role in OA and preservation of scientific data.
In relation to confidentiality clauses this Department continues to monitor the situation and is encouraged by recent developments in this area.
Finally, I wish to record my appreciation for the achievements of Ron Egginton, our lead official on OA who sadly and suddenly died on 8 June 2014. His expertise and commitment was instrumental in the progress that has been achieved in making the UK the leading major nation on OA.
Asked by: Ann McKechin (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress he has made in negotiations with private publishers on the confidentiality clauses negotiated by them when supplying university libraries.
Answered by Lord Willetts
The Government remains committed to making publicly funded and published research freely and openly available. In the long term we believe the most effective form of Open Access (OA) will be Gold OA. I last commented on this subject in November 2013 in the Government's response to the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee report on OA and this answer updates on progress since that statement.
I was very pleased that in May 2014 the Institute of Physics (IoP) Publishing, a major publisher of academic papers, introduced an ‘offsetting' arrangement that will allow institutions to publish more open access papers without incurring additional costs. I strongly encourage other publishers to follow the IoP Publishing's lead.
Further, the ‘Access to Research' initiative was launched in February 2014 through the support of the publishing community. It allows students, independent researchers and small businesses to access many of the world's best academic papers through their local libraries.
We intend to maintain this level of progress and I am pleased that Universities UK (UUK) have agreed to take on a co-ordinating role for the continued implementation of OA policy in the UK. This follows a recommendation in the Finch Group's report ‘Review of progress in Implementing the Recommendations of the Finch Report‘, UUK are in the process of setting up a group which will consist of key stakeholders similar to that of the Finch Group.
Additionally the Research Sector Transparency Board (RSTB) which I chair advises Government on how to increase access to research data. My intention is that the RSTB will also continue to play a role in OA and preservation of scientific data.
In relation to confidentiality clauses this Department continues to monitor the situation and is encouraged by recent developments in this area.
Finally, I wish to record my appreciation for the achievements of Ron Egginton, our lead official on OA who sadly and suddenly died on 8 June 2014. His expertise and commitment was instrumental in the progress that has been achieved in making the UK the leading major nation on OA.
Asked by: Ann McKechin (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what notification his Department has received from the Scottish Government on the devolution from them of further decision-making powers to local authorities in the Clyde Valley area to allow them to attract further investment as part of the City Deal for Glasgow.
Answered by Greg Clark
The UK Government and Glasgow City Council are currently discussing with the Scottish Government how they will contribute to the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal.
Asked by: Ann McKechin (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what agreement has been reached with the Scottish Government on (a) support and (b) funding for the infrastructure plan to build a rail link between Glasgow and the airport as part of the City Deal for Glasgow.
Answered by Greg Clark
The UK Government and Glasgow City Council are currently discussing with the Scottish Government how they will contribute to the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal.
Asked by: Ann McKechin (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what agreement has been reached with the Scottish Government on the devolution of funding for skills and training to the relevant local authorities as part of the City Deal for Glasgow.
Answered by Greg Clark
The UK Government and Glasgow City Council are currently discussing with the Scottish Government how they will contribute to the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal.
Asked by: Ann McKechin (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what agreement has been reached with the Scottish Government on the devolution of powers to allow the relevant local authorities to better regulate or procure bus services as part of the City Deal for Glasgow.
Answered by Greg Clark
The UK Government and Glasgow City Council are currently discussing with the Scottish Government how they will contribute to the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal.
Asked by: Ann McKechin (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what meetings Ministers or officials of his Department have had with Ministers of the Scottish Government to discuss the City Deal for Glasgow in the last 12 months.
Answered by Greg Clark
Ministers and officials from the UK Government are in regular dialogue with Ministers and officials from the Scottish Government on a range of issues including the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal.
Asked by: Ann McKechin (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will review existing trade descriptions legislation and its effect on regulating companies that describe themselves or hold themselves to be acting as legal firms.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
Most of the Trade Descriptions legislation has been replaced by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. These Regulations prohibit traders from engaging in unfair commercial practices against consumers. The Regulations apply across all business sectors and set out a framework for how businesses must deal with consumers.
It is also an offence under section 21 of the Solicitors Act 1974 for an unqualified person to wilfully pretend to be a solicitor and section 24 of that Act makes equivalent provision in relation to a body corporate. Section 17 of the Legal Services Act 2007 makes it an offence to wilfully pretend to be entitled to carry on a reserved legal activity. The reserved legal activities are: a) the exercise of a right of audience, b) the conduct of litigation, c) reserved instrument activities, d) probate activities, e) notarial activities and f) the administration of oaths.
Asked by: Ann McKechin (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent steps he has taken to improve transparency in the procurement processes of university libraries.
Answered by Lord Willetts
Higher education institutions are independent, autonomous bodies. As such, they are responsible for their own procurement policies and the transparency of their processes. Universities are able to draw upon the Higher Education Procurement Academy, a sector-led initiative to improve expertise and capacity in UK university procurement.
Asked by: Ann McKechin (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people in Glasgow North constituency have used the Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme to date.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government publishes quarterly official statistics relating to the Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme. The first of these were published on 29 May 2014.
This report, along with accompanying tables, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/help-to-buy-mortgage-guarantee-scheme-quarterly-statistics-october-2013-to-march-2014