Asked by: Danielle Rowley (Labour - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps are being taken to ensure that fireworks are not accessible to people under the age of 18.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Under the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015 there is a ban on the supply of categories F2 and F3 fireworks to people under the age of 18.
All premises supplying these fireworks are required by the Fireworks Regulations 2004 to display a notice highlighting that it is illegal to sell fireworks to people who are underage and for underage people to possess them in public. There is also a ban on the possession of these fireworks in public places by people under 18.
Local Authority Trading Standards have powers to enforce the law and work with businesses to help them comply with the law through practical advice and toolkits. The maximum penalty for supplying category F2 or category F3 fireworks to a person under 18 is a fine or three months imprisonment.
Asked by: Danielle Rowley (Labour - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the Government's policy is on making shared parental pay and paternity pay a right for all employees from their first day of employment.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
We have started the evaluation of the Shared Parental Leave and Pay schemes this year. This will look at the take up of leave and pay by fathers and partners, barriers to take-up, and how Shared Parental Leave and Pay are being used in practice. As a part of the same process of data collection, we will also gather information on the take up of paternity leave and pay.
The evaluation will improve the evidence base and inform future policy development in this area.
Asked by: Danielle Rowley (Labour - Midlothian)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many patents have been filed for climate-ready crops between 2015-17.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
In the period 2015-17, 283 patent applications were published that may have effect in the UK and relate specifically to plants modified to cope with climate stresses, in particular drought, cold or salt resistance. Of these, 85 were European patent applications and 198 were international patent applications filed under the Patent Co-Operation Treaty.