Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the recommendations of the Parker Review on increasing the ethnic diversity of UK boards are implemented.
Answered by Margot James
The Government wants to see greater diversity on the boards of the FTSE’s largest companies, and wants to see that delivered through a business-led approach. That approach has seen the proportion of women on FTSE100 boards increase from 12.5% in 2010 to nearly 27% as at April 2017. We now want to extend that progress to ethnic, as well as gender, diversity.
Sir John Parker’s Review is an industry-led review, and its recommendations will be for the private sector to consider. However, the Government will keep a close eye on how things develop, and consider whether it needs to take action once Sir John finalises his recommendations before the end of this year.
The boardroom must reflect modern Britain. Companies will do better if they make better use of the talent available and ensure their boardrooms reflect their workforces and wider society. Sir John’s Review is an important, industry-led contribution to this debate.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what meetings he has held with external organisations on shared parental leave and the effectiveness of Government policy on that leave; and what representations he has received from external organisations on that policy.
Answered by Margot James
Shared parental leave has been raised at several wider meetings that I have held with external organisations, and also at meetings with my officials.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many and what proportion of eligible men have taken up shared parental leave since it was introduced.
Answered by Margot James
The Government does not hold information on the take-up of Shared Parental Leave since it was introduced in December 2014 for the parents of children due or placed for adoption from 5 April 2015.
Based on a small sample of the data provided to HM Revenue & Customs by employers, we estimate that around 6,000 employees claimed either statutory Shared Parental Pay or Additional Paternity Pay (the predecessor to Shared Parental Pay) in 2015/16.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of (a) financial considerations and (b) considerations of gendered working culture as barriers to fathers taking up shared parental leave.
Answered by Margot James
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has committed to undertake a review of the effectiveness of Shared Parental Leave and Pay in 2018.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to conduct a review into the effectiveness of shared parental leave policy; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Margot James
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has committed to undertake a review of the effectiveness of Shared Parental Leave and Pay in 2018.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many members of staff who ceased to be employed by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in the last three years have subsequently been re-employed by his Department on a temporary basis or as a third-party contractor or consultant.
Answered by Margot James
From the data available fewer than 5 individuals have been identified as having ceased employment by the Department and its partner organisations in the last three years and subsequently re-employed by the Department on a temporary basis.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many bilateral trade agreements the UK has with countries outside the EU.
Answered by Anna Soubry
Since the EU has sole competence on trade policy, the UK has no bilateral trade agreements in force with countries outside the EU.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what (a) representations he has received from and (b) meetings his Department has had with companies based in the British Overseas Territories on the future of the Land Registry.
Answered by Anna Soubry
A Government consultation seeking views on options to move Land Registry operations to the private sector closed on 26 May. We have received views from a large number of businesses and individuals. My department is analysing these responses and the Government will issue a response in due course. No decision has been taken on the future of Land Registry and, as such, no bids have been received.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the letter he received from the hon. Member of Tottenham of 2 June 2016, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the privatisation of the Land Registry on the amount of money related to corruption entering the UK property market.
Answered by Anna Soubry
A Government consultation seeking views on options to move Land Registry operations to the private sector closed on 26 May. My department is analysing these responses and the Government will issue a response in due course. Anti-fraud and corruption protections are amongst the factors being considered as the Government is committed to tackling corruption and increasing corporate transparency. No decision has been taken on the future of Land Registry.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the letter he received from the hon. Member of Tottenham of 2 June 2016, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the privatisation of the Land Registry on transparency in the UK property market (a) in general and (b) with regards to public records of the corporate and beneficial ownership of properties owned by offshore companies.
Answered by Anna Soubry
A Government consultation seeking views on options to move Land Registry operations to the private sector closed on 26 May. My department is analysing these responses and the Government will issue a response in due course. Transparency protections are amongst the factors being considered. No decision has been taken on the future of Land Registry.