Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many payments were fraudulently charged to his Department’s budget using electronic purchasing cards in the financial years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21 and (c) 2021-22; and what the total value was of fraudulent payments (i) made and (ii) recovered in each of those years.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
No payments charged to the Department’s budget using electronic purchasing cards during financial years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21 and (c) 2021-22 were identified as fraudulent.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on producing an estimate for the total financial cost of fraud committed against businesses in the UK in (a) financial year 2020-21, (b) calendar year 2021 and (c) financial year 2021-22.
Answered by Jane Hunt
My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular meetings with Cabinet colleagues on a variety of issues. Fraud policy is not a matter for BEIS.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
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 held electronic purchasing cards that allowed them to make purchases against his Department's budget as of 31 March 2022.
Answered by Jane Hunt
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy had 196 people who held electronic purchasing cards that allowed them to make purchases against our Department's budget as of 31 March 2022.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
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 review of retained EU law, whether his Department intends to review the lists of (a) prohibited substances, (b) restricted substances, (c) colorants, (d) preservatives, and (e) UV-filters set out in Annexes II-VI of the Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products.
Answered by Paul Scully
In order to ensure products are safe and that our regulations operate effectively, the Government keeps all aspects of the Cosmetic Regulations under review. Based on expert scientific advice, Government has recently laid legislation amending Annexes II, III and V, resulting in either a restriction in the permitted level, or prohibition of, specific chemicals used in cosmetic products.
The Product Safety Review is examining the wider framework, covering all aspects of retained EU law relating to product safety. Following a Call for Evidence last year, Government will publish a consultation document later this year.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
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 15 June to Question 13662, whether all payments over £25,0000 made by his Department to Omnicom Media Group UK Ltd from 7 November 2018 to 21 May 2022 took place under the Media Buying framework agreement RM6003.
Answered by George Freeman
All payments over £25,000 made by the Department to Omnicom Media Group UK Ltd from 7 November 2018 to 21 May 2022 took place under the Media Buying framework agreement RM6003.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what total cost to the public purse, inclusive of VAT, was incurred by his Department between May 2018 and May 2022 for media buying services provided under the Crown Commercial Service's media buying framework agreement reference RM6003.
Answered by George Freeman
The Media Buying framework agreement (RM6003) started 7 November 2018 and ended 21 May 2022 and has now expired.
The framework agreement was awarded to OMD Group Ltd (OmniGov) following a competitive tendering process in 2018. Customers used this framework agreement by putting in place a call off.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to publish its next set of spending transparency data.
Answered by George Freeman
BEIS published the latest set of departmental spending transparency data (October, November and December 2021) on 22 April.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has received a copy of the report commissioned by Ofgem from Oliver Wyman Ltd on the potential impact, costs, risks, legal implications and timing of four options to reduce wholesale prices for gas and electricity.
Answered by Greg Hands
My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, does not record receipt of reports submitted by external organisations.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had discussions with Ofgem on a report it commissioned from Oliver Wyman Ltd on the potential impact, costs, risks, legal implications and timing of four options to reduce wholesale prices for gas and electricity.
Answered by Greg Hands
My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has regular discussions with Ofgem’s CEO on a range of issues relating to the impact of high global gas prices, including wholesale energy markets. Ofgem, as the independent regulator of Great Britain’s gas and electricity markets, continues to examine ways to reduce the impact of the recent unprecedented rise in wholesale gas prices on energy consumers.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
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 summarise the four options being examined by Ofgem to reduce wholesale prices for gas and electricity; and when he expects decisions on the lead options to be announced and implemented.
Answered by Greg Hands
Ofgem, as the independent regulator of the GB gas and electricity markets, continues to examine ways to reduce the impact of the recent unprecedented rise in wholesale gas prices on energy consumers.