Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what guidance he has provided to the university sector on the safety of students while doing research overseas.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The general duties of an employer with regards to their staff and other people affected in some way by their business activities (i.e. researchers) are contained within the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSAW). Additionally, employers have a common law duty to take reasonable care for their employees.
While the HSAW only applies to those working in the UK, there is an expectation that employers consider HSAW aspects of employees working overseas. Individual organisations, including Universities and Research Councils, publish their own guidance on employees working abroad.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the number of women who take between 39 and 52 weeks maternity leave in each year for which information is available.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The most recent official data on maternity leave is from the Maternity and Paternity Rights Survey in 2009, which collected data from mothers of children born in 2008. A previous survey in 2007 collected data for children born in 2006. There were policy changes between these dates: in particular, up to 39 weeks’ Statutory Maternity Pay were available in 2008 compared to 26 weeks in 2006. Findings from these two surveys are summarised in the table below, showing the percentage of mothers who took 39 weeks of maternity leave or more, out of a sample of mothers who had worked at some point in the 12 months before birth. Although the question asked about maternity leave, some responses appear to have included other forms of leave.
Duration of Maternity Leave | 39 weeks | 40-51 weeks | 52 weeks | 53 weeks or |
2006 | 1% | 10% | 12% | 4% |
2008 | 20% | 22% | 17% | 6% |
The Government will shortly commission a new survey, which will provide updated information. Subject to the progress of data collection, we anticipate publishing findings in Spring 2019.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of women who took unpaid maternity leave in 2017.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Our most recent data on unpaid maternity leave is from the Maternity and Paternity Rights Survey in 2009, which found that 11% of mothers received neither statutory maternity pay, occupational maternity pay nor Maternity Allowance. The main reasons for not receiving pay include not having sufficient continuous service with the same employer and being unemployed.
The Government will shortly commission a new survey, which will provide updated information.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to require overseas companies owning property in the UK to declare publicly their beneficial owners.
Answered by Margot James
The responses to the call for evidence are currently being analysed and a response will be published in due course.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
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 for UK participation in the EU emissions trading system after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Claire Perry
As the Clean Growth Strategy sets out, the Government is considering the UK’s future participation in the EU Emissions Trading System after our exit from the EU, and we remain firmly committed to carbon pricing as an emissions reduction tool whilst ensuring energy and trade intensive businesses are appropriately protected from any detrimental impacts on competitiveness.
Whatever our future relationship with the EU, we will seek to ensure that our future approach is at least as ambitious as the existing scheme and provide a smooth transition for the relevant sectors. The UK’s commitment and leadership role in tackling climate change remains undimmed and working closely with the EU on this global challenge will remain important.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to increase the use of geothermal energy in the UK.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
This Government supports the development of geothermal energy through a range of policy support mechanisms and by supporting world class research.
The development of deep geothermal heat is supported through the Renewable Heat Incentive and through feasibility studies funded by the Heat Network Delivery Unit. Funding for geothermal district heating schemes will also be available through the Heat Networks Investment Project. Geothermal power projects are eligible for support through the Contracts for Difference Scheme.
The Government is also funding the UK Geoenergy Observatories Project, a £31 million project led by the Natural Environment Research Council and the British Geological Survey, to explore the potential of geothermal energy for the benefit of local communities. The project will also explore the opportunity for other areas of innovation and research into the subsurface.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timetable is for the Unified Patent Court (Immunities and Privileges) Order 2017 to be laid before Parliament.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Unified Patent Court (Privileges and Immunities) Order 2017 was laid before Parliament on 26 June 2017.
The next stage is for the Order to be scrutinised by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments; the membership of this Committee is still to be confirmed and timetable published.
A separate Order on Privileges and Immunities for the Unified Patent Court was laid in Holyrood on 30 August 2017. It passed scrutiny on 19 September 2017. The Order will now pass to the Scottish Parliament for approval on 25 October 2017.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
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 incentivise businesses to invest in rooftop solar.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Solar PV is a UK success story. In 2013 we estimated that solar capacity would reach 10-12GW by 2020. We now expect Government support to bring forward around 13 GW by 2020. The Feed-in Tariff remains open to solar PV which provides an incentive for businesses to invest in rooftop solar.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
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 on the rooftop solar power market of the business rate rise for organisations investing in solar power for their own consumption.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Business rates are based on valuations from the Valuation Office Agency and we do not intervene in their independent assessments. It is too early for official statistics to be able to see any effect of business rates as the changes have only just taken effect.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to coordinate the provision of guarantees for university research project applications for Horizon 2020 funding.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my rt. hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury today to Question UIN 57694: