Asked by: Iain Wright (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much his Department has spent on (a) Uber for Business and (b) other Uber transactions since 28 October 2016.
Answered by Ben Gummer
The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office and is included in this reply.
Following a check of Cabinet Office records, information on spend on (a) Uber for Business and (b) other Uber transactions since October 2016 is not held centrally.
Asked by: Iain Wright (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much his Department has spent on (a) Uber for Business and (b) other Uber transactions since 28 October 2016.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Our records show that DIT have not made any direct payments to Uber for Business since October 2016. However, our records indicate that DIT have claimed £396.53 in expense claims related to Uber journeys since October 2016.
Asked by: Iain Wright (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on (a) Uber for Business and (b) other Uber transactions since 28 October 2016.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
It is not possible to provide the amount the Ministry of Defence has spent on Uber taxis as individuals are not required to record the companies used when booking travel.
Asked by: Iain Wright (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress has been made on establishing and appointing a Small Business Commissioner under the Enterprise Act 2016; and what the timescale is for the appointment of that Commissioner.
Answered by Margot James
We expect to appoint the Commissioner in 2017 and we are completing the rest of the implementation in parallel. This includes consulting on, preparing and laying secondary legislation on the Commissioner’s complaints handling function. Our public consultation on these Regulations closed in December and we are preparing the Government Response. Work is also ongoing to setup the Commissioner’s office and create a web presence.
Asked by: Iain Wright (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to business of amending coin collections systems as a result of the new pound coin entering circulation in March 2017.
Answered by Simon Kirby
During the Treasury’s consultation with industry in 2014 we received a wide range of cost estimates for the transition to the new £1 coin varying by individual business need, mostly attributed to the need to upgrade coin handling equipment. It is therefore not possible to provide an accurate estimate of the total cost to industry.
We have, however, taken a number of steps to help manage these costs. For instance, the early announcement of the new coin has provided businesses with a long lead time allowing for effective and extensive planning ahead of the changeover. Individual businesses and the wider economy will also benefit from the reduced costs associated with a fall in the counterfeit rate, as well as from a currency in which there is widespread confidence.
Asked by: Iain Wright (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Small Business Research Initiative; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
We do not currently hold data on individual firms. However, we do hold information on the number of contracts awarded under the scheme.
Firms are awarded Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) funding through contracts on a competitive basis in two phases:
(i) Phase 1, which typically provides up to £100,000 for companies to test the feasibility of their ideas;
(ii) Phase 2, which typically provides up to £1,000,000 for companies to develop a prototype or demonstrator.
The details of Phase 1 and Phase 2 SBRI contracts awarded are below:
| 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 |
Phase 1 | 340 | 164 | 246 | 313 | 327 | 418 | 268 |
Phase 2 | 93 | 21 | 28 | 106 | 55 | 96 | 55 |
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On 21 November, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that she had asked David Connell from the Centre for Business Research at the Cambridge Judge Business School to review the Small Business Research Initiative.
The review is examining how we can maximise the impact of the SBRI programme to improve procurement outcomes for government, support and stimulate innovation by SMEs.
The review will report in spring this year.
Asked by: Iain Wright (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many firms have received funding through the Small Business Research Initiative to (a) test an idea and (b) develop a prototype in each year since that body was established.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
We do not currently hold data on individual firms. However, we do hold information on the number of contracts awarded under the scheme.
Firms are awarded Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) funding through contracts on a competitive basis in two phases:
(i) Phase 1, which typically provides up to £100,000 for companies to test the feasibility of their ideas;
(ii) Phase 2, which typically provides up to £1,000,000 for companies to develop a prototype or demonstrator.
The details of Phase 1 and Phase 2 SBRI contracts awarded are below:
| 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 |
Phase 1 | 340 | 164 | 246 | 313 | 327 | 418 | 268 |
Phase 2 | 93 | 21 | 28 | 106 | 55 | 96 | 55 |
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On 21 November, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that she had asked David Connell from the Centre for Business Research at the Cambridge Judge Business School to review the Small Business Research Initiative.
The review is examining how we can maximise the impact of the SBRI programme to improve procurement outcomes for government, support and stimulate innovation by SMEs.
The review will report in spring this year.
Asked by: Iain Wright (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the (a) increase in sales, (b) additional investment attracted, (c) creation of jobs and (d) creation of intellectual property resulting from the work of the Small Business Research Initiative in each year since that body was established.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
We do not currently hold data on individual firms. However, we do hold information on the number of contracts awarded under the scheme.
Firms are awarded Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) funding through contracts on a competitive basis in two phases:
(i) Phase 1, which typically provides up to £100,000 for companies to test the feasibility of their ideas;
(ii) Phase 2, which typically provides up to £1,000,000 for companies to develop a prototype or demonstrator.
The details of Phase 1 and Phase 2 SBRI contracts awarded are below:
| 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 |
Phase 1 | 340 | 164 | 246 | 313 | 327 | 418 | 268 |
Phase 2 | 93 | 21 | 28 | 106 | 55 | 96 | 55 |
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|
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On 21 November, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that she had asked David Connell from the Centre for Business Research at the Cambridge Judge Business School to review the Small Business Research Initiative.
The review is examining how we can maximise the impact of the SBRI programme to improve procurement outcomes for government, support and stimulate innovation by SMEs.
The review will report in spring this year.
Asked by: Iain Wright (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's polices on Hinckley Point C of power outages at EDF nuclear reactors in France; and if he will amend the loan guarantees for the construction of Hinckley Point C to make them contingent on the start of power generation at the European Pressurised Reactor at Flamanville by 2020.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The power outages in France do not involve the EPR reactor type to be built at Hinkley Point. There are strong commercial incentives in the Contract for Difference for EDF to build and commission the Hinkley Point C power plant on time. In respect of the loan guarantee, EDF has confirmed to the Secretary of State that it will not be taking up the guarantee.
Asked by: Iain Wright (Labour - Hartlepool)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many cases have been submitted to the Pubs Code Adjudicator for arbitration; and in how many of those cases (a) objections have been made by one of the parties relating to the conduct of the case by the Adjudicator, on the grounds of a conflict of interest and (b) an alternative arbitrator has been appointed.
Answered by Margot James
79 referrals for arbitration have been submitted to the Pubs Code Adjudicator in the first four months of its operation from 21 July to 21 November 2016. 77 of these were valid or accepted for arbitration, while two were out of scope. Of those 77 referrals, an objection to the conduct of the case by the Adjudicator on the grounds of a conflict of interest has been made in 8 cases. No alternative arbitrators have been appointed by the Pubs Code Adjudicator.