Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many officials in his Department are working on legislative proposals relating to employment as on 2 September 2022.
Answered by Dean Russell
The Government is committed to building a high skilled, high productivity, high wage economy. As part of this, on Friday 15 July, two Private Members’ Bills were introduced into Parliament, backed by the Government, which will increase participation and help support vulnerable and low-paid workers. These were the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill and the Neonatal (Leave and Pay) Bill.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regularly engages with a wide range of stakeholders, including trade unions, as their views and input are essential to developing and delivering our policies.
The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy is appropriately resourced to deliver on this priority.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with external stakeholders on legislative proposals relating to employment in the last six months.
Answered by Dean Russell
The Government is committed to building a high skilled, high productivity, high wage economy. As part of this, on Friday 15 July, two Private Members’ Bills were introduced into Parliament, backed by the Government, which will increase participation and help support vulnerable and low-paid workers. These were the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill and the Neonatal (Leave and Pay) Bill.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regularly engages with a wide range of stakeholders, including trade unions, as their views and input are essential to developing and delivering our policies.
The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy is appropriately resourced to deliver on this priority.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
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 potential impact of the Government not having a Minister for Science, Research and Innovation in post since July 2022.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has been, and continues to be, the primary decision maker and minister responsible for science research and innovation policy. These policies remain a priority for this Government and BEIS have continued to make progress on science matters since July.
We are providing the fastest ever sustained uplift in R&D funding with government investment in R&D reaching £20 billion per annum by 2024-2025.
The appointment of Ministers is a matter for my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Department's Annual report and accounts 2020-21, HC 808, published on 25 November 2021, for what reasons did the amount spent on consultancy increase from £55.7 million in 2019-20 to £137.3 million in 2020-21.
Answered by Dean Russell
There are two main reasons for the increase in Department’s consultancy spend:
1) Covid-19 response, including the Vaccines Task Force and the business support measures.
2) Change in approach to identifying consultancy costs disclosed in Department's Annual report and accounts.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
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 impact of rising energy prices on energy intensive industries.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government remains determined to secure a competitive future for our energy intensive industries (EIIs), providing them with extensive support, including over £2 billion to help with the costs of energy and to protect jobs. As part of our British Energy Security Strategy we recently announced an extension of the EII Compensation Scheme for a further three years and its budget will be more than doubled.
The Government announced a new six-month scheme – the Energy Price Guarantee for Businesses (EPGB) – to protect all businesses and other non-domestic energy users from soaring energy costs. It will offer comparable support to that being provided for consumers and we expect the scheme to be available in the autumn. After this initial six-month scheme the Government will provide focused support for vulnerable sectors, targeted to make sure those most in need get support.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many staff members in his Department are deployed on a full-time basis to monitor Companies House filings.
Answered by Paul Scully
Companies House is a delivery body of the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy. There are 121.8 full-time equivalent staff engaged on monitoring Companies House filings in the Integrity, Compliance and Enforcement teams.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of Scottish limited partnerships have disclosed genuine individuals as persons of significant control.
Answered by Paul Scully
There are 35,693 Scottish Limited Partnerships currently on the Companies House register. Of these, 7,589 (21%) have at least one individual or legal person identified as a Person with Significant Control as of 24 May 2022.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much has been issued in fines to Scottish limited partnerships for failure to comply with the requirements of the register of persons of significant control since its establishment.
Answered by Paul Scully
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 19 May 2022 to Question 752.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
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 impact on British businesses of rising aluminium costs.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government regularly engages with industry to discuss impacts and opportunities for UK businesses. Whilst aluminium prices increased in March, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, they have since returned to pre-conflict levels.[1]
[1] Prices peaked on 7th March and in steady decline since, and as at 17th May, are at $2,800/t (Source – LME Aluminium)
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Scottish limited partnerships have been fined since the people with significant control register came into force.
Answered by Paul Scully
One Scottish limited partnership has been fined since the people with significant control register came into force. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Glasgow Central on 3 March 2022 to Question 131220, as no more Scottish limited partnerships have been fined since this question was answered.