Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
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 request that the Medical Research Council conducts an inquiry into the management of the PACE trial to ascertain whether any fraudulent activity has occurred.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Queen Mary University of London, as the research organisation which held the award, is responsible for the management of the study, including the investigation of any concerns relating to research conduct and research integrity.
Whilst the Medical Research Council (MRC) was one of the funders of the PACE trial, the responsibility for the management of the trial rested with the host research institution, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). This responsibility included oversight of the trial and the investigation of any well-founded allegations of misconduct that are brought to its attention. As part of this oversight, in accordance with MRC guidance on best practice, a trial steering committee was set up and supported by various sub-groups, including a data monitoring committee. The MRC was an observer on the trial steering committee.
Anyone wishing to raise concerns to over the conduct of individual researchers or research programmes is advised to contact QMUL in the first instance to allow the University to investigate appropriately. It would be inappropriate for BEIS to intervene in such investigations or to impose sanctions against researchers.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
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 prevent the PACE trial researchers from being given further public research funding until an inquiry into possible fraudulent activity into the PACE trial has been conducted.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Queen Mary University of London, as the research organisation which held the award, is responsible for the management of the study, including the investigation of any concerns relating to research conduct and research integrity.
Whilst the Medical Research Council (MRC) was one of the funders of the PACE trial, the responsibility for the management of the trial rested with the host research institution, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). This responsibility included oversight of the trial and the investigation of any well-founded allegations of misconduct that are brought to its attention. As part of this oversight, in accordance with MRC guidance on best practice, a trial steering committee was set up and supported by various sub-groups, including a data monitoring committee. The MRC was an observer on the trial steering committee.
Anyone wishing to raise concerns to over the conduct of individual researchers or research programmes is advised to contact QMUL in the first instance to allow the University to investigate appropriately. It would be inappropriate for BEIS to intervene in such investigations or to impose sanctions against researchers.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
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 Acas on proposed office closures and staffing reductions; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Margot James
My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not held any discussions with Acas on this matter. This is an operational matter for Acas.
Acas has provided regular updates to officials at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on its programme of transformation to better meet the needs of service users and deliver its vision for 2021.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions have taken place between Acas and the PCS Union on the proposed closure of (a) the Liverpool office and (b) seven telephone helplines across England and Wales.
Answered by Margot James
Reform and other business processes are an operational matter for Acas.
There have been numerous discussions with trade union representatives on concentrating helpline services in four locations and other aspects of change. A PCS representative was included in the working group looking at the proposals on office structure in the North West.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
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 effect of proposed changes to Acas on (a) maintaining the functions of the service, (b) office closures and (c) job losses; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Margot James
Acas is committed to maintaining the service it provides during this 12-18 month period of change and will continue to monitor performance standards to ensure that this is the case.
The business change programme involves the closure of a single office (Liverpool) in the only economic region in Great Britain which had two Acas offices – the other one is located in Manchester. The closure will not result in any significant reduction in overall staff numbers.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether Acas has conducted an equality impact assessment on the proposed closure of its Liverpool office; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Margot James
Acas conducted an equality impact assessment to inform its decision to have one office in each economic area, including the North West. The assessment highlighted that staff with caring responsibilities or a disability would potentially be most impacted as they may be less able to travel to another office to work. Further equality impact assessments will be carried out as necessary to inform subsequent options and decisions.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many UK citizens living in other EU countries, excluding Ireland, derived incomes from UK sources in the most recent year for which statistics are available.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The information requested is not available.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make it a condition of energy firms' licences that the staff of those firms' entire retail operation are directly employed in the UK.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The management of energy companies’ retail operations, including the location of its staff, is a commercial matter for the individual companies.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ban auditors from selling tax avoidance schemes to their audit clients.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The new EU Audit Regulation (537/2014) prohibits the provision of tax services by audit firms to their audit clients. This includes services relating to tax avoidance. The prohibition will apply where those audit clients are banks, building societies, insurers and issuers of shares or debt securities on a regulated market in the EU (e.g. the main market of the London Stock Exchange). The Regulation was agreed by the European Parliament and the Council in 2014 and will apply from 17 June 2016.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the Government's policy is towards the Big Six energy companies that seek to outsource or offshore directly employed jobs in retail operations; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is important we have a vibrant, dynamic energy market where energy companies work hard to attract customers though customer service as well as price. The management of retail operations, such as answering enquiries and addressing complaints from their consumers, however, are commercial matters for the individual companies.