Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to compensate businesses producing printed calendars for the costs that they have incurred as a result of the alteration of the date of the 2020 early May bank holiday.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government considered the implications of moving the early May bank holiday from 4 to 8 May 2020 very carefully and how this may impact business. Only after this process was completed were we in a position to make an announcement. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Andrew Stephenson MP set out the Government’s position on this in an Adjournment Debate on 18 June 2019.
The Government recognises that the decision has caused difficulties to some individuals and businesses. But on this historic occasion the Government wants to ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to pay a fitting tribute to our heroes of the Second World War on the 75th anniversary of VE Day. Representatives from businesses that publish printed calendars have contacted the Department and we have responded to them directly.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he undertook a consultation with businesses before deciding to alter the date of the 2020 early May bank holiday; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government considered the implications of moving the early May bank holiday from 4 to 8 May 2020 very carefully and how this may impact business. Only after this process was completed were we in a position to make an announcement. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Andrew Stephenson MP set out the Government’s position on this in an Adjournment Debate on 18 June 2019.
The Government recognises that the decision has caused difficulties to some individuals and businesses. But on this historic occasion the Government wants to ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to pay a fitting tribute to our heroes of the Second World War on the 75th anniversary of VE Day. Representatives from businesses that publish printed calendars have contacted the Department and we have responded to them directly.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which Minister in his Department is responsible for alterations to the dates of bank holidays.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government considered the implications of moving the early May bank holiday from 4 to 8 May 2020 very carefully and how this may impact business. Only after this process was completed were we in a position to make an announcement. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Andrew Stephenson MP set out the Government’s position on this in an Adjournment Debate on 18 June 2019.
The Government recognises that the decision has caused difficulties to some individuals and businesses. But on this historic occasion the Government wants to ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to pay a fitting tribute to our heroes of the Second World War on the 75th anniversary of VE Day. Representatives from businesses that publish printed calendars have contacted the Department and we have responded to them directly.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations he has received on requiring companies using continuous payment authorities to contact customers in advance of the automatic renewal date to provide the option to cancel.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Department has received representations regarding companies using continuous payment authorities. In the Consumer Green Paper, ‘Modernising Consumer Markets’ published last year, the Government announced that it had asked the Consumer Protection Partnership to assess the issues with subscriptions and to recommend any further actions needed. The Government is considering the advice received and will publish a White Paper in due course.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
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 ensure the Industrial Strategy supports BAME-owned businesses.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Government is committed to supporting all entrepreneurs to start and grow a business and is a key aspect of our ambitious Industrial Strategy. The government supports diversity in business and recognises the valuable contribution of BAME communities to our economy.
British Business Bank programmes are also currently supporting over £5.9bn of finance to over 82,000 SMEs. The Start-Up Loans programme, now part of the British Business Bank, has delivered nearly 61,000 loans totalling over £464m, and was extended in the autumn budget to April 2021 to enable up to an additional 10,000 loans to be made to entrepreneurs. Of these 22% of loans were made to entrepreneurs with a BAME background (4% of existing SMEs have a BAME owner).
For the constituency of Chipping Barnett, 161 start-up loans have been delivered totalling an amount of £1,136, 870.
As a key part of the Industrial Strategy, Sector Deals are supporting business of all sizes across the economy and ensuring that businesses meet our wider goals to improve diversity and inclusion in our workforce. For example, the Offshore Wind Sector Deal commits the sector to calculating a baseline figure for BAME representation and to set a stretching target for improving this by the end of 2019.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
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 ensure that business start-up support schemes funded by his Department are engaging with BAME communities.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government is committed to supporting all entrepreneurs to start and grow a business and is a key aspect of our ambitious Industrial Strategy. The government supports diversity in business and recognises the valuable contribution of BAME communities to our economy.
British Business Bank programmes are also currently supporting over £5.9bn of finance to over 82,000 SMEs. The Start-Up Loans programme, now part of the British Business Bank, has delivered nearly 61,000 loans totalling over £464m, and was extended in the autumn budget to April 2021 to enable up to an additional 10,000 loans to be made to entrepreneurs. Of these 22% of loans were made to entrepreneurs with a BAME background (4% of existing SMEs have a BAME owner).
On 6th March BEIS launched the Young Entrepreneurs Review, independently led by the Prince’s Trust. The Review will close in September 2019 and will seek to better understand young entrepreneurs, the specific barriers and opportunities they face, and what more can be done to support them to start and grow a business, including young entrepreneurs from a BAME background.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
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 encourage entrepreneurship in BAME communities.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government is committed to supporting all entrepreneurs to start and grow a business and is a key aspect of our ambitious Industrial Strategy. The government supports diversity in business and recognises the valuable contribution of BAME communities to our economy.
British Business Bank programmes are also currently supporting over £5.9bn of finance to over 82,000 SMEs. The Start-Up Loans programme, now part of the British Business Bank, has delivered nearly 61,000 loans totalling over £464m, and was extended in the autumn budget to April 2021 to enable up to an additional 10,000 loans to be made to entrepreneurs. Of these 22% of loans were made to entrepreneurs with a BAME background (4% of existing SMEs have a BAME owner).
On 6th March BEIS launched the Young Entrepreneurs Review, independently led by the Prince’s Trust. The Review will close in September 2019 and will seek to better understand young entrepreneurs, the specific barriers and opportunities they face, and what more can be done to support them to start and grow a business, including young entrepreneurs from a BAME background.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
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 support BAME-run businesses.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government is committed to supporting all entrepreneurs to start and grow a business and is a key aspect of our ambitious Industrial Strategy. The government supports diversity in business and recognises the valuable contribution of BAME communities to our economy.
British Business Bank programmes are also currently supporting over £5.9bn of finance to over 82,000 SMEs. The Start-Up Loans programme, now part of the British Business Bank, has delivered nearly 61,000 loans totalling over £464m, and was extended in the autumn budget to April 2021 to enable up to an additional 10,000 loans to be made to entrepreneurs. Of these 22% of loans were made to entrepreneurs with a BAME background (4% of existing SMEs have a BAME owner).
On 6th March BEIS launched the Young Entrepreneurs Review, independently led by the Prince’s Trust. The Review will close in September 2019 and will seek to better understand young entrepreneurs, the specific barriers and opportunities they face, and what more can be done to support them to start and grow a business, including young entrepreneurs from a BAME background.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to her Answer of 15 November 2018, Official Report, column 428, on encouraging women to start their own businesses, if she will provide further information on the £20 million available for local business networks; and what guidance the Government provides on how to apply for that funding.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The £20m funding will support local peer-to-peer networks focusing on business improvement so that thousands of business leaders can share expertise on leadership, business development and technology adoption. Further information on how business leaders can access the support funded by the £20 million will be provided as the programme is put into place next year.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
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 paragraph 44 of the White Paper, The future relationship between the UK and the EU, Cm 9593, what (a) government and (b) regulatory activities will be included in the programme of risk-based market surveillance.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Government takes the issue of consumer product safety seriously and is committed to ensuring that only safe products are placed on the UK market now and in the future. This includes a robust programme of risk-based market surveillance. This market surveillance programme will continue to include the ability to intercept products as they enter the UK, check products already on the market, and gather information through a variety of intelligence sources.