here - United Kingdom Parliament

1299W
Written Answers
6 JUNE 2013
Written Answers
1300W
Following completion of the pilot, UK Trade &
Investment has evaluated the outcome, identifying action
for development of the initiative. This work will be
taken forward as part of the wider Overseas Business
Networks initiative announced by the Prime Minister
on 12 November 2012, which aims radically to enhance
the business-to-business support to UK SMEs in 20
pilot markets over the next 3-5 years.
A copy of this evaluation of the pilot will be placed
in the Library.
Gangmasters
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for
Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer
of 16 May 2013, Official Report, column 381W, on
gangmasters, and with reference to the written statement
by the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise of
8 November 2012, Official Report, column 43WS, on
Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008, whether
any orders have been made under that Act which are
exceptions to the general rule, as set out in that statement,
that powers to impose fixed monetary penalties, variable
monetary penalties and restoration notices will only be
granted where their use is restricted to undertakings
with more than 250 employees. [158379]
Michael Fallon: No orders have been made under
Part 3 of the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions
Act 2008 since the written ministerial statement was
made on 8 November 2012.
In 2010, one such order gave the Environment Agency
and Natural England powers to impose sanctions in
England—The Environmental Civil Sanctions (England)
Order 2010 (2010/NO.1157) was made on 26 March
2010 and came into force on 6 April 2010.
Welsh Ministers made an order that gave the
Environment Agency similar powers in Wales. The
Environmental Civil Sanctions (Wales) Order 2010 (2010/
No.1821) was made on 14 July 2010 and came into force
on 15 July 2010. These powers have now been transferred
to the new Natural Resources Body for Wales, which
has taken over the Welsh devolved responsibilities of
the Environment Agency.
Green Investment Bank
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Business,
Innovation and Skills what contribution he expects the
Green Investment Bank to make to green growth.
[158078]
Michael Fallon: The role of the Green Investment
Bank (GIB) is to help overcome limits to the availability
of finance to UK green infrastructure projects,
demonstrating that such investment can deliver strong
commercial returns and helping to mobilise the additional
private sector capital required for the transition to a
more green economy. To date it has contractually committed
£635 million of its £3 billion funding, bringing alongside
£1.8 billion of private sector investment that would not
have been invested at all, or as quickly, without GIB’s
involvement.
Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for
Business, Innovation and Skills what contribution he
expects the Green Investment Bank to make to green
growth. [158096]
Michael Fallon: The role of the Green Investment
Bank (GIB) is to help overcome limits to the availability
of finance to UK green infrastructure projects,
demonstrating that such investment can deliver strong
commercial returns and helping to mobilise the additional
private sector capital required for the transition to a
more green economy. To date it has contractually committed
£635 million of its £3 billion funding, bringing alongside
£1.8 billion of private sector investment that would not
have been invested at all, or as quickly, without GIB’s
involvement.
Higher Education: Staffordshire
Mr Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business,
Innovation and Skills (1) how many people in (a)
Cannock Chase constituency and (b) Staffordshire applied
to study at (i) the universities of Oxford or Cambridge
and (ii) all Russell Group universities in each of the last
10 admission cycles; [158205]
(2) how many people in Cannock Chase
constituency (a) applied for and (b) were accepted for
a university place in each of the last five years. [158207]
Mr Willetts: The information for these time periods
and for this level of detail is not available centrally. Data
on applications and acceptances are collected by the
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
but they do not routinely publish figures at this level of
detail. UCAS is an organisation independent from
Government.
Minimum Wage
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for
Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking
to reduce non-compliance with the national minimum
wage. [157045]
Jo Swinson: The Government is committed to national
minimum wage and its effective enforcement. We are
absolutely clear that anyone entitled to be paid the
minimum wage should receive it and we are working
hard to ensure that we reduce non-compliance across
the piece.
In 2010, we agreed a five year compliance strategy
with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). We are
taking a multi-faceted approach that includes targeted
communications to raise awareness and help employers
to comply, as well as targeted enforcement action with
civil and criminal proceedings reserved for the most
serious cases.
A key aspect of our strategy is that HMRC investigates
every complaint made through the free and confidential
Pay and Work Rights Helpline. In addition, HMRC
conducts risk-based enforcement in sectors or areas,
such as apprenticeships, where there is a higher risk of
workers not getting paid the legal minimum wage.
This work is producing results: in 2012/13 HMRC
identified £3.9 million in arrears of wages for 26,519
workers—this represents a 33% increase in the number
of workers that HMRC were able to help in 2012/13 and
a 26% increase in arrears identified compared to 2009/10.