Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Royal Mail Stamp Swap Out scheme; and what assessment they have made of the cost of that scheme so far.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The development of stamp products is an operational matter for Royal Mail. The Government is not involved in the operational or commercial decisions of Royal Mail, a private business.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Future Fund refused an application from Fly Atlantic; and if so, what were the reasons for doing so.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Future Fund launched on 20 May 2020 and closed to new applications on 31 January 2021. The total number of applications received was 1,851. The scheme was open to all companies that met the eligibility criteria published on the British Business Bank’s website and passed the necessary checks. As it was a rules-based scheme, there was no assessment by the Future Fund of individual investments. The British Business Bank publishes the names of all companies in which the Future Fund retains an equity interest. The identity of applicants who did not meet the eligibility criteria is not made public.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding has been allocated by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Councils in the last five years to (1) legacy, and (2) legal projects, in Northern Ireland which involve (a) transitional justice, (b) dealing with the past, (c) human rights, and (d) amnesties; which (i) university departments, and (ii) non-academic project partners, have benefited, and by how much; and how a variety of political views has been maintained in the funding allocation.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding is allocated according to research excellence as assessed by independent peer review. UKRI fund a number of projects in Northern Ireland but do not hold data in the requested format.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any retained EU law will still apply to Northern Ireland after the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill is enacted.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Bill will continue to uphold the UK Government’s commitments to complying with its international obligations. Accordingly, it will ensure that any retained EU law required to maintain our international obligations will continue to be implemented, including the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The Bill is UK-wide in its territorial extent. Therefore, the key measures in the Bill will apply to the devolved governments, including the powers.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much public money was spent by the Official Receiver on the High Court case against Kids Company.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Official Receiver has paid the following costs in connection with the Keeping Kids Company Limited directors’ disqualification proceedings:
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which parts of the Subsidy Control Bill are not intended to apply to Northern Ireland because of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Clause 48(2)(a) provides that the subsidy control requirements contained in the Bill do not apply to subsidies given, or schemes made, in accordance with Article 10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Article 10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol provides that EU State aid rules continue to apply to aid which affects trade in goods and electricity between NI and the EU.
All parts of the Subsidy Control Bill apply to subsidies for services in Northern Ireland.
The Government is currently in intensive discussions with the EU, with the aim of delivering significant changes to the Protocol. As outlined in the Command Paper of 21 July 2021, the UK’s proposal is that all types of subsidy would in the future be within scope of the domestic regime, with some enhanced arrangements for subsidies of significant scale in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value of the services provided by the Post Office; and what plans they have to support its work in the future.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Previous analysis, commissioned by BEIS and undertaken by London Economics and YouGov[1], found that users of the Post Office placed a value of between £4.3bn and £9.7bn per annum on the network. The research is attached, but is also available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/566224/beis-16-37-post-office-network-social-value.pdf.
More recently, new research by Public First has revealed how much of a vital role Post Offices play in high streets, providing a boost of more than £1 billion for surrounding retailers and businesses. The research is available here: https://postofficeimpact.co.uk/
The £227 million funding the Government has provided through the Spending Review extends the network subsidy at £50 million for a further year and provides Post Office with £177 million to invest in the future of the business.
[1] The Social Value of the Post Office Network, London Economics/YouGov, 2020
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) Government departments and bodies, and (2) private institutions, have stopped using the Post Office for payments over the past two years.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, the company has the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. Post Office Limited is therefore responsible for decisions on its commercial partnerships with Government Departments and private companies alike.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for offences related to the non-disclosure of Person of Significant Control of UK companies; and what the total amount of fines imposed was for such offences for the most recent period for which data is available.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
(a) From June 2016 (when Persons of Significant Control criminal offences came into force) to September 2018 criminal proceedings have been issued against 99 individuals (directors) and 89 companies.
(b) 5 individuals have been convicted - 4 convictions were for offences contrary to section 790VA Companies Act 2006 (failing to update Companies House with details of relevant entries to a company’s PSC Register.) A further 4 companies were convicted of the same offence. 1 individual has been convicted of an offence contrary to section 790F Companies Act 2006 (failing to make relevant enquiries relating to a company’s PSC). 2 companies have been convicted of the same offence.
(c) The total amount of fines for these offences is £7,000.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
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 impose a deadline for the Insolvency Service to publish its report into Kids' Company; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
Keeping Kids Company Limited was wound up by the court on 20 August 2015 and the Official Receiver was appointed liquidator. He has a statutory duty to report to the creditors of the company as to the assets, liabilities and cause of failure; and to my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State concerning the conduct of the directors.
The Official Receiver reported to the creditors on 30 September 2015 and 22 August 2017.
As a result of the report on the conduct of the directors the Insolvency Service has commenced proceedings to disqualify those individuals from acting as directors for a period of time. While those proceedings are underway they must be conducted without prejudice so no further statement can be made. Once these proceedings are concluded the Insolvency Service will announce such details as are appropriate.