Asked by: Lord Agnew of Oulton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 22 May (HL7362), whether they will publish (1) a full list of each individual grant scheme operated by the Department for Business and Trade, and (2) the total expenditure allocated under each of those schemes in the most recent financial period for which figures are available.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
DBT publishes information on grants that it delivers annually through its published annual report and accounts. There is a section included within that report on grants and subsidies which lists the grants delivered and the amounts expended for each. The 23/24 annual report is online, with the 24/25 annual report due to be published in September.
Asked by: Lord Agnew of Oulton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government, for each grant scheme currently operated by the Department for Business and Trade, what is the most recent reported fraud and error rate; whether they undertook post-payment assurance, forensic sampling or risk-based audit to support that rate in the financial period that rate relates to; what is the proportion of total expenditure currently subject to recovery proceedings in each grant scheme; and how much has been recovered to date.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Department for Business and Trade reports fraud and error to the Public Sector Fraud Authority, and data for 2022-23 and 2023-24 will be published in the Annual Fraud Landscape Report. The Department has set up a Grants Delivery Directorate, staffed by grant specialists to ensure professional delivery and compliance with Cabinet Office Functional Standards. This includes ensuring effective monitoring and post payment assurance. New grants will have an initial Fraud Risk Impact Assessment, with Fraud Risk Assessments agreed as appropriate.
Asked by: Lord Agnew of Oulton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of potential unilateral recognition of EU standards to enable UK producers to satisfy EU requirements whilst continuing to sell the same products in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK currently recognises EU requirements, including the CE marking, for a range of products. This allows businesses to place goods on our market if they meet these rules, saving them time and money. The Product Safety and Metrology Bill will enable the UK to end recognition of EU product regulations, where it is in the best interests of UK businesses and consumers.
It will also enable the UK to make the sovereign choice to recognise new or updated EU product regulations where appropriate to prevent additional costs for businesses and support economic growth.
Asked by: Lord Agnew of Oulton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many titles to UK land are held by an overseas entity that is acting as a trustee, whether nominee or otherwise; and of these trusts (1) how many separate trusts are associated with those titles, (2) how many are registered with HMRC under the Trust Registration Service, and (3) of the trusts registered with HMRC under that Service, how many are taxable.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Shadow Minister (Defence)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.