Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
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 potential effect on workforce levels in the construction industry of the £30,000 salary threshold for EU workers proposed in the immigration White Paper.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Department makes regular assessments of the construction sector workforce, and over recent months, has worked closely with the Home Office to develop and refine the proposals set out in the Immigration White Paper. The Department will continue to work with the Home Office to ensure that the construction sector has access to the workforce it needs now and in the future.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to increase consumer awareness of the risks associated with unmodified Whirlpool tumble dryers.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published the findings of its review of Whirlpool’s tumble dryer modification programme on 4 April. This included reviewing whether Whirlpool’s consumer outreach programme was adequate.
OPSS has written to Whirlpool setting out the actions it must take, including using more creative ways to reach affected consumers who have not yet come forward to minimise the risk of unmodified machines still being in people’s homes. Whirlpool has 28 days to respond from the date of the letter setting out what further actions it will take. OPSS will hold Whirlpool to account in regard to these requirements.
Consumers also have access to a central recalls website covering all electrical recalls via GOV.UK.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many exemptions have been made under the people with significant control register; and for what reasons those exemptions have been made.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
As at 30 April 2019, 836 live companies were exempt from the requirements to file information about their People with Significant Control. This is because they are subject to other disclosure requirements due to their voting shares being admitted to trading on a regulated market in the UK or EEA, or on markets listed in Schedule 1 to the Register of People with Significant Control Regulations 2016.
Exemptions can also be granted in very limited circumstances, in the interests of national security, the economic wellbeing of the UK, or in the support or prevention or detection of serious crime. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 26 January 2016, HCWS488, which set out the circumstances in which such exemptions would be granted.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress the Office for Product Safety and Standards has made on the development of its evidence base on the safety of fireworks.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
In order to develop the evidence base, officials have reviewed the existing literature, research and data sources. They are currently engaging with a wide range of stakeholders including the RSPCA and the British Fireworks Association to further develop a balanced and fact-based evidence base. The work includes considering market related information such as sales and the impact on individuals, animals and communities.
The work will also consider the findings of House of Commons Petitions inquiry on fireworks and the Scottish Government consultation on fireworks. This ongoing process will inform current and future policy in this area.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Scottish Limited Partnerships have been referred to prosecutors for non compliance with Person of Significant Control regulations.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
No Scottish Limited Partnerships have been referred to the Insolvency Service or to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for non-compliance with the Persons of Significant Control regulations.
Companies House is working closely with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to prepare the grounds for prosecutions. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has recognised Companies House as a specialist reporting agency.
Companies House’s focus has been on compliance with the Regulations. Since they came into force in July 2017, Companies House has written to all Scottish Limited Partnerships that it considers are active to seek compliance with the filing requirements. The majority of Scottish Limited Partnerships do correct their filings following a first intervention from Companies House and the number of non-compliant Scottish Limited Partnerships has continued to fall.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the value was of fines levied against Scottish Limited Partnerships for failing to register a Person of Significant Control in each of the last three years.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 4th December 2018 to Question 193520.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Scottish Limited Partnerships have not registered a Person of Significant Control.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 11th March 2019 to Question 226693.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Scottish Limited Partnerships are qualifying partnerships under the terms of the Scottish Partnerships (Register of People with Significant Control) Regulations 2017 and the Companies and Partnerships (Accounts and Audit) Regulations 2013.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
As of 28 February 2019, there are 33,579 Scottish Limited Partnerships (SLPs) registered with Companies House. All registered SLPs are eligible under the terms of the Scottish Partnerships (Register of People with Significant Control) Regulations 2017.
The above regulations also require a Scottish qualifying partnership (SQP) to register with Companies House and deliver information concerning its People with Significant Control (PSC). An SQP is a general partnership constituted under the law of Scotland that is a qualifying partnership under the Partnership (Accounts) Regulations 2008. On 28 February 2019, 369 bodies had declared as being eligible as SQPs and delivered PSC information to Companies House.
The Government published, on 10 December 2018, the response to its consultation on the reform of limited partnership law. The reforms, which include tighter registration requirements, seek to tackle the misuse of limited partnerships, especially Scottish limited partnerships, while modernising the law governing them. The Government intends to legislate when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Scottish limited partnerships have not registered a person of significant control.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Companies House considers around 17,500 of those Scottish Limited Partnerships on the register to be active. Of these, just under 1,800 have not filed any person of significant control information.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to improve the transparency in the work of the Financial Reporting Council.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
In April 2018, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State commissioned Sir John Kingman to lead an independent review of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the terms of reference of which included putting the FRC in a position to stand as a beacon for the best in transparency. Sir John reported on 18 December and made a number of recommendations on improving the transparency of the FRC. The Government welcomes the report and is considering how best to take the recommendations forward.