Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations are published quarterly on the Gov.UK website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy&publication_type=transparency-data

Information from April to June 2018 will be published in due course.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is a key stakeholder for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and meet frequently with the Secretary of State and the other ministers. He holds weekly meetings with five major stakeholders – the BCC, the CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), EEF and the Institute of Directors (IoD) to discuss issues that are affecting their members and businesses more generally. The BCC is also a member of the SME Advisory Board.

Other ministers and officials at all levels from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have had numerous meetings with the British Chambers of Commerce and continue to do so.

The Government is undertaking a wide range of preparatory work looking at the implications of UK withdrawal from the EU. This includes looking at functions presently undertaken by EU agencies.

The Government’s priority is to have effective regulatory systems. Should an EU regulatory function be repatriated then in most cases this will be undertaken by an existing, rather than a new, public body.

Prior to any decisions on establishing a new public body, the Government will always examine how it might be funded in a way that meets the standards set out in ‘Managing Public Money’ for financial transparency, accountability and oversight as well as value for money for the taxpayer. Funding is considered on a case by case basis and fees and charges can only be levied where Parliament has agreed legislation permitting the funding of new bodies in this way.

We will continue to engage with businesses as we develop our approach.

The Government takes the issue of consumer product safety extremely seriously and is committed to ensuring that only safe products are placed on the UK market now and in the future.

The Government is preparing for the UK to make an orderly and successful exit from the European Union. BEIS is working with the Department for Exiting the European Union and other Departments to make sure that the preparations for exit from, and new partnership with, the EU are on track.

The Government continues to undertake a comprehensive programme of analysis in support of our EU exit negotiations and preparations. The Government has confirmed that when we bring forward the vote on the final deal, we will ensure that Parliament is presented with the appropriate analysis to make an informed decision.

The Government has been clear that free movement will end as we leave the EU. We will seek to negotiate an appropriate labour mobility framework with the EU to ensure UK nationals can continue to travel to the EU for business purposes, and vice versa.

We have not made such an assessment, however we recognise that before the introduction of the Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Regulations 2011, UK consumer’s received consumer protections under the Timeshare Act 1992. The previous regulations did not include provisions to protect consumers from the apparently perpetual nature of some timeshare contracts. The new regime provides improved protections for consumers buying and selling timeshares and other long-term “holiday club” memberships including provision for consumers to withdraw from the contract. At the time of implementing the 2011 Regulations an impact assessment was undertaken.

BEIS ministers, including my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State, hold meetings with representatives from the retail sector on a regular basis, including a roundtable with retailers in June.

I co-chair the Retail Sector Council which comprises both high street and online retailers. In order to ensure effective engagement across government on town centres, My hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, whose department is responsible for High Street policy, attended the June Sector Council meeting.

Information on the most common reasons for underpayment were given in the press notice referred to. Information is not held centrally on the number of workers underpaid through exploitative work trials. In many HMRC investigations a variety of risks of underpayment will exist with a single employer.

Any worker who thinks they may have been underpaid the National Minimum Wage should contact Acas. The Government will bring forward new measures to address exploitative unpaid work trials shortly.

The Taskforce has a key role in informing and shaping the Government’s response to the company’s liquidation, but it is not a review group and will not publish recommendations. The Taskforce has been focused on taking swift action to mitigate the impacts on the small business supply chain, to support employees and apprenticeships find new employment and for the Taskforce members to help disseminate useful information to their respective shareholders. This has already led to useful collaborations, particularly in relation to work to ensure a swift transaction of construction contracts from Carillion to new contractors to minimise disruptions.

The Taskforce has delivered a range of supportive measures, which include provision made by the Banks of nearly £1bn of support to those affected; Government has made available through the British Business Bank support of up to £100 million to small businesses, through their delivery partners, using the Enterprise Finance Guarantee. HMRC are also helping businesses facing genuine difficulty paying their tax bills through the Business Payment Support Service (BPSS) by offering a range of practical advice and guidance.

Economic regulators are statutorily independent. It is for regulators to decide how to regulate the companies in the sectors for which they are responsible, in line with their duties. The Government is fully committed to a model of private ownership with strong independent economic regulation.

The research paper ‘Global Market Power and its Macroeconomic Implications’ is an IMF working paper. While the paper provides detailed analysis and reaches a number of conclusions, it makes no recommendations to national governments. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s independent competition authority, is aware of the paper.

Our Industrial Strategy aims to make Britain the best place to start and grow a business. Programmes operated by the Government-owned British Business Bank are currently supporting over £4.6bn of finance to over 70,000 SMEs.

GOV.UK, the Business Support Helpline and Growth Hubs provide access to advice and support who want to start their own business. The Kent and Medway Growth Hub has helped almost 5,000 small and medium-sized businesses. And since 2010, the number of small and medium-sized businesses in Kent and Medway has grown by over 11,000.

We are also investing £31 billion in the National Productivity Investment Fund until 2023 to improve physical and digital infrastructure, which will directly benefit small businesses.

As part of our approach to improving the business environment, which was set out within the Industrial Strategy White Paper, we are currently consulting on the actions that could be most effective in improving the productivity and growth of small and medium-sized businesses.

We are also spending up to £26.6 million on Business Basics and the industry-led Be the Business initiative and programme, to help SMEs take practical steps to improve their productivity by adopting best-practice management techniques and modern technologies.

The Department has no current plans to amend the guidance. Proposals to amend the Cross Border Payments Regulation are currently going through the European Legislative process and HMG is working with other Member States on these proposals. These contain provisions relating to transparency of currency conversion in certain instances. The Department will consider in due course whether an update to the guidance is necessary.

Small and medium-sized businesses that supply directly to supermarkets covered by the Groceries Supply Code of Practice are supported by the work of the Groceries Code Adjudicator, who ensures they are treated lawfully and fairly. The Government is also acting to tackle the late payment culture across all sectors. At Spring Statement 2018, my rt. hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a call for evidence on how to eliminate unfair payment practices to small businesses, which will seek views on how the Government can go further to deliver a fair payment culture.

More widely, small and medium-sized businesses in England can access support through GOV.UK and the Business Support Helpline and, through our Industrial Strategy, we will continue to back them to grow and create jobs by providing an environment in which they can thrive.

The Government has no such plans. Limited liability is a privileged status through which individuals are able to carry out business while limiting the extent of their personal liabilities to third parties. There is a public interest in third parties being able to establish the trading history of an individual who has been a director of limited liability companies.

Direct suppliers to Sainsbury’s and Asda are already covered by the Groceries Supply Code of Practice and benefit from the work of the Groceries Code Adjudicator to ensure they are treated lawfully and fairly. They will continue to be protected by the Code and the Adjudicator should the proposed merger go ahead.

Under the Enterprise Act 2002 the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have the powers to investigate, independently of Government, whether mergers raise competition issues that could have an impact on consumer choice. The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has written to the Chief Executive of the CMA to express his view that, when assessing the proposed merger of Sainsbury’s and ASDA, the CMA should consider the possible impact on the supply chain.

The Government will continue to monitor closely this proposed merger.

Government does not have a record of the number of sub-contractors who worked directly for Carillion that have been declared bankrupt in the last six months. We established a Government Taskforce with representatives from the construction sector, small business, trade unions and the banks to look at how best to mitigate the impact of Carillion’s insolvency. This has enabled the production of targeted advice to Carillion employees, suppliers and those working the supply chain.

The Retail Sector Council held its first meeting in March this year, and its second meeting on 25^th June.

The Council is industry led and brings Government and industry together to boost the sector’s productivity and economic health. There are a range of retailers and retail associations on the Council, and all types of retail activity in the UK are in scope.

The Government recognises the importance of the industrial gases sector, which underpins a number of sectors including food and drink. We understand the concerns of the food and drink sector due to the international carbon dioxide (CO2) shortage.

I have spoken with UK producers and suppliers on a regular basis highlighting the need to restore supplies as quickly as possible and encouraged them to raise with the Government any issues where we may be able to help overcome any obstacles.

We have been assured CO2 producers are working as fast as they can to get the remaining UK plant producing again, CO2 distribution from previously disrupted plants is already reaching the supply chain and the overall CO2 supply has increased this week. Any residual disruption should be resolved in the coming days as the sector returns to business as usual.

I have had discussions with pub and retail outlets about the situation and their concerns. BEIS and DEFRA officials have also been in regular contact with food and drink industry stakeholders via DEFRA’s long-established Food Chain Emergency Liaison Group and other interested stakeholders, including alcoholic drink, pub and retailer trade associations.