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Formal Minutes 2016–17 1 House of Commons Business, Innovation and Skills Committee Formal Minutes Session 2016–17 The Business, Innovation and Skills Committee The Business, Innovation and Skills Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Current membership Mr Iain Wright (Labour, Hartlepool) (Chair) Paul Blomfield (Labour, Sheffield Central) Richard Fuller (Conservative, Bedford) Peter Kyle (Labour, Hove) Amanda Milling (Conservative, Cannock Chase) Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (co-op), Stalybridge and Hyde) Amanda Solloway (Conservative, Derby North) Michelle Thomson (Independent, Edinburgh West) Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative, Rochester and Strood) Craig Tracey (Conservative, North Warwickshire) Chris White (Conservative, Warwick and Leamington) Powers The Committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the Internet via www.parliament.uk. Publications The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the internet at www.parliament.uk/bis. A list of Reports of the Committee in the present Parliament is at the back of this volume. The Reports of the Committee, the formal minutes relating to that report, oral evidence taken and some or all written evidence are available in a printed volume. Additional written evidence may be published on the internet only. Committee staff The current staff of the Committee are Chris Shaw (Clerk), Martin Adams (Second Clerk), Josephine Willows (Committee Specialist), Duma Langton (Committee Specialist(, James McQuade (Senior Committee Assistant), and Jonathan Wright (Committee Assistant). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee, House of Commons, 7th Floor, 14 Tothill Street, London SW1H 9NB. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 5777; the Committee’s email address is [email protected]. Business, Innovation and Skills Committee: Formal Minutes 2016–17 1 Formal Minutes of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee, Session 2016–17 Monday 23 May 2016 Members present: Mr Iain Wright, in the Chair Richard Fuller Amanda Solloway Amanda Milling Michelle Thomson 1. The Sale and Acquisition of BHS Ian Greenstreet, Partner, Nabarro, Tony Clare, Partner, Deloitte, David Clarke, Partner, KPMG, Richard Cousins, Partner, PwC, and Emma King, Partner, Eversheds; Owen Clay, Partner, Linklaters, Steve Denison, Partner, PwC, and Anthony Gutman, Co- Head, EMEA Investement Banking Services, Goldman Sachs, Ian Grabiner, Chief Executive Officer, Arcadia, Lord Grabiner, Board Member, Taveta Investments Ltd, Paul Budge, Finance Director, Arcadia Group, Director Taveta Investments Ltd, Gillian Hague, Director, Arcadia Group and Taveta Investments, Ltd, and Chris Harris, Group Property Director, Arcadia Group gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Tuesday 24 May 2016, at 9.00am Tuesday 24 May 2016 Members present: Mr Iain Wright, in the Chair Paul Blomfield Jonathan Reynolds Richard Fuller Amanda Solloway 2 Business, Innovation and Skills Committee: Formal Minutes 2016–17 Peter Kyle Michelle Thomson Amanda Milling Chris White 1. Sale and Acquisition of BHS The Committee considered this matter. 2. Powerhouses and engines: Government policy and regional growth inquiry Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to Business views on EU referendum be reported to the House for publication on the internet: UK Northern Powerhouse Limited (PEG0002); Future Network West Midlands (PEG0003); CIC Regions & Clusters Subgroup (PEG0004); Dr Alistair Clark (PEG0006); IPPR North (PEG0007); Rail Delivery Group (PEG0008); Local Government Association (PEG0009); CURDS, Newcastle University (PEG0010); Universities UK (PEG0011); Lancaster University (PEG0012); The National Physical Laboratory (PEG0013); The University of Sheffield (PEG0014); The Policy Institute at King’s College London (PEG0015); EEF – the manufacturers’ organisation (PEG0016); University Alliance (PEG0017); The Regional Studies Association (PEG0018); The Institution of Engineering and Technology (PEG0019); Birmingham City University and Midlands Economic Forum (PEG0020); Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce (PEG0021); Universities West Midlands (PEG0022); Acas (PEG0023); Institute of Directors (PEG0024); Birmingham City University and Midlands Economic Forum (PEG0025); Federation of Small Businesses (PEG0026); CLA (PEG0027); NCC Group plc (PEG0028); N8 Research Partnership (PEG0029); East Midlands Councils (PEG0030); Midlands Aerospace Alliance (PEG0031); Mr Alex Burrows (PEG0032); GW4 Alliance (PEG0033); The Academy of Social Services and its Campaign for Social Science (PEG0034); RTPI (PEG0035); NuScale Power LLC (PEG0036); Transport for the North (TfN) (PEG0037); Institution of Civil Engineers (PEG0038); British Property Federation (PEG0039); Confederation of British Industry (PEG0040); Manchester Airport (PEG0041); Creative England (PEG0042); London School of Economics (PEG0043); Allerdale Borough Council (PEG0044); Midlands Innovation (PEG0045); General Motors UK (PEG0046); SMMT (PEG0047); Midlands Engine (PEG0048); Newcastle City Council (PEG0049); Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (PEG0050); CityREDI (PEG0051); East Midlands Airport (PEG0052); Manchester City Council (PEG0053) 4. Business views on EU referendum Business, Innovation and Skills Committee: Formal Minutes 2016–17 3 Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to Business views on EU referendum be reported to the House for publication on the internet: Andrew Lockridge (EUR0022). Professor Brad Mackay, University of St Andrews, Raoul Ruparel, Co-Director, Open Europe, and John Springford, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for European Reform; Paul Nowak, Deputy General Secretary, TUC, Josh Hardie, Deputy-Director General, Policy and Campaigns, Confederation of British Industry, Mike Spicer, Director of Research, British Chambers of Commerce, and Lee Hopley, Chief Economist, EEF gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Monday 25 May 2016, at 8.45am Wednesday 25 May 2016 Members present: Mr Iain Wright, in the Chair Richard Fuller Amanda Solloway Amanda Milling Michelle Thomson 1. The Sale and Acquisition of BHS Ian Greenstreet, Partner, Nabarro, Tony Clare, Partner, Deloitte, David Clarke, Partner, KPMG, Richard Cousins, Partner, PwC, and Emma King, Partner, Eversheds, Owen Clay, Partner, Linklaters, Steve Denison, Partner, PwC, and Anthony Gutman, Co- Head, EMEA Investement Banking Services, Goldman Sachs, Ian Grabiner, Chief Executive Officer, Arcadia, Lord Grabiner, Board Member, Taveta Investments Ltd, Paul Budge, Finance Director, Arcadia Group, Director Taveta Investments Ltd, Gillian Hague, Director, Arcadia Group and Taveta Investments, Ltd, and Chris Harris, Group Property Director, Arcadia Group gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Tuesday 7 June 2016, at 9.00am 4 Business, Innovation and Skills Committee: Formal Minutes 2016–17 Tuesday 7 June 2016 Members present: Mr Iain Wright, in the Chair Paul Blomfield Amanda Solloway Richard Fuller Michelle Thomson Peter Kyle Kelly Tolhurst Amanda Milling Craig Tracey Jonathan Reynolds Chris White 1. Visit to Farnborough Air show Resolved, That the Committee visit Farnborough Air Show 2. Working practices at Sports Direct Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to Working practices at Sports Direct be reported to the House for publication on the internet: Unite Union (WSD0001). Ordered, That the correspondence relating to Sports Direct submitted by the Executive Deputy Chairman of Sports Direct be reported to the House for publication. Steve Turner, Assistant General Secretary, and Luke Primarolo, Regional Officer, Unite Union, Chris Birkby, Managing Director, Jennifer Hardy, Finance Director, Transline, and Andy Sweeney, Chief Executive Officer, Best Connection Group Ltd, Mike Ashley, Executive Deputy Chairman, Sports Direct International, and Keith Bishop, Keith Bishop Associates gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Tuesday 7 June 2016, at 3.15pm Tuesday 7 June 2016 Members present: Business, Innovation and Skills Committee: Formal Minutes 2016–17 5 Mr Iain Wright, in the Chair Richard Fuller Amanda Solloway Amanda Milling Michelle Thomson 1. The Sale and Acquisition of BHS Robin Saunders, Managing Partner of Clearbrook Capital Partners LLP, Nicholas Giauque, Managing Member: London, Farallon Capital Europe LLP, and Joseph Dryer, Head of Capital Markets and Advisory, RiverRock gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Wednesday 8 June 2016, at 8.45am Wednesday 8 June 2016 Members present: Mr Iain Wright, in the Chair Richard Fuller Amanda Solloway Amanda Milling Michelle Thomson 1. The Sale and Acquisition of BHS Darren Topp, Chief Executive, BHS, Richard Price, former Managing Director, BHS, and Michael Hitchcock, former Finance Consultant, BHS, Mark Tasker, former Board Member, Retail Acquisitions Ltd, Eddie Parladorio, former Board Member, Retail Acquisitions Ltd, Stephen Bourne, Board Member, Retail Acquisitions Ltd, and Aidan Treacy, Chief Financial Officer, Retial Acquisitions Ltd, Dominic Chappell, Director, Retail Acquisitions Ltd gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Tuesday 14 June 2016, at 9.00am 6 Business, Innovation and Skills Committee: Formal Minutes 2016–17 Tuesday 14 June 2016
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