Tag: Jonathan Reynolds

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-10-18.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions the Economic Secretary to the Treasury has had with representatives of the UK financial services sector on the UK’s exit from the EU since assuming office.

Simon Kirby

Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what costs his Department has incurred as a result of delays to the TransPennine Midland Main Line, and Great Western Main Line electrification project.

Claire Perry

The department has not incurred any additional costs as a result of Sir Peter Hendy’s re-plan of the rail upgrade programme, which includes TransPennine, Midland Main Line, and Great Western Main Line electrification.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will ensure that all standards explicitly linked to the Renewable Heat Incentive are non-commercialised and publicly available to all relevant parties who may wish to offer services related to the implementation of that initiative.

Andrea Leadsom

The Department is currently working with industry to establish the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) as a legal entity. The accessibility of MCS standards referenced in the RHI regulations will be considered as part of that process to ensure that those standards which are mandatory for the purpose of the RHI remain publicly available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the consultation on the database created by the Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Act 2016 will involve (a) medical research charities, (b) the pharmaceutical sector and (c) the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

George Freeman

The Health and Social Care Information Centre will consult with stakeholders including charities, the relevant Royal Colleges, industry, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and other relevant bodies in the creation of the Database described in the Act, when the power vested on the Secretary of State is enacted.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects new rolling stock to be deployed on the Manchester to Stalybridge railway line.

Paul Maynard

TransPennine Express plan to see new rolling stock deployed on the Manchester to Stalybridge line progressively from mid-2018.

Northern plan to deploy refurbished rolling stock on the Manchester to Stalybridge line and will introduce their fleet refurbishment programme progressively across the network from 2018 up until the end of 2019 which includes recovering seats, new floor coverings, Wi-Fi, LED lighting, and passenger information system.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the effect of changes to the use of the Young Persons Railcard for peak time services on people holding that card.

Claire Perry

The administration of all the national cards, both mandatory and voluntary, is performed by a council, run as part of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC). The council agrees the conditions of the schemes and any changes to the mandatory schemes have to be approved by the Secretary of State. All Train Operating Companies are obliged to participate in such schemes under the terms of their franchise agreements.

As it is for ATOC to suggest any change to the schemes, it would be for them to make such an assessment when proposing any change which would be reviewed before approval by the Secretary of State.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-02-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department is assessing potential alternatives to the Microgeneration Certification Scheme to which the Renewable Heat Incentive is linked.

Andrea Leadsom

The Department is in the process of working with the microgeneration industry to establish the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) as a legal entity that will operate independently of the Government. There is an established process for alternative schemes to MCS to come forward through the United Kingdom Accreditation Service and equivalent accreditation bodies in the EU. For example, through this process the Solar Keymark product scheme for solar thermal products has been recognised and treated as equivalent to MCS. In addition, the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) regulations give Ofgem the power to determine scheme equivalency; and they are currently finalising this process for equivalent schemes to be considered in specific reference to the RHI.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department’s policy is on where a school’s deficit would be transferred at the point of its conversion to an academy.

Edward Timpson

Deficits for schools which convert to become sponsored academies remain with the local authority. These deficits remain with their local authority as these schools were the responsibility of the authority when they were found to be failing or underperforming and it is the authority’s responsibility for ensuring the school managed its expenditure satisfactorily. Deficits for voluntary converter academies will normally transfer with the school.

Further information can be found in the Department’s guidance: “Treatment of surplus and deficit balances when maintained schools become academies” which can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/416430/School_balances_on_conversion_submission.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-10-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment Network Rail has made of the (a) available capacity on the Stalybridge to Stockport railway line and (b) feasibility of providing additional passenger services on that railway line.

Paul Maynard

1) Available capacity on the Stalybridge to Stockport railway line

The single line sections limit the track capacity on this route, which is currently used for frequent freight services and empty stock moves for Northern Rail.

Platform and track capacity at Stockport is also a constraint on service expansion in this area.

2) Feasibility of providing additional passenger services on that railway line.

Additional services on this route are not committed by Northern during the current franchise. To support expansion of services in the future, DfT and Rail North contracted a Service Option Fund through Northern’s Franchise Agreement that will be used from 2019 onwards to assist with the operating cost impact of running extra services.

The assessment of which service options are the most beneficial will be done in consultation with stakeholders (through Rail North) and will include analysis of the business case for each route to ensure that all relevant factors are considered.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2015-11-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what fiscal steps he is taking to support the Government’s aim of halving the disability employment gap.

Justin Tomlinson

The Government is committed to giving disabled people the opportunity to fulfil their potential and achieve their ambitions. Work is an important part of this. That is why we have committed to halving the disability employment gap, requiring us to transform policy, practice and public attitudes.

We must build on recent progress. We have already:

– extended Access to Work to provide support to more disabled people in pre-employment, such as work experience and also to undertake employment-based training, such as supported internships, traineeships and self-arranged work experience.

– launched Specialist Employability Support, an innovative new programme which provides intensive, specialist support to the disabled people who need the most help.

– continued to work with employers through our Disability Confident campaign to ensure that they understand the benefits of recruiting and retaining disabled people in work.

– announced new funding in the Budget of up to £100m per year for additional practical support to provide the right incentives and support to enable those who have limited capability, but who have some potential to prepare, for work to move closer to the labour market, and when they are ready, back into work.

– committed to spending £43m over the next 3 years to develop the evidence base on what works for those with common mental health conditions retain and return to employment. This will be done through a range of voluntary mental health and employment pilots that will go live next year

We set up the Work and Health unit in the summer to bring together the Work and Health agendas, to help disabled people and people with health conditions get into work, stay in work, and return to work with the right support and we are developing our plans in this area.

The Government will set out it its spending plans for this Parliament in the forthcoming Spending Review.