Tag: Peter Kyle

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Office of Rail and Road on improving those practices of train operating companies which relate to compensation for delays.

Claire Perry

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR)’s response to the Which? super complaint into passenger compensation, published in March this year, included consideration of the regulatory landscape and other government interventions. As a result of this investigation, the ORR plans to publish a revised regulatory statement in June this year to clarify the requirements on train companies to provide good information about compensation in the event of delays, to support future enforcement of the “Information for Passengers” license condition.

My Department is working closely with the ORR and the Association of Train Operating Companies to bring about improvements to passenger compensation. The Department for Transport will respond to the ORR’s report into the Which? super complaint in the summer of 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of the apprenticeship levy on employer sponsored degrees.

Nick Boles

We are committed to reforming higher and further education so that people are able to choose the next step that is right for them and employers get the skills they need.

Employer-sponsored degrees have benefits for students, employers, institutions and the taxpayer. There are many excellent examples in our universities, which employers and universities may continue to develop alongside degree apprenticeships. Only apprenticeships training will be funded by the levy and it will be for employers to determine exactly how they use their levy funds.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will provide compensation to non-season ticket holders on Southern Rail for the result of strike action in 2016 and for the effect on such ticket holders of the reduced timetable in operation since 11 July 2016.

Paul Maynard

Govia Thameslink Railway already offers passengers Delay Repay, one of the most generous compensation schemes in Europe. Non-season ticket holders can claim as usual for disruption on strike days. In addition, season ticket holders are eligible for strike compensation on the days when the RMT’s industrial action makes travel challenging. Details of how to apply are available on Southern’s website.

Looking forward, we have just confirmed that the provisions of the Consumer Rights Act will apply to the rail industry in full from October 2016.

We will set out further plans shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to ensure that people in Hove have access to GP surgeries offering seven-day primary care.

Alistair Burt

We are committed to ensuring that everyone will be able to access a general practitioner (GP) appointment in the evenings and on weekends as part of our plan for a 7 day NHS by 2020.

Through the Prime Minister’s GP Access Fund, 125,000 patients in Brighton and Hove have had access to seven-day primary care through four ‘primary care clusters.’ The local clinical commissioning group are now evaluating this scheme and discussing plans for what to take forward.

There is also a walk-in centre in central Brighton which is open from 8am to 8pm daily to serve the needs of Brighton and Hove residents. There is no need to be a registered patient with the health centre to use the walk-in service; it is available to everyone in Brighton and Hove. The service offers treatment, information and advice for a range of minor illnesses and injuries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-11-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans he has for the future of the Student Opportunity Fund.

Joseph Johnson

We are examining all elements of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spend as part of the Spending Review, which will be published on the 25^th November.

The Department will set out its priorities for higher education in the subsequent Grant Letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Final decisions will be for HEFCE, taking account of the Grant Letter.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-12-01.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the 26 new Enterprise Zones are which were announced in the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015.

Greg Hands

The full list of successful Enterprise Zones, which is available to view online at the link below, was published by DCLG following the Spending Review announcement:

www.gov.uk/government/news/the-new-enterprise-zones

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2015-12-10.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make representations to the Office for National Statistics to include earnings from self-employment in its weekly earnings series.

Matthew Hancock

The Cabinet Office will be working with the Office for National Statistics to consider ways to improve data collection capability, including potential legislative options.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what criteria were used in the selection process for members of the Apprenticeship Delivery Board announced by the Prime Minister on 18 January 2016.

Nick Boles

Members invited to join the Apprenticeship Delivery Board will be high profile representatives of business sectors with a high potential for growth and representatives of organisations with a key role to play in supporting an expansion in apprenticeship starts.

The membership will rotate with members being asked to join the Board for time limited period, before relinquishing their seat to a new member.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effect on organisations commissioning academic research of his Department’s proposed regulations that would prevent recipients of government grant funding for research in using that work to call for government policy changes.

Matthew Hancock

The new clause is about ensuring taxpayers money is only used for the intended purposes. The use or otherwise of research findings is already set out in grant agreements. There should, therefore, be no effect on organisations, which are free to use other funding to lobby, but not to spend taxpayers’ hard-earned cash on lobbying.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the effectiveness of the flushability tests used by manufacturers of disposable wipes.

Rory Stewart

Sewer blockages can be a serious problem, and sewer flooding can cause great distress to householders.

We support the work that the industry is taking forward to reduce the number of blockages. Water UK, the representative body for the UK water and sewerage industry, has led on development of a voluntary test that sanitary manufacturers can use to establish whether or not their product is truly flushable.