Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on which occasions he met Network Rail to discuss the electrification of the TransPennine rail route between Leeds and Manchester; and when he received updates from Network Rail on that project.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Secretary of State regularly meets Network Rail to discuss a wide range of topics.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what opportunities his Department gave local authorities to make representations to it before the decision was made to pause the electrification of the TransPennine rail route between Leeds and Manchester.
Answered by Andrew Jones
In March of this year the department signed a formal partnership agreement with Rail North, representing 29 local transport authorities. This will govern the new Northern and TransPennine Express (TPE) franchises from April 2016. The agreement includes important mechanisms to enable the Rail North authorities to make decisions on changes to their local rail services and make investments in these franchises to make improvements.
It also enables further devolution to take place during the life of the franchises. Under the agreement, the Department for Transport will work together with Rail North, through a single joint strategic board and management team based in Leeds, to manage and develop these 2 new franchises once they are let. A core team of 5 headed by a managing director will be in place at the end of year.
Rail North has already been actively involved in the design of the future Northern and TPE franchises and the Partnership Agreement is a significant step towards full devolution of rail services. The franchise specification took into account the uncertainty in delivery of Transpennine electrification.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for the electrification of the TransPennine rail route between Leeds and Manchester.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The timetable for electrification of the TransPennine line east of Stalybridge will be outlined in Sir Peter Hendy's re-planning proposals this autumn. Transpennine electrification remains a major part of our economic plan for the region, but it is vital that Network Rail gets this right. As the Transport Secretary has already explained to MPs (Transport Select Committee evidence March 2015), this means the project will not be completed by 2019, as originally proposed. However, compromising on the scope of this project would not be in passengers’ best interests. That is why we continue to work with Network Rail on revised plans so that it delivers the best possible results.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been allocated from the public purse for the rail investment programme in the North of England; and what the priorities for that programme are.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government has ambitious plans for rail which is why Network Rail has been allocated a record £38 billion for the period from 2014-2019. It is for Network Rail to determine precisely how much will be allocated to the rail investment programme in the North of England but the Secretary of State expects that the committed programme set out in the High Level Output Specification ([Rail Investment Strategy]) will be delivered. The government’s enhancements programme is an ambitious and stretching programme and it needs to be re-planned to ensure it remains deliverable and affordable, which is the task that has been asked of Sir Peter Hendy.
However, the franchising programme will continue to deliver for passengers and taxpayers as planned and live procurements, including Northern and Transpennine Express, which will transform rail services across the region with more service, capacity and the scrapping of Pacers, will not be affected. Other rail investments in the north also continue to be delivered; for example the electrification of the lines between Liverpool and Manchester and Liverpool and Wigan has already been completed and there will be the roll-out of state of the art Intercity Express trains on the East Coast route during this Parliament.
Transpennine electrification remains a major part of our economic plan for the region, but it is vital that Network Rail gets this right. The Secretary of State has already explained to MPs (Transport Select Committee evidence March 2015), this means the project will not be completed by 2019, as originally proposed. However, compromising on the scope of this project would not be in passengers’ best interests. That is why we continue to work with Network Rail on revised plans so that it delivers the best possible results.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he was first informed about the decision to pause the electrification of the TransPennine rail route between Leeds and Manchester.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
As the my rt.hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Transport (Patrick McLoughlin) explained to the House in a statement on 25 June 2015, Official Report, Column 1067-1070, the electrification of the Transpennine route east of Stalybridge will be paused in order to ensure the programme overall delivers the maximum benefits and value to passengers. He reported to the Transport Committee in March 2015 that Transpennine electrification would be delayed to the 2020s and subsequently confirmed that the programme has been paused. It is right that my rt. hon. Friend has asked Network Rail to undertake a re-plan, and our Departments are in regular dialogue about such matters.
Already, 32 miles of track from Liverpool to Manchester has been electrified, with the first electric service running earlier this year, replacing 2-car diesel trains with 4-car electric trains. The new Northern and Transpennine franchises starting next year will increase overall capacity by 36% by the end of 2019 and provide an extra 200 services each weekday, irrespective of when electrification east of Stalybridge is completed.
I am therefore confident that the area will still benefit enormously from the investments being made.
The Northern Powerhouse is not purely a transport vision; it is an ambition to turn around decades of underperformance in the North, with commitments to science and technology, digital and innovation, culture and tourism, across the region, alongside devolving power to the major cities to give the North a powerful new voice.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on regional devolution and economic development of the decision to pause the electrification of the TransPennine rail route between Leeds and Manchester.
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
As the my rt.hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Transport (Patrick McLoughlin) explained to the House in a statement on 25 June 2015, Official Report, Column 1067-1070, the electrification of the Transpennine route east of Stalybridge will be paused in order to ensure the programme overall delivers the maximum benefits and value to passengers. He reported to the Transport Committee in March 2015 that Transpennine electrification would be delayed to the 2020s and subsequently confirmed that the programme has been paused. It is right that my rt. hon. Friend has asked Network Rail to undertake a re-plan, and our Departments are in regular dialogue about such matters.
Already, 32 miles of track from Liverpool to Manchester has been electrified, with the first electric service running earlier this year, replacing 2-car diesel trains with 4-car electric trains. The new Northern and Transpennine franchises starting next year will increase overall capacity by 36% by the end of 2019 and provide an extra 200 services each weekday, irrespective of when electrification east of Stalybridge is completed.
I am therefore confident that the area will still benefit enormously from the investments being made.
The Northern Powerhouse is not purely a transport vision; it is an ambition to turn around decades of underperformance in the North, with commitments to science and technology, digital and innovation, culture and tourism, across the region, alongside devolving power to the major cities to give the North a powerful new voice.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress his Department has made in supporting local authorities to map and identify older residents at particular risk of loneliness.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Through the Care Act 2014, the Department has required local authorities to have measures in place to identify people in their area who would benefit from universal services to help reduce, delay or prevent needs for care and support. This includes needs that may arise from social isolation.
The Secretary of State for Health set out in his speech to the Local Government Association on 1 July that we all have a responsibility at an individual, family, and community level to identify people with care needs such as loneliness and provide support and improve their wellbeing.
The Department has supported a ‘digital toolkit’ for local commissioners, which was developed by the Campaign to End Loneliness. Since its launch in July 2012, the toolkit has been supporting commissioners in understanding, mapping and commissioning for loneliness and social isolation in their communities.
Alongside work to build our understanding of the issue and expanding the evidence base, we have launched the Prevention Library where local authorities can exchange ideas and experience of the impact of information, advice and befriending services.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what his policy is on devolving power on apprenticeship policy to local authorities.
Answered by Nick Boles
Apprenticeships are a national strategic priority, essential to support our employers and to aid the growth and productivity of our economy. We delivered 2.3 million apprenticeships last parliament and are committed to 3 million apprenticeship starts over the next 5 years.
We are developing a comprehensive plan for growth, including more work with large employers; more support for small businesses at a local level; a greater emphasis on the public sector leading the way on apprenticeships; and a renewed plan on communications and marketing.
We are also committed to getting the apprenticeship product right, by delivering employer-led apprenticeship reform, through Trailblazers, to improve the quality of apprenticeships and to provide the skills that employers need.
As part of the work being done with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to re-shape and re-structure Further Education provision within Greater Manchester, the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers has been devolved so that Manchester can make its own determination regarding priorities. The grant provides £1,500 per apprentice for small businesses (up to 50 employees) that employ a new young apprentice aged 16 – 24.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the number of apprentices not paid the minimum wage since 2010; and what the (a) age, (b) gender and (c) parliamentary constituency was of each such apprentice.
Answered by Nick Boles
The Apprenticeship Pay Survey is the most detailed source of information on Apprentice pay. The 2014 survey can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-pay-survey-2014. However, this survey is not conducted every year and information is not always fully comparable between years due to different methodological approaches.
Asked by: Jo Cox (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to increase take-up of apprenticeships in engineering, construction and manufacturing.
Answered by Nick Boles
We have seen a 52% increase in the number of apprenticeship starts in engineering and manufacturing technologies over the last Parliament. There were around 85,000 starts in construction, and over 320,000 starts in engineering from May 2010 to April 2015.
The new careers and enterprise company announced in December 2014, aims to become the leading umbrella body with an overview of activity on careers, inspiration, enterprise and employability. Independent from government, it will help schools build strong links with employers, working closely with the education and careers sectors to improve the quality and coverage of information and advice about apprenticeships.
The Your Life campaign, which was launched in May 2014, is leading our efforts to raise awareness of the exciting careers that maths and science subjects can lead to. The programme works alongside targeted schemes with industry groups, such as the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Physics, to increase the opportunities for all young people, and particularly women, to pursue careers that need skills in science, technology, engineering and maths.
We are committed to 3 million apprenticeship starts during this parliament. We are developing a comprehensive plan for growth. We will implement reforms that will give greater control of apprenticeships to employers to ensure that apprenticeships meet the needs of a wider range of businesses and more are attracted into the programme.
Over 1200 employers are already involved in designing new apprenticeship standards and to date we have approved over 50 new apprenticeships in construction manufacturing and engineering, with more in development.