Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to support a resolution of the dispute between Southern Rail and the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union.
Answered by Paul Maynard
We have continually urged all sides to get back around the negotiating table and end this dispute which is causing immense pain and misery for thousands of hard working commuters. In December last year the Secretary of State offered to meet with the unions to try and help resolve this dispute. He repeated this offer in a letter to the unions in January. However we have yet to receive a reply indicating that they are willing to suspend the strikes and meet.
Ministers and officials have been working tirelessly to try and find a way through this dispute, but the unions appear to have little interest in any resolution that does not involve a full roll-back of modern working practices which includes the introduction of new trains.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much he plans to invest in the North East of England's highways to improve roads and to carry out essential maintenance up to 2020.
Answered by John Hayes
The Government is committed to investing in the North East of England’s highways to improve and maintain roads up to 2020 through the following:
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding was available to employers from the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) budget for trainee seafarer ratings in each year since 2013-14; what proportion of the budget was spent in each such year; and what proportion of the total SMarT budget that amount represented in each such year.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Although Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) has a fixed budget, funding continues to be allocated on the basis of demand. The figures below therefore reflect the level of demand for rating to officer conversion training and for ratings training – both of which have been met in full.
Rating to Officer Conversion Training | ||
Year | Expenditure £ | % of SMarT Budget |
2013/14 | 15,879 | 0.13 |
2014/15 | 9,649 | 0.06 |
2015/16 | 23,998 | 0.16 |
Ratings Training | ||
Year | Expenditure £ | % of SMarT Budget |
2013/14 | 6,594 | 0.055 |
2014/15 | 1,270 | 0.008 |
2015/16 | 2,056 | 0.014 |
As in previous years, £100,000 has been earmarked to train ratings and for rating to officer conversion training for each year between April 2014 and March 2016. Demand for this training has been very low and the allocation has not been used. The shortfall in demand for ratings training may still be due to the evident preference for Apprenticeship training rather than the traditional route.
The SMarT budget was increased from £12 million to £15 million per annum from April 2014 and is reflected in the percentage figures from 2014-15 onwards.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funds were available to employers from the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) budget for rating to officer conversion training in each year since 2013-14; what proportion of that budget was spent in each such year; and what proportion of the total SMarT budget that amount represented in each such year.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Although Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) has a fixed budget, funding continues to be allocated on the basis of demand. The figures below therefore reflect the level of demand for rating to officer conversion training and for ratings training – both of which have been met in full.
Rating to Officer Conversion Training | ||
Year | Expenditure £ | % of SMarT Budget |
2013/14 | 15,879 | 0.13 |
2014/15 | 9,649 | 0.06 |
2015/16 | 23,998 | 0.16 |
Ratings Training | ||
Year | Expenditure £ | % of SMarT Budget |
2013/14 | 6,594 | 0.055 |
2014/15 | 1,270 | 0.008 |
2015/16 | 2,056 | 0.014 |
As in previous years, £100,000 has been earmarked to train ratings and for rating to officer conversion training for each year between April 2014 and March 2016. Demand for this training has been very low and the allocation has not been used. The shortfall in demand for ratings training may still be due to the evident preference for Apprenticeship training rather than the traditional route.
The SMarT budget was increased from £12 million to £15 million per annum from April 2014 and is reflected in the percentage figures from 2014-15 onwards.