Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to respond to the letters of 9 February and 13 March 2024 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of a constituent relating to building costs.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I hope my Hon Friend will accept my apologies for my delay in responding to him. I instructed departmental officials to look into this case so that we could respond in full, which I did so on 19 April 2024.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 29 January and (b) 4 March 2024 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare relating to haggis exports.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A reply to the hon. Member is being prepared and will be issued in due course. I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to Question 19018, tabled on 18 March 2024, on Members: Correspondence, when he plans to reply to the letters of 12 January and 14 February 2024 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of a constituent about e-collars.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 15 April 2024. I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 28 December 2023, (b) 25 January and (c) 22 February 2024 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare, relating to delays in actioning Pension Credit.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Departmental officials replied to your correspondence of 28 December 2023 and 25 January on 16 January and 21 February respectively. I replied to the hon. Member’s letter of 22 February on 22 April.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she plans to reply to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare of (a) 11 January 2024 and (b) 20 February 2024 on behalf of a constituent on self-identifying gender.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We thank the honourable Member for Weston-super-Mare for highlighting these two letters
and apologise for the delay in responding. A response has been issued and should be with
the honourable Member now as of 26/03/2024.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the new rail capacity created by the East Coast Main Line upgrade works will be allocated to open access rail services.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not specify the allocation of increased capacity. However, open access operators may apply to utilise available capacity alongside operators contracted by Government. It will then be a matter for Network Rail and the Office of Rail and Road to decide through the established systems and processes how capacity should ultimately be allocated.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support from the public purse the London and North Eastern Railway has received to maintain (a) existing railway operations and (b) timetable commitments in 2023-24.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
As reported in their annual statement of accounts, London North Eastern Railway received £96 million in subsidy from the Department for Transport for the year 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of East Coast Main Line intercity passenger services are delivered by open access operators.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network Rail have confirmed that within the current timetable, published in December 2023, 8.92% of East Coast Main Line intercity passenger services are delivered by Open Access operators.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what open access applications (a) are awaiting a decision from the Office of Rail and Road and (b) were approved in the last 12 months.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
There are currently 3 separate applications to run new open access services under consideration by the Office of Rail and Road: from Hull Trains to operate between Sheffield and London; Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway to operate between Wrexham and London; and Go-Op to operate between Taunton and Swindon/Weston-super-Mare. In the last 12 months, the ORR has approved Grand Union Trains’ application to run new open access services between London and Stirling, and also Grand Central’s application to make additional stops at Peterborough.
Asked by: John Penrose (Conservative - Weston-super-Mare)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of GB intercity rail passenger services are delivered by open access operators.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Network Rail have confirmed that within the current timetable, published in December 2023, 7.16% of intercity passenger services across Great Britain are delivered by Open Access operators.