Covid-19 Update

Debate between Matt Hancock and Andrew Jones

Tuesday 2nd March 2021 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

Since the six people under discussion with the variant of concern first found in Brazil travelled here, we have introduced further strengthening at the border—the hotel quarantine. I think the best approach would be a UK-wide one. I discussed that with my colleagues in the devolved Administrations and I look forward to a time when we are able to have an aligned policy.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

The constituency data released by Public Health England last Friday showed that more than 30,000 people in Harrogate and Knaresborough had had their first dose of the vaccine. This fantastic local performance, alongside the stunning national performance, reflects the expertise, determination and teamwork of many people, and I put on record my gratitude to them. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that we are on track to give everyone their second dose of the vaccine within 12 weeks of the first?

[Matt Hancock]

Yes; we have the vaccines available, and local areas need to know that the vaccines will be delivered to them in order for them to meet their schedule commitments for those second jabs. The logistics of the second jab are slightly more complicated than the first, because we need to make sure that the right person gets the right vaccine on the right date. There is a huge amount of work under way as that programme starts—today being 12 weeks to the day since the vaccination programme as a whole started. May I put on the record my thanks to the team in Harrogate, who have done an amazing job vaccinating over 30,000 people—more than the national average, if my memory serves me correctly? I thank my hon. Friend for his leadership in Harrogate and for supporting the team there to make this happen.

Covid-19 Update

Debate between Matt Hancock and Andrew Jones

Tuesday 20th October 2020 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

The hon. Gentleman makes an argument that my hon. Friend the Member for Southport (Damien Moore) has consistently made. Why do we not have a conversation about it and see whether we can make any progress?

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

We know that infection rates are at different levels throughout the country, and that restrictions cause issues for people who suffer from health conditions other than covid and have a huge impact on the economy, but closing pubs in Harrogate or Newquay will not make case levels fall in Manchester or Newcastle, so does my right hon. Friend agree that a blanket national lockdown is wrong and that local interventions are what we need now to tackle this crisis?

[Matt Hancock]

Yes, I wholeheartedly agree. The localised and regional approach is increasingly being taken up around the world—for instance, in France. Indeed, Sweden, which has often been discussed in this House, has put in place a system very similar to ours for exactly the sorts of reasons that my hon. Friend has set out.

Covid-19 Update and Hospitality Curfew

Debate between Matt Hancock and Andrew Jones

Thursday 1st October 2020 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

I do not recognise the link at all.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

Restrictions curbing when we can go to the pub are against the DNA of our country, but we are in exceptional times, and I recognise that that includes taking measures that people do not like and that Ministers do not like having to introduce. Will my right hon. Friend commit to keeping the restrictions under the closest possible review and in place for the shortest time necessary to protect lives?

[Matt Hancock]

I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend, who speaks from the heart.

Coronavirus

Debate between Matt Hancock and Andrew Jones

Tuesday 7th July 2020 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

Yes, I would be very happy to meet the hon. Gentleman and the group. This is an incredibly important issue and one that is very close to my heart. I think that many in this House will know that one of our Members lost premature twins very recently. It affects many, many families and we must ensure that NHS services are available to give premature babies the very best chance of life.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

Screening programmes help keep people healthy and this Government have expanded them. As the NHS communicates that it is open and that people should seek treatment, will my right hon. Friend ensure that its leaders focus on getting screening programmes back up to full speed and then encourage people to use them and get screened?

[Matt Hancock]

I am really glad that my right hon Friend has raised that point, because screening services are so important, including for cancer, which is a subject that has been raised many times in this debate and in the House in general. We are working very hard to expand and reopen screening services, making sure that infection control is possible and that we are using testing effectively, so that when people come forward for screening, they can do so with confidence. My right hon Friend is right to raise the issue. We will keep pushing it, because screening is so important to keeping people healthy.

Covid-19: R Rate and Lockdown Measures

Debate between Matt Hancock and Andrew Jones

Monday 8th June 2020 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

The hon. Gentleman may shake his head, but if he asks the same question, he is going to get the same answer.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

I strongly welcome the progress made with testing in Harrogate and Knaresborough—we have had mobile testing at the council-owned Hydro unit—but we are seeing black, Asian and minority ethnic members of the community being disproportionately impacted in this pandemic. What steps is the Secretary of State undertaking to provide further testing for those who are most vulnerable?

Coronavirus and Care Homes

Debate between Matt Hancock and Andrew Jones

Tuesday 19th May 2020 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, and across North Yorkshire, the county council has established a step-down facility for patients being discharged from hospital, using care homes with segregated spaces, and in Boroughbridge an entire care home, effectively as a form of quarantine facility. That is in addition to the testing and protective arrangements, not as a replacement. I view this as a welcome and valuable addition to the tools available for keeping some of the most vulnerable people in our community safe. Does my right hon. Friend agree, and can the idea of this facility be replicated further across the country?

[Matt Hancock]

Yes. I pay tribute to those working across Harrogate to improve services in exactly the way in which my hon. Friend describes. He is quite right to, and I would love to look into more details.

Wuhan Coronavirus

Debate between Matt Hancock and Andrew Jones

Tuesday 11th February 2020 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

That could become an important consideration in due course, but I am glad to say that, at the moment, the impact on employment is very small, because we have only eight cases. However, I will certainly take that into consideration.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

I thank my right hon. Friend for updating the House today. I think that that statement will reassure my constituents, some of whom have contacted me with concerns about the way that the disease is spreading. Will he continue to keep the House updated, particularly as infection control measures are rolled out, should they be necessary?

[Matt Hancock]

I hope that I have demonstrated my willingness to keep the House informed. In the way that we respond to these public health emergencies, it is incredibly important that we are clear, straightforward and transparent with the public. The ability to communicate in what is inevitably a fast-moving situation is always a challenge, but I pay tribute to Members of the House for responding—and probing, of course—in a reasonable and sensible way, and to large swathes of the media, who have reported on the coronavirus outbreak in a way that is essentially guided by the science.

Leveson Inquiry

Debate between Matt Hancock and Andrew Jones

Thursday 1st March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

What I have said and will say to them is that we have to make sure that the UK media and news industry can hold the powerful to account and respond to today’s challenges. That means facing the country as it is now, which includes the stronger press self-regulation that we have, and making sure that we take into account the wider context, which is that there is an undermining of the ability to have an objective and positive political discussion because of the technology that is available. In that context, the proposals that were set out more than five or six years ago would make the challenges harder and worse, rather than better.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

I welcome the statement. Does my right hon. Friend agree that as the press, both local and national, has a critical role in holding politicians and the powerful to account, any form of state regulation is highly undesirable in a democratic society?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Matt Hancock and Andrew Jones

Thursday 8th January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Matthew Hancock]

I know that the hon. Gentleman likes to chip in to this debate, but recent events have clearly demonstrated the power of transparency in relation to late payment to small business. As he knows, we are radically improving the position through the small business Bill. When the contracts came to light, the company was held to account and did a U-turn. [Interruption.] They were brought to light by the Federation of Small Businesses, to which I pay tribute for its work in highlighting the issue.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

14. What steps he is taking to increase the number of engineers.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Matt Hancock and Andrew Jones

Thursday 20th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

The latest Office for National Statistics bulletin showed that manufacturing production had increased by 2.9% over the same time last year. These are encouraging figures. What more can I tell manufacturers in my constituency about further action that will be taken to support them?

[Matthew Hancock]

There will be continued further action to support manufacturers, and not only on the skills front, where it is vital to increase engineering skills. In April there will be a further cut in corporation tax to help companies to employ more people—something that is opposed by the Labour party.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Matt Hancock and Andrew Jones

Thursday 6th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

12. What steps he is taking to promote investment in energy generation.

[The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Matthew Hancock)]

We are working through our long-term energy plan for a further £100 billion investment in energy infrastructure up to 2020. Since 2010, we have delivered £45 billion of that, with much more to come.

[Andrew Jones]

Will the Minister give a bit more information about how much investment there has been in the energy sector under this Government?

[Matthew Hancock]

With that £45 billion, the investment per year is at least twice its previous rate, as is our investment in renewables. Renewables investment has been a large part of that overall investment, not least as a result of electricity market reform and the support for renewables under this Government. That means that 15% of electricity last year was generated from renewables, demonstrating that we are meeting our goal of being the greenest Government ever.

Start-up Loans

Debate between Matt Hancock and Andrew Jones

Wednesday 20th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[Matthew Hancock]

That is a surprise, given that ensuring that there is more competition in banking is a key part of the answer to that problem.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

I strongly welcome the statement. Having started businesses myself, I know how hard it can be. A key element of the statement was mentoring. I urge my hon. Friend to build on the targeted approach to mentoring that he has outlined today.

[Matthew Hancock]

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend, who is the Prime Minister’s apprenticeship ambassador. He does a huge amount of work to promote apprenticeships, small businesses and start-ups across the country.

Apprenticeships

Debate between Matt Hancock and Andrew Jones

Thursday 14th March 2013 Commons Chamber

[Matthew Hancock]

We have introduced a grant of £1,500 for small businesses taking on their first apprentices, precisely to help them with the bureaucracy that the hon. Lady mentioned, and I would encourage her to tell the small businesses that she talks to that it is available. The take-up has been good, but we need to ensure that everyone who could benefit from it knows about it.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

Does my hon. Friend agree that employers will welcome the greater control of funding so that they can direct resources to where they need them most?