Andrew Jones Archives - Page 14 of 21

Andrew Jones MP welcomes pause in smart motorway rollout

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has supported the government’s decision to pause the rollout of smart motorways.

Mr Jones was a key advocate of smart motorways during his time as a minister at the Department for Transport between 2015 and 2019.

The government this week shelved any further implementations of the scheme “until five years worth of safety data becomes available” for motorways built before 2020.

There have been mounting concerns about the technology after multiple deaths and near misses have been reported.

Government figures show 38 deaths on smart motorways were recorded between 2014 and 2019, including John Mercer, who died on a stretch of the M1 without a hard shoulder in 2019.

Speaking at a Westminster Hall debate on the issue yesterday, Mr Jones said:

“The pause that has been announced gives us the chance to retrofit, implement and review the stopped vehicle detection technology and perhaps improve it.

“The pace of the development is so fast that I am sure that developments will come into play sooner rather than later.

“We should expect all modes of transport to become busier as we emerge from the pandemic, and that will include our roads. As that happens, road safety must never be compromised, but enhanced.”

During his time as a transport minister in May 2016, Mr Jones insisted that the rollout of smart motorways was not being done “on the cheap”, as opponents of the scheme had claimed. They said it compromised safety.

At a Transport Select Committee debate at the time, the Conservative MP said:

“Are these things being developed on the cheap? No, no they’re not. This is part of a comprehensive injection of capacity into our national strategic road network.

“This is a key ingredient in our first road investment strategy, that is a £15 billion budget.”

At the same debate, he later added that the government was monitoring the safety of the schemes and that he did not think it was “a question of having a back-up plan or pausing”.

The government has said pausing the rollout builds on its action plan for smart motorways, which includes adding emergency areas and upgrading cameras to detect red X offences.

Harrogate district MPs silent over Prime Minister party apology

Two of the Harrogate district’s Conservative MPs have so far remained silent after Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologised for a party at 10 Downing Street at the height of the first lockdown.

Before Prime Minister’s Question Time yesterday, Mr Johnson issued a public apology after coming under fire for a “bring your own booze” event during lockdown in May 2020.

The reports sparked backlash from the public as many had to abide by restrictions at the same time, including not being at the bedside of loved ones when they died and missing funerals.

Mr Johnson confirmed he was at the event and said he understood the “rage” people felt. However, he added that he believed it was a “work event” and had not seen the invitation from his principle private secretary, Martin Reynolds.

Labour leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, called for the Prime Minister to resign yesterday and alleged that he had misled parliament over the lockdown parties.

So far, Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP and Julian Smith, Ripon and Skipton MP, have yet to give their views on the issue.

Following the apology, Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty, which includes rural part of Harrogate, retweeted a tweet from Nadine Dorries, culture secretary, which backed the Prime Minister and said he was “right to personally apologise”.

Mr Adams is also minister without portfolio in the Cabinet Office.

https://twitter.com/nadams/status/1481342527684980740

The Stray Ferret has asked Mr Jones and Mr Smith whether they believe Mr Johnson should resign, but had yet to receive a response by the time of publication.

During an emergency debate in Parliament on Tuesday, Mr Jones asked paymaster general Michael Ellis for a specific date when an inquiry into the lockdown parties will be published. He was told that it would be a “swift” investigation.

Meanwhile, Matt Walker, vice-chair of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats, said he has written to Mr Jones urging him to join calls for the Prime Minister to resign.

Mr Walker said:

“Yesterday we heard an evasive apology from the Prime Minister for hosting a garden party at the height of lockdown.

“This is just one of many recent allegations made about government representatives and officials breaking the rules during the pandemic, but none so clear cut as the occasion on May 20, 2020.”

New plans submitted for smaller Dunlopillo development

Plans have been submitted to build an apartment block with fewer homes than what has already been agreed at the former Dunlopillo factory in Pannal.

Developer Echo Green Developments was granted planning permission in September 2021 to demolish the main office block and build 48 apartments.

However, the decision, which was made under permitted development rights, was met with anger from some residents. Pannal historian Anne Smith said the village would be lumbered with a “skyscraper-type building” due to its extra two storeys.

Conservative MP Andrew Jones also spoke out against the scheme and said it should have been decided by a vote from the council’s planning committee.

Office-to-residential permitted development rights were brought in under the Conservative government and can be used by developers to fast track the redevelopment of disused offices.

Fewer apartments

The developer has now submitted new plans which would supersede the previously approved plans.

It includes 38 apartments, fewer than the original proposal, but would still be two storeys taller than the demolished building.

Architect drawings of how the building would look.

Commenting on his website, Andrew Jones MP said:

“This time round I want as many residents as possible to submit their views and I will certainly support a request for it to go before the council’s planning committee should the parish council wish it to do so.

“In the meantime I encourage residents to submit their views to the council.”

History of the site

From 1938 to 1949 the site was occupied by the Bintex factory, which manufactured radar equipment for use during the Second World War.

It was bought by rubber manufacturer Dunlop, which changed its name to Dunlopillo and made the site its headquarters.

It is estimated around 440 people worked there in its 1970s and 80s heyday producing pillows, mattresses, beds and latex cushioning for cars.

MPs watch: 2021, the year of the covid vaccine

Each month the Stray Ferret tracks what the three MPs in the Harrogate district have been up to in Parliament and their constituencies.

As this is the last month of the year, this time we have provided a round-up of the activities of Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams throughout 2021.

As always, we asked all three if they would like to highlight anything in particular. Once again, we did not receive a response from any of them.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here are some of the key moments from Mr Jones’s year:

Writing on his website in early January, he called the third national lockdown the one “nobody wanted”. However, he said the vaccines now provide “light at the end of the tunnel”.
On January 13, Mr Jones revealed on his website that he had visited the Great Yorkshire Showground to check on progress with the vaccination programme. At that point, he said the site had vaccinated over 3,000 people at a rate between 125 and 135 people per hour.
At PMQs on March 24, the MP urged the Prime Minister to support Harrogate Town’s bid to rearrange the date of its trip to Wembley so fans can attend. He even told a Harrogate Town supporter that he’d be on the train to Wembley with the fans if date is changed.
In April, on his website, the MP spoke out against rumoured plans for vaccine passports, describing them as “extremely problematic”.
In June, the Harrogate & Knaresborough MP was spotted campaigning for the Conservatives ahead of the Batley & Spen by-election on five different occasions. He was photographed eating fish and chips with Tory candidate Ryan Stevenson.
On July 5, Mr Jones voted for the Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill on its third reading in the House of Commons. The bill has been criticised for giving more powers to police over protests.
In November he congratulated Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition for hosting its first climate action festival ahead of COP26.
In December, Mr Jones told a constituent that the findings of an investigation into an alleged Christmas party at 10 Downing Street last year should be published as soon as possible.

Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon.

In Ripon, here are some of the key moments from Mr Smith’s year:

At PMQs on February 10, Mr Smith asked prime minister Boris Johnson how the UK’s vaccine supply chain will cope if the virus mutates. In his response, Mr Johnson said the UK is going to have to get used to the idea of vaccinating and then revaccinating in the autumn as it faces new variants.
Mr Smith announced on Twitter that his father-in-law has gifted him and his wife an ‘aphrodisiac themed’ takeaway meal to be delivered on Valentine’s Day.
Mr Smith began a third lucrative advisory job, this time to MJM Marine Ltd, a cruise ship refurbishment company based in County Down, Northern Ireland. These roles earned Mr Smith an extra £144,000 a year.
In July, Mr Smith voted for mandatory covid vaccines for care home staff.
In September he told constituents he was “really sorry” if they were affected by TV disruption following the Bilsdale mast fire.
Following the Owen Paterson lobbying scandal, he resigned from all three advisory roles in November.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural parts of the Harrogate district.

In February, Mr Adams paid tribute to Captain Tom Moore following his death at the age of 100. He wrote: “RIP. A true British hero”.
At an HBC planning committee on March 9, it was revealed Mr Adams personally wrote to committee members with his concerns about an 80-home development in Green Hammerton.
In June, The Boundary Commission proposed changes to Mr Adams’ constituency that would see him lose all areas within the Harrogate district.
According to MPs register of interests as of August 23, Mr Adams had received £6,000 worth of free hospitality tickets to England’s Euro 2020 games.
Mr Adams was appointed minister without portfolio in the Cabinet Office on September 16 as part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle.
On September 10, Mr Adams was filmed telling anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray to “f*** off”. He defended his outburst and said his words reflected the views of many MPs.

Andrew Jones MP tells constituent that clarity is needed on No 10 party

Conservative MP for Harrogate & Knaresborough Andrew Jones says the findings of an investigation into an alleged Christmas party at 10 Downing Street last year should be published as soon as possible.

Harrogate resident Patrick Milne sent Mr Jones an email this week asking him to “speak out” against the party or “gathering” as the government phrases it, which has dominated headlines and TV news reports all week.

Mr Milne shared the response he received from the MP with the Stray Ferret.

Mr Jones wrote:

“Some gatherings were permissible of course but if the reports of cheese and wine, crowding, secret santas and so on are true it is very difficult to see how on earth such a gathering can have been within the rules.”

“There are two sides though to every story and I am willing to hear both. At the moment though, and the story evolves hour-by-hour, we are only hearing one side. That is why I think a clear statement of what happened needs to be released by Number 10 detailing what the gathering was, who was there, what refreshments were served, how this complied with the rules at the time and so on.”

The government has since ordered an investigation into three alleged parties at 10 Downing Street and the Department for Education. The Labour Party has called for prime minister Boris Johnson to resign if he is found to have misled MPs.

Mr Jones said he hopes the findings of the investigation will be published “in days”.

“I hope therefore to see the full report in days and, by that, I mean before Christmas.”

The MP said he cancelled plans to comply with rules last Christmas and that he expects leaders to set an example to others.

He added:

“Like many others I spent the Christmas period following the rules, cancelling plans to comply with rule changes, sitting outside talking to elderly relatives, dropping off shopping on the doorstep and video calling.

“I know too that some people broke the rules, inadvertently or otherwise, and so I have taken the view that I will be accountable for my own actions and others need to be accountable for theirs.
I recognise that there is a huge chasm between minor and inadvertent infringements at Christmas and a party among those whom we want and expect to take a lead, where an example must be shown.

“That is why the investigation and a final statement from Number 10 are needed. As with the Cummings affair and the standards issue, I will not offer my support if that statement points to wrongdoing.”

Mr Jones has not made any public comments about the recent scandal facing his government. Instead today he used his party’s Harrogate Community News website to publish an article about the winner of a competition for his electronic Christmas card.

MPs watch: Extra jobs, adult social care and HS2

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In November, MPs and their second jobs came under close scrutiny as Conservative MP Owen Paterson resigned after coming under fire for breaching parliamentary standards.

Meanwhile, all Harrogate district MPs voted for a controversial new Health and Social Care bill, which saw some Conservative backbenchers rebel against the government.

We asked our three Conservative MPs, Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon’s Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular that they have been doing this month, but, as usual, we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found on Mr Jones:

Mr Jones did not post any news on his website in November.
He spoke eight times in the House of Commons this past month.
Among his contributions was to welcome to the government’s integrated rail plan on November 18. This came despite previous comments by Mr Jones in February 2019 when he described the potential scrapping of the eastern leg of HS2 as a “betrayal of the north”.
He later posted a statement on his Conservative-run website describing the plan as “very positive”.
On November 22, Mr Jones voted with the government on the Health and Social Care Bill. Some Tory backbenchers raised concern that the government’s proposal will see the poor pay more towards their care.
Mr Jones’ Twitter account is for ‘retweets only’.

Julian Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon.

In Skipton and Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

Mr Smith did not update his website during November.
He tweeted eight times last month. Among his social media posts were tweets congratulating Zoe Metcalfe on being elected North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
During November, Mr Smith’s extra jobs came under scrutiny in the wake of the Owen Paterson affair. Mr Smith earns £144,000 a year from three advisory roles in addition to his £81,932 MP’s salary.
Mr Smith voted with the government on its Health and Social Care bill on November 22.
He did not make any spoken contributions in the House of Commons during November.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

In rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Adams:

Mr Adams tweeted four times in November.
He posted once on his website on November 18 about Prime Minister Boris Johnson visiting his constituency during the launch of the government’s integrated rail plan.
On November 4, Mr Adams voted for the Leadsom amendment during the Owen Paterson affair. The amendment proposed not suspending Mr Paterson, despite breaching parliamentary standards.
Mr Adams voted with the government on the Health and Social Care bill on November 22.
He appeared in the House of Commons four times during November to make both spoken contributions and to answer questions as a government minister.

Harrogate district Conservative MPs back controversial social care plan

All three of the Harrogate district’s Conservative MPs voted for controversial new plans for social care in England last night.

The proposal, which will see people with less than £100,000 in assets pay towards the new social care cap, were supported by the House of Commons despite a Conservative backbench rebellion.

Some Tory MPs expressed concern that the move would hit the poorest hardest and 19 of them voted against the government.

However, Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, Julian Smith, Skipton and Ripon MP and Nigel Adams, Selby and Ainsty MP which includes rural Harrogate, all voted with the government.

The bill was passed by 272 votes to 246.

The Stray Ferret has contacted the Harrogate district MPs for comment.

Health minister, Edward Argar, told the House of Commons last night that “no one would lose” from the reforms.

What is the government’s plan for social care?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government have tabled plans in an effort to fix the crisis in funding social care.

Under the proposals, there will be a cap of £86,000 which people will have to pay towards the cost of their own care. Once that threshold is met, the government will step in.

The move would mean that those with £20,000 or less in assets would not have to pay anything towards things like washing or dressing at home.

Those with more than £100,000 will have to pay for everything up to the social care cap.

Meanwhile, those with less than £100,000 will have to pay for some of their care – but they can qualify for council support to help meet those costs.

Crucially, however, the support received from the local authority will not contribute towards the social care cap. Instead, that will have to be met from the person’s own income.

This has led to some Conservative MPs expressing concern that the poorest will be hit hardest by the change.

Harrogate MP silent after saying scrapping HS2 would ‘betray the north’

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has so far remained silent on the expected scrapping of plans to extend the HS2 line from Birmingham to Leeds.

The former rail minister has been a vocal advocate of the project. In February 2019, he said that it would be a “betrayal of the north” if it did not go ahead.

However, government sources briefed national media outlets over the weekend about the decision ahead of an expected announcement on Thursday.

Just two months ago Mr Jones reiterated his support for HS2 at the annual Transport for the North conference in Leeds. He said:

“I hope that we do not see any compromise on our desire for big investment in our infrastructure. We have failed spectacularly to invest enough in our infrastructure.

“This has meant it is now too expensive and too difficult to move people and goods around the country. So I do not support the argument that we need to abandon longer term infrastructure investment.”

At a previous Transport for the North conference in February 2019, Mr Jones went further and criticised media outlets for reporting speculation over the future of the HS2 Birmingham to Leeds line.

“We have all probably seen some media reports claiming that the northern stages of HS2 might not be built. They are nonsense.

“HS2 was conceived, developed and is now being delivered as a national railway. But in particular to improve links for our area.

“So our commitment to the full network of HS2 is undiminished. To cancel anything would be a betrayal of the north.”

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones for his thoughts this morning. However, he did not reply to our request for comment by the time of publication.

Andrew Jones MP queries delay of covid vaccinations in schools

Harrogate & Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones has questioned why school vaccinations in Harrogate are not likely to happen until February.

The Stray Ferret reported last month that the rollout of covid jabs to 12 to 15-year-old pupils in Harrogate schools has been delayed, after the government initially said all children in that age group would be offered jabs by October half-term.

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Jones said vaccinating children five months later in February would be “too late”.

He said:

“I am hearing mixed messages about what is happening in schools. The CCG has told me that they should be eligible for visits by the end of this month, but some schools have been reporting that they are not looking at visits until January or February next year by which stage, of course, it is too late.”

Mr Jones also asked if there is a problem with the supply of vaccines in the Harrogate district. He said the nearest walk-in centre for residents is 17 miles away in Halifax.

NHS officials have said they are unable to open any walk-in covid vaccination centres in Harrogate because clinics are already running at capacity.

Mr Jones said:

“If I look at the website on the location of walk-in centres and tap in Harrogate, it brings up five locations in Halifax, which is about 17 miles away. Are there any problems with vaccine supply, or are we having some difficulties in North Yorkshire at the moment?”

In response, Department for Health junior minister Maggie Thorpe MP said “there is no problem at all with the supply of vaccines”.

“I can reassure my hon. Friend that there is no problem at all with the supply of vaccines; we have plenty of supply. He talks about schools. The vaccine programme in schools is being carried out by the school-aged immunisation service, which is very experienced in carrying out vaccinations for different conditions in schools. If there is a problem in his area, I will definitely look into it on his behalf.”

Harrogate district MPs abstain from Owen Paterson vote

Local Conservative MPs Andrew Jones and Julian Smith abstained from the controversial vote in the Commons yesterday on whether to suspend former minister Owen Paterson.

MPs voted by 250 to 232 to put off a decision on whether to suspend Mr Paterson.

A total of 98 Conservative MPs did not take part in the vote, despite pressure from the party leadership to vote in favour.

They included Mr Jones, who represents Harrogate and Knaresborough, and Mr Smith, who represents Skipton and Ripon. Both men rarely rebel from the party line.

Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams, who is Minister of State without Portfolio at the Cabinet Office, voted with the government.

The Leadsom amendment was put forward after a Parliamentary standards watchdog found Mr Paterson had breached lobbying rules by approaching MPs about two firms he was working for as a consultant.

The vote was carried and would have seen the formation a new cross-party committee of MPs to review the process for policing MPs and postponed Mr Paterson’s 30-day suspension from the Commons.

But following a fierce backlash, today, the government has now said it will rethink its plans.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Leader of the House, said the changes would not go ahead without cross-party support. He added a further vote on Mr Paterson’s suspension will go ahead.

The Stray Ferret has contacted Mr Smith and Mr Jones about the vote but has not received replies.

Read more:

Read more:

Fewer apartments

Read more:

History of the site

Read more:

Read more:

What is the government’s plan for social care?

Read more:

Read more:

Read more:

Read more: