Jason McCartney MP

National Apprenticeship Week

Jason's Staff — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:50:02 +0000

Jason launched National Apprenticeship Week with the Federation of Master Builders and Peter Armitage Ltd of Milnsbridge. He met one of the 310 new apprentices taken on in his Colne Valley constituency in the past 12 months. That’s an increase of 44%.

The Government is delivering unprecedented funding for new apprenticeships:

Businesses and training providers can bid for a share of £6 million from the Higher Apprenticeship Fund, which will support the development of thousands of new Higher Apprenticeships in sectors including aerospace, energy and renewable technologies.
Small and medium-sized businesses without any apprentices who hire one aged 16-24 are eligible for a £1,500 bonus, with up to 40,000 payments available.
Businesses can bid for a share of a £250 million fund to boost skills in their workplace, giving employers rather than training providers direct access to funding for training.

Filed under: Businesses, Education, Milnsbridge, Photos, Youth

Gas Safety Trust

Jason's Staff — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:52:05 +0000

Jason hosted a roundtable breakfast seminar to discuss a new Gas Safety Trust report on carbon monoxide poisoning ahead of its official launch later this year.

The aim was to raise awareness amongst politicians of the significant number of preventable CO poisoning incidents that occur in the UK every year.

For more information, please visit www.gas-safety-trust.org.uk.

Filed under: National Issues, Parliament, Photos

Supporting Local Businesses

Jason's Staff — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:07:41 +0000

Jason has been out visiting local businesses again. He visited a mill complex on the outskirts of Huddersfield that is home to a glass cutter, a gym, an antiques dealer and many other SMEs. Jason feeds what he finds out back to the Treasury and Business teams in Parliament; last week he spoke with the Business Secretary Vince Cable about support for local businesses.

Filed under: Businesses, Photos

A day with Morrisons

Jason's Staff — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:35:30 +0000

Jason spent a fascinating day with the Morrisons supermarket chain as part of the Industry and Parliament Trust‘s “Made in Britain” series of site-visits for Parliamentarians.

He joined fellow MPs on a visit to the cutting edge Morrisons ‘Store of the Future’ in Leeds and toured the Morrisons HQ near Bradford.

Morrisons are Britain’s fastest growing supermarket chain and will create 7,000 new jobs across the UK in 2012.

Filed under: Businesses, Parliament, Photos

Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Jason's Staff — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:56:59 +0000

Jason was pleased to chair a Gas Industry and Safety Group seminar on ‘Better Regulation’, attended representatives of numerous charities and groups, including British Gas, the Health and Safety Executive, Ofgem, the Health Protection Agency, the Gas Safety Trust and more.

He is a Co-Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Gas Safety Group, which recently released an important report on Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. This seminer was the third in a series discussing the points raised by it. A copy of the report may be downloaded here.

Filed under: Charity, National Campaigns, Parliament, Photos

Holocaust Memorial Day

Jason's Staff — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:53:45 +0000

Friday January 27th will mark the 67th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi concentration and extermination camp which is the site of the largest mass murder in history. Jason signed the Book of Commitment, which has been placed in the House of Commons by the Holocaust Educational Trust, to honour the memory of those who were persecuted and murdered during the Holocaust.

Jason joined 6th formers from Greenhead College on an educational visit to Auschwitz last year. To read more about about that visit, please click here.

In the weeks around Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events will be arranged by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country to remember the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. For more information, please visit www.het.org.uk.

Filed under: Events, International Issues, Parliament, Photos

Traders and Trains

Jason's Staff — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:05:35 +0000

Jason was delighted to have secured a debate on the Northern Rail Hub yesterday which attracted 25 MPs of all parties. The Northern Hub is a proposed series of infrastructure investment projects to the rail network in the north. The £560m Hub project could add up to 30,000 new jobs and be worth £4.2Bn to the northern economy. You can read Jason’s speech here.

The night before Jason spoke in the debate on Town Centres and High Streets following the Mary Portas review. Jason highlighted the Tesco planning application for Holmfirth and the success of Lidget Street in Lindley. You can read his contribution to the debate here.

Filed under: Local Campaigns, Local Issues, National Issues, Parliament, Speeches, Transport

Organ Donation

Jason's Staff — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:01:39 +0000

Jason joined Huddersfield Town in promoting the Organ Donors Register at Saturday’s game with Oldham. Fans were given information about the register and encouraged to sign up.

Only 29% of the population are currently signed up whilst thousands are waiting for life saving donations. Jason met a Linthwaite man who was given a life saving heart transplant last year.

Please help to save lives and sign up at www.organdonation.nhs.uk.

Filed under: Events, Huddersfield Town, NHS, Photos

Studio Schools

Jason's Staff — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:21:13 +0000

Jason met the inspiring students and staff at the Creative & Media Studio School at Netherhall Learning Campus in Huddersfield. The Studio School has businesses and pupils working side by side. Their new purpose-built £4.5m building will be one of the best learning facilities in the country, let alone Kirklees.

The idea is to take learning out of a traditional classroom setting, teaching the curriculum through real-life enterprise themed projects in the school and the surrounding community. Jason saw this in action as he met the dynamic team from Fourteen19 Youth Communications, a dedicated youth marketing agency and social enterprise.

For more information, please visit www.studio-school.org.uk and www.gcik.co.uk.

Filed under: Education, Photos, Youth