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46472

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how self-reported data from local authorities on the Troubled Families programme is audited.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	194861
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>All results are approved within each local authority's internal audit arrangements and under the statutory authority of the Chief Executive. My Department then undertakes a verification process on a sample of claims made.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 09/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

46475

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many staff have (a) taken voluntary redundancy or (b) been made compulsorily redundant from his Department since May 2010; and how many of these (i) received special severance payments or (ii) were subject to compromise agreements.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	194883
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 7 April 2014]</em></p><p>The number of staff that left the Department on (a) voluntary redundancy and (b) compulsory redundancy terms from May 2010 to March 2014 is set out below.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>May 2010 to March 2014</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Compulsory Redundancy</p></td><td><p>8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Voluntary Severance or Redundancy</p></td><td><p>522</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>530</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>None of these staff (i) received special severance payments or (ii) were subject to compromise agreements.</p><p>Exit figures through 2010 – 2012 reflect the completion of the Department's major restructuring programme. Our departmental audited annual accounts for the core Department show that total staff costs fell from £216 million in 2009-10 to £99 million in 2012-13, a reduction of 54% in cash terms, or a saving of £117 million a year. The number of staff has been reduced from 3,781 full-time equivalent in 2009-10 to 1,681 in 2012-13, a reduction of 56%.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 09/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis previous answer version 5030 answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

46477

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the use of public money by the Mayor of Tower Hamlets to fund third sector organisations; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	194881
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>I refer the rt. hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made today by my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Eric Pickles).</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

46483

registered interest
date	02/04/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects to answer question No. 191956 tabled by the Rt hon. Member for Leeds Central on 13 March 2014.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	194894
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>I will provide a comprehensive answer to the rt. hon. Member in due course. We are currently gathering historic files, given some of the information requested predates the establishment of the National Planning Casework Unit in 2011.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 01/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

45872

registered interest
date	31/03/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities affected by flooding can claim under the Bellwin scheme for the cost of disposing of sandbags that have been contaminated with sewage.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	194489
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Thursday 3 April 2014]</em></p><p>Local authorities can claim the costs of removing sandbags used during the flooding emergency, under the Bellwin scheme. This includes sandbags that have been contaminated with sewage.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis previous answer version 4499 answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

45873

registered interest
date	31/03/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities affected by the recent floods are offering council tax discounts to flooded-out householders under section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	194492
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Thursday 3 April 2014]</em></p><p>My rt. hon. Friend, the PrimeMinister announced on 19 February 2014 that Government will reimburse local authorities for providing council tax discounts for flooded homes. 48 local authorities have reported that they had already offered discounts by 17 March, with a further 63 planning to do so in using their discretionary powers under section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. It is for local authorities to determine whether they wish to take up the Government's offer of funding, depending on the precise scale and extent of local flooding.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 09/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis previous answer version 4501 answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

44977

registered interest
date	25/03/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of local authorities which registered for emergency financial assistance under the Bellwin Scheme as a result of recent flooding have received payment within 15 working days.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	193630
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 31 March 2014]</em></p><p>Bellwin provides emergency financial assistance to local authorities to help them meet uninsurable costs they incur when responding to a major emergency in their area. The level of funding over time is casually linked to the scale of flooding or other emergency. It operates by local authorities retrospectively claiming spending back.</p><p>As at 27 March 2014, only five local authorities have submitted Bellwin claims in respect of the recent flooding. One of these claims was paid within 15 days. The other four claims have only been received in the last few days and should also be paid within 15 days. Local authorities have until the end of June 2014 to apply.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

43015

registered interest
date	13/03/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many applications to dispose of statutory allotments have been (a) submitted, (b) approved and (c) rejected in each local authority area in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	191956
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Further to the Allotments Act 1925, applications for consent to dispose of allotment land are submitted to the Department by local councils (parish councils and principal authorities). The table below shows the breakdown of applications since May 2010.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p><em>Granted</em></p></td><td><p><em>Withdrawn</em></p></td><td><p><em>Refused</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2010- March 2011</p></td><td><p>18</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15 to date</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>To place this in context, the Secretary of State granted 34 allotment disposals in 2007, granted 22 in 2008 and granted 18 in 2009, whilst only 2 were declined, which is a greater rate than under this Administration.</p><p>I observe that the rt. hon. Member has been quoted in the media attacking such consents. He would have been wiser however to have undertaken a closer examination of the 68 individual consents granted to the local councils since May 2010.</p><p>The table below provides some context to help explain why there was a reasonable case by the representative local bodies for changing the statutory status of the land.</p><p>In January 2014, my Department published <em>Allotment Disposal Guidance: Safeguards and Alternatives</em> replacing the previous guidance from 2002. The new guidance strengthens allotment protection, as the requirement for waiting lists to be taken into account must now be rigorously applied to all that council's waiting lists, not just the waiting list for the site to be disposed of. This aims to ensure that poorly maintained sites are not used to justify disposal. Ministers will be closely monitoring to ensure that this new guidance is followed.</p><p>Notwithstanding, I have taken the opportunity to analyse these previous cases in the table below. The National Allotment Society was consulted in every case, and nine out of ten decisions were consistent with advice from the National Allotment Society (where advice was given); the remaining cases where the advice diverged related to land not actually in use as allotments, requiring a judgement call on whether it was realistic to bring the land back into productive use.</p><p>Having analysed these approvals, I can note that half of the land disposed was not actually in use as allotments. Moreover, in every case where existing allotment plot holders were displaced, evidence from local authorities indicates that alternative plots were made available to them.</p><p>More new plots were proposed to be created and/or vacant sites proposed to be brought back into use than the number of proposed disposals of in-use allotment plots. Consequently, the statutory disposal process overseen by the Secretary of State since May 2010 should have resulted in an <strong>increase</strong> in allotment provision not a reduction. This reflects this Government's commitment both to supporting local communities grow their own food and to protecting important community assets.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 196310 question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams attachment 1 file name 2269 & 2521 Benn - Table.docx title Allotments - Disposal Consents Granted
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn