Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered question first ministerially corrected answering member label attachment file name title previous answer version answering member printed answering member label attachment file name title
tabling member	label

Search

174084

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2015
	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
	hansard heading	Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government which local authorities in England have taken part in the Weekly Collection Support Scheme; how many authorities took part in the expression of interest process; which have subsequently received financial support, and how much; and of those, which have reinstated weekly collections of general (“grey” or “residual”) waste, which have used the support to collect food waste separately, and which have used it in other ways.
	tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
	uin	HL4187
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2015 answer text <p>In March 2012, my Department received initial expressions of interest from 151 lead local authorities, which resulted in bids from 113 local authorities. Some local authorities submitted multiple expressions of interest which were consolidated before final bid stage. The final bids were then assessed in line with the published criteria, and recipients then awarded funding.</p><p>A detailed table listing the schemes that are being supported is attached and on my Department’s website.</p><p> </p><p>It may be helpful to the noble Lord to outline what this Government has delivered since 2010:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Safeguarded weekly collections for 6 million households through the Weekly Collection Support Scheme as well as championing innovation and best practice; the answer of 14 May 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, House of Commons 646W, outlined how 14 million households in England have some form of weekly collection of smelly rubbish.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Issued the first ever Whitehall guidance on weekly bin collections, demolishing the myths that fortnightly bin collections are needed to save money or increase recycling. This best practice was directly informed by the Weekly Collections Support Scheme;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Supported over 40 innovative reward schemes to back recycling through the Weekly Collection Support Scheme (as pledged in the Coalition Agreement); the winning bids for a further Recycling Rewards Scheme for 2015-16 will be announced shortly;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Stopped the Audit Commission inspections which marked down councils who do not adopt fortnightly rubbish collections, and rejected the Audit Commission guidance which advocated fortnightly collections (“Waste Management: The Strategic Challenge and Waste Management Quick Guide”);</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Abolished the Local Area Agreements and National Indicator 191 imposed by Whitehall which created perverse incentives to downgrade waste collection services;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Scrapped the Whitehall requirement for municipal Annual Efficiency Statements, which allowed a reduction in the frequency of a household rubbish collection service to qualify as a “valid efficiency” and allowed revenue from bin fines to classed as a “cashable efficiency gain”;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Scrapped the imposition of eco-towns which would have had fortnightly bin collections and/or bin taxes as part of the “eco-standards”;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Through the Localism Act, revoked the 2008 legislation that allowed for the imposition of new bin taxes;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Issued guidance to stop the imposition of illegal ‘backdoor bin charging’ on households bins;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Stopped funding the ‘Waste Improvement Network’ which told councils to adopt fortnightly collections as best practice;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Challenged the incorrect interpretation by some bodies that European Union directives require fortnightly collections, and resisted the imposition of bin taxes by the European Union;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Removing powers of entry and snooping powers from bin inspectors and scrapped guidance telling councils to rifle through families’ bins;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Changed building regulations and planning guidance to tackle ‘bin blight’, and worked with the NHBC Foundation to produce new best practice guidance for house builders;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Changing the law through the Deregulation Bill to scrap unfair bin fines.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Without our active support, Ministers are clear that weekly collections would have disappeared across England. This Government’s approach can be contrasted with the devolved Labour-led Administration in Wales, where fortnightly bin collections are official policy, and pilots of monthly bin collections are being actively encouraged.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmed question first answered 12/02/2015 14:39:13 question first ministerially corrected 16/02/2015 17:33:13 answering member 3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed attachment 1 file name PQ HL4187 List of successful bidders to the Weekly Collection Support Scheme.xls title List of Supported Schemes previous answer version 45064 answering member printed Lord Ahmed answering member 3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed attachment 1 file name 150203 PQ677818 Lord Greaves - Attachment.pdf title List of Supported Schemes
	tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

174087

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2015
	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
	hansard heading	Recreation Spaces
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many adopted local plans include the designation of local green spaces; and how many such spaces have been designated.
	tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
	uin	HL4190
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2015 answer text <p>We do not collect detailed statistics on individual policies within Local Plans.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 23/01/2015 12:05:38 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

348821

	registered interest
	date	08/06/2015
	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
	hansard heading	Derelict Land
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much was spent from the £1 billion fund for remediation of brownfield land in each district or unitary local authority in England in each of the last five years.
	tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
	uin	HL300
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2015 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ensuring that brownfield land is used as much as possible for new development. This is supported by our intention to create a £1 billion Brownfield Fund to unlock homes on brownfield land. The Fund is a new initiative and as such no payments from it were made in previous years.</p><p> </p><p>The focus of the Fund will be on unlocking homes on brownfield land to create additional housing. Ministers are finalising the details of how it will operate and are clear that the role of local authorities such as Pendle Borough Council will be crucial.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL301 question first answered 16/06/2015 13:51:03 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

348822

	registered interest
	date	08/06/2015
	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
	hansard heading	Derelict Land
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to match the brownfield investment fund created by Pendle Borough Council on a pound for pound basis or in some other way in order to help bridge the funding gap in the development of such sites.
	tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
	uin	HL301
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2015 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ensuring that brownfield land is used as much as possible for new development. This is supported by our intention to create a £1 billion Brownfield Fund to unlock homes on brownfield land. The Fund is a new initiative and as such no payments from it were made in previous years.</p><p> </p><p>The focus of the Fund will be on unlocking homes on brownfield land to create additional housing. Ministers are finalising the details of how it will operate and are clear that the role of local authorities such as Pendle Borough Council will be crucial.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL300 question first answered 16/06/2015 13:51:03 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

417482

	registered interest
	date	08/09/2015
	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
	hansard heading	Education Funding Agency: Birmingham
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the role of the Homes and Communities Agency in respect of Spitfire House in Castle Vale, Birmingham, following a change of ownership.
	tabling member printed	Lord Rooker
	uin	HL2078
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/09/2015 answer text <p>The Homes and Communities Agency does not own or control Spitfire House and had no involvement in the decision of Birmingham Metropolitan College to sell the property to the Education Funding Agency. The Agency’s role is limited to determining whether a legal charge it holds over the building should be removed.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 24/09/2015 15:56:19 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	302 label Biography information for Lord Rooker

418782

	registered interest
	date	15/09/2015
	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
	hansard heading	Councillors: Complaints
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a councillor who is the subject of, or mentioned in, a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman has the right to know (1) the nature of the complaint, and (2) the identity of the person or persons making the complaint.
	tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
	uin	HL2217
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/09/2015 answer text <p>There is no requirement that a councillor who is subject of, or mentioned in, a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman be informed of the nature of the complaint or the identity of the complainant. However, the Local Government Ombudsman’s practice is to request that local authorities ensure all interested parties within the local authority are aware of the investigation and are able to comment before the Ombudsman comes to a final decision.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 29/09/2015 16:27:50 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

418785

	registered interest
	date	15/09/2015
	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
	hansard heading	Local Plans
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have to streamline the local plans process; and when they expect to bring those proposals into operation.
	tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
	uin	HL2220
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/09/2015 answer text <p>Local Plans play a critical role in determining what development is appropriate and where, and it is therefore essential that plan-making is as simple, quick and accessible a process as possible. On 15 September, my hon. Friend, the Minister for Housing and Planning (Brandon Lewis), announced that we have brought together a panel of experts drawn from across the built-environment sector to help look at ways in which we could radically improve plan-making in practice (see attached). The group will consider all elements of plan-making from policy and procedural requirements of plans to how plan-making is practically undertaken. Their work will conclude in early 2016, after which I will set out to Parliament how we intend to proceed to reform plan-making.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 24/09/2015 13:54:34 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford attachment 1 file name Planning Minister Brandon Lewis - HL2220.docx title Press Release - 15 September
	tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

427455

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2015
	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
	hansard heading	Owner Occupation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people owned their own home in each year from 1997 until the last year for which records are available.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL3499
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2015 answer text <p>The numbers of owner occupier households in England, estimated from DCLG's English Housing Survey, are provided in the table below</p><p><strong><br>Number (000s) of owner occupied households, 1997 to 2013-14: England</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>1997</p></td><td><p><strong> 13,629 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1998</p></td><td><p><strong> 13,817 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1999</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,091 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2000</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,340 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2001</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,359 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2002</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,559 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2003</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,701 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2004</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,678 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2005</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,791 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2006</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,791 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,733 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,628 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008-09</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,621 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009-10</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,525 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,450 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,388 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,337 </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p><strong> 14,319 </strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br><strong>Source: English Housing Survey </strong>https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/469214/2013-14_Section_1_Households_tables_and_figures_FINAL.xlsx</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 23/11/2015 12:26:27 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

427456

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2015
	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
	hansard heading	Housing: Greater London
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the size of deposit needed to buy a starter home in London.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL3500
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2015 answer text <p>Starter Homes will be sold at a minimum of 80% of the full market price and offered to first time buyers under the age of 40. The discounted Starter Homes price will be capped at £450,000 in London.</p><p>The cap is not an expectation of the going price for a Starter Home. Most first time buyers are not buying average-priced properties, but those at the lower quartile of values in an area. This is the first time buyers market that exists, and this is where we anticipate developers pricing starter homes</p><p>Starter homes will reduce deposit requirements for first time buyers. The average price paid by a first time buyer in London in Q2 2015 was £376,000 (Office for National Statistics data). The discount achieved through the Starter Home initiative would reduce the price of such a property to £301,000 and also reduce the deposit.</p><br /> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 23/11/2015 12:27:45 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

427457

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2015
	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
	hansard heading	Private Rented Housing: Fees and Charges
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to prevent excessive letting fees being charged to private-sector tenants.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL3501
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2015 answer text <p>The Government has acted to protect tenants against unfair and excessive letting agency fees by requiring agents to publish a full breakdown of all charges prominently in their offices and on their website. A fine of up to £5,000 can be levied against agents who fail to comply.</p><p>Transparency is the key to keeping fees low, giving tenants the necessary information to make informed decisions and compare prices and, therefore, creating effective competition that should force agents to keep fees fair.</p><p>The Government has also made it a legal requirement, since 1 October 2014, for letting and managing agents in England to belong to one of the three Government approved redress schemes, offering a clear route for landlords and tenants to pursue complaints and, therefore, driving up standards.</p><p>We will continue to monitor the impact of these new requirements.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 17/11/2015 15:43:15 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark