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50442

	registered interest
	date	09/05/2014
	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, if he will assess the potential merits of retaining brownfield enclaves within urban areas as greenspaces for local amenity rather than being used for in-fill building.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Paul Flynn
	uin	198307
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The National Planning Policy Framework recognises that access to high quality open spaces can make an important contribution to the health and well-being of communities. At the local level, planning policies should be based on assessments of need for open space, sports and recreation facilities and opportunities for new provision. The Framework also enables local communities, through the preparation of local and neighbourhood plans, to identify for special protection green or open areas of particular importance to them as Local Green Space. This includes land in urban areas.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	545 label Biography information for Paul Flynn

50464

	registered interest
	date	09/05/2014
	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 proportion of solar farm planning applications were approved by local planning authorities in (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014 to date.
	tabling member constituency	Sunderland Central
	tabling member printed	Julie Elliott
	uin	198312
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>We do not hold aggregated information on planning applications for solar farms in the form requested. However, the Department of Energy and Climate Change's Renewable Energy Planning Database (RESTATS) includes information on a range of renewable energy projects above 0.01 megawatts, including applications for solar energy developments. The database tracks the progress of potential new projects from inception, through planning, construction and operational stages, and can be accessed at: <a href="https://restats.decc.gov.uk/cms/planning-database" target="_blank">https://restats.decc.gov.uk/cms/planning-database</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	4127 label Biography information for Julie Elliott

50478

	registered interest
	date	09/05/2014
	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 recent representations he has received on levels of remuneration for local government executives.
	tabling member constituency	Bury St Edmunds
	tabling member printed	Mr David Ruffley
	uin	198330
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government regularly receives representations from concerned taxpayers on the levels of remuneration offered to senior local government officers. Whilst councils are independent employers we have taken steps to increase transparency and accountability on these local decisions.</p><p>Under the Localism Act, councils are required to publish an annual pay policy statement setting out their approach to pay, in particularly senior pay. In guidance to which all councils must have regard when preparing their policy statements, we have said that full council should to vote on senior salaries and exit packages of £100,000 or more.</p><p>Through the Transparency Code councils are required to publish on-line a range of workforce information including details of senior salaries for employees earning £50,000 or more and detailed organisation charts.This will further open up senior pay to greater public scrutiny. We also published “50 ways to save” a practical guide on how councils can make sensible savings in their budgets. This includes either cutting senior pay or looking at sharing chief executives and senior management teams. I would note that Ministers in this Government cut their salaries in 2010 and then froze them for the rest of this Parliament.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	133 label Biography information for Mr David Ruffley

50321

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2014
	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 publish the Government's response to the review of property conditions in the private rented sector.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	198174
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The closing date for responses to the discussion document was 28 March. We have received almost 300 substantive responses and these are currently being considered. We plan to publish an analysis of the replies and proposed next steps in the Summer.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

50322

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2014
	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, pursuant to the Answers of 6 May 2014, Official Report, column 29W, and of 21 November 2013, Official Report, columns 980-1W, on local government publications, if he will list all councils that publish magazines or newsletters more than four times a year.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	198175
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Further to the information provided in my previous answers, my Department has not at this point undertaken a recent, definitive survey of every council in the country. It is a moving picture, as the commencement of the Local Audit and Accountability Act has encouraged greater compliance with the Publicity Code – for example, further to my answer of 21 November 2013, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 980W, I understand that East Northamptonshire has stopped its newspaper.</p><p>Such local initiatives are preferable to intervention. Notwithstanding, I refer the rt. hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement of 28 April 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 35WS, which outlines the rationale for the steps taken on 17 April against five specific councils with the worst breaches, and which notes how we are prepared to take further action against other breaches of the Publicity Code.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

50323

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2014
	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 link between (a) street and (b) ambient lighting and the incidence of burglaries.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	198177
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>As I stated in my answer of 10 February 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 419W, street lighting plays an important role in road safety, as well as ensuring the personal safety of pedestrians. There may be some roads where lights could be dimmed in the very early hours, saving taxpayers' money. However, this should be a local decision by elected local councillors, reflecting local circumstances – especially in relation to any concerns about crime. Equally, not every neighbourhood wants street lighting, as some communities, especially in rural areas, value dark skies.</p><p>We believe that councils should listen to the views of their local residents, and then adopt appropriate local policies based on the neighbourhood, the precise location and the usage of the road/street. I previously noted that <em>Manual for Streets</em> contains some useful guidance on getting the balance right when providing street lighting, taking into account the different issues around safety, crime prevention, street clutter and light pollution. Ultimately, there is no prescriptive Whitehall guidance, and any assessment will depend on local circumstances and local views.</p><p>Notwithstanding, I would observe that Her Majesty's Opposition seem to have a short memory about their actions on cutting street lighting when they were in office:</p><p>· <strong>Department for Environment, Food &amp; Rural Affairs</strong>: When the rt. hon. Member was Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, his Department and its quangos lectured local councils to switch off or reduce street lighting to minimise carbon emissions. For example, in 2007, he personally launched the Carbon Trust Standard, which was tied to an extensive programme to reduce street lighting as part of the Local Authority Carbon Management Programme. As DEFRA Ministers told the House: “All authorities should be seeking to reduce energy usage both to cut costs and to help combat climate change. As street lighting accounts for a significant proportion of the energy used by authorities, it should be readily identified as an area that should be examined for potential efficiency savings” (6 November 2006, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 709W).</p><p>· <strong>Department for Transport</strong>: The Minister of State for Transport, the noble Lord Adonis (now a Shadow Minister for Infrastructure) when asked about reducing the hours of operation of street lighting, noted that “the Government also support the Carbon Trust's local authority carbon management programme, which provides councils with support and guidance to help them realise carbon emissions savings from street lighting” (17 December 2008, <em>Official Report</em>, House of Lords, Column WA52). Transport Ministers also endorsed the Highways Agency's ‘Efficiency Strategy for Road Lighting' which led to switching off motorway lighting at night (21 April 2008, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 1444W; Highways Agency<em>, Efficiency Strategy for Road Lighting Midnight Switch Off for Motorway Lighting</em>, 2009).</p><p>· <strong>Department for Communities and Local Government</strong>: The rt. Hon. Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford (now Shadow Home Secretary), when as Minister in the precursor department to DCLG, noted there was nuanced debate on the extent of street lighting: “We all recognise the fact that there is a series of tensions around light pollution. People in the cities will never have the same view of the night sky as one can get in the middle of Dartmoor... There can be tensions too at neighbourhood level between the security-obsessed householder who has glaring white security lights stuck to every corner of the house, which flicker on every time a little bird flies past or the cat runs across the garden, and the neighbour who... has a telescope and cannot see across the garden, let alone into the skies” (12 February 2004, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 510WH).</p><p>· <strong>Department for Energy and Climate Change</strong>: In 2008, the rt. hon. Member for Leeds Central also personally launched the Carbon Reduction Commitment, which resulted in councils cutting carbon emissions from street lighting, including dimming or switching off lights. The Highway Agency's <em>Energy Strategy for Roadside Equipment</em> (April 2010) explained that the approach of “dimming, trimming and partial night lighting” was a consequence of the requirements to meet the Carbon Reduction Commitment. As DECC Ministers said to the House: “DECC is working to include street lighting in the Carbon Reduction Commitment. This will provide an incentive for local authorities to improve the energy efficiency of street lights. DECC is working closely with Communities and Local Government to develop the policy, in so far as it relates to local authorities” (19 June 2009, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 515W). Of course, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change at that time was the rt. hon. Member for Doncaster North, now Leader of HM Opposition.</p><p>I hope this illuminates the historical fogginess of the Labour Party's current campaign on municipal street lighting. I would suggest the last person out of Labour HQ tonight should turn off the lights.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

50412

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2014
	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 estimate he has made of the number of empty properties in (a) Bristol North West constituency and (b) Bristol.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
	tabling member printed	Charlotte Leslie
	uin	198256
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p>Statistics on vacant dwellings in England and in each local authority district, including Bristol, are published in the Department's live table 615 which is available at the following link.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants</a></p><p>This table shows the annual total numbers of empty homes and those vacant longer than six months and also vacant in the local authority, housing association and other public sector tenures:</p><p>Data is collected only at local authority district level and is not available by parliamentary constituency.</p><p>The number of vacant dwellings and long-term dwellings, for the City of Bristol and England, are shown in Tables 1 and 2.</p><p>Table 1: All vacant dwellings, City of Bristol and England, 5 Oct 2009 to 7 Oct 2013</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p>5 Oct 2009</p></td><td><p>4 Oct 2010</p></td><td><p>3 Oct 2011</p></td><td><p>1 Oct 2012</p></td><td><p>7 Oct 2013</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>City of Bristol</p></td><td><p>4,890</p></td><td><p>5,069</p></td><td><p>4,519</p></td><td><p>4,294</p></td><td><p>3,583</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>England</p></td><td><p>770,496</p></td><td><p>737,147</p></td><td><p>719,352</p></td><td><p>704,357</p></td><td><p>635,127</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Table 2: All long-term vacant dwellings, City of Bristol and England, 5 Oct 2009 to 7 Oct 2013</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p>5 Oct 2009</p></td><td><p>4 Oct 2010</p></td><td><p>3 Oct 2011</p></td><td><p>1 Oct 2012</p></td><td><p>7 Oct 2013</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>City of Bristol</p></td><td><p>2,034</p></td><td><p>1,929</p></td><td><p>1,968</p></td><td><p>1,780</p></td><td><p>1,283</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>England</p></td><td><p>316,251</p></td><td><p>299,999</p></td><td><p>277,529</p></td><td><p>254,059</p></td><td><p>216,050</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	3933 label Biography information for Charlotte Leslie

50413

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2014
	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 steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities take into account the effect of planning decisions on neighbouring authorities when making those decisions.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
	tabling member printed	Charlotte Leslie
	uin	198291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government's reforms enshrine the Local Plan as the cornerstone of the planning system. We have confidence that local authorities will show the leadership necessary to work together in order to produce Local Plans that are effective and deliverable on important cross-boundary matters. My Department has also published an on-line set of planning guidance, which includes new advice to local authorities on the Duty to Co-operate across local authority boundaries. Furthermore, adjacent authorities are consulted on planning applications which are likely to affect land in their area, and in making its decision, the determining authority must consider all representations made.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	3933 label Biography information for Charlotte Leslie

49665

	registered interest
	date	06/05/2014
	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 representations he has received on requiring car-parking areas around large retail developments to retrofit sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS); and what assessment he has made of the benefits for urban flood control of such retrofitting of SUDS.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Paul Flynn
	uin	197759
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p>I have been asked to reply.</p><p>We know of no such representations. The National Planning Policy Framework prioritises the use of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in developments where possible. Defra officials have met representatives from leading supermarkets to discuss the use of SuDS and their benefits in retail developments. Case studies assessing the benefits of SuDS on commercial developments are available on the Defra funded SusDrain website at: <a href="http://www.susdrain.org/" target="_blank">www.susdrain.org</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
	tabling member	545 label Biography information for Paul Flynn

49612

	registered interest
	date	02/05/2014
	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 criteria he will use to assess requests for extra powers from local enterprise partnerships and combined authorities.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne East
	tabling member printed	Mr Nicholas Brown
	uin	197627
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government is currently negotiating a ‘Growth Deal' with every Local Enterprise Partnership, based on the Strategic Economic Plans they submitted in March 2014. The criteria being used to assess the plans are set out in the guidance published in July 2013. These are: ambition and rationale for intervention; value for money; and deliverability and risk. Combined authorities, where they exist, are represented in Local Enterprise Partnerships and will have been involved in the development of the Strategic Economic Plans.</p><p>Notwithstanding, as I indicated to the rt. hon. Member in my answers to him of 3 April 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 778W and 6 May 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 24W, we should be cautious about any measure which had the effect of transferring power upwards away from elected local councils. Decentralisation should devolve power to the lowest appropriate level.</p><p>Combined authorities are relatively new bodies. They now should focus on using the functions and powers that they currently have and prove themselves on delivering local growth; we do not intend to repeat the “function creep” mistakes of the Regional Development Agencies which just became unwieldy and unfocused, taking on too much and failing to deliver.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	523 label Biography information for Mr Nicholas Brown