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226595

	registered interest
	date	10/03/2015
	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	Non-domestic Rates
	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 small firms and shops likely to benefit from the planned reduction in business rates in (a) Herefordshire and (b) England in 2015-16.
	tabling member constituency	Hereford and South Herefordshire
	tabling member printed	Jesse Norman
	uin	908064
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2015 answer text <p>My rt. hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced at the 2014 Autumn Statement an extra £650 million of support for 2015-16 bills, bringing the total support of 2013 and 2014 Autumn Statement polices to £1.4 billion. This help includes:</p><p> </p><ul><li>doubling small business rate relief for a further year. In England, this means an estimated 400,000 properties will pay no rates at all, while a further 200,000 properties will benefit from tapered relief;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>a 2% cap on the increase of the small business rates multiplier. This is a continuation of the 2% cap introduced in 2014-15 as part of Autumn Statement 2013 measures;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>increasing the temporary discount for shops, pubs and restaurants with rateable values below £50,000 from £1,000 to £1,500 for 2015-16, benefitting an estimated 200,000 properties in England; and</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>extending the existing transitional relief scheme for two years for properties with a rateable value up to and including £50,000.</li></ul><p> </p><p>These measures are in addition to previous Autumn Statement measures that continue into 2015-16, including:</p><p> </p><ul><li>a 50 per cent discount for 18 months to new occupants of vacant shops;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>allowing businesses to keep their small business rate relief for a year where they take on an additional property;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>business rates relief for empty new builds; and</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>allowing businesses to pay their business rate bills over 12 months, in order to assist with their cash flow.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Central Government also now funds 50% of any local discount granted.</p><p>Table 1 (attached) shows the estimated number of properties in 2015-16 within the Herefordshire Council boundary that will benefit from business rates measures extended in this year’s autumn statement. Table 2 (attached) presents this information for England as a whole.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 16/03/2015 17:25:29 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt attachment 1 file name 908064 Norman.docx title Table 1 - Business Rates
	tabling member	3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman

174684

	registered interest
	date	20/01/2015
	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	Coastal Communities Fund
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, persuant to the Answer of 15 December 2014 to Question 906630, what the 117 projects funded by the Coastal Communities Fund are.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	221354
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2015 answer text <p>A table (attached) has been placed in the Library of the House giving details of the 211 projects awarded grants under the Coastal Communities Fund to date. These include the 117 projects referred to in the Answer of 15 December 2014 and a further 94 projects which have been awarded grants from the Fund since then. The table covers all grants awarded in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 30/01/2015 17:16:04 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt attachment 1 file name 221354 Ruane - Table of CCF Awards Rounds 1 to 3.xlsx title Table of CCF Projects
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

155751

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	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
	hansard heading	Fire and Rescue Services
	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 (a) whole-time and (b) part-time firefighters there were in (i) Northamptonshire and (ii) England in each of the last 10 years.
	tabling member constituency	Wellingborough
	tabling member printed	Mr Peter Bone
	uin	214654
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2015 answer text <p>The numbers of (a) whole-time and (b) retained duty system fire fighters in (i) Northamptonshire and (ii) England, as at the end of March in each of the last 10 years, are shown in the attached tables alongside the number of fire incidents attended:</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 23/03/2015 17:44:57 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt attachment 1 file name 214654 Bone.docx title Table of Whole Time and RDS Firefighters previous answer version 29046 answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	1581 label Biography information for Mr Peter Bone

78376

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2014
	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
	hansard heading	EU Grants and Loans
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 3 December 2013, Official Report, column 630W, on EU grants and loans, how much and what proportion of 2007 to 2013 European Regional Development Fund monies allocated to the UK with match-funding in place have been (a) contractually committed and (b) drawn down in (i) each English region and (ii) in total to date.
	tabling member constituency	Streatham
	tabling member printed	Mr Chuka Umunna
	uin	206317
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2014 answer text <p>The information requested is provided in the attached table (1). The “contractually committed” figures are up to 30 September 2014. All contractually committed funding has had match funding identified, so no separate figures are shown for this.</p><p>Across the programme, an average of 100% of the programme is now contractually committed. All spending of taxpayers’ money must ensure value for money; and money should not be spent on poor quality projects just for the sake of it. Spending must also comply with complex and bureaucratic EU rules, or else risk “financial corrections” down the line.</p><p>Where the contractually committed figure is slightly less than the total allocation, this reflects the restrictive, bureaucratic rules associated with the whole programme, and the lack of flexibility in the rules.</p><p>To place this in context, I attach with this answer a table (2) showing the allocations in the 2000-06 programme under the last Labour Government: only 93% of the allocation was ever committed, leaving £392 million of uncommitted resources; of which £48 million was uncommitted in the West Midlands Objective 2 area, £64 million uncommitted in the North West Objective 2 area, and £38 million uncommitted in the Yorkshire and the Humber Objective 2 area.</p><p>In this context, despite the complexities, the 2007-13 programme has been far better administered under this Government than the 2000-06 programme under the last Administration.</p><p>The European Regional Development Fund is a circular programme. UK taxpayers’ money is given to the European Union budget. Under the Fund, a local project receives a contract, spends money and then claims from DCLG. DCLG then claims funds back from the European Commission. The whole process goes through a complex auditing process involving DCLG auditors and then European Union auditors. After a period of time, the majority of unspent funding is returned to the UK Government by the European Commission. We continue to have concerns over the bureaucratic and time consuming nature of the processes involved in the programme, as a consequence of rules imposed by the European Commission.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt attachment 1 file name 206317 Umunna - Table 1.docx title Table 1 2 file name 206317 Umunna - Table 2.pdf title Table 2 question first answered 26/11/2014 16:11:42 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4128 label Biography information for Chuka Umunna

227487

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2015
	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	Empty Property: Shops
	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 his Department is taking to reduce the length of time that vacant shops remain empty.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	227690
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2015 answer text <p>Our town centres and high streets have undergone dramatic changes over the last decade- the rise of online shopping, the effect of out of town retail parks and huge shifts in consumer spending patterns have all offered significant challenges. However, despite this, our high streets and town centres have fought back and up and down the country teams of local people are working hard to make our high streets great places to visit, live or work.</p><p> </p><p>A recent study from Southampton University showed how high streets are facing these challenges head on, meeting customers’ needs by offering a more convenient, creative and varied shopping experience, which increasingly offers more leisure opportunities.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, since 2010 national vacancy rates have continued to fall. Recent research by Deloitte showed that since 2009, high street vacancies as a result of high-profile administrations had been filled more successfully than those in out-of-town shopping centres and out-of-town retail parks.</p><p> </p><p>However the Government is not complacent and understands that the town centre needs to continue to evolve towards the provision of services and leisure alongside traditional retail. We are committed to supporting our high streets to embrace that change and to continue to hold their place at the heart of our communities.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has taken a number of significant steps to tackle vacant shops. We have relaxed planning rules to support “meanwhile use” as well as introducing new permitted development rights making it simpler to change use, so making it easier for businesses to respond to the needs of their communities.</p><p> </p><p>We have also taken forward a range of measures to tackle over-zealous parking enforcement that undermines the vitality of town centres, driving people out of town. We are restricting the use of CCTV ‘spy cars’ to enforce parking (through the Deregulation Bill currently going through Parliament). We have introduced 10 minute ‘grace periods’ when parking on-street allowing additional parking time before a late penalty is imposed, which will come into force in early April. We have published new statutory guidance allowing local people and businesses to demand a review of parking in their area, and we are reforming parking guidance so it is less heavy handed with motorists.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has also introduced a range of support for high streets through business rates. As well as offering business rate discounts to new occupants of previously empty shops, the Government has doubled Small Business Rate Relief for a further year (2015-16) and offered a 2% cap on the inflation increase for 2015-16, for the second year. This comes in addition to funding 50% of all local discounts granted, increasing the temporary discount for shops, pubs and restaurants with rateable values below £50,000 and offering a 100% rate relief for empty new builds. Finally, as announced at Autumn Statement 2014, the Government is also undertaking a long-term and wide-ranging review of business rates to ensure they are fit for purpose for a 21st century economy and allow our high streets to thrive.</p><p> </p><p>We have also championed the innovative use of vacant shops through <a href="http://thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/high-street-of-the-year-award" target="_blank">the Great British High Street Competition.</a> A number of the entrants set out the innovative ways that they are tackling empty shops on the high streets and we have promoted their examples on the <a href="http://thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/" target="_blank">Great British High Street Portal</a> and through documents such as <a href="http://thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/pdf/GBHS-Celebrating-The-GB-High-Street.pdf" target="_blank">Celebrating the Great British High Street</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 23/03/2015 17:42:01 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

227492

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2015
	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 Enterprise Partnerships
	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 his Department is taking to promote best practice between local authorities and local enterprise partnerships.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	227695
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2015 answer text <p>Since 2011 the government has funded the Local Enterprise Partnerships Network to enable them to come together to discuss issues of shared interest, provide a shared platform for the exchange of knowledge and best practice and support private sector board members to build capacity.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We also established the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth in October 2013. The Centre, which is co-funded by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Economic and Social Research Council has a key objective which is to ensure that robust evidence is embedded in the development of policy on local economic growth and that new policies are effectively evaluated. As part of its work the Centre engages with an extensive network of practitioners, including local enterprise partnerships and local authorities to develop and disseminate best practice and develop communities of interest.</p><p> </p><p>Local Enterprise Partnerships, which are partnerships of local authorities and business are proactively working across their boundaries, often through the Local Government Association, on areas of shared interest.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 19/03/2015 16:39:25 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

227496

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2015
	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	Fire and Rescue Services: Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether firefighters aged 55 who fail a fitness test will receive an unreduced pension; and whether he plans to bring in legislative proposals to make this a statutory right.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	227579
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2015 answer text <p>It is not possible to introduce fitness regulations as part of the pension regulations in the absence of an agreed and universally applied national firefighter fitness standard in England. The statutory principles that we put in the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England came into force on 12 January 2015. To underpin these the National Employers have sought further discussion with the Fire Brigades Union in respect of additional guidance relating to the position already agreed in principle within the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services about the role fire authorities will take in supporting operational employees to maintain their fitness. In addition, the National Employers are looking to discuss with the unions, guidance on application of the factors set out in Pension Regulations for fire authority consideration in relation to Authority Initiated Early Retirement. Both approaches are expected to provide reassurance to operational employees that fire authorities will continue to treat their employees in a fair and consistent manner.</p><p>We will review the implementation of the National Framework principles in three years time and consider then whether further action is needed. In the meantime no firefighter will have to work beyond their current expected retirement date until 2022 at the earliest. Our expectation is that a firefighter of 55 or over who finds themselves in the situation of losing their fitness through no fault of their own, is unable to regain their fitness, and for whom there are no redeployment opportunities, should be offered an unreduced pension.</p><p>Where underlying medical reasons have been identified that restrict or prevent an individual from achieving the necessary fitness standards for undertaking their role as a firefighter, the individual should be referred to occupational health, and must receive the necessary support to facilitate a return to operational duties. The fire and rescue authority should also fully explore opportunities to enable the individual to remain in employment, including through reasonable adjustments and appropriate redeployment within the role, where it appears the medical condition prevents a return to operational duties. In those circumstances, where there are no such opportunities or suitable alternative employment is unavailable, then the fire and rescue authority will commence the formal assessment for ill-health retirement by referring the case to the Independent Qualified Medical Practitioner. Where it is determined that a firefighter is permanently unable to continue in their role as a firefighter they would become entitled to the immediate payment of a lower tier ill-health pension. In addition to this, they would also receive a higher tier ill-health enhancement if it was also determined that they could not undertake any regular employment. The definition of ill-health is wide, and includes both physical and mental conditions, including arthritis and post-traumatic stress syndrome. It is important to note that, where a firefighter is deemed eligible for medical retirement, the authority must pay the ill-health pension - there is no discretion.</p><p>Any firefighter will continue to be free to choose to retire from 55 onwards should they wish to, regardless of their fitness. In such circumstances, any benefits accrued in the 1992 and 2006 firefighters' pension schemes would be paid in full, while benefits earned in the 2015 scheme would be actuarially reduced by 21.8 per cent for a firefighter retiring on their birthday at 55, and reduced on a daily basis thereafter. The actuarial reduction of 21.8 per cent at age 55 compares very favourably with a reduction of over 40 per cent applied to firefighters at the same age in the 2006 scheme. The 2006 scheme also introduced a normal pension age of 60. Overall, our measures give firefighters one of the most generous pensions in the public sector and the strongest protections available for any public sector workforce on fitness and ageing.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 19/03/2015 13:06:16 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

227099

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2015
	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	Fire and Rescue Services: Pensions
	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 discussions he has had with fire authorities in England and Wales on pension rights for firefighters who fail fitness tests due to illness; and how many of those authorities have indicated to him that they cannot pay those pensions.
	tabling member constituency	East Antrim
	tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
	uin	227419
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2015 answer text <p>I recently met with the National Employers to discuss firefighter fitness issues in England. Where underlying medical reasons have been identified that restrict or prevent an individual from achieving the necessary fitness standards for undertaking their role as a firefighter, the individual should be referred to occupational health, and must receive the necessary support to facilitate a return to operational duties. The fire and rescue authority should also fully explore opportunities to enable the individual to remain in employment, including through reasonable adjustments and appropriate redeployment within the role, where it appears the medical condition prevents a return to operational duties. In those circumstances, where there are no such opportunities or suitable alternative employment is unavailable, then the fire and rescue authority will commence the formal assessment for ill-health retirement by referring the case to the Independent Qualified Medical Practitioner. Where it is determined that a firefighter is permanently unable to continue in their role as a firefighter they would become entitled to the immediate payment of a lower tier ill-health pension. In addition to this, they would also receive a higher tier ill-health enhancement if it was also determined that they could not undertake any regular employment. The definition of ill-health is wide, and includes both physical and mental conditions, including arthritis and post-traumatic stress syndrome. It is important to note that, where a firefighter is deemed eligible for medical retirement, the authority must pay the ill-health pension - there is no discretion.</p><p> </p><p>In the 2015 Firefighters Pension Scheme firefighters will accrue pension more quickly than their counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and will consequently achieve a higher ill-health pension.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 19/03/2015 12:57:23 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

226240

	registered interest
	date	10/03/2015
	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	Fire and Rescue Services: Pensions
	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 bring forward legislative proposals to require fire authorities to provide a full pension to fire fighters between the ages of 55 and 60 if they fail a fitness test due to no fault of their own and cannot be employed in another role within the fire service.
	tabling member constituency	Wellingborough
	tabling member printed	Mr Peter Bone
	uin	227101
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2015 answer text <p>It is not possible to introduce fitness regulations as part of the pension regulations in the absence of an agreed and universally applied national firefighter fitness standard in England. The statutory principles that we put in the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England came into force on 12 January. To underpin these, the National Employers have sought further discussion with the Fire Brigades Union in respect of additional guidance relating to the position already agreed in principle within the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services. This discussion will be about the role fire authorities will take in supporting operational employees in maintaining their fitness. In addition, the National Employers are looking to discuss with the unions, guidance on the application of the factors set out in pension regulations for fire authority consideration in relation to Authority Initiated Early Retirement. Both approaches are expected to provide reassurance to operational employees that fire authorities will continue to treat their employees in a fair and consistent manner.</p><p> </p><p>We will review the implementation of the National Framework principles in three years time and consider then whether further action is needed. In the meantime no firefighter will have to work beyond their current expected retirement date until 2022 at the earliest. Our expectation is that a firefighter of 55 or over who finds themselves in the situation of losing their fitness through no fault of their own, is subsequently unable to regain their fitness, and for whom there are no redeployment opportunities, should be offered an unreduced pension.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 16/03/2015 15:35:07 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	1581 label Biography information for Mr Peter Bone

226610

	registered interest
	date	10/03/2015
	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	Fire and Rescue Services: Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department has made on resolving the dispute over firefighters' pensions.
	tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
	tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
	uin	908071
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2015 answer text <p>The Firefighters Pension Scheme 2015 will come into force on 1 April 2015.</p><p> </p><p>The National Employers have agreed to work with the Fire Brigades Union to ensure that the fitness principles detailed in the Fire and Rescue National Framework, are incorporated into in local policies. The dispute should now come to an end.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 16/03/2015 15:49:48 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson