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44365

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the health effects of infrasound from wind turbine generators.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	192989
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2014 answer text <p>A number of independent peer reviewed research studies have concluded that there is no evidence of health effects arising from infrasound or low frequency noise, generated by windfarms that are built according to Government guidelines.</p><p> </p><p>For example, a comprehensive study undertaken in the UK in 1997 by ETSU for the Department of Trade and Industry (ETSU W/13/00392/REP) found no evidence that ground transmitted low frequency noise from wind turbines is at a sufficient level to be harmful to human health. These findings were confirmed by a study published in 2005 by the Applied and Environmental Geophysics Group of the School of Physical and Geographical Sciences at Keele University titled Microseismic and Infrasound Monitoring of Low Frequency Noise and Vibrations from Wind Farms1. In 2003 the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs published a report entitled 'A Review of Published Research on Low Frequency Noise and its Effects'2 and in 2004, BERR commissioned Hayes McKenzie to conduct an independent study to investigate the levels and effects of Low Frequency Noise from wind farms3.</p><p> </p><p><em>1</em><em> <a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/geophysics/appliedseismology/wind/Final_Report.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.keele.ac.uk/geophysics/appliedseismology/wind/Final_Report.pdf</a></em></p><p><em>2</em><em> <a href="http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/noise/research/lowfrequency/documents/lowfreqnoise.pdf" target="_blank">http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/noise/research/lowfrequency/documents/lowfreqnoise.pdf</a></em></p><p><em>3 </em><em><a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/explained/wind/onshore-offshore/page31267.html" target="_blank">http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/explained/wind/onshore-offshore/page31267.html</a></em></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 25/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

35983

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2014
	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, what steps his Department is taking to support local planning authorities in (a) improving the viability of brownfield sites and (b) restarting stalled developments.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	185957
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em>Kick-starting stalled developments</em></p><p>This Government has introduced a series of measures to support stalled house building. These include:</p><p>· The Get Britain Building investment fund, providing over £500 million of finance which has so far helped start 11,893 new homes on stalled sites (as of February 2014).</p><p>· The Growing Places Fund is providing £770 million to deliver the infrastructure needed to unlock stalled schemes that will promote economic growth, create jobs and build homes. The fund has been fully allocated to Local Enterprise Partnerships and the devolved administrations to fund local projects.</p><p>· The £474 million Local Infrastructure Fund investment fund is supporting the delivery of upfront infrastructure for locally-supported, large scale housing sites and commercial development; it also provides capacity funding and brokerage support to local authorities to help them progress major schemes through the planning process. Nearly 80,000 homes have been unlocked on fifteen different sites. A further thirteen schemes are currently being assessed for investment, which we believe have the potential to deliver nearly 40,000 homes.</p><p>· The Autumn Statement committed an additional £1 billion of Local Infrastructure Fund funding to unlock locally-led housing schemes capable of delivering up to a further 250,000 new homes, and a second round prospectus will be published in due course.</p><p>· The Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013 enables developers with any Section 106 agreement to apply for a review of the affordable housing component to ensure development is not being made unviable by unrealistic requirements. Such unviable Section 106 agreements result in no development, no regeneration and no community benefits: a sensible review can result in more housing and more affordable housing.</p><p>· As the housing market has improved, we have ended the temporary measure (introduced by the last Administration) which allowed developers to roll forward their planning permissions; this ending of the measure will increase the incentive for developers to start on site before permission expires.</p><p>· We are also seeking to tackle the inappropriate use of planning conditions and speed up the process of gaining non-planning consents.</p><p>· The Budget announced a £525 million Builders' Finance Fund to assist small and medium sized developers to access finance to support the delivery of housing schemes of between 15 and 250 units, helping kick-start stalled sites and deliver around 15,000 units over four years.</p><p><em>Supporting development on brownfield land</em></p><p>Freeing up brownfield land for regeneration and development is a key priority for my department. Our actions include:</p><p>· We have amended planning regulations to make it easier to change the use of an existing building from commercial to residential use, retail to residential use and agricultural to residential use. Permitted development rights have been expanded, including for flats above shops and allowing for new temporary uses. The Budget announced our intention to further extend these flexibilities.</p><p>· The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that planning should encourage the effective use of land by re-using brownfield land provided that it is not of high environmental value, and that local councils can set locally appropriate targets for using brownfield land. We have also amended planning practice guidance to stress the importance of bringing brownfield land into use.</p><p>· We have abolished the last Government's Pathfinder programme which sought to demolish homes and instead we have focused on refurbishment and getting empty homes into use. We are investing £160 million specifically to bring empty homes back into use. The New Homes Bonus rewards long-term empty homes being brought back into use and we have given councils the flexibility to remove tax subsidies given to empty homes, and use the money to keep the overall rate of council tax down. The number of empty homes in England has fallen to its lowest rate ever according to the Empty Homes Agency.</p><p>· My Department has been supporting the Olympic legacy, driving renewal and regeneration in east London, replacing over 740 acres of polluted, low-grade industrial land and premises with new sports and community facilities, parks, homes, shops and transport infrastructure.</p><p>· We are working with the Mayor of London to unlock the construction of 11,000 new homes at Barking Riverside, and extend transport infrastructure.</p><p>· A new garden city will be delivered on brownfield land in Ebbsfleet, supported by an Urban Development Corporation and up to £200 million of public investment. The last Administration pledged in its 2003 Sustainable Communities Plan to regenerate Ebbsfleet but failed to deliver.</p><p>· The new Right to Contest builds on our existing Community Right to Reclaim Land, which lets communities ask that under-used or unused land owned by public bodies is brought back into beneficial use. This new Right applies to sites currently in use, but are not vital for operations. It gives businesses and members of the public an opportunity to challenge government on the best use of its estate.</p><p>· We have a comprehensive programme to sell surplus public sector land and property, freeing up taxpayers' money and providing land for new homes. As at the end of December we had released surplus government owned land with capacity for 68,000 homes to be built. We have strengthened the role of the Homes and Communities Agency through a targeted programme of transfers from other Government Departments and agencies. In addition, to ensure land is released efficiently, the Homes and Communities Agency will be Government's land disposal agency. This builds on the Homes and Communities Agency's expertise and experience of complex land remediation and disposals as well as their close relationships with local planning authorities.</p><p>· Through the Strategic Land and Property Review we have identified scope to generate £5 billion of receipts from government land and property between 2015 and 2020. This will put land and property into the hands of those who can exploit them for commercial purposes – creating opportunities for housing and economic development.</p><p>· Changes to Community Infrastructure Levy rules now provide an increased incentive for brownfield development, and extended exemptions for empty buildings being brought back into. We have recently published a consultation paper to lift Section 106 burdens on vacant buildings being returned to use.</p><p>· The Budget announced an Estate Regeneration fund which will provide £150 million to help kick start and accelerate the regeneration of housing estates.</p><p>I hope this outlines the decisive action that this Government is taking.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

45206

	registered interest
	date	26/03/2014
	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, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of wind turbine developers using the Community Right to Build scheme to circumvent the local planning process.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	193840
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Community Right to Build allows local communities to undertake small-scale, site-specific, community-led developments. It may only be used by community organisations in which local people in the relevant neighbourhood area have a majority of the voting rights and have the majority on the board of directors or governing body of the organisation, and, include different people from at least 10 different addresses within the area. This means the Community Right to Build cannot be used by property developers, including wind turbine developers, to gain planning permission for their development proposal - unless that development is something that the community wishes to see and which the community initiates.</p><p>Proposals that require an Environmental Impact Assessment or are likely to have significant effects on a site protected under the Habitats Regulations are not eligible to use the Community Right to Build. Where proposals are eligible they will be tested by an independent examiner to see that they are appropriate in the light of national planning policy and generally conform with the strategic policies of the Local Plan for the area and any neighbourhood plans that are in force.</p><p>The National Planning Policy Framework is very clear that local councils should design their policies to ensure the adverse impacts of renewable energy developments are addressed satisfactorily. To help implement the environmental balance expected by the Framework, we issued new planning practice guidance for renewable and low carbon energy last July. The guidance makes clear that the need for renewable energy does not automatically override environmental protections and the planning concerns of local communities.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

42616

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	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 Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Executive on the closure of the Independent Living Fund.
	tabling member constituency	Wrexham
	tabling member printed	Ian Lucas
	uin	191486
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland have been informed of the decision to close the Independent Living Fund on 30 June 2015. I will be writing to Ministers with further details shortly.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 17/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	1470 label Biography information for Ian C. Lucas

43183

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	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 Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to introduce statutory time limits on claims for personal independence payments.
	tabling member constituency	Wrexham
	tabling member printed	Ian Lucas
	uin	191993
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>In line with other benefits, there are no statutory time limits on processing times to claims for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and we have no plans to change that position.</p><p> </p><p>We are taking the necessary action to improve the processing times, including working with the providers. </p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 18/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	1470 label Biography information for Ian C. Lucas

42615

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	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 Work and Pensions, what his policy is on the payment of pensions into post office card accounts.
	tabling member constituency	Wrexham
	tabling member printed	Ian Lucas
	uin	191485
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Department pays benefits and pensions by Direct Payment into a bank, building society, credit union or Post Office card account.</p><p>The Post Office card account is a very simple account with limited functionality. Our policy has always been clear that the best option, especially for people of working age, is an account that can accept payments from employers and has transactional facilities such as direct debits for the payment of bills and housing costs.</p><p>The Department is currently in discussions with Post Office Ltd and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills to consider the future needs of customers beyond 2015.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb grouped question UIN 191484 question first answered 17/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	1470 label Biography information for Ian C. Lucas

42617

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	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 Work and Pensions, what his policy is on the payment of benefits into post office card accounts.
	tabling member constituency	Wrexham
	tabling member printed	Ian Lucas
	uin	191484
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Department pays benefits and pensions by Direct Payment into a bank, building society, credit union or Post Office card account.</p><p>The Post Office card account is a very simple account with limited functionality. Our policy has always been clear that the best option, especially for people of working age, is an account that can accept payments from employers and has transactional facilities such as direct debits for the payment of bills and housing costs.</p><p>The Department is currently in discussions with Post Office Ltd and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills to consider the future needs of customers beyond 2015.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb grouped question UIN 191485 question first answered 17/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	1470 label Biography information for Ian C. Lucas

42046

	registered interest
	date	07/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	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 Work and Pensions, how many people have been in receipt of out-of-work benefits for (a) one year, (b) two years and (c) three years or more in (i) Wrexham constituency, (ii) Wales and (iii) the UK in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Wrexham
	tabling member printed	Ian Lucas
	uin	191126
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The information we can provide is shown in the table below:</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Out of work benefit claimants by statistical group and duration of oldest claim, for Great Britain, Wales and Wrexham constituency: August 2011- August 2013</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>All</p></td><td><p>Up to 1 year</p></td><td><p>1 to 2 years</p></td><td><p>2 to 3 years</p></td><td><p>3 years and over</p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3"><p>August 2011</p></td><td><p>Great Britain</p></td><td><p>4,842,010</p></td><td><p>1,937,380</p></td><td><p>503,230</p></td><td><p>290,240</p></td><td><p>2,111,170</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wales</p></td><td><p>296,370</p></td><td><p>105,870</p></td><td><p>27,670</p></td><td><p>18,030</p></td><td><p>144,790</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wrexham</p></td><td><p>6,350</p></td><td><p>2,370</p></td><td><p>620</p></td><td><p>420</p></td><td><p>2,930</p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3"><p>August 2012</p></td><td><p>Great Britain</p></td><td><p>4,721,460</p></td><td><p>2,138,490</p></td><td><p>649,290</p></td><td><p>313,940</p></td><td><p>1,619,740</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wales</p></td><td><p>286,820</p></td><td><p>124,910</p></td><td><p>35,260</p></td><td><p>17,320</p></td><td><p>109,320</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wrexham</p></td><td><p>6,090</p></td><td><p>2,850</p></td><td><p>660</p></td><td><p>380</p></td><td><p>2,200</p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3"><p>August 2013</p></td><td><p>Great Britain</p></td><td><p>4,395,860</p></td><td><p>2,051,340</p></td><td><p>881,810</p></td><td><p>389,270</p></td><td><p>1,073,440</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wales</p></td><td><p>267,890</p></td><td><p>121,960</p></td><td><p>53,400</p></td><td><p>21,180</p></td><td><p>71,340</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wrexham</p></td><td><p>5,710</p></td><td><p>2,740</p></td><td><p>1,160</p></td><td><p>400</p></td><td><p>1,400</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>Where a claim has converted to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) from Incapacity Benefit/Severe Disablement Allowance or Income Support the data reflects the duration from the start of ESA claim. Most of these re-assessments have occurred since April 2011 when the re-assessment process commenced.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p>1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest ten and totals may not sum due to rounding. </p><p>2. Out of work benefits which are included in this analysis are:-</p><p>Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)</p><p>Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)</p><p>Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance (IB/SDA)</p><p>Income Support (IS).</p><p>3. Incapacity Benefit and IS on incapacity grounds were replaced by Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) for new claims from October 2008.</p><p>4. The duration of claim reflects the longest out-of-work benefit claim for each person.</p><p>5. Where a claim has converted to ESA from IB/SDA or IS data reflects duration from start of ESA claim.</p><p>6. Great Britain data have been provided as the information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department for Social Development. Northern Ireland statistics can be found at:</p><p> <a href="http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/stats_and_research.htm" target="_blank">http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/stats_and_research.htm</a></p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 17/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
	tabling member	1470 label Biography information for Ian C. Lucas

44668

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	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, what steps he is taking to encourage local authority pension funds to become signatories to the Stewardship Code.
	tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
	tabling member printed	Paul Uppal
	uin	193480
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Each local authority that administers a pension fund is already subject to statutory guidance that states that it should recognise the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code and ensure that the Code is adopted by their fund managers, investment consultants and advisers. The guidance also states that the authority should include a statement of its policy on responsible ownership in its statement of the principles governing its investment decisions and report periodically to scheme members on the implementation of the policy. Sixteen of the eighty nine local government pension funds in England and Wales are themselves signatories to the Stewardship Code as asset owners.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis grouped question UIN 193481 question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	4078 label Biography information for Paul Uppal

44669

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	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, what steps he is taking to encourage local authority pension funds to become active owners or stewards of their assets as defined in the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code.
	tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
	tabling member printed	Paul Uppal
	uin	193481
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Each local authority that administers a pension fund is already subject to statutory guidance that states that it should recognise the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code and ensure that the Code is adopted by their fund managers, investment consultants and advisers. The guidance also states that the authority should include a statement of its policy on responsible ownership in its statement of the principles governing its investment decisions and report periodically to scheme members on the implementation of the policy. Sixteen of the eighty nine local government pension funds in England and Wales are themselves signatories to the Stewardship Code as asset owners.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis grouped question UIN 193480 question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	4078 label Biography information for Paul Uppal