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32412

	registered interest
	date	13/01/2014
	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 funding will be put in place to support local discretionary welfare provision after 2015.
	tabling member constituency	Rochdale
	tabling member printed	Simon Danczuk
	uin	182969
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Thursday 16 January 2014]</em></p><p>The nationally run Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans were poorly targeted and failed to help those most in need. So, in 2012 as part of wider welfare reform, the Department for Work and Pensions abolished these national discretionary schemes and transferred responsibility to local authorities so they could deliver and tailor new local support as part of their existing services to their communities.</p><p>Councils can continue to provide support to those in their community who face financial difficulties or who find themselves in unavoidable circumstances, but there is no requirement to replicate the previous approach adopted by central government.</p><p>In contrast to a centralised grant system that was poorly targeted, under the Department for Work and Pensions' reforms, councils can now choose how best to support local welfare needs within their areas – what is right for, say, Rochdale may not be for other authorities. Some councils have already chosen to wind down their dedicated schemes following underspends.</p><p>In the next Spending Round period, from April 2015, central government continues to provide support to local authorities through general funds as part of the Coalition Government's commitment to reducing ring-fencing and ending top-down Whitehall control.</p><p>The Department for Work and Pensions provided a separate fund for 2013-2015 and are carrying out a review of the provision to date.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	4059 label Biography information for Simon Danczuk

49299

	registered interest
	date	30/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward proposals to enable small businesses to claim a rates reduction to help them retain staff.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	197429
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>As announced at the Autumn Statement, the Government has introduced in England a £1 billion package of business rates support for 2014-15. That includes the continued doubling of Small Business Rate Relief for a further year which we estimate will support 540,000 businesses. The Localism Act has also made it easier for small firms to claim the rate relief to which they are entitled. This support builds on the £11 billion a year of tax cuts this government has announced to corporation tax, employer National Insurance Contributions and fuel duty.</p><p>Business rates in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

49449

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2014
	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 bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	197454
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Whilst noting the many virtues of Brighton, as recognised by the conferring of City status to the towns of Brighton and Hove by Her Majesty in 2000, I am afraid I have to disappoint my hon. Friend. My Department has no current plans to dig out our bucket and spade and move to the seaside.</p><p>Since May 2010, my Department's priority has been to rationalise our wider estate to reduce costs. This has seen the Department surrender six leasehold office properties through a combination of lease breaks and expiries generating net savings in the period of around £7 million per annum. The Department has also successfully sub-let surplus space across its leasehold office estate during the same period, reducing the overall property costs by around £11.1 million.</p><p>The Department has also negotiated the early surrender of Eland House and is shortly scheduled to relocate to 2 Marsham Street to share premises with the Home Office. This move will reduce our Department's running costs by a further £9 million a year and generate savings for the taxpayer of £220 million over the lifetime of the building's lease. This illustrates the scope for Government and, indeed, the public sector as a whole to make sensible savings through better property management.</p><p>However, I commend the hon. Member for his cheerleading of the City as a place to do business.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

49742

	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, which organisations have received how much funding from his Department aimed at supporting access to short breaks and respite provision for children, young people and their families experiencing all types of disadvantage in each of the last five financial years.
	tabling member constituency	Blackpool North and Cleveleys
	tabling member printed	Paul Maynard
	uin	197820
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Funding for such schemes would be a matter for local authorities, rather than being directly funded by my Department.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard

49796

	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, when he plans to answer Question 196666, tabled on 25 April 2014 for answer on 30 April 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	197921
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Question 196666 was answered on 6 May, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 29W.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

49904

	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, if he will publish the guidance he has issued to combined authorities on good practice on the representation of opposition councillors on (a) the new bodies set up under the Combined Authority regulations and (b) the scrutiny panels; and what sanctions he has in the event of combined authorities not complying with best practice.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne East
	tabling member printed	Mr Nicholas Brown
	uin	197842
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Following the recent establishment of four new combined authorities, I wrote to the Leaders of the councils involved setting out the good practice that I expect them to follow with regards to governance and transparency. We believe that following such good practice will ensure that the various political parties represented on all the councils concerned will have appropriate involvement and influence in the work of the combined authorities. A copy of those letters were also published on the Government's website at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-brandon-lewis-on-combined-authorities-governance-and-transparency" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-brandon-lewis-on-combined-authorities-governance-and-transparency</a></p><p>and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-to-leaders-of-the-combined-authority-for-the-area-of-durham-northumberland-and-tyne-and-wear" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-to-leaders-of-the-combined-authority-for-the-area-of-durham-northumberland-and-tyne-and-wear</a>.</p><p>The Government believes that it would reinforce the confidence all have in the effectiveness and accountability of combined authorities and economic prosperity boards, if the following of this good practice was guaranteed. I launched a consultation on 30 April regarding changes that the Government proposes to make to the legislation relating to combined authorities and economic prosperity boards. This consultation includes the proposal to require combined authorities and economic prosperity boards to have one or more overview and scrutiny committee(s) constituted with a membership reflecting the political balance of the councils concerned. This consultation closes on 24 June and can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposals-to-amend-legislation-relating-to-combined-authorities-and-economic-prosperity-boards" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposals-to-amend-legislation-relating-to-combined-authorities-and-economic-prosperity-boards</a>.</p><p>I have placed copies of the associated documents in the Library of the House.</p><p> </p><p><em> </em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	523 label Biography information for Mr Nicholas Brown

50185

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2014
	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, with reference to the letter of 30 April 2014 from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to the chairmen of fire and rescue authorities and the Chairman of the Local Government Association's Fire Service Management Committee, if he will put forward the revised proposals for consideration by firefighters and the Fire Brigades Union.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	198066
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>It is common knowledge that we agreed to ask the Government Actuary's Department to cost proposals put forward by the Fire Brigades Union. These were Fire Brigades Union proposals which the Government had not taken a view on.</p><p>My letter to the General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union of 23 April said “we are now considering this proposal across Government. While we are not yet in a position to respond positively to your suggested changes, I will inform you of the outcome of those deliberations as soon as possible”. I had also been clear with the Fire Brigades Union leadership that it was only possible to consider such proposals during a period when strike action was in abeyance. Rather than continue and finalise that constructive process the Fire Brigades Union leadership chose to call a halt to discussions prematurely by announcing strike action.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas