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106091

	registered interest
	date	03/11/2014
	answering body	Members Estimate Committee
	answering dept id	91
	answering dept short name	Members Estimate Committee
	answering dept sort name	Members Estimate Committee
	hansard heading	Members: Allowances
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the Members Estimate Committee, which documentation relating to expenses claims submitted by hon. Members in which years have been shredded in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Bassetlaw
	tabling member printed	John Mann
	uin	213009
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The House of Commons Commission (which was responsible for Members Estimate matters prior to the establishment of the Members Estimate Committee in 2004) agreed at its meeting of 21 October 2002 to implement a retention policy for financial papers, which would entail detailed claims, receipts, invoices and warrants being retained for three years after the end of the year of the transaction. This included documentation relating to Members’ allowances. The policy was incorporated into the Authorised Records Disposal Practice (ARDP) produced by the Parliamentary Archives and made available to Members and staff of both Houses on the parliamentary intranet in 2004. Decisions made by the House of Commons Commission and the Members Estimate Committee are published on the Parliament website.</p><p>Destruction of these records was paused in 2010 pending the conclusion of police inquiries, but was restarted on the previous basis in 2012 once legal proceedings were concluded. The only documentation destroyed in the last 12 months in relation to Members’ expenses has been background information to support claims, which was no longer needed after the 2010 general election when the House ceased to be responsible for expenses claims. This was done in April 2014.</p><p>While the original financial documents relating to MPs’ expenses were destroyed in compliance with the Authorised Records Disposal Policy (ARDP), more than a million documents and receipts, with some personal information redacted, were published online and subsequently updated. This information remains available on the Parliament website at: <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/members-allowances/house-of-commons/" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/members-allowances/house-of-commons/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross answering member printed John Thurso grouped question UIN 213008 213010 question first answered 06/11/2014 15:11:56 answering member 1399 label Biography information for Viscount Thurso
	tabling member	1387 label Biography information for Lord Mann

106092

	registered interest
	date	03/11/2014
	answering body	Members Estimate Committee
	answering dept id	91
	answering dept short name	Members Estimate Committee
	answering dept sort name	Members Estimate Committee
	hansard heading	Members: Allowances
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the Members Estimate Committee, when the decision to destroy documentation relating to hon. Members' expenses claims from before 2010 was reported to the House.
	tabling member constituency	Bassetlaw
	tabling member printed	John Mann
	uin	213010
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The House of Commons Commission (which was responsible for Members Estimate matters prior to the establishment of the Members Estimate Committee in 2004) agreed at its meeting of 21 October 2002 to implement a retention policy for financial papers, which would entail detailed claims, receipts, invoices and warrants being retained for three years after the end of the year of the transaction. This included documentation relating to Members’ allowances. The policy was incorporated into the Authorised Records Disposal Practice (ARDP) produced by the Parliamentary Archives and made available to Members and staff of both Houses on the parliamentary intranet in 2004. Decisions made by the House of Commons Commission and the Members Estimate Committee are published on the Parliament website.</p><p>Destruction of these records was paused in 2010 pending the conclusion of police inquiries, but was restarted on the previous basis in 2012 once legal proceedings were concluded. The only documentation destroyed in the last 12 months in relation to Members’ expenses has been background information to support claims, which was no longer needed after the 2010 general election when the House ceased to be responsible for expenses claims. This was done in April 2014.</p><p>While the original financial documents relating to MPs’ expenses were destroyed in compliance with the Authorised Records Disposal Policy (ARDP), more than a million documents and receipts, with some personal information redacted, were published online and subsequently updated. This information remains available on the Parliament website at: <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/members-allowances/house-of-commons/" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/members-allowances/house-of-commons/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross answering member printed John Thurso grouped question UIN 213008 213009 question first answered 06/11/2014 15:11:57 answering member 1399 label Biography information for Viscount Thurso
	tabling member	1387 label Biography information for Lord Mann

100564

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	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	Council Tax Benefits
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish the detailed terms of reference for the review of the impact of abolishing Council Tax Benefit.
	tabling member printed	Baroness King of Bow
	uin	HL2301
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department is currently working with the Council Tax Partnership Forum and local authorities to identify appropriate and proportionate data for the independent three-year review of the local council tax support policy.</p><p> </p><p>The timetable, coverage, process for data collection and detailed terms of reference for the review will be agreed and published in due course.</p><p> </p><p>Spending on council tax benefit doubled under the last Government, costing taxpayers £4 billion a year—equivalent to almost £180 a year per household. Welfare reform is vital to tackle the budget deficit by the last Administration.</p><p> </p><p>Our reforms to localise council tax support now give councils stronger incentives to support local firms, cut fraud, promote local enterprise and get people to into work. We are ending the last Administration's 'something for nothing' culture and making work pay.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 06/11/2014 17:48:45 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	143 label Biography information for Baroness King of Bow

101533

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	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	Housing: Construction
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to promote environmental and sustainable housebuilding following the abolition of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
	tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
	uin	212394
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The Housing Standards Review has clearly established the Government’s policy to rationalise and simplify the many overlapping and confusing technical housing standards currently in operation. The Review will enable quality and sustainable housing developments to be brought forward more easily but without compromising essential safety and accessibility protections. The outcome of the Review also means that a number of the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes will be consolidated into the Building Regulations, which would require substantial changes to the content of the current Code, as well as reconsideration of its role. So in the light of this, the Government stated in the recent technical consultation that the current Code will be wound down to coincide with the changes incorporating the new standards coming into force, early in the new year. The consultation also set out proposals on the transitional arrangements, and for the handling of legacy developments being built out to current Code requirements.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 212607 question first answered 06/11/2014 16:44:57 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

101535

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	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	Lighting
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the level of street lighting they should have in place.
	tabling member constituency	Bury St Edmunds
	tabling member printed	Mr David Ruffley
	uin	212384
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p><ins class="ministerial">Street lighting plays an important role in road safety, as well as ensuring the personal safety of pedestrians. I refer my Hon Friend to the answer of 13 May 2014, Official Report, columns 535-36W, which provides a comprehensive answer on how there is no prescriptive Whitehall guidance, and places in context the policy of the last Administration which actively encouraged cuts to street lighting.</ins></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">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-specially in relation to any concerns about crime. Equally, not every neighbourhood wants street lighting, as some communities, especially in rural areas, value dark skies.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">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 “Manual for Streets” 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.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">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:</del></p><p><del class="ministerial"><em>Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs</em><em>:</em></del></p><p><del class="ministerial">The right hon. Member for Leeds Central (Hilary Benn) (now Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government) when 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:</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">“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”</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">(6 November 2006, <em>Official Report</em>, column 709W).</del></p><p><del class="ministerial"><em>Department for Transport</em><em>:</em></del></p><p><del class="ministerial">The Minister of State for Transport, the noble Lord Adonis (now a Shadow Treasury Minister) when asked about reducing the hours of operation of street lighting, noted that</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">“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”</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">(17 December 2008, <em>Official Report</em>, <em>House of Lords</em>, column WA52). Transport Ministers also endorsed the Highways Agency’s</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">‘Efficiency Strategy for Road Lighting’ which led to switching off motorway lighting at night (21 April 2008,</del></p><p><br /><del class="ministerial"><em>Official Report, </em>column 1444W; Highways Agency</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">“Efficiency Strategy for Road Lighting Midnight Switch Off for Motorway Lighting”, 2009).</del></p><p><del class="ministerial"><em>Department for Communities and Local Government</em><em>:</em></del></p><p><del class="ministerial">The right hon. Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) (now Shadow Home Secretary), when as Minister in the precursor Department to DCLG, noted there was nuanced debate on the extent of street lighting:</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">“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”</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">(12 February 2004, <em>Official Report</em>, column 510WH).</del></p><p><del class="ministerial"><em>Department </em><em>of</em><em> Energy and Climate Change</em><em>:</em></del></p><p><del class="ministerial">In 2008, the right hon. Member for Leeds East (Hilary Benn) 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 “Energy Strategy for Roadside Equipment” (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:</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">“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”</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">(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 right hon. Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband) now Leader of HM Opposition.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">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.</del></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 06/11/2014 17:31:07 question first ministerially corrected 10/11/2014 17:19:10 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins previous answer version 26617 answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	133 label Biography information for Mr David Ruffley

101536

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	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	Housing: Construction
	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 assist local authorities build more sustainable homes.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
	tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
	uin	212393
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government has policies and programmes in place to assist local authorities to build more homes. This includes the £122 million additional borrowing allocated to 22 councils to help them build new affordable homes and support local growth. We will make further announcements of additional borrowing to local councils later in the year. This is only possible thanks to the decisive action we have taken to reduce the deficit left by the last Labour Government. Further details of the actions we have taken recently to support house building, amongst other departmental work, are set out in the written statement made on13 October 2014 (Official Report, Written Ministerial Statements, Column 2WS).</p><p> </p><p>All new homes have to meet Building Regulations’ requirements and in April strengthened energy performance standards came into effect. In the Housing Standards Review, the Government is streamlining the technical standards which apply to new housing development and consolidating as far as possible necessary requirements into Building Regulations to ensure new homes are sustainable. As part of the review, the Government intends to bring forward optional Building Regulations requirements in areas such as accessibility and water efficiency which will enable local authorities to apply higher standards than the Building Regulations national minimum standard where there is a local need, and viability is not compromised.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to sustainable development and local authorities should consider applications for housing development in that context.</p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 212608 question first answered 06/11/2014 16:40:58 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

101626

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	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	Local Government Ombudsman
	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 is allocated to the Local Government Ombudsman; how many staff the Ombudsman employs; and how many enquiries were received by the Ombudsman in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.
	tabling member constituency	Stoke-on-Trent North
	tabling member printed	Joan Walley
	uin	212525
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The information requested can be found in the Local Government Ombudsman’s annual report and accounts, which are presented to Parliament each year, and which are available online at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.lgo.org.uk/publications/annual-report/" target="_blank">http://www.lgo.org.uk/publications/annual-report/</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 06/11/2014 17:19:28 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	286 label Biography information for Joan Walley

101805

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2014
	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	Lighting
	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 issue guidance to (a) local authorities and (b) fire and rescue authorities that they should implement a replacement programme to introduce LED lighting in their buildings.
	tabling member constituency	Colchester
	tabling member printed	Sir Bob Russell
	uin	212615
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>My Department sets minimum standards in the Building Regulations for the energy efficiency of lighting when installed in new and existing buildings, but does not issue guidance on replacement programmes for lighting. The standards in the Building Regulations can be met by LEDs, but it is for local authorities and fire and rescue authorities to judge for themselves when replacement of existing systems will be practical and cost-effective. LED retrofit solutions and key considerations are covered in the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s Code of Practice for the Application of LED Lighting Systems, published earlier this year.<br><br>Although LEDs are improving all the time, they are not at the moment necessarily any more energy efficient than modern fluorescent luminaires - or better when comparing things like light quality, reliability, maintainability and lifetime costs - to justify wholesale replacement of existing lighting systems. The main advantage of LEDs over fluorescent luminaires is that they do not contain any mercury and, when compared with compact fluorescent lamps, reach full brightness immediately.<br><br>DECC has policy responsibility for the Ecodesign Directive, which includes requirements for the efficiency of lamps that can be placed on the EU market. By 2016, only LEDs and the most efficient halogen lamps will be able to meet the standards.</p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 06/11/2014 17:14:27 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	35 label Biography information for Sir Bob Russell

101807

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2014
	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	Housing: Sustainable Development
	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 prepare and publish a new draft code for sustainable homes.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
	tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
	uin	212607
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The Housing Standards Review has clearly established the Government’s policy to rationalise and simplify the many overlapping and confusing technical housing standards currently in operation. The Review will enable quality and sustainable housing developments to be brought forward more easily but without compromising essential safety and accessibility protections. The outcome of the Review also means that a number of the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes will be consolidated into the Building Regulations, which would require substantial changes to the content of the current Code, as well as reconsideration of its role. So in the light of this, the Government stated in the recent technical consultation that the current Code will be wound down to coincide with the changes incorporating the new standards coming into force, early in the new year. The consultation also set out proposals on the transitional arrangements, and for the handling of legacy developments being built out to current Code requirements.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 212394 question first answered 06/11/2014 16:44:57 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

101808

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2014
	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	Housing: Sustainable Development
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to enable local authorities to promote sustainable house building.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
	tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
	uin	212608
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government has policies and programmes in place to assist local authorities to build more homes. This includes the £122 million additional borrowing allocated to 22 councils to help them build new affordable homes and support local growth. We will make further announcements of additional borrowing to local councils later in the year. This is only possible thanks to the decisive action we have taken to reduce the deficit left by the last Labour Government. Further details of the actions we have taken recently to support house building, amongst other departmental work, are set out in the written statement made on13 October 2014 (Official Report, Written Ministerial Statements, Column 2WS).</p><p> </p><p>All new homes have to meet Building Regulations’ requirements and in April strengthened energy performance standards came into effect. In the Housing Standards Review, the Government is streamlining the technical standards which apply to new housing development and consolidating as far as possible necessary requirements into Building Regulations to ensure new homes are sustainable. As part of the review, the Government intends to bring forward optional Building Regulations requirements in areas such as accessibility and water efficiency which will enable local authorities to apply higher standards than the Building Regulations national minimum standard where there is a local need, and viability is not compromised.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to sustainable development and local authorities should consider applications for housing development in that context.</p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 212393 question first answered 06/11/2014 16:40:58 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts