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105860

	registered interest
	date	03/11/2014
	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	Pay
	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 Instant Rewards of what value were given to his Department's officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date.
	tabling member constituency	Barrow and Furness
	tabling member printed	John Woodcock
	uin	213061
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department has reduced staffing costs from £218 million a year in 2009-10 to £95 million in 2013-14. We have also completely overhauled and reformed the system of bonuses, in turn, reducing spending from £1.3 million in financial year 2008-09 and £1.2 million in financial year 2009-10 (£1.0 million in performance year 2009-10) to £440,000 in performance year 2013-14.</p><p> </p><p>For staff who are not Senior Civil Service, this included replacing the Annual Performance Bonus Scheme and the in-year Special Bonus Scheme, with an Exceptional Performance Scheme and in-year Instant Voucher Reward Scheme. The latter is designed to enable managers to provide immediate acknowledgment of exceptional performance for smaller scale achievements over a short period of time. Vouchers are given in values of £10 to £50.</p><p> </p><p>The types of work that may qualify for a nomination include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>identifying and taking actions that results in cost savings and efficiencies;</li><li>stepping in to support colleagues at short notice to deliver business goals;</li><li>delivering high quality work ahead of agreed timescales;</li><li>exceeding the expectations of colleagues or customers;</li><li>displaying exemplary behaviour which reflects DCLG’s values;</li><li>receiving outstanding feedback from colleagues or external customers.</li></ul><p> </p><p>From the scheme’s launch in June 2013 to December 2013, 360 staff received a reward with an average payment of £34. From January 2014 to September 2014, 285 staff received a reward with an average payment of £30.</p><p> </p><p>I am unsure of whether the hon. Member wishes to disparage such small-scale bonuses because they may involve giving out shopping vouchers, yet we believe that they are a cost-effective way of improving staff performance within Whitehall and delivering a better service to the public.</p><p> </p><p>Indeed, the vouchers given for saving taxpayers’ money have delivered at least £40,000 of quantifiable savings and further efficiency improvements on top. Under the Labour Government, the state congratulated those that regulated more, spent more and taxed more. We want to reward those who regulate less, spend less and tax less.</p><p> </p><p>I would hope the hon. Member, as a Co-operative Party MP, supports the underlying principles of staff involvement, economic participation and self-improvement which we are embracing.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 18/11/2014 17:13:20 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	3917 label Biography information for Lord Walney

142126

	registered interest
	date	06/11/2014
	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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
	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 hon. Members have written to him to express concerns about the future funding of local welfare assistance schemes.
	tabling member constituency	Easington
	tabling member printed	Grahame M. Morris
	uin	213706
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department receives correspondence on a wide range of matters, typically handling in the region of 10,000 letters a year from hon. Members.</p><p> </p><p>On 10 October, the Government published a consultation on local welfare provision in 2015-16, to which hon. Members are very welcome to respond to if they wish.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins grouped question UIN 213717 question first answered 18/11/2014 16:54:32 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

142137

	registered interest
	date	06/11/2014
	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	Devolution: Greater London
	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 the Mayor of London and members of the Greater London Assembly on the devolution of his Department's powers to the Greater London area; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
	tabling member printed	Ms Diane Abbott
	uin	213701
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text <p>Ministers and officials in the Department have regular discussions with representatives of the Greater London Authority on topical matters and matters relating to decentralisation, including, for example, provisions in the Infrastructure Bill, and the implementation of the housing and regeneration powers devolved through the Localism Act 2011.<br><br></p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 18/11/2014 16:52:29 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	172 label Biography information for Ms Diane Abbott

142142

	registered interest
	date	06/11/2014
	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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
	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 hon. Members have written to him to express concern about the future funding of local welfare assistance schemes.
	tabling member constituency	Hammersmith
	tabling member printed	Mr Andy Slaughter
	uin	213717
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department receives correspondence on a wide range of matters, typically handling in the region of 10,000 letters a year from hon. Members.</p><p> </p><p>On 10 October, the Government published a consultation on local welfare provision in 2015-16, to which hon. Members are very welcome to respond to if they wish.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins grouped question UIN 213706 question first answered 18/11/2014 16:54:32 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	1516 label Biography information for Andy Slaughter

142143

	registered interest
	date	06/11/2014
	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	Buildings
	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 buildings owned by his Department have been sold in each year since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Walsall South
	tabling member printed	Valerie Vaz
	uin	213772
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department’s estate largely consists of leasehold properties. Since 2010 the Department has surrendered the following leasehold facilities, reducing the annual cost of the civil estate by around £38.5 million:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Building surrendered</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Location</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cunard</p></td><td><p>Liverpool</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Belgrave Centre</p></td><td><p>Nottingham</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sheffield House</p></td><td><p>Stevenage</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mast House</p></td><td><p>Plymouth</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Riverwalk</p></td><td><p>London</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Westbrook</p></td><td><p>Cambridge</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>City Tower</p></td><td><p>Manchester</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Lysnoweth</p></td><td><p>Truro</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Piccadilly Gate</p></td><td><p>Manchester</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bridge House</p></td><td><p>Guildford</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Queen Street</p></td><td><p>Leeds</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Eland House</p></td><td><p>London</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><br><br>The move of my Department's main building from Eland House to Marsham Street, to share with the Home Office, will reduce our Department's running costs by £9 million a year from 2015-16, and save taxpayers a total of £220 million over the lifetime of the building's lease commitments.</p><p> </p><p><br></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The table below indicates the number of buildings sold in each calendar year:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Calendar Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Buildings sold</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>Nil</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>Nil</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>Nil</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>34</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The Department did hold one freehold land asset, the Fire Service College which has now been sold. In March 2013, the sale of the 365 acre Fire Service College estate, comprising 34 buildings, other non-habitable structures and land was sold for £10 million. The land was covered by an overage clause meaning the Department will share in any profits from future development of the College site. In addition this has generated savings of £3.9 million in running costs per year.</p><p>Following the College sale the Department is currently disposing of 33 houses in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, which were formerly part of the Fire Service College but were not sold with the main Fire Service College estate. So far this year 23 of these houses have been sold generating a receipt of £5,163,100, and a further 2 houses are under offer. The market value of the properties upon which sales have been agreed range from £215,000 to £250,000 and the total expected income from the sale of the 33 houses and linked development land is around £7,500,000.</p><p>The Department holds 10 remaining residential houses at the site, which will be sold during 2015/2016.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 18/11/2014 17:07:03 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins previous answer version 27674 answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	4076 label Biography information for Valerie Vaz

155769

	registered interest
	date	11/11/2014
	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	Councillors
	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 he has to encourage more people to stand as councillors.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	906047
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the Government response to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee report, <em>Councillors on the frontline</em> (Cm 8582),</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/councillors-on-the-frontline-government-response" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/councillors-on-the-frontline-government-response</a></p><p> </p><p>As well as to the subsequent Ministerial response to the Westminster Hall debate (5 September 2013, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 186WH) and my evidence to the Select Committee of 21 October 2014.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 18/11/2014 16:50:47 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman