Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

41445

	registered interest
	date	05/03/2014
	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 his policy is on devolution of Homes and Communities Agency assets to (a) combined authorities and (b) local enterprise partnerships.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne East
	tabling member printed	Mr Nicholas Brown
	uin	190614
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>In disposing of its assets the Homes and Communities Agency is guided by value for money principles; disposals are expected to be at market value for land and other assets in order to protect public investment. The Homes and Communities Agency are open to considering proposals for joint working that will promote development, economic activity and growth.</p><p>These assets were bought by the national taxpayer and therefore the receipts are deployed nationally. Receipts are reinvested to help finance other Government housing and regeneration programmes, as well as fund a range of historic legal commitments and liabilities on land inherited by the Homes and Communities Agency from other bodies (including the liabilities left by the former Regional Development Agencies).</p><p>I would add that neither combined authorities or Local Enterprise Partnerships have responsibility for housing; we should avoid ‘function creep' which would dilute their focus and/or centralise and take power away from local councils (both as local housing authorities and as local planning authorities).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	523 label Biography information for Mr Nicholas Brown

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

46049

	registered interest
	date	31/03/2014
	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, how many first time buyers have been helped by the Government's Help to Buy scheme (a) nationally and (b) in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Morecambe and Lunesdale
	tabling member printed	David Morris
	uin	194542
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p>This Government is committed to supporting people's aspirations to own their own home.</p><p>In the first eleven months of the scheme, 16,465 households purchased a new build home with the support of the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme.</p><p>By January 2014, the time of the last quarterly statistical release, first time buyers accounted for 89% of sales nationally. In Lancaster there were 16 sales by the end of January and first-time buyers accounted for 88% of all Help to Buy: equity loan sales in the area.</p><p>Home owners will also have been supported by the Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme, which is overseen by HM Treasury.</p><p> </p><p> </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	4135 label Biography information for David Morris

46054

	registered interest
	date	31/03/2014
	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, how many council houses or social housing new builds have been built by Lancaster District Council, and in which areas, since 1997.
	tabling member constituency	Morecambe and Lunesdale
	tabling member printed	David Morris
	uin	194539
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Statistics on house building completions by tenure in each local authority district are published in the Department's live tables 253 (annual) and 253a (quarterly), which are available at the following link:</p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building" target="_blank">http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building</a></p><p>Taken together, the Private Registered Provider (housing association) and local authority tenures provide estimates of total social housing completions, but these figures understate total affordable supply. This is because the house building figures are categorised by the type of developer rather than the intended final tenure, leading to under recording of affordable housing, and a corresponding over recording of private enterprise figures.</p><p>More comprehensive statistics on affordable housing completions funded by the Homes and Communities Agency since 2009-10 by local authority district are available at the following link:</p><p><a href="http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/housing-statistics" target="_blank">http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/housing-statistics</a></p><p>These statistics include both newly built housing and acquisitions but exclude delivery of affordable housing not funded by Homes and Communities Agency programmes that are reported in local authority returns to the Department. A fuller picture of all affordable housing completions is published in the Department's live tables 1006, 1006a, 1007 and 1008, which are available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply</a></p><p>There is no data source that provides information on affordable homes delivery at any geography smaller than local authority district.</p><p>Over 170,000 new affordable homes have been delivered in England since April 2010 (to the end of September 2013). Our Affordable Homes Programme will lever in £19.5 billion of public and private investment over the current spending review period. Over 2015-18, we will be investing a further £23 billion in public and private funding for affordable housing.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></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	4135 label Biography information for David Morris

46480

	registered interest
	date	02/04/2014
	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, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 533W, on wind power, how his Department makes decisions on planning and recoveries without centrally holding the capacity of energy schemes.
	tabling member constituency	Sunderland Central
	tabling member printed	Julie Elliott
	uin	194931
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The main consideration in the recovery of wind turbine appeals is the potential impact of the development on the surrounding area, in the particular circumstances of each appeal and its location. The generation capacity of the appeal is not a driver in the decision on whether or not the appeal should be recovered.</p><p>As I said in my earlier answer my Department does not centrally hold details of the generation capacity of wind turbine appeals.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins grouped question UIN 194930 question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	4127 label Biography information for Julie Elliott

46506

	registered interest
	date	02/04/2014
	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, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 533W, on wind power, how much onshore wind capacity was recovered in each month in 2013.
	tabling member constituency	Sunderland Central
	tabling member printed	Julie Elliott
	uin	194930
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The main consideration in the recovery of wind turbine appeals is the potential impact of the development on the surrounding area, in the particular circumstances of each appeal and its location. The generation capacity of the appeal is not a driver in the decision on whether or not the appeal should be recovered.</p><p>As I said in my earlier answer my Department does not centrally hold details of the generation capacity of wind turbine appeals.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins grouped question UIN 194931 question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	4127 label Biography information for Julie Elliott

45517

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2014
	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 recent assessment he has made made of the accuracy of the ONS index of rental prices; and what recent assessment he has of the changes in the cost of private renting in Slough since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Fiona Mactaggart
	uin	194133
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Office for National Statistics responded quickly to the need for better data by developing the quarterly Index of Private Housing Rental Prices, first published in June 2013 and dating back to January 2005 for England.</p><p>Currently the Office for National Statistics is consulting users of the index to identify improvements. The index is produced with a robust methodology, which is published and is based on extensive administrative data on rental values including both on-going and newly agreed tenancy agreements. Once the methodology is further tested and assessed, and the publication meets user needs, the Index of Private Housing Rental Prices will be assessed against the Code of Practice to achieve National Statistic status.</p><p>The index is available for Great Britain and its constituent countries; however it is not available at local authority district level. According to most recent figures the average cost of privately renting housing in England increased by 1.0 per cent in the 12 months to December 2013 – a fall in real terms.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	12 label Biography information for Fiona Mactaggart

46204

	registered interest
	date	01/04/2014
	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, how many affordable homes have been (a) started and (b) completed in (i) Peterborough constituency and (ii) North West Cambridgeshire constituency since May 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Peterborough
	tabling member printed	Mr Stewart Jackson
	uin	194639
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Homes and Communities Agency publishes information every six months about the number of affordable housing starts on site and completions for programmes it funds, broken down by local authority district. This information is not available by parliamentary constituency. The published information can be found at:</p><p><a href="http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/housing-statistics" target="_blank">http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/housing-statistics</a></p><p>These statistics do not include information on any affordable housing that has not been reported to the Homes and Communities Agency, such as some affordable housing funded solely through developer contributions.</p><p>Over 170,000 new affordable homes have been delivered in England since April 2010 (to the end of September 2013). Our Affordable Homes Programme will lever in £19.5 billion of public and private investment over the current spending review period. Over 2015-18, we will be investing a further £23 billion in public and private funding for affordable housing.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	1551 label Biography information for Lord Jackson of Peterborough

46860

	registered interest
	date	03/04/2014
	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, what steps he is taking to better protect the rights of private sector tenants from irresponsible landlords.
	tabling member constituency	Bradford East
	tabling member printed	Mr David Ward
	uin	195244
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government is committed to a better private rented sector that offers security, stability and decency. We are already changing the law to require all letting agents to join Government approved redress schemes which will allow tenants to seek compensation where they are the victims of bad practice, such as being charged hidden fees.</p><p>To encourage greater understanding of tenants' rights, we will shortly publish a new <em>How to Rent</em> guide for tenants. We are also developing a model tenancy agreement to help tenants achieve greater security of tenure when needed, and a code of practice on property management.</p><p>The Government has provided £6.7 million to a number of local authorities to help them tackle rogue landlord activity.</p><p>We are also encouraging local authorities to use their existing powers to improve standards. They already have wide powers to tackle rogue landlord activity and poor property conditions and to encourage their use.</p><p>Through the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 the current £5,000 cap on fines for certain housing and planning offences will be removed and rogue landlords will be liable to potentially unlimited fines. Where the fine is currently capped at less than £5,000, the maximum fine will be quadrupled</p><p>Finally, we published a discussion document on 24 February, inviting views on how property conditions in the private rented sector could be improved. Closing date for comments was 28 March. We are now considering the proposals we have received. We will announce the outcome of our review in the summer.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	3923 label Biography information for Mr David Ward

46472

	registered interest
	date	02/04/2014
	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, how self-reported data from local authorities on the Troubled Families programme is audited.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	194861
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>All results are approved within each local authority's internal audit arrangements and under the statutory authority of the Chief Executive. My Department then undertakes a verification process on a sample of claims made.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 09/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn