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1172796

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 21 January (HL187), what criteria they use to assess what constitutes a “legitimate criticism” of a religion when investigating any incident that has been reported by someone who has perceived it to “be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s religion or perceived religion”; and what steps they take to ensure freedom of expression is upheld.
	tabling member printed	Lord Vinson
	uin	HL727
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2020 answer text <p>Once a hate crime has been reported it is for the police to investigate whether a hate crime has been committed, in line with the relevant legislation, and to refer cases to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether there should be a charge.</p><p>In order for a crime to be charged and prosecuted as a hate crime, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) uses the legal definitions contained in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (CDA 1998) and the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (CJA 2003).</p><p>The CPS assesses each case on its individual facts and circumstances. Prosecutions can only be brought in line with legislation and in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.</p><p>The CPS legal guidance on hate crime recognises the right to freedom of expression set out in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The legal guidance makes it clear that it is not only speech which is well-received and popular that is protected but also speech which is potentially offensive, shocking or disturbing. The CPS seeks to balance the right to freedom of speech and expression against the duty of the state to act proportionately.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 03/02/2020 17:03:00 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	1807 label Biography information for Lord Vinson

43015

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	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, how many applications to dispose of statutory allotments have been (a) submitted, (b) approved and (c) rejected in each local authority area in each year since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	191956
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Further to the Allotments Act 1925, applications for consent to dispose of allotment land are submitted to the Department by local councils (parish councils and principal authorities). The table below shows the breakdown of applications since May 2010.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p><em>Granted</em></p></td><td><p><em>Withdrawn</em></p></td><td><p><em>Refused</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2010- March 2011</p></td><td><p>18</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15 to date</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>To place this in context, the Secretary of State granted 34 allotment disposals in 2007, granted 22 in 2008 and granted 18 in 2009, whilst only 2 were declined, which is a greater rate than under this Administration.</p><p>I observe that the rt. hon. Member has been quoted in the media attacking such consents. He would have been wiser however to have undertaken a closer examination of the 68 individual consents granted to the local councils since May 2010.</p><p>The table below provides some context to help explain why there was a reasonable case by the representative local bodies for changing the statutory status of the land.</p><p>In January 2014, my Department published <em>Allotment Disposal Guidance: Safeguards and Alternatives</em> replacing the previous guidance from 2002. The new guidance strengthens allotment protection, as the requirement for waiting lists to be taken into account must now be rigorously applied to all that council's waiting lists, not just the waiting list for the site to be disposed of. This aims to ensure that poorly maintained sites are not used to justify disposal. Ministers will be closely monitoring to ensure that this new guidance is followed.</p><p>Notwithstanding, I have taken the opportunity to analyse these previous cases in the table below. The National Allotment Society was consulted in every case, and nine out of ten decisions were consistent with advice from the National Allotment Society (where advice was given); the remaining cases where the advice diverged related to land not actually in use as allotments, requiring a judgement call on whether it was realistic to bring the land back into productive use.</p><p>Having analysed these approvals, I can note that half of the land disposed was not actually in use as allotments. Moreover, in every case where existing allotment plot holders were displaced, evidence from local authorities indicates that alternative plots were made available to them.</p><p>More new plots were proposed to be created and/or vacant sites proposed to be brought back into use than the number of proposed disposals of in-use allotment plots. Consequently, the statutory disposal process overseen by the Secretary of State since May 2010 should have resulted in an <strong>increase</strong> in allotment provision not a reduction. This reflects this Government's commitment both to supporting local communities grow their own food and to protecting important community assets.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 196310 question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams attachment 1 file name 2269 & 2521 Benn - Table.docx title Allotments - Disposal Consents Granted
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

44672

	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, how many proposals have been made by local authorities under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 in each year since that Act has been in force; and how many such proposals his Department has adopted.
	tabling member constituency	Hyndburn
	tabling member printed	Graham Jones
	uin	193399
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Thursday 27 March 2014]</em></p><p>In July 2009, 100 local authorities submitted proposals to the Selector, the Local Government Association. In December 2009, the Selector presented a short-list of 199 proposals, containing over 300 separate requests to the Government. Details of these proposals, the 39 actions this Government said it would take in response and an update on these actions that was published in July last year can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainable-communities-act-2007-decisions-on-local-councils-proposals-to-improve-local-areas" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainable-communities-act-2007-decisions-on-local-councils-proposals-to-improve-local-areas</a></p><p>Five local authorities submitted proposals in 2011. We carefully considered all the proposals and took forward two firm proposals. One local authority has submitted a proposal this year. It is under consideration.</p><p>The Government extended the power to submit proposals under the Act to town and parish councils in October last year. Since then five town and parish councils have submitted proposals, which are under consideration.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	3999 label Biography information for Graham P Jones

45203

	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 his most recent assessment is of the success of the zero carbon homes policy; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Stalybridge and Hyde
	tabling member printed	Jonathan Reynolds
	uin	193886
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Budget 2014 reaffirmed the Government's commitment to implement zero carbon homes from 2016. In Growth Review 2011 we set out a fair, practical and cost effective approach to zero carbon homes. This made house builders responsible for abating the carbon from energy use from systems which they can control – heating and hot water systems and building services - not the energy use from appliances which they cannot be expected to control. We are taking forward the zero carbon homes policy through a staged approach of steadily strengthening the energy performance requirements in the Building Regulations and through the introduction of cost-effective options for off-site carbon reductions – ‘Allowable Solutions'. Under this Government the energy performance requirements for new homes, the latest of which come into force on 6 April 2014, have been strengthened by around 30% from the previous 2006 standard saving house holder's fuel bills and cutting carbon emissions.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	4119 label Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds

46471

	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 many empty homes there are in (a) Rossendale and (b) Darwen.
	tabling member constituency	Rossendale and Darwen
	tabling member printed	Jake Berry
	uin	194838
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Data on vacant dwellings by tenure and district, including Rossendale and Blackburn with Darwen, can be found in live table 615 which is available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants</a></p><p>This table brings together figures on vacant dwellings in England drawn from several separately published sources.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	4060 label Biography information for Sir Jake Berry

46473

	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 much grant-in-aid his Department has provided to Tell MAMA since May 2010; and what further funding he expects to provide.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	194862
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>TELL MAMA is the first service to record and monitor anti-Muslim hatred incidents and support victims. DCLG provided initial start-up grant funding to TELL MAMA of £395,500 between January 2012 and September 2013. TELL MAMA has subsequently received Big Lottery funding of £255,450 over two years from October 2013.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

46474

	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, what recent progress he has made on the localism agenda; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	194875
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>This Government has been clear about its intention to devolve power, responsibility and decision-making down to the lowest possible level. This vision underpins significant elements of our policy agenda which are transferring power and freedom to both local councils and communities, some of which are noted below.</p><p>Nearly 1,000 assets of community value have been listed and we have helped 150 organisations to acquire a community asset or obtain significant investment towards doing so. 16 local campaigns for new parish councils are being supported covering local populations of more than half a million people. Over 100 new Our Place areas are starting work within their communities to transform neighbourhood level service delivery. Community share issues have raised over £24 million for community ventures.</p><p>Nearly 800 neighbourhood planning areas have been designated, and all 13 plans which have so far reached referenda have passed with significant majorities in favour.</p><p>Local authorities are now required to pass a proportion of Community Infrastructure Levy funding to local communities so that they can directly see the benefit of local development.</p><p>Over 2013-15 £14 million has been made available for community groups to develop their proposals for Community Right to Build orders or to progress community-led development. Groups can develop their ideas on the development that they want and need in their areas.Applications for this funding continue to rise with around 60 applications received.</p><p>In April 2014 four new combined authorities were established, on the request of the councils concerned. These will support the councils to collaborate and work jointly across the wider functional economic areas on economic development, regeneration and transport to support economic growth in the areas of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Greater Merseyside and Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear.</p><p>The Government wants local authorities to be more transparent and accountable to local people for how they spend money, deliver services and take decisions. We will shortly be publishing a revised local authority transparency code extending the breadth of data that local authorities must publish and will make regulations to make publication of certain data a legal requirement. Also, Regulations which will allow members of the public including professional journalists to film, photograph, audio-record and use social media to report the proceedings of meetings of local government bodies, and to access documents relating to decisions made by officers under delegation from their local government bodies, are now before Parliament.</p><p>Under the business rates retention scheme local authorities now directly retain nearly £11 billion of business rates, instead of returning it to Whitehall.</p><p>The Government has also reformed the outdated council housing finance system with the introduction of self-financing in 2012. This has given the 167 council landlords greater freedoms and the ability to plan for the long term to better meet the needs of their tenants and local area.</p><p><em>HomeSwap</em> Direct - the national home swap scheme which increases opportunities for social tenants wishing to move through mutual exchange – was launched in October 2011 and since then tenants have made over 18 million searches of ‘partner' data.</p><p>Social landlords are now free to match the length of tenancy to the needs of the household and to use their social housing stock in a way which best meets the needs of their local area. Councils have the freedom to decide who qualifies for social housing in their area and to find alternative solutions for those who do not qualify.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

46483

	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, when he expects to answer question No. 191956 tabled by the Rt hon. Member for Leeds Central on 13 March 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	194894
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>I will provide a comprehensive answer to the rt. hon. Member in due course. We are currently gathering historic files, given some of the information requested predates the establishment of the National Planning Casework Unit in 2011.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 01/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

47178

	registered interest
	date	07/04/2014
	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 meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with (i) secularist and (b) humanist organisations since May 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol East
	tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
	uin	195487
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Ministers have regular meetings with a range of different partners and organisations. Details of Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published on the Department's website.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 29/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

47914

	registered interest
	date	09/04/2014
	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 progress his Department has made on reducing the number of empty homes in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) the West Midlands, (d) Worcestershire and (e) Worcester.
	tabling member constituency	Worcester
	tabling member printed	Mr Robin Walker
	uin	196072
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Under this Government, the number of empty homes in England has fallen to a 10 year low. The number of long-term empty homes has fallen by around a third from October 2009 to October 2013, and the overall number of empty homes has fallen by arounda fifth over the same period.</p><p>There is more to do, yet we have a comprehensive series of policies to get empty buildings back into use and promote brownfield regeneration, as outlined in the answer of 3 April 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 780W.</p><p>Local authority figures are published on my department's website, at live table 615:</p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants</a></p><p>Statistics on Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are published by the devolved administrations. My Department does not publish regional statistics.</p><p>The number of vacant dwellings and long-term vacant dwellings, for Worcester, Worcestershire and England, are shown in Tables 1 and 2.</p><p>Table 1: All vacant dwellings, Worcester Local Authority District, Worcestershire and England, 5 Oct 2009 to 7 Oct 2013</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>5 Oct 2009</p></td><td><p>4 Oct 2010</p></td><td><p>3 Oct 2011</p></td><td><p>1 Oct 2012</p></td><td><p>7 Oct 2013</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Worcester</p></td><td><p>1,348</p></td><td><p>1,216</p></td><td><p>1,261</p></td><td><p>1,369</p></td><td><p>1,214</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Worcestershire</p></td><td><p>7,298</p></td><td><p>7,103</p></td><td><p>6,983</p></td><td><p>6,960</p></td><td><p>6,406</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>England</p></td><td><p>770,496</p></td><td><p>737,147</p></td><td><p>719,352</p></td><td><p>704,357</p></td><td><p>635,127</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Table 2: All long-term vacant dwellings, Worcester Local Authority District, Worcestershire and England, 5 Oct 2009 to 7 Oct 2013</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>5 Oct 2009</p></td><td><p>4 Oct 2010</p></td><td><p>3 Oct 2011</p></td><td><p>1 Oct 2012</p></td><td><p>7 Oct 2013</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Worcester</p></td><td><p>579</p></td><td><p>382</p></td><td><p>428</p></td><td><p>476</p></td><td><p>355</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Worcestershire</p></td><td><p>3,165</p></td><td><p>2,627</p></td><td><p>2,475</p></td><td><p>2,449</p></td><td><p>1,826</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>England</p></td><td><p>316,251</p></td><td><p>299,999</p></td><td><p>277,529</p></td><td><p>254,059</p></td><td><p>216,050</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><sup> </sup></p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker