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171070

	registered interest
	date	17/12/2014
	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	Fire Prevention
	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 funding his Department allocated to the Fire Kills campaign in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e) 2014-15.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	219100
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/01/2015 answer text <p>The award-winning Fire Kills campaign promotes a range of fire safety messages, primarily around the importance of working smoke alarms, to help drive down the number of fires and associated casualties.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Outturn spending by my Department on the Fire Kills campaign was £898,000 in 2010-11, £980,000 in 2011-12, £946,000 in 2012-13 and £840,000 in 2013-14. Allocated spend in 2014-15 is £1 million. All figures exclude VAT.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The campaigns are run in conjunction with local fire and rescue authorities, who will also undertake expenditure. We also work with national (commercial) partners at no direct cost to taxpayers. Recent partners have included B&amp;Q and Sprue Safety Products, Ei Electronics, British Beer and Pubs Association, Poundland, Netmums, Working Mums, Boat Safety Scheme, Zurich Municipal Insurance and the Post Office, HETAS and 20th Century Fox (in conjunction with the film &quot;How to Train Your Dragon 2&quot;).</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The 2013-14 Fire Kills report can be found at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-kills-campaign-annual-report-2013-to-2014" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-kills-campaign-annual-report-2013-to-2014</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 13/01/2015 14:27:09 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt previous answer version 36983 answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

164326

	registered interest
	date	24/11/2014
	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	Fire Services: Industrial Disputes
	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 estimate he has made of the cost to local and central government of industrial action in the fire service since January 2014; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Warrington North
	tabling member printed	Helen Jones
	uin	215653
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2014 answer text <p>The strike action called by the Fire Brigades Union has been unnecessary and unproductive. The 2015 firefighter pension scheme will provide one of the most generous schemes in the public sector and has been improved through consultation.</p><p> </p><p>Since January 2014, central government has invested £2 million to enhance the nation’s resilience against industrial action and other potential disruption to fire and rescue services.</p><p> </p><p>Individual fire and rescue authorities are responsible for their own business continuity plans for industrial action, and we do not hold information centrally on any costs they incur in implementing those plans, or indeed, the savings they will have accrued through deduction of striking firefighters’ wages.</p><p> </p><p>National resilience has been strengthened by the work and training undertaken by both local and central government.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 08/12/2014 16:58:48 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt previous answer version 30489 answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	432 label Biography information for Helen Jones

155751

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	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	Fire and Rescue Services
	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 (a) whole-time and (b) part-time firefighters there were in (i) Northamptonshire and (ii) England in each of the last 10 years.
	tabling member constituency	Wellingborough
	tabling member printed	Mr Peter Bone
	uin	214654
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2015 answer text <p>The numbers of (a) whole-time and (b) retained duty system fire fighters in (i) Northamptonshire and (ii) England, as at the end of March in each of the last 10 years, are shown in the attached tables alongside the number of fire incidents attended:</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 23/03/2015 17:44:57 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt attachment 1 file name 214654 Bone.docx title Table of Whole Time and RDS Firefighters previous answer version 29046 answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	1581 label Biography information for Mr Peter Bone

90622

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2014
	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	Enterprise Zones
	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 report by the National Audit Office, Funding and structures for local economic growth, HC 542, published on 6 December 2013, what steps he has taken to implement recommendation 22f on page 13 of the report.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	208306
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/09/2014 answer text <p>As Enterprise Zones are a long term intervention (25 years in total) and the programme is still at an early stage, an evaluation of impact at this point would be premature. This reflects the practice of the previous evaluation which was commissioned in 1995 to assess the performance of Enterprise Zones that had been designated between 1981 and 1984. <br><br>However, the Department is looking at options now for a robust evaluation in the future, taking into account recent National Audit Office work on evaluation of spatial programmes, and lessons that can be learnt from the evaluations that are underway on other local growth programmes such as the Regional Growth Fund.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 24/09/2014 15:19:18 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt previous answer version 19171 answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

90623

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2014
	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	Enterprise Zones
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of new jobs that will be created by enterprise zones by 2015.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	208307
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/09/2014 answer text <p>Enterprise Zones are about delivering long term, locally-led, sustainable growth. Since they started in April 2012, they have laid down the foundations for their success and report that they have so far created over 10,000 jobs and attracted 377 businesses, bringing in £1.9 billion pounds of private sector investment.</p><p /> <p>We do not collect data on forecast job numbers by 2015, nor are we imposing Whitehall targets; the jobs to be created in each individual Enterprise Zone will reflect the type of commerce or industry supported on the sites (some sectors are more labour-intensive than others), the local priorities of the Enterprise Zone, the size and context of the zone’s sites and the broader local economy.</p><p /> <p> </p><p /> <p> </p><p /> <p> </p><p /> <p> </p><p /> <p> </p><p /> <p> </p><p /> <p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 24/09/2014 15:16:00 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt previous answer version 19172 answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

227487

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2015
	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	Empty Property: Shops
	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 his Department is taking to reduce the length of time that vacant shops remain empty.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	227690
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2015 answer text <p>Our town centres and high streets have undergone dramatic changes over the last decade- the rise of online shopping, the effect of out of town retail parks and huge shifts in consumer spending patterns have all offered significant challenges. However, despite this, our high streets and town centres have fought back and up and down the country teams of local people are working hard to make our high streets great places to visit, live or work.</p><p> </p><p>A recent study from Southampton University showed how high streets are facing these challenges head on, meeting customers’ needs by offering a more convenient, creative and varied shopping experience, which increasingly offers more leisure opportunities.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, since 2010 national vacancy rates have continued to fall. Recent research by Deloitte showed that since 2009, high street vacancies as a result of high-profile administrations had been filled more successfully than those in out-of-town shopping centres and out-of-town retail parks.</p><p> </p><p>However the Government is not complacent and understands that the town centre needs to continue to evolve towards the provision of services and leisure alongside traditional retail. We are committed to supporting our high streets to embrace that change and to continue to hold their place at the heart of our communities.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has taken a number of significant steps to tackle vacant shops. We have relaxed planning rules to support “meanwhile use” as well as introducing new permitted development rights making it simpler to change use, so making it easier for businesses to respond to the needs of their communities.</p><p> </p><p>We have also taken forward a range of measures to tackle over-zealous parking enforcement that undermines the vitality of town centres, driving people out of town. We are restricting the use of CCTV ‘spy cars’ to enforce parking (through the Deregulation Bill currently going through Parliament). We have introduced 10 minute ‘grace periods’ when parking on-street allowing additional parking time before a late penalty is imposed, which will come into force in early April. We have published new statutory guidance allowing local people and businesses to demand a review of parking in their area, and we are reforming parking guidance so it is less heavy handed with motorists.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has also introduced a range of support for high streets through business rates. As well as offering business rate discounts to new occupants of previously empty shops, the Government has doubled Small Business Rate Relief for a further year (2015-16) and offered a 2% cap on the inflation increase for 2015-16, for the second year. This comes in addition to funding 50% of all local discounts granted, increasing the temporary discount for shops, pubs and restaurants with rateable values below £50,000 and offering a 100% rate relief for empty new builds. Finally, as announced at Autumn Statement 2014, the Government is also undertaking a long-term and wide-ranging review of business rates to ensure they are fit for purpose for a 21st century economy and allow our high streets to thrive.</p><p> </p><p>We have also championed the innovative use of vacant shops through <a href="http://thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/high-street-of-the-year-award" target="_blank">the Great British High Street Competition.</a> A number of the entrants set out the innovative ways that they are tackling empty shops on the high streets and we have promoted their examples on the <a href="http://thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/" target="_blank">Great British High Street Portal</a> and through documents such as <a href="http://thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/pdf/GBHS-Celebrating-The-GB-High-Street.pdf" target="_blank">Celebrating the Great British High Street</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 23/03/2015 17:42:01 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

227492

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2015
	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 Enterprise Partnerships
	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 his Department is taking to promote best practice between local authorities and local enterprise partnerships.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	227695
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2015 answer text <p>Since 2011 the government has funded the Local Enterprise Partnerships Network to enable them to come together to discuss issues of shared interest, provide a shared platform for the exchange of knowledge and best practice and support private sector board members to build capacity.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We also established the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth in October 2013. The Centre, which is co-funded by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Economic and Social Research Council has a key objective which is to ensure that robust evidence is embedded in the development of policy on local economic growth and that new policies are effectively evaluated. As part of its work the Centre engages with an extensive network of practitioners, including local enterprise partnerships and local authorities to develop and disseminate best practice and develop communities of interest.</p><p> </p><p>Local Enterprise Partnerships, which are partnerships of local authorities and business are proactively working across their boundaries, often through the Local Government Association, on areas of shared interest.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 19/03/2015 16:39:25 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

227496

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2015
	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	Fire and Rescue Services: Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether firefighters aged 55 who fail a fitness test will receive an unreduced pension; and whether he plans to bring in legislative proposals to make this a statutory right.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	227579
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2015 answer text <p>It is not possible to introduce fitness regulations as part of the pension regulations in the absence of an agreed and universally applied national firefighter fitness standard in England. The statutory principles that we put in the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England came into force on 12 January 2015. To underpin these the National Employers have sought further discussion with the Fire Brigades Union in respect of additional guidance relating to the position already agreed in principle within the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services about the role fire authorities will take in supporting operational employees to maintain their fitness. In addition, the National Employers are looking to discuss with the unions, guidance on application of the factors set out in Pension Regulations for fire authority consideration in relation to Authority Initiated Early Retirement. Both approaches are expected to provide reassurance to operational employees that fire authorities will continue to treat their employees in a fair and consistent manner.</p><p>We will review the implementation of the National Framework principles in three years time and consider then whether further action is needed. In the meantime no firefighter will have to work beyond their current expected retirement date until 2022 at the earliest. Our expectation is that a firefighter of 55 or over who finds themselves in the situation of losing their fitness through no fault of their own, is unable to regain their fitness, and for whom there are no redeployment opportunities, should be offered an unreduced pension.</p><p>Where underlying medical reasons have been identified that restrict or prevent an individual from achieving the necessary fitness standards for undertaking their role as a firefighter, the individual should be referred to occupational health, and must receive the necessary support to facilitate a return to operational duties. The fire and rescue authority should also fully explore opportunities to enable the individual to remain in employment, including through reasonable adjustments and appropriate redeployment within the role, where it appears the medical condition prevents a return to operational duties. In those circumstances, where there are no such opportunities or suitable alternative employment is unavailable, then the fire and rescue authority will commence the formal assessment for ill-health retirement by referring the case to the Independent Qualified Medical Practitioner. Where it is determined that a firefighter is permanently unable to continue in their role as a firefighter they would become entitled to the immediate payment of a lower tier ill-health pension. In addition to this, they would also receive a higher tier ill-health enhancement if it was also determined that they could not undertake any regular employment. The definition of ill-health is wide, and includes both physical and mental conditions, including arthritis and post-traumatic stress syndrome. It is important to note that, where a firefighter is deemed eligible for medical retirement, the authority must pay the ill-health pension - there is no discretion.</p><p>Any firefighter will continue to be free to choose to retire from 55 onwards should they wish to, regardless of their fitness. In such circumstances, any benefits accrued in the 1992 and 2006 firefighters' pension schemes would be paid in full, while benefits earned in the 2015 scheme would be actuarially reduced by 21.8 per cent for a firefighter retiring on their birthday at 55, and reduced on a daily basis thereafter. The actuarial reduction of 21.8 per cent at age 55 compares very favourably with a reduction of over 40 per cent applied to firefighters at the same age in the 2006 scheme. The 2006 scheme also introduced a normal pension age of 60. Overall, our measures give firefighters one of the most generous pensions in the public sector and the strongest protections available for any public sector workforce on fitness and ageing.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 19/03/2015 13:06:16 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

227099

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2015
	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	Fire and Rescue Services: Pensions
	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 fire authorities in England and Wales on pension rights for firefighters who fail fitness tests due to illness; and how many of those authorities have indicated to him that they cannot pay those pensions.
	tabling member constituency	East Antrim
	tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
	uin	227419
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2015 answer text <p>I recently met with the National Employers to discuss firefighter fitness issues in England. Where underlying medical reasons have been identified that restrict or prevent an individual from achieving the necessary fitness standards for undertaking their role as a firefighter, the individual should be referred to occupational health, and must receive the necessary support to facilitate a return to operational duties. The fire and rescue authority should also fully explore opportunities to enable the individual to remain in employment, including through reasonable adjustments and appropriate redeployment within the role, where it appears the medical condition prevents a return to operational duties. In those circumstances, where there are no such opportunities or suitable alternative employment is unavailable, then the fire and rescue authority will commence the formal assessment for ill-health retirement by referring the case to the Independent Qualified Medical Practitioner. Where it is determined that a firefighter is permanently unable to continue in their role as a firefighter they would become entitled to the immediate payment of a lower tier ill-health pension. In addition to this, they would also receive a higher tier ill-health enhancement if it was also determined that they could not undertake any regular employment. The definition of ill-health is wide, and includes both physical and mental conditions, including arthritis and post-traumatic stress syndrome. It is important to note that, where a firefighter is deemed eligible for medical retirement, the authority must pay the ill-health pension - there is no discretion.</p><p> </p><p>In the 2015 Firefighters Pension Scheme firefighters will accrue pension more quickly than their counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and will consequently achieve a higher ill-health pension.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 19/03/2015 12:57:23 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

226240

	registered interest
	date	10/03/2015
	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	Fire and Rescue Services: Pensions
	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 legislative proposals to require fire authorities to provide a full pension to fire fighters between the ages of 55 and 60 if they fail a fitness test due to no fault of their own and cannot be employed in another role within the fire service.
	tabling member constituency	Wellingborough
	tabling member printed	Mr Peter Bone
	uin	227101
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2015 answer text <p>It is not possible to introduce fitness regulations as part of the pension regulations in the absence of an agreed and universally applied national firefighter fitness standard in England. The statutory principles that we put in the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England came into force on 12 January. To underpin these, the National Employers have sought further discussion with the Fire Brigades Union in respect of additional guidance relating to the position already agreed in principle within the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services. This discussion will be about the role fire authorities will take in supporting operational employees in maintaining their fitness. In addition, the National Employers are looking to discuss with the unions, guidance on the application of the factors set out in pension regulations for fire authority consideration in relation to Authority Initiated Early Retirement. Both approaches are expected to provide reassurance to operational employees that fire authorities will continue to treat their employees in a fair and consistent manner.</p><p> </p><p>We will review the implementation of the National Framework principles in three years time and consider then whether further action is needed. In the meantime no firefighter will have to work beyond their current expected retirement date until 2022 at the earliest. Our expectation is that a firefighter of 55 or over who finds themselves in the situation of losing their fitness through no fault of their own, is subsequently unable to regain their fitness, and for whom there are no redeployment opportunities, should be offered an unreduced pension.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 16/03/2015 15:35:07 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	1581 label Biography information for Mr Peter Bone