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1172796

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	05/02/2020
	date	22/01/2020
	date tabled	22/01/2020
	ddp created	22/01/2020 22:25:59
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	ddp modified	28/01/2020 17:45:13 03/02/2020 17:35:03
	house id	2
	identifier	HL727
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	parliament number	58
	question first answered	03/02/2020 17:03:00
	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.
	session	2019/20
	session number	1
	tabling member printed	Lord Vinson
	title	House of Lords Tabled Parliamentary Question 2019/20 HL727
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL727
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer 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>
	creator	1807 label Biography information for Lord Vinson
	publisher	25277 pref label House of Lords
	tabling member	1807 label Biography information for Lord Vinson

1179642

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	24/02/2020
	date	24/02/2020
	date tabled	24/02/2020
	ddp created	24/02/2020 16:12:44
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	ddp modified	24/02/2020 16:20:39 24/02/2020 16:58:41
	house id	1
	identifier	900885
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	58
	question first answered	24/02/2020 16:26:00
	question text	What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of Government funding for local authorities in England.
	session	2019/21
	session number	1
	tabling member constituency	Manchester, Withington
	tabling member printed	Jeff Smith
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2019/21 900885
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	900885
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government has responded to the pressures councils are facing. The settlement provides access to an estimated 4.4 per cent increase in core spending power; the largest year on year increase in a decade, with a further £1.5 billion to fund adult and children’s social care.</p>
	creator	4456 label Biography information for Jeff Smith
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4456 label Biography information for Jeff Smith

1236323

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	22/09/2020
	date	17/09/2020
	date tabled	17/09/2020
	ddp created	22/09/2020 13:45:21
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	ddp modified	22/09/2020 13:46:03 22/09/2020 16:48:11
	house id	1
	identifier	91725
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	58
	question first answered	22/09/2020 16:16:12
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2020 to Question 88934 on Mortgages, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of alternatives to the EWS1 form with the mortgage sector; what suitable equivalent evidence he has encouraged mortgage lenders to accept; and if he will publish those lenders that have given assurances to the Minister for Building Safety that leaseholders should face no barriers to renewing their mortgage with their existing lender.
	session	2019/21
	session number	1
	tabling member constituency	St Albans
	tabling member printed	Daisy Cooper
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2019/21 91725
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	91725
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p>A building owner might have other evidence that may provide the necessary assurance to lenders, such as a recent fire risk assessment which includes the external walls. The Department is continuing to meet with lenders to explore such alternative evidence. No lender has said they would request an EWS1 when an existing mortgage holder is renewing their mortgage on the same terms and is not seeking to borrow more.</p>
	creator	4769 label Biography information for Daisy Cooper
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4769 label Biography information for Daisy Cooper

1236505

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	21/09/2020
	date	17/09/2020
	date tabled	17/09/2020
	ddp created	22/09/2020 14:56:32
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	ddp modified	22/09/2020 14:56:32 25/09/2020 14:07:06
	house id	1
	identifier	91733
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	58
	question first answered	25/09/2020 13:35:50
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposals in the Planning for the future consultation, published 6 August 2020, on access by communities to green space which is (a) undesignated and (b) part of a growth zone.
	session	2019/21
	session number	1
	tabling member constituency	Dewsbury
	tabling member printed	Mark Eastwood
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2019/21 91733
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	91733
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p><em>Planning for the Future</em> proposes significant changes to the focus and processes of planning – to secure better outcomes including improving our precious countryside and environment alongside increasing the supply of land for new, beautiful homes and sustainable places. One key proposal is that local plans place all land into one of three categories: areas for Growth, Renewal or Protection. The consultation proposal is clear that Green Belt and valued green space, which need not necessarily be a designated area, would be included in areas for Protection.</p><p>The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that planning policies and decisions should not only protect and enhance the natural environment but should secure net gains for biodiversity, including wildlife habitat, woods and ecological networks, and recognise the benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land. The reforms we are proposing are designed to support the continuing implementation of this policy by local authorities, in line with our 25 Year Environment Plan and provisions in the Environment Bill.</p><p>We also propose to transform how communities engage with plan-making, using new digital tools to make it easier for many more people to understand, engage with and influence development policies and proposals.</p><p>After carefully considering all the responses to <em>Planning for the Future</em>, the Government will publish its conclusions.</p>
	creator	4807 label Biography information for Mark Eastwood
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4807 label Biography information for Mark Eastwood

1342248

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	05/07/2021
	date	30/06/2021
	date tabled	30/06/2021
	ddp created	30/06/2021 18:40:12
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	ddp modified	30/06/2021 18:45:21 09/07/2021 12:40:13
	house id	1
	identifier	24967
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	58
	question first answered	09/07/2021 12:08:19
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Raising accessibility standards for new homes consultation, published on 8 September 2020, whether his Department has plans for all new homes to meet the accessible and adaptable standard proposed in that consultation.
	session	2021/22
	session number	2
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2021/22 24967
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	24967
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 18 June to Question UIN 13060.</p>
	creator	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1344596

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	12/07/2021
	date	07/07/2021
	date tabled	07/07/2021
	ddp created	07/07/2021 18:37:54
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	ddp modified	12/07/2021 13:15:17 16/07/2021 10:59:07
	house id	1
	identifier	29041
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	58
	question first answered	16/07/2021 10:27:26
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what financial support the Government has provided to churches during the covid-19 outbreak.
	session	2021/22
	session number	2
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2021/22 29041
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	29041
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government recognises the impact the pandemic has had on the finances of our places of worship and religious groups.</p><p>As part of the response to the impact of Covid-19, the Government made available a package of support specifically for charities and businesses. Places of worship that are registered charities have been able to apply to a number of these schemes on the basis of being impacted organisations themselves, and for their work delivering community services in response to the pandemic. This included the Government's £750 million package of support specifically for charities, social enterprises and the voluntary sector.</p><p>The Government continues to engage regularly with a range of faith leaders and community groups - including through our Places of Worship Taskforce and regular roundtable meetings with major faith groups - to better understand how the Government can support them to respond to the pressures they face at this time.</p><p>I encourage places of worship and community groups to monitor the Government's web pages that offer information on the schemes currently available, and new schemes when they are launched, such as: <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fguidance%2Ffinancial-support-for-voluntary-community-and-social-enterprise-vcse-organisations-to-respond-to-coronavirus-covid-19&amp;data=04%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7C616bbfe58f274655b58208d947aca9ff%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637619629169191381%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=2Q3j64p4T4FDUAaI%2FhjRx6%2F3LC43AN553c%2FbSyvb%2Fno%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/financial-support-for-voluntary-community-and-social-enterprise-vcse-organisations-to-respond-to-coronavirus-covid-19</a></p>
	creator	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1344597

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	12/07/2021
	date	07/07/2021
	date tabled	07/07/2021
	ddp created	07/07/2021 18:37:57
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	ddp modified	07/07/2021 18:48:44 16/07/2021 10:57:11
	house id	1
	identifier	29042
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	58
	question first answered	16/07/2021 10:25:51
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that accessible housing for older and disabled people remains a priority during the covid-19 outbreak.
	session	2021/22
	session number	2
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2021/22 29042
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	29042
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>Our reforms on housing for older and disabled people progress despite the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government has consulted on options to raise accessible housing standards, including options to review and potentially tighten the regulatory framework to deliver accessible new homes. <br> <br> Since 2010 the Government has invested over £4 billion into the Disabled Facilities Grant, including £573 million paid to local authorities in May for 2021-22, funding adaptations to almost 450,000 homes. In our Social Housing White Paper we said that we will look at how we can improve access to suitable homes for disabled people. <br> <br> Our planning rules already mean councils must consider the needs of older and disabled people when planning new homes, and we are significantly reforming the planning system to put a much greater emphasis on design and quality, creating a system which gives local people more of a voice to make clear what new development their areas need and where.</p>
	creator	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

32412

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	16/01/2014
	date	13/01/2014
	date tabled	13/01/2014
	ddp created	14/01/2014 00:30:42
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 01:02:03
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	182969
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	12/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding will be put in place to support local discretionary welfare provision after 2015.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Rochdale
	tabling member printed	Simon Danczuk
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 182969
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	182969
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Thursday 16 January 2014]</em></p><p>The nationally run Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans were poorly targeted and failed to help those most in need. So, in 2012 as part of wider welfare reform, the Department for Work and Pensions abolished these national discretionary schemes and transferred responsibility to local authorities so they could deliver and tailor new local support as part of their existing services to their communities.</p><p>Councils can continue to provide support to those in their community who face financial difficulties or who find themselves in unavoidable circumstances, but there is no requirement to replicate the previous approach adopted by central government.</p><p>In contrast to a centralised grant system that was poorly targeted, under the Department for Work and Pensions' reforms, councils can now choose how best to support local welfare needs within their areas – what is right for, say, Rochdale may not be for other authorities. Some councils have already chosen to wind down their dedicated schemes following underspends.</p><p>In the next Spending Round period, from April 2015, central government continues to provide support to local authorities through general funds as part of the Coalition Government's commitment to reducing ring-fencing and ending top-down Whitehall control.</p><p>The Department for Work and Pensions provided a separate fund for 2013-2015 and are carrying out a review of the provision to date.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
	creator	4059 label Biography information for Simon Danczuk
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4059 label Biography information for Simon Danczuk

33630

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	23/01/2014
	date	16/01/2014
	date tabled	16/01/2014
	ddp created	16/01/2014 20:50:41
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 01:13:38
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	183915
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	13/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made on plans to increase house building by 2030.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Redditch
	tabling member printed	Karen Lumley
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 183915
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	183915
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Thursday 23 January 2014]</em></p><p>The Government does not have a Whitehall building target. The last Administration had a state target to increase house building to 240,000 dwellings a year, yet house building then fell to its lowest peacetime rate since the 1920s.</p><p>By contrast, the Coalition Government has put in place a range of measures to get Britain building again, fix the broken housing market and help hard-working people get the home they want.</p><p>Action taken includes wide-ranging planning reform through National Planning Policy Framework; new incentives to deliver housing growth through the New Homes Bonus; as well as the Government's broader long-term economic plan to tackle the deficit left by the last Administration and keep interest rates down. I would note:</p><p>· We have already delivered 420,000 new homes since 2010.</p><p>· New orders in residential construction have risen to their highest level since 2007 according to the Office for National Statistics;</p><p>· Housing starts are at their highest since 2007 according to DCLG figures;</p><p>· The number of first time buyers is at its highest since 2007 according to the Council for Mortgage Lenders;</p><p>· Repossessions are at their lowest since 2007, according to the Council for Mortgage Lenders; and</p><p>· New home registrations rose by 30 per cent in 2013 in England, the highest since 2007, and are up 60 per cent in London, according to the NHBC.</p><p>In relation to specific programmes:</p><p><em>Affordable housing</em></p><p>170,000 affordable homes have been delivered in England since April 2010.</p><p>Our Affordable Homes Programme will deliver 170,000 homes over the current spending review period (2011-2015) levering in £19.5 billion of public and private funding. We have announced a new ‘Affordable Rent to Buy' scheme which will deliver affordable homes through a recoverable fund. We have also published details of a new Affordable Homes Programme for the next spending period, which will lever in up to £23 billion in public and private funding to deliver 165,000 homes from 2015 to 2018.</p><p>The Affordable Housing Guarantee Scheme is worth up to £3.5 billion (with further lending capacity held in reserve according to demand) and supported by up to £450 million grant funding in England. Up to 30,000 additional affordable homes will be underway by December 2017. Affordable Housing Finance Plc was awarded the licence for the Affordable Housing Guarantee Scheme in June 2013. The first eight housing associations to be approved to borrow through the scheme were announced in January 2014, who will raise over £400 million of debt to facilitate the delivery of over 4,000 new affordable homes. We also announced a European Investment Bank loan facility worth £500 million. More borrowers will follow.</p><p>The Right to Buy Scheme, allowing eligible social tenants to buy their homes at a discount has achieved almost 24,000 sales since April 2010, with the majority (16,200) since we reinvigorated the scheme in 2012. A total of 2,845 council properties were sold between October and December last year, a 42 per cent increase on the same period in 2012. The reinvigorated Right to Buy ensures, for the first time, that the receipts from the additional sales, that is those over what was forecast prior to the change, are reinvested in helping to fund new homes for affordable rent. So far, £300 million has been generated from additional sales and already over 2,000 homes have been started on site or acquired since April 2012.</p><p><em>Home ownership schemes (Help to Buy)</em></p><p>Since April 2013, the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme has offered buyers a 20 per cent equity loan that can be used towards the cost of buying a new build homes, allowing people to buy with a 5 per cent deposit. There were over 30,000 reservations and 19,394 completed loans across England by the end of March 2014, with funding for up to 74,000 sales by March 2016. Alongside this, the Help to Buy: NewBuy scheme has so far supported a further 5,173 households purchase new build homes by the end of March 2014. The Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme was extended through the 2014 Budget announcement to 2020 to help 120,000 more households purchase a new build home.</p><p>The FirstBuy scheme was announced in the Budget 2011 to help support 10,000 first time buyers on the property ladder. The scheme was replaced in April 2013 with Help to Buy. There were 11,590 FirstBuy sales to the end of March 2014.</p><p>Since the end of last year, the Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee scheme is providing up to £12 billion of Government guarantees to support people to buy with a 5 per cent deposit, and over 2,500 homes have so far (by the end of January 2014) been brought through this route, and has helped lower interest rates for those with smaller deposits. The three Help to Buy schemes complement each other, and their success can be taken in the whole.</p><p><em>Private rented sector</em></p><p>The £1 billion Build to Rent programme, which provides development phase finance, is supporting new high quality development purpose built for private rent and is on track to create up to 10,000 new homes. The programme received £1.4 billion of bids under Round One, which is expected to support 15 developments which will provide over 2,600 homes across England in locations which include Durham, Liverpool, Manchester and London. Five contracts to the combined value of over £74.5 million have already been agreed which will deliver over 1,000 new homes for private rent; construction has already started in Southampton (Centenary Quay) and Manchester (Three Towers); more contracts will follow.</p><p>Bidding for Round Two of the Build to Rent Fund was significantly oversubscribed receiving 126 bids to the value of around £3 billion. 36 projects on the shortlist from Round Two are now going through a competitive due diligence process, with successful bids receiving funding to deliver thousands of new homes. A list of all shortlisted bids has been placed in the Library of the House. The shortlist is over-programmed, meaning not all shortlisted projects will receive funding. Shortlisting and due diligence are the first stages of the Build to Rent approval process. The Homes and Communities Agency will continue to work with bidders until exchange of contracts in order to ensure value for money for taxpayers.</p><p>In addition to direct funding, the Government's Private Rented Sector Taskforce is continuing to build the private rented sector as an investment market and have identified £10 billion of domestic and foreign investment available in the private rented sector.</p><p>The Private Rented Sector Guarantees scheme will provide a government guarantee for up to £3.5 billion debt (with further lending capacity held in reserve according to demand) for borrowers investing in new build private rented sector homes across the UK. The guarantees will use the UK Government's hard earned fiscal credibility to help lower the cost of borrowing and incentivise investment in the sector. DCLG is open for business to issue direct guarantees and is actively discussing potential applications with a number of borrowers looking to invest in large scale developments. On 18 March, we also launched a procurement inviting bids from the market to be our delivery partner for Private Rented Sector Housing Debt Guarantees, with the aim of maximizing take up of guarantees including for small and medium enterprises. My Department will be evaluating bids to perform the role in due course.</p><p><em>Infrastructure and development finance</em></p><p>The Get Britain Building investment fund has been provided over £500 million of finance to unlock smaller stalled sites. As at February 2014, it has helped kick start 11,893 new homes on stalled sites.</p><p>The Growing Places Fund is providing £770 million to deliver the infrastructure needed to unlock stalled schemes that will promoted economic growth, create jobs and build homes. The fund has been fully allocated to Local Enterprise Partnerships and the devolved administrations to fund local projects. Progress updates in June 2013 reported that £652 million of capital funding had been allocated to 305 projects across England. Local Enterprise Partnerships expect these projects to create 4,900 businesses, 94,000 jobs and 27,000 houses. A further update will be published in due course.</p><p>The £474 million Local Infrastructure Fund is helping to unlock large scale housing developments. To date, we have unlocked 15 sites capable of delivering almost 80,000 homes through a combination of financial and non-financial support. We are currently working to unlock a further 13 stalled schemes to deliver up to 40,000 new homes. In addition to the capital investment, we have made available £13 million of capacity funding to support local authorities in fulfilling their local housing ambitions.</p><p>The 2013 Autumn Statement also announced a further £1 billion to unlock development on large housing sites and a Prospectus inviting bids was published on 14 April. During the Easter Recess, we also published the Local Growth Fund (Housing Infrastructure) prospectus. This sets out the detail on how to access the £50 million part of the Local Growth Fund in 2015-16. It is designed to help speed up and restart housing developments between 250 and 1,499 units that have slowed down or stalled.</p><p>The 2014 Budget announced further funding for driving up housing supply including a £525 million Builders Finance Fund to provide development finance for small sites to support the construction of 15,000 new homes; the prospectus has also recently been published.</p><p>The Budget announced the intention to create an Urban Development Corporation for the Ebbsfleet area to accelerate the construction of a garden-city style development which will unlock up to 15,000 homes – with up to £200 million capital being made available. We have also published a prospectus to support further locally-led garden cities.</p><p>A new Estate Regeneration Fund of £150 million of recoverable investment will help kick start and accelerate the regeneration of some of our most deprived estates. And we will work with the Greater London Authority to support the regeneration of Brent Cross and unlock 11,000 homes at Barking Riverside.</p><p>We have also taken steps to scale back economically unrealistic Section 106 agreements, such as from the last Administration's housing bubble, which result in no housing development, no regeneration and no community benefits.</p><p><em>Self-build</em></p><p>The £30 million investment fund for Custom Build Homes is currently assessing loan funding of £22.6 million with the potential to deliver 270 units. At the 2014 Budget, we announced that the Government will consult on a new ‘Right to Build' to give self builders a right to a plot from councils, a new £150 million investment fund to help provide up to 10,000 service plots, and announced will we look to extend Help to Buy equity to custom build. We have also exempted self-build from the Community Infrastructure Levy and we are consulting on a similar policy change for Section 106 tariffs.</p><p><em>Empty homes</em></p><p>This Government has provided £235 million of funding which aims to bring up to 12,000 homes back into use by March 2015. This is part of a wider package of measures to get empty homes and empty buildings back into productive use, in contrast to the last Administration's policy of wholesale demolition. The numbers of empty properties in England have fallen to a 10-year low, and the number of long-term vacant properties has fallen by around a third since 2009.</p><p><em>Public sector land</em></p><p>The Public Sector Land Programme has identified land with capacity for over 100,000 homes which we aim to release to the private sector by March 2015. At the end of December 2013, we had released land capable of delivering 68,000 homes to be built.</p><p>Through the Strategic Land and Property Review we have identified scope to generate £5 billion of receipts from government land and property between 2015 and 2020. This will put land and property into the hands of those who can exploit them for commercial purposes – creating opportunities for housing and economic development.</p><p>This was part of a series of measures to support brownfield development, as outlined in more detail in the answer of 3 April 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 780W.</p><p>There is more to do, but I hope this illustrates how this Government's long-term economic plan is helping build more houses, help people move on and up the housing ladder and clean up the mess left by the last Administration.</p><p> </p>
	creator	4023 label Biography information for Karen Lumley
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4023 label Biography information for Karen Lumley

34369

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	24/01/2014
	date	22/01/2014
	date tabled	22/01/2014
	ddp created	22/01/2014 23:40:40
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 01:20:13
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	184627
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	14/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average proportion of market rent of all affordable housing is in each London borough.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Tooting
	tabling member printed	Sadiq Khan
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 184627
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	184627
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>I have placed in the Library of the House, a table showing affordable and social rents as a proportion of market rents, for each London borough.</p><p>The affordable rent model allows for more new affordable housing to be delivered with lower levels of taxpayer capital subsidy and by levering in more private investment. The programme is helping deliver £15 billion of private investment in new affordable housing over the current spending review, alongside £4.5 billion of public investment. Social rent and affordable rent go hand in hand; both help provide accommodation for those on low incomes.</p><p>As the National Audit Office has observed: “the Department selected the best delivery model open to it for the funds it had available” and “the Department has so far achieved its policy objective to maximise the number of homes delivered within the available grant funding” (National Audit Office, “Financial viability of the social housing sector: introducing the Affordable Homes Programme”, 4 July 2012, <em>HC465,</em> pp.6-7).</p><p>I note in his recent Fabian Society pamphlet, the rt. hon. Member has complained that affordable rent would result in rents of 80 per cent of market rents in London. Whilst it varies by borough, as the table shows, for example, affordable rent levels are 38 per cent of average local market rents in Camden, 48 per cent in Islington, 54 per cent in Southwark and 35 per cent in Westminster, reflecting local circumstances.</p><p>I also observe that the housing policy announced at the Labour Party Conference in October 2012 also endorsed the use of affordable rents to build new homes; albeit this point is frequently lost on many Labour hon. Members who proceed to attack the basic principle of affordable rent in allowing more new affordable homes to be built using taxpayer capital subsidy.</p><p> </p>
	creator	1577 label Biography information for Sadiq Khan
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	1577 label Biography information for Sadiq Khan

34374

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	27/01/2014
	date	22/01/2014
	date tabled	22/01/2014
	ddp created	22/01/2014 23:40:41
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 01:20:17
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	184755
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	13/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many families were based in temporary accommodation in (a) Chelmsford constituency and (b) Essex in each quarter of the last five years.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Chelmsford
	tabling member printed	Mr Simon Burns
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 184755
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	184755
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 27 January 2014]</em></p><p>The Department does not collect constituency level data. A table has been placed in the Library of the House with data for Chelmsford City Council and Essex. To assist my rt. hon. Friend, I have provided quarterly data back for the last ten years; the table illustrates how there are fewer households in temporary accommodation than the average under the last Administration.</p><p>This Government has retained a strong homelessness safety net protected in law, supported by £470 million in the current Spending Review period to prevent and tackle homelessness, rough sleeping and repossessions. We are seeing this investment making an impact with households now spending on average 7 months less in temporary accommodation than at the start of 2010.</p><p>We have also made some changes to the rules under the Localism Act to enable local authorities to end the main homelessness duty by arranging an offer of suitable accommodation in the private rented sector. This means households are likely to spend less time in temporary accommodation waiting for social housing to become available.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
	creator	46 label Biography information for Sir Simon Burns
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	46 label Biography information for Sir Simon Burns

34375

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	24/01/2014
	date	22/01/2014
	date tabled	22/01/2014
	ddp created	22/01/2014 23:40:41
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 01:20:18
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	184631
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	09/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many families were placed in temporary accommodation in each London borough in each of the last five years.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Tooting
	tabling member printed	Sadiq Khan
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 184631
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	184631
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>I refer the rt. hon. Member to Live Table 784 available on my Department's website at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness</a></p><p>The numbers of households in temporary accommodation in London are still well belowthe level they were at their peak, under the previous Administration, when they hit more than 63,800. Councils have a responsibility to move homeless households into settled accommodation as quickly as possible and we made common sense changes to the law to enable them to use suitable private rented homes. Indeed, the average stay in temporary accommodation in England has been reduced from 20 months at the beginning of 2010 to 14 months now.</p><p>We have also seen a 42% reduction in the numbers of families with children in Bed and Breakfast for more than six weeks on this time last year across the country. The seven local authorities that we funded to tackle families in Bed and Breakfast have made significant progress achieving an overall reduction of 96% since the funding began.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
	creator	1577 label Biography information for Sadiq Khan
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	1577 label Biography information for Sadiq Khan

34720

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	27/01/2014
	date	23/01/2014
	date tabled	23/01/2014
	ddp created	23/01/2014 21:10:35
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 01:23:53
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	184873
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	14/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households in England received a weekly general, all-purpose, rubbish collection service in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
	tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 184873
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	184873
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>Labour's legacy</em></p><p>The last Labour Government had a policy of actively pushing fortnightly bin collections and hitting hard-working families with new bin charges.Their ‘Household Waste Prevention Policy Side Research Programme' advocated “collection limitations in terms of rubbish bin size or the interval between collections”, and sought to “nationalise this policy among local authorities”. Cutting weekly rubbish collections was not a locally-led initiative, but an explicit Whitehall mission pursued with the zeal of a convert.</p><p>Legislation in 2005 allowed the introduction of bin fines for minor breaches of complex and confusing bin rules; further legislation in 2008 watered down councils' legal duties to collect rubbish. Guidance issued in 2005 advised town halls that councillors should be bullied to stop them opposing the axing of collections or proposing to restore weekly collections. It also recommended that cutting collections should be done after local elections – to avoid the nuisance of democratic opposition. The Government funded the covert imposition of “bin brother” microchips into families' bins. The 2009 Pre-Budget Report made clear that a further wave of bin cuts were being planned. In short, the “Town Hall Talibin” doubled council tax and halved bin collections.</p><p>We disagree. This Government believes that households deserve a frequent and comprehensive rubbish and recycling service in return for the £122 a month in council tax that a typical household pays (Band D), especially given the typical refuse collection service only costs councils £6 to £7 per month to provide.</p><p><em>What we've done</em></p><p>We have taken a series of steps to help households:</p><p> </p><p>· Issued the first ever Whitehall guidance on weekly bin collections, demolishing the myths that fortnightly bin collections are needed to save money or increase recycling;</p><p> </p><p>· Stopped the Audit Commission inspections which marked down councils who do not adopt fortnightly rubbish collections, and rejected the Audit Commission guidance which advocated fortnightly collections (<em>Waste Management: The Strategic Challenge</em> and <em>Waste Management Quick Guide</em>).</p><p> </p><p>· Abolished the Local Area Agreements and National Indicator 191 imposed by Whitehall which created perverse incentives to downgrade waste collection services;</p><p> </p><p>· Scrapped the Whitehall requirement for municipal Annual Efficiency Statements, which allowed a reduction in the frequency of a household rubbish collection service to qualify as a “valid efficiency” and allowed revenue from bin fines to classed as a “cashable efficiency gain”;</p><p> </p><p>· Scrapped the imposition of eco-towns which would have had fortnightly bin collections and/or bin taxes as part of the “eco-standards”;</p><p> </p><p>· Safeguarded weekly collections for 6 million households through the Weekly Collection Support Scheme as well as championing innovation and best practice;</p><p> </p><p>· Supported over 40 innovative reward schemes to back recycling through the Weekly Collection Support Scheme (as pledged in the Coalition Agreement);</p><p> </p><p>· Through the Localism Act, revoked the 2008 legislation that allowed for the imposition of new bin taxes;</p><p> </p><p>· Issued guidance to stop the imposition of illegal ‘backdoor bin charging' on households bins;</p><p> </p><p>· Stopped funding the ‘Waste Improvement Network' which told councils to adopt fortnightly collections as best practice;</p><p> </p><p>· Challenged the incorrect interpretation by some bodies that European Union directives require fortnightly collections, and resisted the imposition of bin taxes by the European Union;</p><p> </p><p>· Removing powers of entry and snooping powers from “Binquisition” inspectors and scrapped guidance telling councils to rifle through families' bins;</p><p> </p><p>· Changing building regulations to tackle ‘bin blight'; and</p><p> </p><p>· Changing the law through the Deregulation Bill to scrap unfair bin fines.</p><p>In short, this has been a fundamentally different approach from the Labour Government: we are working with families to help them go green, but believe in proper, regular and comprehensive collections for taxpaying households.</p><p>The configuration of services is complex. The table below, based on available estimates from WRAP, provide the most detailed information held on the breakdown of refuse and recycling collections of ‘smelly' rubbish across councils in England.</p><p><em>Weekly collections of smelly rubbish</em></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><em>Councils</em></p></td><td><p><em>Weekly Residual + Separate Weekly Food Waste</em></p></td><td><p><em>Weekly Residual + Weekly mixed food and garden waste</em></p></td><td><p><em>Weekly Residual + fortnightly mixed food and garden waste</em></p></td><td><p><em>Weekly Residual and no separate food waste collection</em></p></td><td><p><em>Weekly Food Waste + Fortnightly Residual</em></p></td><td><p><em>Weekly mixed food and garden waste + Fortnightly Residual </em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jun-11</p></td><td><p>33</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>19</p></td><td><p>189</p></td><td><p>45</p></td><td><p>7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nov-11</p></td><td><p>31</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>190</p></td><td><p>52</p></td><td><p>10</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan-12</p></td><td><p>33</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>189</p></td><td><p>54</p></td><td><p>11</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Feb-12</p></td><td><p>33</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>182</p></td><td><p>58</p></td><td><p>11</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Aug-12</p></td><td><p>39</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>21</p></td><td><p>181</p></td><td><p>61</p></td><td><p>12</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sep-12</p></td><td><p>39</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>179</p></td><td><p>62</p></td><td><p>12</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><em> </em></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><em>Households</em></p></td><td><p><em>Weekly Residual + Separate Weekly Food Waste</em></p></td><td><p><em>Weekly Residual + Weekly mixed food and garden waste</em></p></td><td><p><em>Weekly Residual + fortnightly mixed food and garden waste</em></p></td><td><p><em>Weekly collection and no separate food waste collection</em></p></td><td><p><em>Weekly Food Waste + Fortnightly Residual</em></p></td><td><p><em>Weekly mixed food and garden waste + Fortnightly Residual </em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jun-11</p></td><td><p>1,296,296</p></td><td><p>405,719</p></td><td><p>718,292</p></td><td><p>10,480,876</p></td><td><p>1,750,654</p></td><td><p>353,001</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nov-11</p></td><td><p>1,079,984</p></td><td><p>479,151</p></td><td><p>998,017</p></td><td><p>9,694,524</p></td><td><p>2,197,166</p></td><td><p>542,695</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan-12</p></td><td><p>1,141,584</p></td><td><p>441,151</p></td><td><p>998,017</p></td><td><p>9,341,759</p></td><td><p>2,426,531</p></td><td><p>602,695</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Feb-12</p></td><td><p>1,124,040</p></td><td><p>441,151</p></td><td><p>861,447</p></td><td><p>9,064,454</p></td><td><p>2,571,575</p></td><td><p>602,695</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Aug-12</p></td><td><p>1,378,876</p></td><td><p>440,812</p></td><td><p>851,915</p></td><td><p>8,239,673</p></td><td><p>2,896,107</p></td><td><p>747,024</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sep-12</p></td><td><p>1,386,876</p></td><td><p>440,812</p></td><td><p>747,915</p></td><td><p>7,885,321</p></td><td><p>2,981,513</p></td><td><p>747,024</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><em>Fortnightly collections</em></p><p> </p><table><thead><tr><td><p><em>Councils</em></p></td><td><p><em>Fortnightly mixed food and garden waste + Fortnightly Residual</em></p></td><td><p><em>Fortnightly residual and no separate food waste collection</em></p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p>Jun-11</p></td><td><p>36</p></td><td><p>143</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nov-11</p></td><td><p>41</p></td><td><p>142</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan-12</p></td><td><p>41</p></td><td><p>144</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Feb-12</p></td><td><p>44</p></td><td><p>149</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Aug-12</p></td><td><p>47</p></td><td><p>145</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sep-12</p></td><td><p>49</p></td><td><p>147</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><table><thead><tr><td><p><em>Households</em></p></td><td><p><em>Fortnightly mixed food and garden waste + Fortnightly Residual</em></p></td><td><p><em>Fortnightly residual and no separate food waste collection</em></p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p>Jun-11</p></td><td><p>1,668,211</p></td><td><p>5,879,808</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nov-11</p></td><td><p>1,838,632</p></td><td><p>6,014,336</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan-12</p></td><td><p>1,860,532</p></td><td><p>6,032,245</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Feb-12</p></td><td><p>2,034,102</p></td><td><p>6,145,050</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Aug-12</p></td><td><p>2,170,143</p></td><td><p>6,173,402</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sep-12</p></td><td><p>2,319,143</p></td><td><p>6,389,348</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Note: Some councils may have a combination of the categories in the table below and have been counted under each one that they provide.</p><p>This shows that 14 million households in England have some form of weekly collection of smelly rubbish. Had the Government not taken the actions it had, weekly collections would have disappeared in England by 2015. This simple assertion can be illustrated by the extinction of weekly collections in most of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which have devolved Administrations and policies of supporting fortnightly bin collections. Indeed, in Wales, the Labour-led Welsh Government now has a policy of supporting monthly bin collections (Welsh Government, <em>Municipal Sector Plan Part 1</em>, March 2011 and Welsh Government, <em>Cabinet decision, Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, Additional Funding for Zero Waste Gurnos</em>, February 2012).</p><p>We have stopped the rot, but there is more to do to support weekly bin collections. Many town hall jobsworths, over-zealous NGOs and vested interests in the waste industry remain blindly obsessed with restricting bin collections as a perverse policy goal in itself, and this is reflected in the figures in the table above. Indeed, even Keep Britain Tidy – which one would think would want regular rubbish collections to keep the streets clean – has been taken over by a NGO (Waste Watch) which campaigns for fortnightly bin collections. Bin collections are not viewed as a public service – but as a policy tool to deliver other arbitrary policy goals.</p><p><em>More to do</em></p><p>One option which should be considered is a minimum service standard – for example, the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003 already lays down minimum service requirements for recycling, and indeed, the Public Health Act 1875 introduced a duty on local authorities to collect rubbish; this duty was enhanced by the Public Health Act 1936 obliging them to collect household waste weekly which existed until 1974.</p><p>Moving forward, we are open to representations on how best to support frequent and comprehensive rubbish and recycling service; stand up for taxpayers' interests from arbitrary state charges and taxes; and protect the local environment, public health and local amenity from the nuisance of stinking rubbish.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
	creator	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

35175

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	30/01/2014
	date	27/01/2014
	date tabled	27/01/2014
	ddp created	27/01/2014 23:10:27
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 01:27:26
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	185294
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	12/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received on the decision to withdraw the local welfare provision grant in 2015-16; and what consultation he undertook prior to making that decision.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Barrow and Furness
	tabling member printed	John Woodcock
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 185294
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	185294
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Thursday 30 January 2014]</em></p><p>DCLG Ministers and officials talk regularly to elected members and officers of local authorities about a range of issues.</p><p>The nationally run Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans were poorly targeted and failed to help those most in need. So, in 2012 as part of wider welfare reform, the Department for Work and Pensions abolished these national discretionary schemes and transferred responsibility to local authorities so they could deliver and tailor new local support as part of their existing services to their communities.</p><p>Councils can continue to provide support to those in their community who face financial difficulties or who find themselves in unavoidable circumstances, but there is no requirement to replicate the previous approach adopted by central government.</p><p>In contrast to a centralised grant system that was poorly targeted, under the Department for Work and Pensions' reforms, councils can now choose how best to support local welfare needs within their areas – what is right for, say, Barrow and Furness may not be for other authorities. Some councils have already chosen to wind down their dedicated schemes following underspends.</p><p>In the next Spending Round period, from April 2015, central government continues to provide support to local authorities through general funds as part of the Coalition Government's commitment to reducing ring-fencing and ending top-down Whitehall control.</p><p>The Department for Work and Pensions provided a separate fund for 2013-2015 and are carrying out a review of the provision to date.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
	creator	3917 label Biography information for Lord Walney
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	3917 label Biography information for Lord Walney

35983

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	03/02/2014
	date	30/01/2014
	date tabled	30/01/2014
	ddp created	30/01/2014 21:00:37
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 01:34:52
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	185957
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	03/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local planning authorities in (a) improving the viability of brownfield sites and (b) restarting stalled developments.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 185957
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	185957
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>Kick-starting stalled developments</em></p><p>This Government has introduced a series of measures to support stalled house building. These include:</p><p>· The Get Britain Building investment fund, providing over £500 million of finance which has so far helped start 11,893 new homes on stalled sites (as of February 2014).</p><p>· The Growing Places Fund is providing £770 million to deliver the infrastructure needed to unlock stalled schemes that will promote economic growth, create jobs and build homes. The fund has been fully allocated to Local Enterprise Partnerships and the devolved administrations to fund local projects.</p><p>· The £474 million Local Infrastructure Fund investment fund is supporting the delivery of upfront infrastructure for locally-supported, large scale housing sites and commercial development; it also provides capacity funding and brokerage support to local authorities to help them progress major schemes through the planning process. Nearly 80,000 homes have been unlocked on fifteen different sites. A further thirteen schemes are currently being assessed for investment, which we believe have the potential to deliver nearly 40,000 homes.</p><p>· The Autumn Statement committed an additional £1 billion of Local Infrastructure Fund funding to unlock locally-led housing schemes capable of delivering up to a further 250,000 new homes, and a second round prospectus will be published in due course.</p><p>· The Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013 enables developers with any Section 106 agreement to apply for a review of the affordable housing component to ensure development is not being made unviable by unrealistic requirements. Such unviable Section 106 agreements result in no development, no regeneration and no community benefits: a sensible review can result in more housing and more affordable housing.</p><p>· As the housing market has improved, we have ended the temporary measure (introduced by the last Administration) which allowed developers to roll forward their planning permissions; this ending of the measure will increase the incentive for developers to start on site before permission expires.</p><p>· We are also seeking to tackle the inappropriate use of planning conditions and speed up the process of gaining non-planning consents.</p><p>· The Budget announced a £525 million Builders' Finance Fund to assist small and medium sized developers to access finance to support the delivery of housing schemes of between 15 and 250 units, helping kick-start stalled sites and deliver around 15,000 units over four years.</p><p><em>Supporting development on brownfield land</em></p><p>Freeing up brownfield land for regeneration and development is a key priority for my department. Our actions include:</p><p>· We have amended planning regulations to make it easier to change the use of an existing building from commercial to residential use, retail to residential use and agricultural to residential use. Permitted development rights have been expanded, including for flats above shops and allowing for new temporary uses. The Budget announced our intention to further extend these flexibilities.</p><p>· The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that planning should encourage the effective use of land by re-using brownfield land provided that it is not of high environmental value, and that local councils can set locally appropriate targets for using brownfield land. We have also amended planning practice guidance to stress the importance of bringing brownfield land into use.</p><p>· We have abolished the last Government's Pathfinder programme which sought to demolish homes and instead we have focused on refurbishment and getting empty homes into use. We are investing £160 million specifically to bring empty homes back into use. The New Homes Bonus rewards long-term empty homes being brought back into use and we have given councils the flexibility to remove tax subsidies given to empty homes, and use the money to keep the overall rate of council tax down. The number of empty homes in England has fallen to its lowest rate ever according to the Empty Homes Agency.</p><p>· My Department has been supporting the Olympic legacy, driving renewal and regeneration in east London, replacing over 740 acres of polluted, low-grade industrial land and premises with new sports and community facilities, parks, homes, shops and transport infrastructure.</p><p>· We are working with the Mayor of London to unlock the construction of 11,000 new homes at Barking Riverside, and extend transport infrastructure.</p><p>· A new garden city will be delivered on brownfield land in Ebbsfleet, supported by an Urban Development Corporation and up to £200 million of public investment. The last Administration pledged in its 2003 Sustainable Communities Plan to regenerate Ebbsfleet but failed to deliver.</p><p>· The new Right to Contest builds on our existing Community Right to Reclaim Land, which lets communities ask that under-used or unused land owned by public bodies is brought back into beneficial use. This new Right applies to sites currently in use, but are not vital for operations. It gives businesses and members of the public an opportunity to challenge government on the best use of its estate.</p><p>· We have a comprehensive programme to sell surplus public sector land and property, freeing up taxpayers' money and providing land for new homes. As at the end of December we had released surplus government owned land with capacity for 68,000 homes to be built. We have strengthened the role of the Homes and Communities Agency through a targeted programme of transfers from other Government Departments and agencies. In addition, to ensure land is released efficiently, the Homes and Communities Agency will be Government's land disposal agency. This builds on the Homes and Communities Agency's expertise and experience of complex land remediation and disposals as well as their close relationships with local planning authorities.</p><p>· Through the Strategic Land and Property Review we have identified scope to generate £5 billion of receipts from government land and property between 2015 and 2020. This will put land and property into the hands of those who can exploit them for commercial purposes – creating opportunities for housing and economic development.</p><p>· Changes to Community Infrastructure Levy rules now provide an increased incentive for brownfield development, and extended exemptions for empty buildings being brought back into. We have recently published a consultation paper to lift Section 106 burdens on vacant buildings being returned to use.</p><p>· The Budget announced an Estate Regeneration fund which will provide £150 million to help kick start and accelerate the regeneration of housing estates.</p><p>I hope this outlines the decisive action that this Government is taking.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
	creator	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

37877

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	12/02/2014
	date	10/02/2014
	date tabled	10/02/2014
	ddp created	11/02/2014 00:30:54
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 01:50:33
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	187486
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	29/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to encourage local authorities to promote gas safety among leaseholders in local authority-managed properties.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 187486
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	187486
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>The Department does not provide advice on gas safety specifically for leaseholders in local authority–managed properties. However, the lease of a property will set out the responsibilities of the freeholder and the leaseholder, including responsibility for maintenance of gas appliances.</p><p>In the private rented and social rented sectors, landlords are required by law to: repair and maintain gas pipework, keep flues and appliances in safe condition; ensure an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue; and keep a record of each safety check.</p><p>For the social housing sector, the Homes and Communities Agency ‘Home Standard' says that registered providers must “meet all applicable statutory requirements that provide for the health and safety of the occupants in their homes”. The Homes and Communities Agency has recently issued three ‘serious detriment' notices against Gallions, Your Housing Group and the Guinness Partnership for failing to maintain gas safety and they have all had their Governance ratings downgraded partly based on that.</p><p>The Home Standard is a ‘consumer' standard and therefore applies to all registered providers, including local authorities.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p>
	creator	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

37915

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	13/02/2014
	date	10/02/2014
	date tabled	10/02/2014
	ddp created	11/02/2014 00:30:58
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 01:51:00
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	187458
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	09/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of how many small businesses in Chelmsford constituency will benefit from the extension of the small business rate relief scheme.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Chelmsford
	tabling member printed	Mr Simon Burns
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 187458
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	187458
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Thursday 13 February 2014]</em></p><p>No estimate has been made of the number of small businesses in Chelmsford constituency that will benefit from the extension of the doubling of small business rate relief.</p><p>The Government estimates around 540,000 businesses in England will benefit from the extension of the doubling of small business rate relief announced at Autumn Statement 2013.</p><p>It is planned that next month some new local figures for small business rate relief by billing authority will be published.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
	creator	46 label Biography information for Sir Simon Burns
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	46 label Biography information for Sir Simon Burns

39114

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	25/02/2014
	date	21/02/2014
	date tabled	21/02/2014
	ddp created	21/02/2014 18:51:49
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:01:55
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	188738
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	08/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to protect library services.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	South Staffordshire
	tabling member printed	Gavin Williamson
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 188738
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	188738
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>I have been asked to reply.</p><p>Together with other public services, local authorities are rising to the challenge of delivering and developing the library service, with many reviewing and re-shaping their library offer. Some changes have been made in response to the on-going funding environment to which all public services are making their contribution to savings. But many changes have also been made because individual authorities are looking at better ways of delivering a range of services so that they are fit for the present and the future. Details of the various developments in library services in England, including a range of innovative approaches to the task of delivering a comprehensive and efficient service are set out in the annual report to Parliament during 2012/13 and can be accessed at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-under-the-public-libraries-and-museums-act-1964-for-201213" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-under-the-public-libraries-and-museums-act-1964-for-201213</a></p><p> </p>
	creator	4108 label Biography information for Sir Gavin Williamson
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4108 label Biography information for Sir Gavin Williamson

41162

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	06/03/2014
	date	04/03/2014
	date tabled	04/03/2014
	ddp created	04/03/2014 22:20:34
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:20:55
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	190554
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	28/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2014, Official Report, column 694W, on polling stations, what assessment he has made of the effect of foreign language translation by local authorities on integration of non-English speakers into their communities.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Bromley and Chislehurst
	tabling member printed	Robert Neill
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 190554
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	190554
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>In March 2013, my Department published new guidance for local authorities outlining how councils should stop translating into foreign languages. As outlined in the Written Ministerial Statement of 12 March 2013, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 5WS, such translation weakens integration; discourages communities from learning English; undermines rather than strengthens equality goals; harms community relations; and is an expensive waste of taxpayers' money at a time when councils need to be making sensible savings. It is disappointing that councils like Tower Hamlets have disregarded that guidance, and reflects broader issues with the dysfunctional governance and divisive practices of the council.</p><p>I would add that in light of previous instances of electoral fraud, including impersonation in polling stations, postal voting irregularities and allegations of improper influence, Ministers in this Department have concerns about the practice of allowing foreign language translators/interpreters inside polling stations. The privacy of the ballot must be protected and voters inside a polling station should not be subject to any pressure or influence to vote in a particular way. In that context, the integrity of the ballot box and of the local democratic process requires independent and transparent scrutiny in polling stations by polling agents, council staff, the police and, indeed, passing members of the public who are also voting. This is undermined by polling room administration being conducted in foreign languages.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p>
	creator	1601 label Biography information for Sir Robert Neill
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	1601 label Biography information for Sir Robert Neill

41445

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	10/03/2014
	date	05/03/2014
	date tabled	05/03/2014
	ddp created	05/03/2014 22:41:25
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:23:40
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	190614
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	03/04/2014 12:00:00
	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.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne East
	tabling member printed	Mr Nicholas Brown
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 190614
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	190614
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer 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>
	creator	523 label Biography information for Mr Nicholas Brown
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	523 label Biography information for Mr Nicholas Brown

42124

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	12/03/2014
	date	10/03/2014
	date tabled	10/03/2014
	ddp created	10/03/2014 23:31:05
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:29:37
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191376
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	06/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on devolution of the Affordable Homes programme to (a) combined authorities and (b) local enterprise partnerships.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne East
	tabling member printed	Mr Nicholas Brown
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 191376
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191376
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>Housing policy and the provision of affordable housing is not a function of combined authorities or Local Enterprise Partnerships.</p><p>Elected local councils act as both the local housing authorities and local planning authorities, and we should be cautious about any intervention which effectively transferred power upwards.</p><p>Notwithstanding, in the recent Affordable Homes Programme prospectus, we have stated that local authorities will want to engage in strategic dialogue with their Local Enterprise Partnerships when identifying key areas for economic growth.</p><p> </p>
	creator	523 label Biography information for Mr Nicholas Brown
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	523 label Biography information for Mr Nicholas Brown

42384

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	11/03/2014
	date tabled	11/03/2014
	ddp created	11/03/2014 21:30:46
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:33:11
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191531
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	10/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of London households in temporary accommodation were in (a) private sector leased properties, (b) hotels, (c) bed and breakfast, (d) local authority registered social landlord property and (e) other accommodation (i) at the most recent date for which figures are available and (ii) at 31 March 2010.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 191531
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191531
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 17 March 2014]</em></p><p>To assist public scrutiny, I have placed in the Library of the House, a table which provides quarterly figures for the last ten years.</p><p>Over that period, the numbers of households in temporary accommodation in London in this Government is far lower than averaged under the last Administration. The peak of 63,800 households in December 2005 compares to 42,430 in December 2013.</p><p>Councils have a responsibility to move homeless households into settled accommodation as quickly as possible and we made common sense changes to the law to enable them to use suitable private rented homes. The average stay in temporary accommodation in England has been reduced from 20 months at the beginning of 2010 to 14 months now, which means that people on average are spending far less time in such temporary accommodation.</p><p>We have also seen a 42% reduction in the numbers of families with children in Bed and Breakfast for more than six weeks on this time last year across the country. The seven local authorities that my Department has funded to tackle families in Bed and Breakfast have made significant progress, achieving an overall reduction of 96% since the funding began.</p><p> </p>
	creator	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

42393

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	13/03/2014
	date	11/03/2014
	date tabled	11/03/2014
	ddp created	11/03/2014 21:30:48
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:33:17
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191523
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	12/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the (a) change and (b) percentage change was in the number of homelessness acceptances arising from the end of a private sector tenancy in each (i) London local authority and (ii) English region between March 2010 and December 2013.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 191523
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191523
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>To assist public scrutiny, I have placed in the Library of the House, a table showing homelessness acceptances due to loss of private sector tenancy, by local authority, in each year from 2003 to 2013.</p><p>Data is not collected by Parliamentary constituency. My Department does not publish statistics by the former government office regions.</p><p>The dataset shows that under the last Administration, the average numbers were higher than under this Administration, especially when taking account the changes in the overall size to the private rented sector.</p><p>I would note that the rental sector policies of HM Opposition would make the problem worse, by reducing the availability of private rented accommodation, forcing up rents and discouraging investment in the private rented sector. By contrast, this Government is increasing house building, delivering £19.5 billion of investment in affordable housing, supporting billions of private investment in new private rented accommodation, providing £470 million to prevent and tackle all forms of homelessness, and avoiding the excessive regulation which would harm the interests of tenants.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p>
	creator	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

42862

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	12/03/2014
	date tabled	12/03/2014
	ddp created	12/03/2014 20:11:35
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:38:39
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191726
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	12/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will rank how many homeless households were placed in each London local authority by other local authorities since 2010; and how many homeless households each London local authority has placed in authorities other than their own since 2010.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 191726
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191726
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 17 March 2014]</em></p><p>I refer the hon. Member to my answer to her of 19 December 2013, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 713W.</p><p> </p>
	creator	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

42863

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	12/03/2014
	date tabled	12/03/2014
	ddp created	12/03/2014 20:11:35
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:38:40
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191727
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	12/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the actual and percentage change was in the number of households from each London local authority provided with temporary accommodation outside their home borough between March 2010 and December 2013.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 191727
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191727
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 17 March 2014]</em></p><p>I refer the hon. Member to my answer to her of 19 December 2013, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 713W.</p><p> </p>
	creator	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

42864

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	12/03/2014
	date tabled	12/03/2014
	ddp created	12/03/2014 20:11:35
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:38:41
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191728
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	12/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the actual and percentage change was in the number of homeless households in temporary accommodation in each London local authority between March 2010 and December 2013.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 191728
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191728
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 17 March 2014]</em></p><p>I refer the hon. Member to the Live Table 784 available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness</a></p><p>The dataset is already accessible for statistical analysis.</p><p>The numbers of households in temporary accommodation in London are still well belowthe level they were at their peak, under the previous Administration, when they hit more than 63,800. Councils have a responsibility to move homeless households into settled accommodation as quickly as possible and we made common sense changes to the law to enable them to use suitable private rented homes. Indeed the average stay in temporary accommodation in England has been reduced from 20 months at the beginning of 2010 to 14 months now.</p><p>We have also seen a 42% reduction in the numbers of families with children in Bed and Breakfast for more than six weeks on this time last year across the country. The seven local authorities that we funded to tackle families in Bed and Breakfast have made significant progress achieving an overall reduction of 96% since the funding began.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p>
	creator	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

42865

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	12/03/2014
	date tabled	12/03/2014
	ddp created	12/03/2014 20:11:35
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:38:42
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191729
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	12/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households have been placed in temporary accommodation in each London local authority by councils other than their own since March 2010.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 191729
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191729
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 17 March 2014]</em></p><p>I refer the hon. Member to my answer to her of 19 December 2013, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 713W.</p><p> </p>
	creator	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

42866

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	12/03/2014
	date tabled	12/03/2014
	ddp created	12/03/2014 20:11:36
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:38:43
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191730
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	12/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many homeless households have been placed in temporary accommodation in each London local authority by councils other than their own in each of the last eight quarters.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 191730
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191730
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 17 March 2014]</em></p><p>I refer the hon. Member to my answer to her of 19 December 2013, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 713W.</p><p> </p>
	creator	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

42867

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	12/03/2014
	date tabled	12/03/2014
	ddp created	12/03/2014 20:11:36
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:38:44
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191731
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	12/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households have been placed in temporary accommodation by London councils in each local authority area outside London since March 2010.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 191731
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191731
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 17 March 2014]</em></p><p>I refer the hon. Member to my answer to her of 19 December 2013, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 713W.</p><p> </p>
	creator	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

42880

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	12/03/2014
	date tabled	12/03/2014
	ddp created	12/03/2014 20:11:41
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:38:57
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191722
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	12/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which 30 local authority areas have received the largest number of homeless households in temporary accommodation placed by London local authorities since March 2010.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 191722
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191722
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 17 March 2014]</em></p><p>I refer the hon. Member to my answer to her of 19 December 2013, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 713W.</p><p> </p>
	creator	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

42883

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	12/03/2014
	date tabled	12/03/2014
	ddp created	12/03/2014 20:11:42
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:39:00
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191723
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	12/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what change there has been in the number and proportion of homeless households in nightly booked temporary accommodation in London since March 2010.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 191723
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191723
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 17 March 2014]</em></p><p>The Department does not collect information specifically on numbers of homeless households in nightly-booked temporary accommodation.</p><p> </p>
	creator	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

43015

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	13/03/2014
	date tabled	13/03/2014
	ddp created	13/03/2014 20:41:17
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:39:36
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191956
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	14/05/2014 12:00:00
	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.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 191956
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191956
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer 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>
	creator	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

43021

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	13/03/2014
	date tabled	13/03/2014
	ddp created	13/03/2014 20:41:18
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:39:40
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	192143
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	03/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful planning appeals have been made against (i) Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council and (ii) Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council in each year since 2010.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
	tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 192143
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	192143
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>Planning is a quasi-judicial process; it is a long-standing feature of the planning system that there is a right of appeal, just as there are with other local quasi-judicial decisions such as on licensing applications, gambling applications or parking fines.</p><p>The table below shows planning appeal decisions by calendar year. To assist public scrutiny, I have provided comparative figures for a similar period before 2010.</p><p> </p><table><thead><tr><td><p><em>Council</em></p></td><td><p><em>Calendar Year</em></p></td><td><p><em>Allowed</em></p></td><td><p><em>Split</em></p></td><td><p><em>Dismissed</em></p></td><td><p><em>Total</em></p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td rowspan="7"><p>Stockport</p></td><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>27</p></td><td><p>50</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>29</p></td><td><p>45</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>19</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>28</p></td><td><p>47</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>18</p></td><td><p>32</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>17</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="7"><p>Tameside</p></td><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>21</p></td><td><p>38</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>22</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>19</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>12</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Whilst the precise number of appeals will fluctuate from year to year, this table shows that the absolute number of appeals both (a) received and (b) allowed has fallen in recent years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
	creator	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

43315

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	31/03/2014
	date	17/03/2014
	date tabled	17/03/2014
	ddp created	17/03/2014 22:25:14
	ddp modified	06/02/2015 17:58:27
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	2
	identifier	HL6068
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	06/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what schemes they have introduced or modified since May 2010 to encourage residential home building or purchase; and what was the approximate number of new build homes as a result of each of those schemes.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member printed	Lord Whitty
	title	House of Lords Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 HL6068
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL6068
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>The Coalition Government has put in place a range of measures to get Britain building again, fix the broken housing market and help hard-working people get the home they want.</p><p>Action taken includes wide-ranging planning reform through National Planning Policy Framework; introducing self-financing for stock holding local authorities; new incentives to deliver housing growth through the New Homes Bonus; as well as the Government's broader long-term economic plan to tackle the deficit left by the last Administration and keep interest rates down. I would note:</p><p>· We have already delivered 420,000 new homes since 2010;</p><p>· New orders in residential construction have risen to their highest level since 2007 according to the Office for National Statistics;</p><p>· Housing starts are at their highest since 2007 according to DCLG figures;</p><p>· The number of first time buyers is at its highest since 2007 according to the Council for Mortgage Lenders;</p><p>· Repossessions are at their lowest since 2007, according to the Council for Mortgage Lenders; and</p><p>· New home registrations rose by 30 per cent in 2013 in England, the highest since 2007, and are up 60 per cent in London, according to the NHBC.</p><p>In relation to specific programmes:</p><p><em>Affordable housing</em></p><p>Over 170,000 affordable homes have been delivered in England since April 2010.</p><p>Our Affordable Homes Programme will deliver 170,000 homes over the current spending review period (2011-2015) levering in £19.5 billion of public and private funding. We have announced a new ‘Affordable Rent to Buy' scheme which will deliver affordable homes through a recoverable fund. The new Affordable Homes Programme for the next spending period, will lever in up to £23 billion in public and private funding to deliver 165,000 homes from 2015 to 2018.</p><p>The Affordable Housing Guarantee Scheme is worth up to £3.5 billion (with further lending capacity held in reserve according to demand) and supported by up to £450 million grant funding in England. Up to 30,000 additional affordable homes will be underway by December 2017. Affordable Housing Finance Plc was awarded the licence for the Affordable Housing Guarantee Scheme in June 2013. The first eight housing associations to be approved to borrow through the scheme were announced in January 2014, who will raise over £400 million of debt to facilitate the delivery of over 4,000 new affordable homes. We also announced a European Investment Bank loan facility worth £500 million. More borrowers will follow.</p><p>The Right to Buy Scheme, allowing eligible social tenants to buy their homes at a discount has achieved almost 24,000 sales since April 2010, with the majority (16,200) since we reinvigorated the scheme in 2012. A total of 2,845 council properties were sold between October and December last year, a 42 per cent increase on the same period in 2012. The reinvigorated Right to Buy ensures, for the first time, that the receipts from the additional sales, that is those over what was forecast prior to the change, are reinvested in helping to fund new homes for affordable rent. So far, £300 million has been generated from additional sales and already over 2000 homes have been started on site or acquired since April 2012.</p><p><em>Self-financing for local authorities </em></p><p>In 2012 the Government reformed the council house finance system, introducing self-financing for those local authorities that still own and manage their own housing. This system of self-financing has given local authorities greater freedoms and flexibilities to manage their housing and many are now starting to use those freedoms to build new council housing.</p><p>To further increase the supply of housing locally, the Government has made available £300 million of additional Housing Revenue Account borrowing as part of the Local Growth Fund to help those authorities that need additional borrowing and want to deliver new affordable homes quickly. We are looking to local authorities, who need additional borrowing, to bid for that increase by 16 June 2014 and for schemes that would help to deliver 10,000 new affordable homes.</p><p><em>Home ownership schemes (Help to Buy)</em></p><p>Since April 2013, the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme has offered buyers a 20 per cent equity loan that can be used towards the cost of buying a new build homes, allowing people to buy with a 5 per cent deposit. There were over 30,000 reservations and 19,394 completed loans across England by the end of March 2014, with funding for up to 74,000 sales by March 2016. Alongside this, the Help to Buy: NewBuy scheme has also supported a further 5,173 households to purchase new build homes by the end of March 2014. The Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme was extended through the 2014 Budget announcement to 2020 to help 120,000 more households purchase a new build home.</p><p>The FirstBuy scheme was announced in the Budget 2011 to help support 10,000 first time buyers on the property ladder. The scheme was replaced in April 2013 with Help to Buy. There were 11,522 FirstBuy sales to the end of 2013; moving forward, this is now effectively part of Help to Buy.</p><p>Since the end of last year, the Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee scheme is providing up to £12 billion of Government guarantees to support people to buy with a 5 per cent deposit. Over 2,500 homes have (by the end of January 2014) been bought through this route. The three Help to Buy schemes complement each other, and their success can be taken in the whole.</p><p><em>Private rented sector</em></p><p>The £1 billion Build to Rent programme, which provides development phase finance, is supporting new high quality development purpose built for private rent and is on track to create up to 10,000 new homes. The programme received £1.4 billion of bids under Round One, this round of funding is currently expected to support 15 developments which will provide nearly 2,600 homes across England in locations which presently include Durham, Liverpool, Manchester and London. Five contracts to the combined value of over £74.5 million have already been agreed which will deliver over 1,000 new homes for private rent; construction has already started in Southampton (Centenary Quay) and Manchester (Three Towers); more contracts will follow.</p><p>Bidding for Round Two of the Build to Rent Fund was significantly oversubscribed receiving 126 bids to the value of around £3 billion. 36 projects on the shortlist from Round Two are now going through a competitive due diligence process, with successful bids receiving funding to deliver thousands of new homes. A list of all shortlisted bids has been placed in the Library. The shortlist is over-programmed, meaning not all shortlisted projects will receive funding. Shortlisting and due diligence are the first stages of the Build to Rent approval process. The Homes and Communities Agency will continue to work with bidders until exchange of contracts in order to ensure value for money for taxpayers.</p><p>In addition to direct funding, the Government's Private Rented Sector Taskforce is continuing to build the private rented sector as an investment market and have identified £10 billion of domestic and foreign investment available in the private rented sector.</p><p>The Private Rented Sector Guarantees scheme will provide a government guarantee for up to £3.5 billion debt (plus an additional amount held in reserve) for borrowers investing in new build private rented sector homes across the UK. The guarantees will use the UK Government's hard earned fiscal credibility to help lower the cost of borrowing and incentivise investment in the sector. DCLG is open for business to issue direct guarantees and is actively discussing potential applications with a number of borrowers looking to invest in large scale developments. On 18 March, we also launched a procurement inviting bids from the market to be our delivery partner for Private Rented Sector Housing Debt Guarantees, with the aim of maximising take up of guarantees including for small and medium enterprises. My Department will be evaluating bids to perform the role in due course.</p><p><em>Infrastructure and development finance</em></p><p>The Get Britain Building investment fund has been provided over £500 million of finance to unlock smaller stalled sites. As at February 2014, it has helped kick start 11,893 new homes on stalled sites.</p><p>The Growing Places Fund is providing £770 million to deliver the infrastructure needed to unlock stalled schemes that will promoted economic growth, create jobs and build homes. The fund has been fully allocated to Local Enterprise Partnerships and the devolved administrations to fund local projects. Progress updates in June 2013 reported that £652 million of capital funding had been allocated to 305 projects across England. Local Enterprise Partnerships expect these projects to create 4,900 businesses, 94,000 jobs and 27,000 houses. A further update will be published in due course.</p><p>The £474 million Local Infrastructure Fund is helping to unlock large scale housing developments. To date, we have unlocked 15 sites capable of delivering almost 80,000 homes through a combination of financial and non-financial support. We are currently working to unlock a further 13 stalled schemes to deliver up to 40,000 new homes. In addition to the capital investment, we have made available £13 million of capacity funding to support local authorities in fulfilling their local housing ambitions.</p><p>The 2013 Autumn Statement also announced a further £1 billion to unlock development on large housing sites and a Prospectus inviting bids was published on 14 April. During the Easter Recess, we also published the Local Growth Fund (Housing Infrastructure) prospectus. This sets out the detail on how to access the £50 million part of the Local Growth Fund in 2015-16. It is designed to help speed up and restart housing developments between 250 and 1,499 units that have slowed down or stalled.</p><p>The 2014 Budget announced further funding for driving up housing supply including a £525 million Builders Finance Fund to provide development finance for small sites to support the construction of 15,000 new homes; the prospectus has also recently been published.</p><p>The Budget announced the intention to create an Urban Development Corporation for the Ebbsfleet area to accelerate the construction of a garden-city style development which will unlock up to 15,000 homes – with up to £200 million capital being made available. We have also published a prospectus to support further locally-led garden cities.</p><p>A new Estate Regeneration Fund of £150 million of recoverable investment will help kick start and accelerate the regeneration of some of our most deprived estates. And we will work with the Greater London Authority to support the regeneration of Brent Cross and unlock 11,000 homes at Barking Riverside.</p><p>We have also taken steps to scale back economically unrealistic Section 106 agreements, such as from the last Administration's housing bubble, which result in no housing development, no regeneration and no community benefits.</p><p><em>Self-build</em></p><p>The £30 million investment fund for Custom Build Homes is currently assessing loan funding of £22.6 million with the potential to deliver 270 homes. At the 2014 Budget, we announced that the Government will consult on a new ‘Right to Build' to give self builders a right to a plot from councils, a new £150 million investment fund to help provide up to 10,000 serviced building plots, and announced will we look to extend Help to Buy equity loan to custom builders. We have also exempted self-build from the Community Infrastructure Levy and we are consulting on a similar policy change for Section 106 tariffs.</p><p><em>Empty homes</em></p><p>This Government has provided £235 million of funding which aims to bring up to 12,000 homes back into use by March 2015.. This is part of a wider package of measures to get empty property back into productive use, in contrast to the last Administration's policy of wholesale demolition. The numbers of empty homes in England have fallen to a 10-year low, and the number of long-term vacant properties has fallen by around a third since 2009.</p><p><em>Public sector land</em></p><p>The Public Sector Land Programme has identified land with capacity for over 100,000 homes which we aim to release to the private sector by March 2015. At the end of December 2013, we had released land capable of delivering 68,000 homes to be built.</p><p>Through the Strategic Land and Property Review we have identified scope to generate £5 billion of receipts from government land and property between 2015 and 2020. This will put land and property into the hands of those who can exploit them for commercial purposes – creating opportunities for housing and economic development.</p><p>This was part of a series of measures to support brownfield development, as outlined in more detail in the answer of 3 April 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, House of Commons, Column 780W.</p><p><em>Improving the home buying process</em></p><p>To help reduce costs for buying a home, we have scrapped the last Administration's Home Information Packs which duplicated costs and were not trusted by buyers.</p><p>There is more to do, but I hope this illustrates how this Government's long-term economic plan is helping build more houses, help people move on and up the housing ladder and clean up the mess left by the last Administration.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
	creator	2444 label Biography information for Lord Whitty
	publisher	25277 pref label House of Lords
	tabling member	2444 label Biography information for Lord Whitty

43348

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	19/03/2014
	date	17/03/2014
	date tabled	17/03/2014
	ddp created	17/03/2014 22:40:49
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:43:15
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	identifier	192251
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	03/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many planning appeals resulted in local authority decisions being overturned by the planning inspector in South Staffordshire in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011, (d) 2012 and (e) 2013.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	South Staffordshire
	tabling member printed	Gavin Williamson
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 192251
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	192251
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>Planning is a quasi-judicial process; it is a long-standing feature of the planning system that there is a right of appeal, just as there are with other local quasi-judicial decisions such as on licensing applications, gambling applications or parking fines.</p><p>The table below shows planning appeal decisions by calendar year for South Staffordshire District Council. To assist public scrutiny, I have provided comparative figures for a similar period before 2010.</p><p> </p><table><thead><tr><td><p><em>Calendar Year</em></p></td><td><p><em>Allowed</em></p></td><td><p><em>Split</em></p></td><td><p><em>Dismissed</em></p></td><td><p><em>Total</em></p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p>25</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>37</p></td><td><p>62</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>27</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>53</p></td><td><p>81</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>26</p></td><td><p>40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>18</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>35</p></td><td><p>53</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>19</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>33</p></td><td><p>52</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>26</p></td><td><p>42</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>22</p></td><td><p>30</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Whilst the precise number of appeals will fluctuate from year to year, this table shows that the number of appeals both (a) received and (b) allowed has fallen in recent years.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p>
	creator	4108 label Biography information for Sir Gavin Williamson
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4108 label Biography information for Sir Gavin Williamson

43992

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	24/03/2014
	date	19/03/2014
	date tabled	19/03/2014
	ddp created	19/03/2014 22:50:59
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:50:53
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	identifier	192775
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	09/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department paid Sir Ken Knight in (a) salary, (b) fees and (c) expenses for the independent review of efficiency and operations in fire and rescue authorities in England.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	North Tyneside
	tabling member printed	Mrs Mary Glindon
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 192775
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	192775
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 24 March 2014]</em></p><p>Sir Ken Knight worked on his independent review between 1 January and 22 June 2013. He was paid £53,635 during this period. Between 1 January and 28 January 2013, Sir Ken was also the Government's Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser in addition to conducting initial fieldwork for his review. His salary rate whilst working on the Knight Review was in line with his previous salary rate when he was Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser.</p><p>Sir Ken's review found huge variations in the way the 46 fire and rescue authorities in England operate and highlighted the scope for the services to find £200 million in savings whilst safeguarding emergency operations and protecting public safety. His report highlighted the importance of collaboration with other local services in helping fire and rescue authorities to transform the way they run to meet the changing needs of communities. The Government will be publishing a formal response to the report in due course. The best fire and rescue authorities are already beginning to collaborate with police and ambulance services and local authorities – through co-location of stations and services, through sharing back office functions, including sharing senior staff, and through co-responding and joining up on service delivery.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p>
	creator	4126 label Biography information for Mary Glindon
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4126 label Biography information for Mary Glindon

44526

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	25/03/2014
	date	21/03/2014
	date tabled	21/03/2014
	ddp created	21/03/2014 17:20:13
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:56:31
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	identifier	193259
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	03/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps are being taken to ensure that the legal costs accrued over the closure of the Traveller site in Fylde are recovered from the travellers.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Fylde
	tabling member printed	Mark Menzies
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 193259
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	193259
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>The High Court and the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Secretary of State to dismiss the planning appeal and uphold the enforcement notice in relation to an unauthorised traveller site at Fairfield Road, Hardhorn.</p><p>My Department seeks to recover the costs of litigation from the other parties where this is appropriate, and I can confirm that we will be seeking to do so in this case.</p><p>Flyde Borough Council may also seek to do the same through due legal process; however, this is a matter for the council rather than my Department.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p>
	creator	3998 label Biography information for Mark Menzies
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	3998 label Biography information for Mark Menzies

44590

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	07/04/2014
	date	24/03/2014
	date tabled	24/03/2014
	ddp created	24/03/2014 22:37:58
	ddp modified	06/02/2015 18:00:31
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	2
	identifier	HL6247
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	07/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made about the number of off-plan and readily available houses that are purchased by foreign investors.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradshaw
	title	House of Lords Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 HL6247
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL6247
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Department does not collect information on the number of foreign buyers of new build properties.</p><p>However, publicly available research has looked at the influence ‘international buyers' have in the new build market in London. Savills suggest of an estimated 97,000 Greater London sales in 2012 (which includes existing property), only 750 were “prime new build sales to international second home buyers”. An estimated 3,000 were for investment in lettings, and therefore available to UK residents as tenants.</p><p>(<a href="http://pdf.euro.savills.co.uk/residential---other/spot-worldlondon-lr.pdf" target="_blank">http://pdf.euro.savills.co.uk/residential---other/spot-worldlondon-lr.pdf</a>)</p><p>Knight Frank (October 2013) found that between 85 and 90 per cent of new build purchases in Greater London over the last two years went to UK residents. They note that “Our research points to the fact that the majority of demand for new-build property in London from overseas remains focussed on the relatively small and concentrated market made up of the central London postcodes.”</p><p>(<a href="http://resources.knightfrank.com/GetResearchResource.ashx?versionid=2017&amp;type=1" target="_blank">http://resources.knightfrank.com/GetResearchResource.ashx?versionid=2017&amp;type=1</a>)</p><p>I would also refer the noble Lord to my reply to him of 1 April 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, columns WA179-180.</p>
	creator	2483 label Biography information for Lord Bradshaw
	publisher	25277 pref label House of Lords
	tabling member	2483 label Biography information for Lord Bradshaw

44617

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	07/04/2014
	date	24/03/2014
	date tabled	24/03/2014
	ddp created	24/03/2014 22:38:02
	ddp modified	06/02/2015 18:00:52
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	2
	identifier	HL6274
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	03/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage local authority pension schemes to take into account environmental, social and governance factors in their decisions.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
	title	House of Lords Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 HL6274
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL6274
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>These issues are matters for individual local authorities that administer pension funds to consider when deciding upon their investment strategies. Each administering authority is required to publish a statement of principles, which may address such issues. Statutory guidance states that the authority must report periodically to scheme members on the implementation of their policies.</p><p>Notwithstanding, local authorities need to focus on delivering a good rate of return for their fund and value for taxpayers, given local government pensions cost taxpayers (via employer contributions) almost £6 billion a year.</p>
	creator	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison
	publisher	25277 pref label House of Lords
	tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

44668

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	26/03/2014
	date	24/03/2014
	date tabled	24/03/2014
	ddp created	25/03/2014 00:30:44
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:57:31
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	identifier	193480
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	03/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to encourage local authority pension funds to become signatories to the Stewardship Code.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
	tabling member printed	Paul Uppal
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 193480
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	193480
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>Each local authority that administers a pension fund is already subject to statutory guidance that states that it should recognise the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code and ensure that the Code is adopted by their fund managers, investment consultants and advisers. The guidance also states that the authority should include a statement of its policy on responsible ownership in its statement of the principles governing its investment decisions and report periodically to scheme members on the implementation of the policy. Sixteen of the eighty nine local government pension funds in England and Wales are themselves signatories to the Stewardship Code as asset owners.</p><p> </p>
	creator	4078 label Biography information for Paul Uppal
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4078 label Biography information for Paul Uppal

44669

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	26/03/2014
	date	24/03/2014
	date tabled	24/03/2014
	ddp created	25/03/2014 00:30:44
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:57:32
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	identifier	193481
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	03/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to encourage local authority pension funds to become active owners or stewards of their assets as defined in the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
	tabling member printed	Paul Uppal
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 193481
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	193481
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>Each local authority that administers a pension fund is already subject to statutory guidance that states that it should recognise the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code and ensure that the Code is adopted by their fund managers, investment consultants and advisers. The guidance also states that the authority should include a statement of its policy on responsible ownership in its statement of the principles governing its investment decisions and report periodically to scheme members on the implementation of the policy. Sixteen of the eighty nine local government pension funds in England and Wales are themselves signatories to the Stewardship Code as asset owners.</p><p> </p>
	creator	4078 label Biography information for Paul Uppal
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4078 label Biography information for Paul Uppal

44670

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	26/03/2014
	date	24/03/2014
	date tabled	24/03/2014
	ddp created	25/03/2014 00:30:44
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:57:33
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	identifier	193479
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	03/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the need for local authority pension schemes to integrate environmental, social and governance issues into their investment decision-making.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
	tabling member printed	Paul Uppal
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 193479
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	193479
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>These issues are matters for individual local authorities that administer pension funds to consider when deciding upon their investment strategies. Each administering authority is required to publish a statement of principles, which should address such issues. Statutory guidance states that the authority must report periodically to scheme members on the implementation of their policies.</p><p>Notwithstanding, local authorities need to focus on delivering a good rate of return for their fund and value for taxpayers, given local government pensions cost taxpayers (via employer contributions) almost £6 billion a year.</p><p> </p>
	creator	4078 label Biography information for Paul Uppal
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	4078 label Biography information for Paul Uppal

44672

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	27/03/2014
	date	24/03/2014
	date tabled	24/03/2014
	ddp created	25/03/2014 00:30:44
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:57:35
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	identifier	193399
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	28/04/2014 12:00:00
	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.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Hyndburn
	tabling member printed	Graham Jones
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 193399
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	193399
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer 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>
	creator	3999 label Biography information for Graham P Jones
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	3999 label Biography information for Graham P Jones

44675

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	26/03/2014
	date	24/03/2014
	date tabled	24/03/2014
	ddp created	25/03/2014 00:30:45
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:57:37
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	identifier	193427
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	09/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the development announced in Budget 2014 at Ebbsfleet will consist of affordable homes.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	City of Durham
	tabling member printed	Roberta Blackman-Woods
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 193427
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	193427
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>The Government does not impose a particular level of affordable housing for housing schemes. The percentage of affordable units will be a matter for local decision making taking account of the local authorities' local plans and site viability. Unrealistic Section 106 agreements result in no development, no regeneration and no community benefits.</p><p> </p>
	creator	1501 label Biography information for Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	1501 label Biography information for Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods

44678

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	26/03/2014
	date	24/03/2014
	date tabled	24/03/2014
	ddp created	25/03/2014 00:30:45
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:57:45
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	identifier	193383
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	03/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his Department's policy is on allowing officials to appear before all-party parliamentary groups.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 193383
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	193383
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham on 26 March 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, column 300W.</p><p> </p>
	creator	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

44680

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	31/03/2014
	date	24/03/2014
	date tabled	24/03/2014
	ddp created	25/03/2014 00:30:46
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:57:46
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	identifier	193458
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	28/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to establish garden city principles in Ebbsfleet.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member constituency	City of Durham
	tabling member printed	Roberta Blackman-Woods
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 193458
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	193458
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 31 March 2014]</em></p><p>We expect the new Ebbsfleet Urban Development Corporation, once established, to develop the vision for Ebbsfleet Garden City in co-operation with local partners.</p><p>We would expect the Corporation, working with local partners and other experts, to consider how accepted Garden Cities principles, such as high quality, imaginative design, the provision of generous green space, mixed tenure homes and a strong local jobs offer, could be delivered in a way appropriate to local needs and circumstances.</p><p>The Government wants Ebbsfleet to set high standards in terms of design quality. The Built for Life principles are industry developed standards for good design. We would look to those coming forward with development proposals at Ebbsfleet to adopt them, and encourage them to be ambitious by aiming for a ‘green' rating.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
	creator	1501 label Biography information for Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	1501 label Biography information for Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods

44876

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	08/04/2014
	date	25/03/2014
	date tabled	25/03/2014
	ddp created	25/03/2014 22:39:09
	ddp modified	06/02/2015 18:00:56
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	2
	identifier	HL6279
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	08/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the percentage cost over-run established by the management board for any budget in the Department for Communities and Local Government to merit being tabled at the departmental management board; and how many times in the last 12 months that has occurred.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
	title	House of Lords Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 HL6279
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL6279
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>The Department's financial position is reviewed on a regular basis.</p><p> </p>
	creator	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn
	publisher	25277 pref label House of Lords
	tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

44894

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	08/04/2014
	date	25/03/2014
	date tabled	25/03/2014
	ddp created	25/03/2014 22:39:11
	ddp modified	06/02/2015 18:01:10
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	2
	identifier	HL6297
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	06/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the breakdown of departmental spending in the Department for Communities and Local Government on catering, hospitality and refreshments in (1) 2008–09, and (2) 2009–10.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member printed	Baroness Seccombe
	title	House of Lords Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 HL6297
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL6297
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>As recently outlined in the answer of 9 April 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, House of Commons, Column 239W, my Department has cut its spending on catering and hospitality from £553,230 in 2008-09 and £456,142 in 2009-10 to an estimated £36,000 in the year 2013-14 (the precise audited figure will be published in due course).</p><p>That answer outlines the rationale for the current spending, and notes that we no longer routinely incur any expenditure on refreshments for Ministers other than “de minimis” expenditure on tea and coffee for Ministers' meetings with external visitors, or on the rare occasion when Ministers undertake overnight stays on official business outside London.</p><p>In relation to the breakdown of previous spending:</p><p>Spend on hospitality through the Department's in-house Facilities Management Supplier was £457,667 in 2008-09 and £337,621 in 2009-10.</p><p>In addition, I have placed in the Library of the House, a table showing a list of individual transactions, through (a) Government Procurement Cards and (b) other suppliers, based on electronic records held by the Department.</p><p> </p>
	creator	2097 label Biography information for Baroness Seccombe
	publisher	25277 pref label House of Lords
	tabling member	2097 label Biography information for Baroness Seccombe

44895

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	08/04/2014
	date	25/03/2014
	date tabled	25/03/2014
	ddp created	25/03/2014 22:39:11
	ddp modified	06/02/2015 18:01:11
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	2
	identifier	HL6298
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	08/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps the Department for Communities and Local Government has taken to cut spending on Common Purpose leadership courses.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member printed	Baroness Seccombe
	title	House of Lords Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 HL6298
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL6298
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>I confirm that the Secretary of State has given a clear steer that spending on Common Purpose is not appropriate, and no expenditure has been undertaken since 2010. By contrast, the last Administration spent £235,950 on Common Purpose.</p><p>In '50 ways to save' the Department's best practice guidance on sensible savings, we recommended councils cancel spending on Common Purpose leadership courses as a practical way of saving money.</p>
	creator	2097 label Biography information for Baroness Seccombe
	publisher	25277 pref label House of Lords
	tabling member	2097 label Biography information for Baroness Seccombe

44896

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	08/04/2014
	date	25/03/2014
	date tabled	25/03/2014
	ddp created	25/03/2014 22:39:12
	ddp modified	06/02/2015 18:01:12
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	2
	identifier	HL6299
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	07/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amount of surplus public land sold so far to support housebuilding and development.
	session	2013/14
	session number	3
	tabling member printed	Baroness Seccombe
	title	House of Lords Tabled Parliamentary Question 2013/14 HL6299
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL6299
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Government has taken action to free up land for productive economic use. At the end of December 2013, the Public Sector Land Programme had sold surplus Government owned land capable of delivering over 68,000 homes in England as part of our ambition to dispose of surplus land with capacity for 100,000 homes by 2015. And through the recently concluded Strategic Land and Property Review the Government has identified scope to release £5 billion from its land and property between 2015 and 2020, creating opportunities for housing and economic development.The Government will look to quantify the housing and growth ambitions for this new programme by the time of the Autumn Statement.</p><p> </p>
	creator	2097 label Biography information for Baroness Seccombe
	publisher	25277 pref label House of Lords
	tabling member	2097 label Biography information for Baroness Seccombe