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42684

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	12/03/2014
	date tabled	12/03/2014
	ddp created	12/03/2014 20:10:28
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:36:31
	answering body	Attorney General
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191801
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	07/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what estimate he has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) the Law Officers' Departments and (b) any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of the Law Officers' Departments in the current financial year.
	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 191801
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191801
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>The Law Officers' Departments have been actively reducing their estate running costs since 2010 in line with Government policy and have already made significant savings.</p><p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) estate rationalisation programme began in 2009 and is set to be completed in 2016, with most of the leases on empty property having expired by then. This programme has already led to a reduction in expenditure and increased efficiency. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has paid £320,178.38 in property business rates in the current financial year on the properties which are currently recorded as vacant on the ePIMS database as at 14 March 2014. The costs figure has been produced by DTZ who are CPS' managing agents and has not yet been audited.</p><p>The Treasury Solicitor's Department owns a lease on a building which has some vacant space. This building attracts full business rates in the current financial year. This lease is due to expire in 2016. The estimated business rates for the vacant proportion of the property for 2013/14 are £59 372.71</p><p>The remaining Law Officers' Departments do not have any vacant properties.</p><p> </p> question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 16
	creator	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

42698

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	12/03/2014
	date tabled	12/03/2014
	ddp created	12/03/2014 20:10:37
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:36:44
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191802
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	19/03/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) his Department and (b) any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of his Department in the current financial year.
	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 191802
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191802
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>At the time of the last General Election the central Government estate was far larger than required and taxpayers were paying to maintain, run and rent properties which were under-occupied while other part of the freehold estate remained vacant.</p><p>The Government Property Unit has been supporting departments to rationalise rapidly the Government's estate including by taking a whole of Government view of property. Since the 2010 General Election over £1.25 billion has been raised by selling surplus freehold properties. Through the exiting of property across the central civil estate, we have also delivered cumulative, gross run rate savings of over £454 million per annum.</p><p>Where surplus property is awaiting disposal or lease end, the government looks to explore all disposal options, including commercially sub-letting all or part of the space. Surplus property is listed on gov.uk</p><p>There is no liability at taxpayers' expense for business rates on any vacant Cabinet Office properties in the current financial year.</p><p> </p> question first answered 19/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 115
	creator	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

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> question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492
	creator	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

42734

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	12/03/2014
	date tabled	12/03/2014
	ddp created	12/03/2014 20:10:57
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:37:12
	answering body	Department for Education
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191806
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	19/03/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) his Department and (b) any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of his Department in the current financial year.
	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 191806
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191806
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>Since May 2010 the Department for Education has reduced the size of its estate from 30 properties, at a cost of circa £51 million per annum, to 11 properties costing circa £34 million per annum. This is a saving of circa £17 million per annum. The Department is planning to further reduce the size of the estate to 6 properties. This will achieve further annual savings to the Department of circa £2.5 million. The Department also plans to vacate Sanctuary Buildings at lease expiry in 2017.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Education, including the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), has the following vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS property database.</p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p>Number of properties</p></td><td><p>Business Rates 13-14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Department for Education</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>£79,010.25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>£9,222.00</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The Department for Education properties are legacy Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) properties which became the Department's responsibility following the closure of the TEC in the early 2000s. The Department had successfully sub-let a number of facilities, although over the last three years some of the sub-tenants have operated lease break options and the properties are again vacant.</p><p> </p><p>These properties are advertised on the Government Property Unit's e-PIMS property database for use by other Government Departments and we are also marketing these facilities to the private sector, via letting agents, to secure new sub-tenants in order to mitigate costs, including business rates. The Department has offered all vacant properties listed above to the Government business incubator initiative and for free schools.</p><p> </p> question first answered 19/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4097
	creator	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

42885

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	17/03/2014
	date	12/03/2014
	date tabled	12/03/2014
	ddp created	12/03/2014 20:11:43
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:39:02
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	191815
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	18/03/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) his Department and (b) any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of his Department in the current financial year.
	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 191815
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	191815
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Department does not own any buildings. The DWP estate was sold (freehold, feuhold and long leasehold interests) or transferred (short leasehold interests) to Telereal Trillium under a 20 year PFI contract known as “PRIME” in 1998. </p><p> </p><p>Any properties that become surplus to DWP's requirements are returned to Telereal Trillium under the PRIME contract.</p><p> </p><p>The Health and Safety Executive estimate that the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database in the current financial year is £40,143.33. However, this relates to Douglas House in Edinburgh which, strictly speaking, is not empty. There are other occupants in the property but HSE's space held on e-PIMS is shown as vacant to attract potential tenants. As a result, the e-PIMS entry will make Douglas House appear empty.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> question first answered 18/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1528
	creator	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

41278

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	10/03/2014
	date	04/03/2014
	date tabled	04/03/2014
	ddp created	04/03/2014 22:21:15
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 02:22:17
	answering body	Deputy Prime Minister
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	58
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	identifier	190541
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	10/03/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what requirements there are for a political party operating in another country which has a branch in the UK to register with the Electoral Commission.
	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 190541
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	190541
	version	2
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p>Political parties are regulated by the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA) 2000. Under its provisions, parties that wish to field candidates at elections and have their name appear on the ballot paper must be registered with the Electoral Commission (section 22). There are separate registers for Great Britain and Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p> question first answered 10/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1578
	creator	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

46439

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	07/04/2014
	date	02/04/2014
	date tabled	02/04/2014
	ddp created	02/04/2014 21:10:32
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 03:21:01
	answering body	Attorney General
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	house id	1
	identifier	194895
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	07/04/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, when he expects to answer question No. 191801 tabled by the Rt hon. Member for Leeds Central on 12 March 2014.
	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 194895
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	194895
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>I have done so today.</p> question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 16
	creator	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

48437

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	29/04/2014
	date	25/04/2014
	date tabled	25/04/2014
	ddp created	28/04/2014 06:50:42
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 03:52:08
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	house id	1
	identifier	196793
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	06/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Government's target is for the proportion of (a) women, (b) people from black and minority ethnic communities and (c) disabled people in senior management posts in central government departments.
	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 196793
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	196793
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	Ordinary
	answer	answer answer text <p>Appointments and promotion in the Civil Service should be made on merit through fair and open competition. To ensure our civil service delivers the best for Britain we must draw on the widest possible pool of talent. We want to ensure that the best people - irrespective of who they are - rise to the top of the Civil Service but are concerned that for too long the very top ranks do not reflect those further down. We have commissioned independent research to look at the blockages women face making it to the very top and will use this to drive a new strategy for managing talent.</p><p> </p> question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 115
	creator	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

49794

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	12/05/2014
	date	06/05/2014
	date tabled	06/05/2014
	ddp created	06/05/2014 23:13:48
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 04:45:34
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	question status	Tabled
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	house id	1
	identifier	197922
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	12/05/2014 12:00:00
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to answer Question 196793, tabled on 25 April 2014 for answer on 29 April 2014.
	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 197922
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	197922
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 May 2014 (Official Report) Column Ref: 4W. This was answered within the set timescale.</p><p> </p> question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 115
	creator	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

60654

	human indexable
	published
	registered interest
	answer date	12/06/2014
	date	09/06/2014
	date tabled	09/06/2014
	ddp created	09/06/2014 23:50:48
	ddp modified	07/02/2015 07:13:38
	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
	hansard heading	Councillors: Conduct
	house id	1
	identifier	199699
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	parliament number	55
	question first answered	23/06/2014 14:14:17
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations his Department has received from (a) local authorities and (b) others on sanctions available to councils under the Localism Act 2011 where councillors have been found to have been in breach of the Code of Conduct under that Act.
	session	2014/15
	session number	4
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	title	House of Commons Tabled Parliamentary Question 2014/15 199699
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	199699
	version	1
	written parliamentary question type	NamedDay
	answer	answer answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Thursday 12 June 2014]</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As stated in the impact assessment on the abolition of the Standards Board regime (published in January 2011), a post implementation review will be carried out three to five years after implementation of the policy which was in July 2012.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>My Department routinely receives representations about standards arrangements in local government, and indeed, on a whole range of local government issues. We will have regard to representations and comments when we undertake our post implementation review.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>However, Ministers are clear that the new provisions are a significant improvement on the old, discredited regime. The Localism Act has clarified predetermination rules allowing elected councillors to campaign and speak up on local issues. We have reversed the petty culture of malicious and unfounded complaints that wasted time and energy and undermined the good reputation of local government. We have increased transparency on councillors' interests, and put in place criminal sanctions for the very rare instances of corruption. This is complemented by the role of political parties in ensuring good conduct, the law of libel, and the ultimate sanction: the ballot box.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> question first answered 23/06/2014 14:14:17 answering member 4009
	creator	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn
	publisher	25259 pref label House of Commons
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn