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1727070

registered interest
date	03/09/2024
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities are subject to independent review and inspection.
tabling member constituency	Dartford
tabling member printed	Jim Dickson
uin	4130
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2024 answer text <p>This Government is committed to resetting the relationship between local and regional government to establish partnerships built on mutual respect, genuine collaboration and meaningful engagement. We are keen to work with any local authorities facing challenges to support recovery and reform.</p><p>As part of the <a title="https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/sector-support-offer-local-authorities-202425" href="https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/sector-support-offer-local-authorities-202425" target="_blank">sector support programme</a> the ministry funds the Local Government Association (LGA) to deliver a Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) review programme. Local authorities are subject to scrutiny from a number of government bodies, including inspectorates and ombudsmen. External audit is also important, which is why, on 30 July, the Government announced measures to tackle the local audit backlog we inherited. We will also update the House in the autumn on longer-term plans to fix the local audit system.</p><p>It is important that Government can act where local authorities may need more intensive support or intervention in order to meet their Best Value Duty. The Secretary of State has a set of tools and statutory powers, detailed in the statutory guidance ‘<a title="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/best-value-standards-and-intervention-a-statutory-guide-for-best-value-authorities/best-value-standards-and-intervention-a-statutory-guide-for-best-value-authorities" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/best-value-standards-and-intervention-a-statutory-guide-for-best-value-authorities/best-value-standards-and-intervention-a-statutory-guide-for-best-value-authorities" target="_blank">Best value standards and intervention</a>’. This includes a statutory power to commission inspections of local authorities in relation to their compliance with the Best Value Duty. Decisions about statutory inspections are taken based on the circumstances of each case following an evidence based assessment.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton answering member printed Jim McMahon question first answered 11/09/2024 15:01:03 answering member 4569 label Biography information for Jim McMahon
tabling member	5223

1727071

registered interest
date	03/09/2024
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Local Government: Remote Meetings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to ensure that the proceedings of local authorities are available to the public live online.
tabling member constituency	Dartford
tabling member printed	Jim Dickson
uin	4131
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2024 answer text <p>Public access to council meetings is an essential part of ensuring accountability and transparency at the local level. Except where specific exemptions apply, the Local Government Act 1972 is clear that all council meetings are open to the public.</p><p>Under the current rules it is for individual local authorities to agree and determine the provisions for remote public access to local authority meetings through their standing orders.</p><p>Many councils already broadcast their meetings online, which the public can attend, and meeting agendas and papers are routinely shared in advance of meetings on council websites.</p> answering member constituency Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton answering member printed Jim McMahon question first answered 11/09/2024 15:01:43 answering member 4569 label Biography information for Jim McMahon
tabling member	5223

1726242

registered interest
date	30/08/2024
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	A226: Repairs and Maintenance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to restore the collapsed section of the A226 Galley Hill Road, Greenhithe.
tabling member constituency	Dartford
tabling member printed	Jim Dickson
uin	3673
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2024 answer text <p>The A226 Galley Hill Road is a local road for which Kent County Council, as local highway authority, has responsibility. The Department for Transport has had regular discussions with Kent County Council to help understand the issue and is currently waiting for them to complete a detailed options analysis.</p> answering member constituency Nottingham South answering member printed Lilian Greenwood question first answered 05/09/2024 11:09:45 answering member 4029 label Biography information for Lilian Greenwood
tabling member	5223

1726448

registered interest
date	27/08/2024
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Planning: Reform
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent progress her Department has made on planning reform.
tabling member constituency	Dartford
tabling member printed	Jim Dickson
uin	900293
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/09/2024 answer text <p>On 30 July we opened an eight week consultation on a revised National Planning Policy Framework.</p><p>As well as reversing the damaging anti-supply changes made by the previous government in December 2023, proposed reforms include making housing targets mandatory, strengthening policy support for brownfield development, and the targeted release of low-quality grey belt land within the green belt.</p><p>The consultation will run until Tuesday 24 September.</p> answering member constituency Greenwich and Woolwich answering member printed Matthew Pennycook question first answered 02/09/2024 16:53:19 answering member 4520 label Biography information for Matthew Pennycook
tabling member	5223

1697095

registered interest
date	19/03/2024
answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept id	211
answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
hansard heading	Flats: Fire Prevention
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support leaseholders living in buildings below 11 metres in height with fire remediation costs.
tabling member constituency	Dartford
tabling member printed	Gareth Johnson
uin	19315
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2024 answer text <p>The responsibility for the costs of fixing historical building safety defects should rest with building owners. They should not pass these costs on to leaseholders but should seek to recover costs from those who were responsible for building unsafe homes.</p><p>We have undertaken extensive work over the last two years to review buildings under 11 metres which have been reported to us as having potential building safety issues. Almost all have proven not to need any intervention following detailed review.</p><p>In rare cases where remediation work is required in buildings under 11 metres, the Government has retrospectively extended the limitation period under Section 1 of the Defective Premises Act 1972 enabling legal action against developers and contractors where works completed in the last 30 years made a dwelling not “fit for habitation”.</p><p>These rights include:</p><ul><li>extending the Defective Premises Act to 30 years retrospectively, so compensation can be sought from developers where homes have not been built to the appropriate standard and are not fit for habitation; and,</li><li>civil claims where products have caused or contributed to a dwelling being ‘not fit for habitation’.</li></ul> answering member constituency North East Derbyshire answering member printed Lee Rowley question first answered 27/03/2024 10:42:48 answering member 4652 label Biography information for Lee Rowley
tabling member	3970 label Biography information for Gareth Johnson

1692381

registered interest
date	28/02/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Offences against Children: Civil Proceedings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) removing the limitation period for civil claims relating to childhood sexual abuse and (b) bringing forward legislative proposals to align the law in England and Wales with that in Scotland following the introduction of the Limitation (Child Abuse)(Scotland) Act 2017.
tabling member constituency	Dartford
tabling member printed	Gareth Johnson
uin	16085
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2024 answer text <p>The government recognises that it might take years, and in many cases decades, for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse to come forward and feel ready to disclose their trauma. We will shortly consult on strengthening existing judicial guidance, and set out options to reform limitation law in child sexual abuse cases in England and Wales.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris question first answered 07/03/2024 14:19:01 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
tabling member	3970 label Biography information for Gareth Johnson

1672734

registered interest
date	23/11/2023
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Tobacco: Sales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether adult smokers will be required to present an identification document to retailers after the introduction of the generational ban on smoking.
tabling member constituency	Dartford
tabling member printed	Gareth Johnson
uin	3461
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2023 answer text <p>Smoking is responsible for around 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom. Smoking causes around one in four cancer deaths in the UK and is responsible for just over 70% of all lung cancer deaths. No other consumer product kills up to two-thirds of its users. Smoking costs our country £17 billion a year and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. Almost every minute of every day someone is admitted to hospital because of smoking, and up to 75,000 general practitioner appointments attributed to smoking each month, constituting over 100 appointments every hour.</p><p>This is why the Government is planning to create a smokefree generation by bringing forward legislation so that children turning 14 years old or younger this year will never be legally sold tobacco products. As per existing age of sale legislation, smokers will be required to produce identification if retailers are uncertain that they are above the legal smoking age.</p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 01/12/2023 14:48:12 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
tabling member	3970 label Biography information for Gareth Johnson

1672735

registered interest
date	23/11/2023
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Smoking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the implications for her policies of data from New Zealand on a generational ban on smoking.
tabling member constituency	Dartford
tabling member printed	Gareth Johnson
uin	3462
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2023 answer text <p>Smoking is responsible for around 80,000 deaths a year in the United Kingdom, causes around one in four cancer deaths and is responsible for just over 70% of all lung cancer deaths. No other consumer product kills up to two-thirds of its users. Smoking costs our country £17 billion a year and puts a huge burden on the National Health Service. Almost every minute of every day someone is admitted to hospital because of smoking, and up to 75,000 General Practice appointments attributed to smoking each month – over 100 appointments every hour.</p><p>This is why the Government is planning to create a smokefree generation by bringing forward legislation so that children turning 14 years old this year or younger will never be legally sold tobacco products.</p><p>Modelling assumptions for the policy outline that one of our four scenarios modelled reflects the assumptions used in modelling from New Zealand. The document is available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/651d3fdf6a6955000d78b29e/cp-949-II-stopping-the-start-annex-1-modelling-assumptions.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/651d3fdf6a6955000d78b29e/cp-949-II-stopping-the-start-annex-1-modelling-assumptions.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 14/12/2023 14:52:42 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
tabling member	3970 label Biography information for Gareth Johnson

1660394

registered interest
date	13/09/2023
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will review the adequacy of processes for the changeover of the Dartford Crossing payment system providers.
tabling member constituency	Dartford
tabling member printed	Gareth Johnson
uin	199308
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/09/2023 answer text <p>Yes. Whilst the service is working well now, a number of users experienced unsatisfactory delays. National Highways will consider carefully similar processes in future.</p> answering member constituency North West Durham answering member printed Mr Richard Holden question first answered 19/09/2023 10:50:16 answering member 4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden
tabling member	3970 label Biography information for Gareth Johnson

1655937

registered interest
date	01/09/2023
answering body	Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept id	211
answering dept short name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
answering dept sort name	Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
hansard heading	Buildings: Safety
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help support people affected by safety defects in buildings that were built in the last 30 years and are under 11 metres in height.
tabling member constituency	Dartford
tabling member printed	Gareth Johnson
uin	196015
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2023 answer text <p>The Government has implemented a risk-based and proportionate approach to regulating safety in residential buildings and in remediating cladding and other building safety defects. In general, the risk to life in lower-rise buildings is low and can be mitigated, for example, by installing fire alarms. <br> <br> We are aware of a very small number of buildings under 11 metres where expensive remediation is proposed. We have written to freeholders and managing agents in affected buildings to make sure that any proposed works are necessary and proportionate and the rights to redress are being fully utilised.</p> answering member constituency North East Derbyshire answering member printed Lee Rowley question first answered 11/09/2023 12:33:31 answering member 4652 label Biography information for Lee Rowley
tabling member	3970 label Biography information for Gareth Johnson