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670697

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2017
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Planning Permission
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure pre-commencement conditions do not delay development.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	59350
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2017 answer text <p>Imposing unnecessary or otherwise unacceptable pre-commencement conditions on a grant of planning permission can result in unnecessary and avoidable delays and costs to the completion of new development. That is why, as part of the Neighbourhood Planning Bill, we are pursuing measures to ensure that these conditions do not cause unreasonable delays to the delivery of new homes.</p><p>The measures in the Bill are two-fold. First, to require local planning authorities to seek the written agreement of the applicant to the terms of any pre-commencement conditions before granting permission subject to such conditions. Second, we are seeking a power for the Secretary of State to prescribe descriptions of conditions and circumstances when such conditions may not be imposed. These provisions are aimed at ensuring that any planning condition meets the well-established policy tests for conditions as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.</p> answering member constituency Croydon Central answering member printed Gavin Barwell question first answered 12/01/2017 16:50:57 answering member 3955 label Biography information for Lord Barwell
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

670698

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2017
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Retail Trade: Urban Areas
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support high streets around the country.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	59351
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2017 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring that high streets throughout the country remain at the heart of their community and we have taken significant actions to help high streets adapt and thrive through a range of targeted tax breaks, sensible planning changes and measures to ensure fairer parking for motorists.</p><p>At Budget 2016 we announced the biggest ever cut in business rates – worth £6.7 billion across the next five years. The Government is permanently doubling the level of Small Business Rate Relief and increasing the thresholds to benefit a greater number of property occupiers. Eligible properties with a rateable value of £12,000 and below will receive 100% relief. This means that 600,000 small businesses will pay no business rates at all. Furthermore, the revaluation of Business Rates will ensure business rate bills more closely reflect the property market and that all businesses are getting a fair deal.</p><p>We have also given over £18 million to town teams since 2010, funding successful initiatives such as “Love Your Local Market” and the “Great British High Street Competition”, which aims to recognise and celebrate some of the great work that is being done by local councils and communities around the country to help celebrate their high streets. The finalists for the 2016 Competition, which received over 900 applications and 500,000 public votes, included Thame, who were runners-up in the Small Market town “Place” category, and Chris Hurdman, who runs Thame weekly market, was a runner-up in the Market Champion “People” award.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Brigg and Goole answering member printed Andrew Percy question first answered 18/01/2017 17:25:37 answering member 3939 label Biography information for Andrew Percy previous answer version 29836 answering member constituency Brigg and Goole answering member printed Andrew Percy answering member 3939 label Biography information for Andrew Percy
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

670711

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2017
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Non-domestic Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on 100 per cent business rate retention.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	59371
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2017 answer text <p>By the end of the Parliament, local government will retain 100% of taxes raised locally, giving councils control of an additional £12.5 billion of business rates to spend on local services. To ensure the reforms are fiscally neutral, some existing grants will be phased out and responsibilities will be devolved to local authorities. This move towards self-sufficiency and away from dependence on central government is something councils have long campaigned for. We have worked in close collaboration with local government in how to implement this commitment, including through the Business Rates Retention Steering Group, which is jointly chaired by the Local Government Association and the Department for Communities and Local Government.</p><p>Last week, we introduced the Local Government Finance Bill that will establish the legislative framework for the reformed system. All relevant documents can be found here: <a href="http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/localgovernmentfinance.html" target="_blank">http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2016-17/localgovernmentfinance.html</a>. We will continue to work closely with local government during the passage of the legislation, to shape the detail of the reforms.</p> answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones question first answered 18/01/2017 17:40:02 answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones previous answer version 29859 answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

765783

	registered interest
	date	06/10/2017
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Housing: Construction
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much of the Home Building Fund has been allocated; and what proportion of that amount has been allocated to small and medium-sized house builders.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	106267
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2017 answer text <p>The £3 billion Home Building Fund provides long and short term loan finance to build the homes this country needs.</p><p>Of the £3 billion Home Building Fund, £1.38 billion (46 per cent) has been allocated to successful applicants. Of the £1 billion funding specifically allocated to support small and medium sized builders, custom builders and innovators, £540 million has been allocated. The amount of that fund specifically allocated to small and medium sized builders is £292 million.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 16/10/2017 16:35:06 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

993762

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2018
	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 Permission: Fines
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many times developers have been fined in England and Wales for a breach of planning permissions in 2017; and what the value was of those fines.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	182879
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2018 answer text <p>My Department does not hold specific information on court fines for breaches of planning control. The Government is clear that effective enforcement is important to tackle breaches of planning control. We have given local authorities a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance. Effective use of these powers is important as a means of maintaining public confidence in the planning system.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse grouped question UIN 182880 question first answered 31/10/2018 16:06:34 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

993763

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2018
	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 Permission: Fines
	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 he will publish the 10 most common breaches for which developers were fined in England and Wales for breach of planning permissions in 2017.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	182880
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2018 answer text <p>My Department does not hold specific information on court fines for breaches of planning control. The Government is clear that effective enforcement is important to tackle breaches of planning control. We have given local authorities a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance. Effective use of these powers is important as a means of maintaining public confidence in the planning system.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse grouped question UIN 182879 question first answered 31/10/2018 16:06:34 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1203355

	registered interest
	date	12/06/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Royal Commission On Criminal Justice
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his timescale is for announcing the (a) Chair and (b) terms of reference of the proposed Royal Commission on Criminal Justice announced in the Queen's Speech of December 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	59243
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2020 answer text <p>The Royal Commission is an important opportunity to address some of the key issues affecting the criminal justice system.</p><p>As we emerge from this unprecedented pandemic, we are carefully addressing the scope, terms of reference and membership of the Commission. In doing so we intend to embrace the lessons we can learn from the present crisis with Covid-19 to help make the system more resilient.</p><p>As this work develops, further announcements will be made in due course.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 18/06/2020 15:50:50 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1046029

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2019
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	UK Membership of EU: Referendums
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Electoral Commission report of 14 December 2018 entitled Cost of delivering the June 2016 referendum on the UK's membership of the EU, what the total cost of the referendum was to the public purse including pre-purdah referendum publicity and documentation.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	211344
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>The cost to taxpayers of delivering the 2016 EU Referendum was £129.1 million. A breakdown of that cost is provided in the report published by the Electoral Commission.</p><p> </p><p>The then Government undertook publicity on EU membership ahead of the referendum. This cost an additional £9.3 million.</p><p> </p><p>The total cost to taxpayers was thus £138.4 million</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 29/01/2019 09:49:58 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1046887

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Railways
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the disused national rail network remains in the ownership of Network Rail.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	211842
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2019 answer text <p>Highways England is now responsible for the vast majority of the historic railways estate. This includes legacy bridges, abutments, tunnels, cuttings, viaducts and similar properties associated with closed railway lines, and sales. Network Rail is still responsible for a small proportion of disused railway lines which have been retained due to their close proximity or connection to currently operational railway lines. Network Rail’s records however do not distinguish between disused and operational railway lines, and therefore it is not possible to precisely indicate how much disused network they own.</p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 30/01/2019 14:48:43 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts

1046890

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Railways: Oxfordshire
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the disused Yarnton-Witney-Fairford branch line remains in the ownership of Network Rail.
	tabling member constituency	Witney
	tabling member printed	Robert Courts
	uin	211843
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2019 answer text <p>Network Rail no longer owns the disused Yarnton-Witney-Fairford branch line. The Highways England Historical Railways Estate is now responsible for the historical railways estate.</p> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 31/01/2019 16:01:24 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
	tabling member	4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts