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174362

registered interest
date	19/01/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Department for Communities and Local Government: Written Questions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to answer Question 219026, tabled on 16 December 2014 by the right hon. Member for Leeds Central.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	221250
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2015 answer text <p>Question UIN 219026 was answered on 23 January 2015.</p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 23/01/2015 14:10:33 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams previous answer version 39798 answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

174363

registered interest
date	19/01/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Department for Communities and Local Government: Written Questions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to answer Question 219025, tabled on 16 December 2014 by the right hon. Member for Leeds Central.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	221251
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2015 answer text <p>Question UIN 219025 was answered on 23 January 2015.</p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 23/01/2015 14:11:12 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams previous answer version 39799 answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

174364

registered interest
date	19/01/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Staff
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 his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Pamela Nash
uin	221225
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2015 answer text <p>My Department has reduced staffing costs from £218 million a year in 2009-10 to £95 million in 2013-14, an ongoing saving of £123 million a year.<br><br>There is and remains a need to replace staff from general turnover and where we need specific technical skills. We are committed to open recruitment, so we can obtain individual staff with the best expertise from the private sector, the voluntary sector and other parts of the public sector.</p><p> </p><p>The total sums spent on recruitment agencies are as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>£27,787</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>£13,201</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>£9,974</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>£16,946</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>Zero</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>These figures exclude public appointments and Cabinet Office recruitment but are inclusive of VAT.</p><p> </p><p>We have not made any such outplacement agencies fees in the last five years.</p><p> </p><p>This Government has taken a series of steps to save taxpayers' money and improve overall quality of the training provision. My answer of 24 February 2015, Question 224508, outlined the spending in each full financial year from 2008-09 onwards.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 04/03/2015 16:57:54 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins previous answer version 39797 answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	3909 label Biography information for Pamela Nash

174366

registered interest
date	19/01/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Care Quality Commission
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will take steps with the Department of Health to progress the commencement of powers for the Care Quality Commission to undertake inspections of how local authorities commission their care services where no specific complaints have been made.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	221242
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2015 answer text <p>The power for a Secretary of State to require the Care Quality Commission to undertake a special inspection of local authority commissioning of care services has already been commenced.</p><p> </p><p>The Coalition Government has a strong record of reducing top-down inspections of local government, reflecting commitments made in the Coalition Agreement. Intervention in the activities of locally accountable councils should only be considered where a last resort.</p><p> </p><p>I am not aware of any evidence that would constitute the kinds of exceptional circumstances that would warrant deployment of this power. Indeed it is arguable that local councils have been very effective in procuring care services and local taxpayers will thank them for having kept care costs under control.</p><p> </p><p>Even where there is evidence of poor commissioning practice by particular councils, the Government expects councils collectively, through the Local Government Association, to take the lead in improving poor performance. The Association has developed a programme of peer support available to councils, which includes mentoring and peer challenges.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins grouped question UIN 221243 222632 question first answered 09/02/2015 17:30:28 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

174367

registered interest
date	19/01/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Care Quality Commission
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the commencement of wider powers for the Care Quality Commission to undertake inspections into local authorities' commissioning of care services.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	221243
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2015 answer text <p>The power for a Secretary of State to require the Care Quality Commission to undertake a special inspection of local authority commissioning of care services has already been commenced.</p><p> </p><p>The Coalition Government has a strong record of reducing top-down inspections of local government, reflecting commitments made in the Coalition Agreement. Intervention in the activities of locally accountable councils should only be considered where a last resort.</p><p> </p><p>I am not aware of any evidence that would constitute the kinds of exceptional circumstances that would warrant deployment of this power. Indeed it is arguable that local councils have been very effective in procuring care services and local taxpayers will thank them for having kept care costs under control.</p><p> </p><p>Even where there is evidence of poor commissioning practice by particular councils, the Government expects councils collectively, through the Local Government Association, to take the lead in improving poor performance. The Association has developed a programme of peer support available to councils, which includes mentoring and peer challenges.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins grouped question UIN 221242 222632 question first answered 09/02/2015 17:30:29 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

174368

registered interest
date	19/01/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Community Relations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to promote religious and ethnic tolerance and understanding.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	221194
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2015 answer text <p>Our approach to promoting religious and ethnic tolerance and understanding, is through supporting integration in communities. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement of 18 December 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, Columns 110-118WS, which details my Department's integration approach, as well as current integration projects and activities.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 26/01/2015 16:47:16 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams previous answer version 39796 answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

174370

registered interest
date	19/01/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Affordable Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the effect on the delivery of affordable housing of his Department's policy on section 106 affordable housing exemptions for small sites.
tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton North East
tabling member printed	Emma Reynolds
uin	221278
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2015 answer text <p>The Department for Communities and Local Government carried out a public consultation in March 2014 to invite views and local evidence on proposed changes to national policy on section 106 affordable housing and tariff contributions. All evidence submitted was carefully considered.</p><p> </p><p>As a consequence of the consultation, we amended our proposals to introduce a lower threshold of 5 units for rural areas, as outlined in my Written Ministerial Statement of 28 November 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 55WS. Rural exception sites are also exempted.</p><p> </p><p>I can confirm that we have also undertaken an Equality Impact Assessment, which I will arrange to be placed in the Library of the House. We do not consider our reforms will have a negative impact on discrimination, fostering good relations or advancing equality of opportunity.</p><p> </p><p>We estimate that the policy will save, on average, £15,000 in Section 106 housing contributions per new dwelling in England—some councils are charging up to £145,000 on single dwellings. Further savings will be made from scaling back Section 106 tariffs, which may add additional charges of more than £15,000 per dwelling, over and above any housing contributions. Taken together, these reforms will deliver six-figure savings for small-scale developers in some parts of the country.</p><p> </p><p>We do not believe that our reforms will have any significant adverse effect on our affordable housing programme. We have so far delivered 217,000 new affordable homes since 2010, and are bringing in £19.5 billion of public and private in affordable housing over the current Spending Review period. In the next Parliament, we are on track to deliver a further 275,000 new affordable homes, backed up by £38 billion of public and private investment.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Builders Federation has confirmed that these changes will provide a boost to small and medium builders, stating: “This exemption would offer small and medium-sized developers a shot in the arm. The time and expense of negotiating Section 106 affordable housing contributions on small sites, and the subsequent payments, can threaten the viability of small developments and act as another barrier to the entry and growth of smaller firms”</p><p> </p><p>Similarly, the Federation of Master Builders has said: “The new ten unit threshold for affordable housing contributions is a sensible and proportionate approach to help alleviate the pressure on SME house builders who have been squeezed out of the housing market in recent years. This is important because without a viable SME house building sector we won’t be able to build the number of new homes that are needed to address the housing crisis”.</p><p> </p><p>We also listened to representations from the hon. (Labour) Member for Bassetlaw (John Mann) who has campaigned vigorously against such levies. Indeed, I would observe that under the majority of the last Labour Government, the national threshold (as stated in PPG3) was actually 15 units.</p><p> </p><p>Loading stealth taxes on new housing just makes housing less affordable and cuts house building. Unrealistic Section 106 charges result in no development, no regeneration and no community benefits: reducing them can result in more housing and more affordable housing. Our reforms will help unblock small stalled sites and provide a boost to self-builders and small house builders.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 12/02/2015 17:08:26 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis previous answer version 39802 answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds

174371

registered interest
date	19/01/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	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, with reference to the letter dated 19 December 2014 from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning to the Planning Inspectorate concerning strategic housing market assessments, whether that letter represents a change in policy by his Department relating to the National Planning Policy Framework; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Christchurch
tabling member printed	Mr Christopher Chope
uin	221284
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2015 answer text <p>I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 5 January to Question UIN 219079. This letter does not change national planning policy, but clarifies how it should operate.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 22/01/2015 17:39:34 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis previous answer version 39805 answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	242 label Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope

174487

registered interest
date	19/01/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Welfare Assistance Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has prepared an equality statement on its decision to cease grant funding for local welfare provision from 2015-16.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	221274
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2015 answer text <p>The Government consultation paper on local welfare provision, published in October, asked a series of questions about equalities impacts. We have been carefully considering these representations and the equality issues, alongside those on the broader draft Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government will publish an equalities statement alongside the final Settlement.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 22/01/2015 16:04:20 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

174563

registered interest
date	19/01/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Roma
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the 2014 Report of the European Commission on the implementation of the European Union framework for National Roma Integration Strategies which was critical of the implementation of some of the 28 recommendations of the 2012 Ministerial Working Group on Gypsies, Travellers and Roma.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL4263
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2015 answer text <p>I refer the noble Lady to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Housing and Planning (Brandon Lewis) on 5 January 2015, UIN reference 218133, and my answer to the noble Lord Avebury on 11 November 2014, <em>Column </em>WA36.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL4156 question first answered 23/01/2015 12:24:28 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker