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50493

registered interest
date	09/05/2014
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
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 place in the Library research he has commissioned on the effect that turning off street lighting and relying on ambient lighting has on levels of crime.
tabling member constituency	Warrington North
tabling member printed	Helen Jones
uin	198326
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the rt. hon. Member for Leeds Central (Hilary Benn), on 13 May 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 535-536W.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	432 label Biography information for Helen Jones

50292

registered interest
date	08/05/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the average satisfaction rating given by tenants relating to maintenance service in public housing in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	198259
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Information on tenants' satisfaction in relation to repairs and maintenance in local authority housing for England is reported in the English Housing Survey. The data collected since 2008/9, which cannot be broken down by local authority area, are as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p>Satisfied %</p></td><td><p>Dissatisfied %</p></td><td><p>Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008/9</p></td><td><p>63.7</p></td><td><p>28.9</p></td><td><p>7.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009/10</p></td><td><p>65.1</p></td><td><p>25.3</p></td><td><p>9.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>65.8</p></td><td><p>25.9</p></td><td><p>8.3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>65.6</p></td><td><p>25.0</p></td><td><p>9.4</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Data for 2012/13 are expected to be published in July 2014.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

50214

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that accessible toilets for disabled people in buildings other than private dwellings comply with published national standards.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL6932
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>In buildings other than dwellings, Part M of the Building Regulations requires that reasonable provision is made for accessible toilets where relevant types of building work are undertaken. Statutory guidance on how that can be achieved is contained in <em>Approved Document M (Access to and use of buildings)</em>. The building control body is responsible for ensuring that relevant building work complies with this requirement.</p><p> </p><p>Provisions in the Equality Act 2010 require employers and those providing a service to the public or carrying out a public function to make a “reasonable adjustment”, so that disabled people are not placed at a “substantial disadvantage” compared to non-disabled people. Ultimately, only a court can decide what is “reasonable” in any particular case. However, Part 4 of the Equality Act 2010 (Disability) Regulations 2010, prescribes circumstances in which it is not reasonable for such a body to remove or alter a physical feature which was provided in or in connection with a building to assist with access to the building or the use of facilities and which satisfy the relevant design standard. The Schedule to these Regulations provides details of how to determine whether the design standard is satisfied, and refers to design considerations and provisions in Approved Document M.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stowell of Beeston question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4205 label Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

50268

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they offer to local authorities on the outline and content of local letting agent and landlord accreditation schemes.
tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
uin	HL6986
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Information on how many local authorities operate letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes is not centrally held. The decision on whether to establish letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes is best made by local authorities who can take account of local conditions and circumstances. The Department does not therefore produce any guidance on such schemes.</p><p> </p><p>We are improving standards in the sector. Later this year, we will bring regulations into force that will require the remaining 3,000 letting and property management agents to join one of the 3 approved redress schemes, thereby improving protection for both tenants and landlords. In addition, we have made over £4 million available to 23 local authorities to help them tackle acute and complex problems with rogue landlords in their area. This builds on the £2.6 million we have given nine local authorities to support enforcement against “Beds in Sheds”.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stowell of Beeston grouped question UIN HL6987 HL6988 question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4205 label Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston
tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

50269

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish copies of any guidance that they provide to local authorities on local accreditation schemes for letting agents and landlords.
tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
uin	HL6987
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Information on how many local authorities operate letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes is not centrally held. The decision on whether to establish letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes is best made by local authorities who can take account of local conditions and circumstances. The Department does not therefore produce any guidance on such schemes.</p><p> </p><p>We are improving standards in the sector. Later this year, we will bring regulations into force that will require the remaining 3,000 letting and property management agents to join one of the 3 approved redress schemes, thereby improving protection for both tenants and landlords. In addition, we have made over £4 million available to 23 local authorities to help them tackle acute and complex problems with rogue landlords in their area. This builds on the £2.6 million we have given nine local authorities to support enforcement against “Beds in Sheds”.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stowell of Beeston grouped question UIN HL6986 HL6988 question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4205 label Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston
tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

50270

registered interest
date	07/05/2014
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many local authorities operate either letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes.
tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
uin	HL6988
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Information on how many local authorities operate letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes is not centrally held. The decision on whether to establish letting agent or landlord accreditation schemes is best made by local authorities who can take account of local conditions and circumstances. The Department does not therefore produce any guidance on such schemes.</p><p> </p><p>We are improving standards in the sector. Later this year, we will bring regulations into force that will require the remaining 3,000 letting and property management agents to join one of the 3 approved redress schemes, thereby improving protection for both tenants and landlords. In addition, we have made over £4 million available to 23 local authorities to help them tackle acute and complex problems with rogue landlords in their area. This builds on the £2.6 million we have given nine local authorities to support enforcement against “Beds in Sheds”.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stowell of Beeston grouped question UIN HL6986 HL6987 question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4205 label Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston
tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

49795

registered interest
date	06/05/2014
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
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 196308, tabled on 10 April 2014 for answer on 28 April 2014.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	197920
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 12 May 2014]</em></p><p>Question 196308 has been answered today.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams previous answer version 9523 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

49823

registered interest
date	06/05/2014
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 9 April (WA 304), whether the range of services to which they refer includes electoral registration.
tabling member printed	Lord Wills
uin	HL6834
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Local authorities are statutorily required to provide a number of services including electoral registration. Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 provides for the appointment of an officer of the council to be the Registration Officer for the registration of parliamentary and local government electors, and section 54 of that Act provides that expenses properly incurred by a registration officer in the performance of his registration duties shall be paid by the local authority by whom the registration officer was appointed.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, the Government has committed to funding all net costs of the transition to Individual Electoral Registration to ensure that authorities are not left with unfunded burdens in line with the New Burdens Doctrine. In April 2014 the programme paid non-ring fenced section 31 grants to local authorities in England and Wales and paid invoices directly to Scotland to cover core Individual Electoral Registration costs.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stowell of Beeston question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4205 label Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston
tabling member	260 label Biography information for Lord Wills

48158

registered interest
date	10/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the average number of people on a waiting list for an allotment for every 100 plots available in England.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	196308
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>My Department does not estimate allotment waiting list times, as it is individual local authorities which have the legal responsibility for the management and provision of allotments in their area, ensuring that those who want to start an allotment can do so.</p><p>Notwithstanding, a survey of allotment waiting lists was carried out by the National Allotment Society and Transition Town West Kirby in July 2013. Whilst there is a degree of difficulty in creating precise estimates, their research indicated that there was an average of 52 people waiting for every 100 plots (as of January 2013). These waiting list figures were down on their previous surveys, which indicated an average of 57 people waiting in January 2011 and 59 people waiting in January 2010.</p><p>The 2013 survey also noted that that 65 new allotment sites had been created in the previous two years, across 51 councils, creating roughly 2,000 new allotment plots.</p><p>The Coalition Government has introduced a range of measures to help communities who want land to grow fruit and vegetables. Through new community rights, local residents have increased opportunities to protect existing allotments from development and increase provision of green spaces. For example, in Thame, in Oxfordshire, their new neighbourhood plan will create an additional hectare of allotment land. Allotments have also been listed as assets of community value.</p><p>As part of our commitment to supporting local community groups, my Department has also published a best practice guide for community groups wanting to find land to grow fruit and vegetables, as well as an additional guide on establishing community orchards and other spaces for food growing. These can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/space-for-food-growing-a-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/space-for-food-growing-a-guide</a></p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-orchards-a-how-to-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-orchards-a-how-to-guide</a></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>I also refer the rt. hon. Member to my answer today to him of questions 191956 &amp; 196310, which explains how the Secretary of State's decisions on allotments since May 2010 have resulted in an increase in usable allotment land.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 196309 196311 question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

48159

registered interest
date	10/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the average length of time a person has been on a waiting list for an allotment in each year since 2010 in England.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	196309
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>My Department does not estimate allotment waiting list times, as it is individual local authorities which have the legal responsibility for the management and provision of allotments in their area, ensuring that those who want to start an allotment can do so.</p><p>Notwithstanding, a survey of allotment waiting lists was carried out by the National Allotment Society and Transition Town West Kirby in July 2013. Whilst there is a degree of difficulty in creating precise estimates, their research indicated that there was an average of 52 people waiting for every 100 plots (as of January 2013). These waiting list figures were down on their previous surveys, which indicated an average of 57 people waiting in January 2011 and 59 people waiting in January 2010.</p><p>The 2013 survey also noted that that 65 new allotment sites had been created in the previous two years, across 51 councils, creating roughly 2,000 new allotment plots.</p><p>The Coalition Government has introduced a range of measures to help communities who want land to grow fruit and vegetables. Through new community rights, local residents have increased opportunities to protect existing allotments from development and increase provision of green spaces. For example, in Thame, in Oxfordshire, their new neighbourhood plan will create an additional hectare of allotment land. Allotments have also been listed as assets of community value.</p><p>As part of our commitment to supporting local community groups, my Department has also published a best practice guide for community groups wanting to find land to grow fruit and vegetables, as well as an additional guide on establishing community orchards and other spaces for food growing. These can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/space-for-food-growing-a-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/space-for-food-growing-a-guide</a></p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-orchards-a-how-to-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-orchards-a-how-to-guide</a></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>I also refer the rt. hon. Member to my answer today to him of questions 191956 &amp; 196310, which explains how the Secretary of State's decisions on allotments since May 2010 have resulted in an increase in usable allotment land.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 196308 196311 question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn