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174084

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2015
	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	Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government which local authorities in England have taken part in the Weekly Collection Support Scheme; how many authorities took part in the expression of interest process; which have subsequently received financial support, and how much; and of those, which have reinstated weekly collections of general (“grey” or “residual”) waste, which have used the support to collect food waste separately, and which have used it in other ways.
	tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
	uin	HL4187
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2015 answer text <p>In March 2012, my Department received initial expressions of interest from 151 lead local authorities, which resulted in bids from 113 local authorities. Some local authorities submitted multiple expressions of interest which were consolidated before final bid stage. The final bids were then assessed in line with the published criteria, and recipients then awarded funding.</p><p>A detailed table listing the schemes that are being supported is attached and on my Department’s website.</p><p> </p><p>It may be helpful to the noble Lord to outline what this Government has delivered since 2010:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Safeguarded weekly collections for 6 million households through the Weekly Collection Support Scheme as well as championing innovation and best practice; the answer of 14 May 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, House of Commons 646W, outlined how 14 million households in England have some form of weekly collection of smelly rubbish.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Issued the first ever Whitehall guidance on weekly bin collections, demolishing the myths that fortnightly bin collections are needed to save money or increase recycling. This best practice was directly informed by the Weekly Collections Support Scheme;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Supported over 40 innovative reward schemes to back recycling through the Weekly Collection Support Scheme (as pledged in the Coalition Agreement); the winning bids for a further Recycling Rewards Scheme for 2015-16 will be announced shortly;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Stopped the Audit Commission inspections which marked down councils who do not adopt fortnightly rubbish collections, and rejected the Audit Commission guidance which advocated fortnightly collections (“Waste Management: The Strategic Challenge and Waste Management Quick Guide”);</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Abolished the Local Area Agreements and National Indicator 191 imposed by Whitehall which created perverse incentives to downgrade waste collection services;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Scrapped the Whitehall requirement for municipal Annual Efficiency Statements, which allowed a reduction in the frequency of a household rubbish collection service to qualify as a “valid efficiency” and allowed revenue from bin fines to classed as a “cashable efficiency gain”;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Scrapped the imposition of eco-towns which would have had fortnightly bin collections and/or bin taxes as part of the “eco-standards”;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Through the Localism Act, revoked the 2008 legislation that allowed for the imposition of new bin taxes;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Issued guidance to stop the imposition of illegal ‘backdoor bin charging’ on households bins;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Stopped funding the ‘Waste Improvement Network’ which told councils to adopt fortnightly collections as best practice;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Challenged the incorrect interpretation by some bodies that European Union directives require fortnightly collections, and resisted the imposition of bin taxes by the European Union;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Removing powers of entry and snooping powers from bin inspectors and scrapped guidance telling councils to rifle through families’ bins;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Changed building regulations and planning guidance to tackle ‘bin blight’, and worked with the NHBC Foundation to produce new best practice guidance for house builders;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Changing the law through the Deregulation Bill to scrap unfair bin fines.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Without our active support, Ministers are clear that weekly collections would have disappeared across England. This Government’s approach can be contrasted with the devolved Labour-led Administration in Wales, where fortnightly bin collections are official policy, and pilots of monthly bin collections are being actively encouraged.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmed question first answered 12/02/2015 14:39:13 question first ministerially corrected 16/02/2015 17:33:13 answering member 3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed attachment 1 file name PQ HL4187 List of successful bidders to the Weekly Collection Support Scheme.xls title List of Supported Schemes previous answer version 45064 answering member printed Lord Ahmed answering member 3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed attachment 1 file name 150203 PQ677818 Lord Greaves - Attachment.pdf title List of Supported Schemes
	tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

173009

	registered interest
	date	12/01/2015
	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	Temporary Accommodation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many families have been in temporary accommodation in the United Kingdom in each year since 2010.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope
	uin	HL4081
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2015 answer text <p>The information requested is enclosed in the attached table, which includes data going back to 1998-99, which illustrates how the level of homelessness in England is far lower than the average under the last Administration.</p><p>This Government have invested over £500 million to prevent and tackle all forms of homelessness and rough sleeping since 2010. The homelessness legislation in England provides one of the strongest safety nets in the world for families with children and vulnerable people who become homeless through no fault of their own.</p><p> </p><p>Homelessness acceptances remain lower than in 27 of the last 30 years, and homelessness is around half the average level it was under the previous Administration. Households now spend on average seven months less in temporary accommodation than at the start of 2010.</p><p> </p><p>Figures for other parts of the United Kingdom are the responsibility of the devolved Administrations.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL4082 question first answered 02/03/2015 14:13:30 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon attachment 1 file name 150302 661501-2 Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope -table.doc title England table
	tabling member	635 label Biography information for Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope

173010

	registered interest
	date	12/01/2015
	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	Homelessness
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many families have been registered as homeless in the United Kingdom since 2010.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope
	uin	HL4082
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2015 answer text <p>The information requested is enclosed in the attached table, which includes data going back to 1998-99, which illustrates how the level of homelessness in England is far lower than the average under the last Administration.</p><p>This Government have invested over £500 million to prevent and tackle all forms of homelessness and rough sleeping since 2010. The homelessness legislation in England provides one of the strongest safety nets in the world for families with children and vulnerable people who become homeless through no fault of their own.</p><p> </p><p>Homelessness acceptances remain lower than in 27 of the last 30 years, and homelessness is around half the average level it was under the previous Administration. Households now spend on average seven months less in temporary accommodation than at the start of 2010.</p><p> </p><p>Figures for other parts of the United Kingdom are the responsibility of the devolved Administrations.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL4081 question first answered 02/03/2015 14:13:30 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon attachment 1 file name 150302 661501-2 Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope -table.doc title England table
	tabling member	635 label Biography information for Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope

174962

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2015
	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	Social Rented Housing
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in each of the last five years, whether the number of units of social housing in the United Kingdom has increased or decreased; how many units have been sold to foreign buyers; and whether the funds received by the sale of social housing are being used to build new social housing.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hunt of Chesterton
	uin	HL4341
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p>The numbers of social dwelling stock in the United Kingdom in the five years to 2012 (the most recent date for which UK figures are available) are as follows:</p><p> </p><p>2007 4,886,000</p><p> </p><p>2008 4,867,000</p><p> </p><p>2009 4,886,000</p><p> </p><p>2010 4,907,000</p><p> </p><p>2011 4,924,000</p><p> </p><p>2012 4,935,000</p><p> </p><p>In England, council house building starts are now at a 23 year high and almost twice as many council homes have been built in the last 4 years than from 1997 to 2009. Previously, councils were not encouraged to build new homes from sales receipts and only 1 new council home was built for every 170 Right to Buy sales completed under the last Administration.</p><p> </p><p>Since the Right to Buy was reinvigorated in England, £730 million in sales receipts are being re-invested in affordable house building; levering a further £1.7 billion of investment over the next 2 years. This means that in total, over £2.4 billion will be raised to invest in affordable house building as a result of the as a result of Right to Buy.</p><p> </p><p>The Right to Buy is only available to social tenants with at least five years’ tenancy. The purchaser must be a secure tenant and the property must be the resident’s only or main home. Prior to that, the social tenant would also have to have been eligible for social housing in the first place, and resided for long enough to move up to the top of any waiting list. In that context, an overseas buyer would simply not be eligible.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has taken steps to support members of the Armed Forces get onto the housing ladder – this would include supporting those who may have been resident overseas during their term of service. We have also changed statutory guidance to give priority to those with local connections and local residency in the allocation of social housing.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/03/2015 16:53:27 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	2543 label Biography information for Lord Hunt of Chesterton

175589

	registered interest
	date	26/01/2015
	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	Travellers: Caravan Sites
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take following the High Court ruling that they have discriminated against Travellers by automatically banning them from pitching camps on Green Belt land.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
	uin	HL4432
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2015 answer text <p>The Government makes no apologies for seeking to safeguard Green Belt protection and trying to bring a sense of fair play to the planning system. The Government’s planning policy is clear that both temporary and permanent traveller sites are inappropriate development in the Green Belt. The judgment does not question that principle.</p><p> </p><p>It is quite wrong to say that the High Court ruled that the Government discriminated against travellers by automatically banning them from pitching camps in the Green Belt. The Court’s Judgment is around a technical matter, namely how policy relating to the recovery of appeals for Ministerial decision was operated with regard to traveller appeal cases in the Green Belt. The Judgment did not criticise the Government’s policy stating that traveller sites in the Green Belt are inappropriate development in any way.</p><p> </p><p>Indeed, there have been a number of recent legal cases where the courts have upheld the planning appeal decisions of the Secretary of State in relation to traveller development in the Green Belt, dismissed the claims, and awarded costs in favour of DCLG, including:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Mulvenna v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government</li><li>Barney-Smith v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government</li><li>Dear v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government</li><li>Connors, Connors, Sines, Lee, and Doran v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government – five separate claims heard together.</li></ul><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 20/02/2015 09:19:22 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley

175590

	registered interest
	date	26/01/2015
	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	Northumberland County Council
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made, or intend to make, representations to Northumberland County Council about that authority’s plans to relocate its headquarters from Morpeth to Ashington, and in particular the impact of the move on residents of remoter urban and rural areas of that county; and, if so, in what terms.
	tabling member printed	Lord Vinson
	uin	HL4433
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2015 answer text <p>We have made no such representations as such decisions are for Councils themselves. If Northumberland County Council have decided to relocate their Headquarters, they will have to answer through the ballot box for the decision and the impacts it will have on the people of Northumberland.<br><br>Councils should consider the potential savings to taxpayers from better property management, whilst also carefully considering the public's access to frontline services.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 12/02/2015 14:48:49 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	1807 label Biography information for Lord Vinson

176245

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2015
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to introduce measures to help prevent Muslims born and bred in the United Kingdom from being labelled by their faith and excluded from the mainstream.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Afshar
	uin	HL4503
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2015 answer text <p>My rt hon friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Eric Pickles) made a Written Ministerial Statement on 18 December, <em>Official Report </em>Column 110WS, setting out the Government’s work on integration. As the Statement notes since 2010 the Department for Communities and Local Government has spent £45 million on supporting integration projects. It also makes clear that we are rising to the challenges, championing what unites our country across class, colour and creed and making clear that Britain is a stronger nation because of its faith communities. We are also taking initiatives and supporting communities in addressing anti-Muslim hatred. <br><br>We are clear that British values are Muslim values and there are incredible and powerful examples of Muslim social action and charitable contributions made by Britain's Muslim communities. Britain has a proud track record of multi-faith cooperation and we are confident that our communities work together in strengthening society. This cannot be achieved by Government alone and local communities and faith leaders are in a unique position in working with Government in ensuring that no British citizen feels marginalised.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 12/02/2015 14:15:23 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	3847 label Biography information for Baroness Afshar

176246

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2015
	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	Islamophobia
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to introduce measures to combat Islamophobia in the United Kingdom.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Afshar
	uin	HL4504
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2015 answer text <p>This Government has done more than any other to tackle anti-Muslim hatred:<br><br></p><ul><li>We have set up the first ever cross-government working group on anti-Muslim hatred which was established to consider and take forward proposals to tackle anti-Muslim hatred. The Group engages with Muslim communities and advises Government on how best to take forward key priorities;</li><li>Provided start-up funding to the Tell MAMA initiative to record incidents and support victims of anti-Muslim hatred;</li><li>Established a UK Srebrenica Memorial Day which recognises the fatal consequences of hatred and division;</li><li>Run social media workshops to build the capacity of community organisations to use social media effectively;</li><li>Held 8 integration roadshows with communities to find out what more Government can do to integrate communities and tackle anti-Muslim hatred. Further roadshows are planned throughout 2015;</li><li>Following the attacks in Paris, My Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and I wrote on 16 January to mosques across England reassuring them of Government help if they experience anti-Muslim hatred. The Department has also assured faith and community leaders of its support to their commendable efforts to foster mutual understanding and shared respect;</li><li>Proactive engagement with the police to combat anti-Muslim hatred;</li><li>Initiated roundtable discussions with representatives of Muslim communities, including Imams and Muslim youth leaders;</li><li>Regular ministerial engagement and attendance at Muslim community events.</li></ul><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 12/02/2015 16:05:32 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	3847 label Biography information for Baroness Afshar

176279

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2015
	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	Shops
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, given the increasing prevalence of online retailers, what steps they are taking to support local authorities and town centre managers in increasing trade for high street shops.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL4537
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2015 answer text <p>Since 2010, we have taken forward a wide range of activities to help communities adapt to changing high streets.</p><p> </p><p>In 2011 the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister commissioned retail expert Mary Portas to conduct an independent review, and the Government accepted all but one of the 28 recommendations.</p><p> </p><p>The Government provided direct funding and support to 24 Portas Pilots (a further 3 were funded by the Mayor of London) and over 330 town teams, who are working with local communities, businesses and local authorities to identify and tackle the issues faced in their local area.</p><p> </p><p>We established the Future High Streets Forum, to advise Government and develop practical policies. The Forum has worked with us to launch the successful Great British High Streets Portal, which brings together practical support and advice for all local authorities and groups working to regenerate their town centres. In 2014, we launched the Great British High Street Awards, which have been a great success, and will be running again in 2015.</p><p> </p><p>We have provided support for retail markets, including funding for the ‘Love Your Local Market’ campaigns.</p><p> </p><p>We have provided support for the establishment of Business Improvement Districts with a loan fund to help start up costs. In November 2014, we announced new measures to strengthen the role of Business Improvement Districts, to ensure they are able to have a play a key role in shaping and revitalising their town centres.</p><p> </p><p>We have increased business rate discounts for 300,000 businesses including doubling small business rate relief, capping the inflation increase to 2%, and a targeted discount for smaller shops, pubs and restaurants. In total this amounted to over £1.4 billion of government support.</p><p> </p><p>We have also given local councils wide-ranging, discretionary powers to grant business rates discounts as they see fit, empowering them to invest in the future of their town centres. Where they do so, central Government will automatically meet 50% of any costs.</p><p> </p><p>We are also tackling aggressive parking enforcement, and have introduced new permitted development rights to help town centres to be more flexible.</p><p><br><br>Recent research demonstrated that the internet can be a friend to the high street, with 'click and collect' being an increasing driver for footfall to town centres.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 12/02/2015 14:20:20 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

176661

	registered interest
	date	29/01/2015
	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	Female Genital Mutilation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 January (HL3454) about female genital mutilation, whether the declaration signed by faith leaders covered the whole of the United Kingdom or just England and Wales.
	tabling member printed	Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale
	uin	HL4570
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2015 answer text <p>DCLG worked with activists to draw up a Faith Leaders Declaration against Female Genital Mutilation. This short Statement makes it clear that Female Genital Mutilation is not condoned by any faith and establishes a commitment to work together to end it.</p><p>Over 300 people including representatives from every major faith have signed the declaration. Faith leaders from any part of the United Kingdom will be very welcome to sign the declaration, and can do so by making contact with DCLG.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 20/02/2015 09:19:41 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	4168 label Biography information for Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale