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44668

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	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 steps he is taking to encourage local authority pension funds to become signatories to the Stewardship Code.
	tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
	tabling member printed	Paul Uppal
	uin	193480
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Each local authority that administers a pension fund is already subject to statutory guidance that states that it should recognise the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code and ensure that the Code is adopted by their fund managers, investment consultants and advisers. The guidance also states that the authority should include a statement of its policy on responsible ownership in its statement of the principles governing its investment decisions and report periodically to scheme members on the implementation of the policy. Sixteen of the eighty nine local government pension funds in England and Wales are themselves signatories to the Stewardship Code as asset owners.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis grouped question UIN 193481 question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	4078 label Biography information for Paul Uppal

44669

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	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 steps he is taking to encourage local authority pension funds to become active owners or stewards of their assets as defined in the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code.
	tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
	tabling member printed	Paul Uppal
	uin	193481
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Each local authority that administers a pension fund is already subject to statutory guidance that states that it should recognise the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code and ensure that the Code is adopted by their fund managers, investment consultants and advisers. The guidance also states that the authority should include a statement of its policy on responsible ownership in its statement of the principles governing its investment decisions and report periodically to scheme members on the implementation of the policy. Sixteen of the eighty nine local government pension funds in England and Wales are themselves signatories to the Stewardship Code as asset owners.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis grouped question UIN 193480 question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	4078 label Biography information for Paul Uppal

44670

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	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 recent assessment he has made of the need for local authority pension schemes to integrate environmental, social and governance issues into their investment decision-making.
	tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
	tabling member printed	Paul Uppal
	uin	193479
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p>These issues are matters for individual local authorities that administer pension funds to consider when deciding upon their investment strategies. Each administering authority is required to publish a statement of principles, which should address such issues. Statutory guidance states that the authority must report periodically to scheme members on the implementation of their policies.</p><p>Notwithstanding, local authorities need to focus on delivering a good rate of return for their fund and value for taxpayers, given local government pensions cost taxpayers (via employer contributions) almost £6 billion a year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	4078 label Biography information for Paul Uppal

44678

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	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 his Department's policy is on allowing officials to appear before all-party parliamentary groups.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	193383
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham on 26 March 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, column 300W.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

44672

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	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, how many proposals have been made by local authorities under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 in each year since that Act has been in force; and how many such proposals his Department has adopted.
	tabling member constituency	Hyndburn
	tabling member printed	Graham Jones
	uin	193399
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Thursday 27 March 2014]</em></p><p>In July 2009, 100 local authorities submitted proposals to the Selector, the Local Government Association. In December 2009, the Selector presented a short-list of 199 proposals, containing over 300 separate requests to the Government. Details of these proposals, the 39 actions this Government said it would take in response and an update on these actions that was published in July last year can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainable-communities-act-2007-decisions-on-local-councils-proposals-to-improve-local-areas" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainable-communities-act-2007-decisions-on-local-councils-proposals-to-improve-local-areas</a></p><p>Five local authorities submitted proposals in 2011. We carefully considered all the proposals and took forward two firm proposals. One local authority has submitted a proposal this year. It is under consideration.</p><p>The Government extended the power to submit proposals under the Act to town and parish councils in October last year. Since then five town and parish councils have submitted proposals, which are under consideration.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	3999 label Biography information for Graham P Jones

44675

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	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 proportion of the development announced in Budget 2014 at Ebbsfleet will consist of affordable homes.
	tabling member constituency	City of Durham
	tabling member printed	Roberta Blackman-Woods
	uin	193427
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government does not impose a particular level of affordable housing for housing schemes. The percentage of affordable units will be a matter for local decision making taking account of the local authorities' local plans and site viability. Unrealistic Section 106 agreements result in no development, no regeneration and no community benefits.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 09/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	1501 label Biography information for Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods

44680

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	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 steps he is taking to establish garden city principles in Ebbsfleet.
	tabling member constituency	City of Durham
	tabling member printed	Roberta Blackman-Woods
	uin	193458
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Monday 31 March 2014]</em></p><p>We expect the new Ebbsfleet Urban Development Corporation, once established, to develop the vision for Ebbsfleet Garden City in co-operation with local partners.</p><p>We would expect the Corporation, working with local partners and other experts, to consider how accepted Garden Cities principles, such as high quality, imaginative design, the provision of generous green space, mixed tenure homes and a strong local jobs offer, could be delivered in a way appropriate to local needs and circumstances.</p><p>The Government wants Ebbsfleet to set high standards in terms of design quality. The Built for Life principles are industry developed standards for good design. We would look to those coming forward with development proposals at Ebbsfleet to adopt them, and encourage them to be ambitious by aiming for a ‘green' rating.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	tabling member	1501 label Biography information for Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods

44590

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	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 assessment they have made about the number of off-plan and readily available houses that are purchased by foreign investors.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradshaw
	uin	HL6247
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p>The Department does not collect information on the number of foreign buyers of new build properties.</p><p>However, publicly available research has looked at the influence ‘international buyers' have in the new build market in London. Savills suggest of an estimated 97,000 Greater London sales in 2012 (which includes existing property), only 750 were “prime new build sales to international second home buyers”. An estimated 3,000 were for investment in lettings, and therefore available to UK residents as tenants.</p><p>(<a href="http://pdf.euro.savills.co.uk/residential---other/spot-worldlondon-lr.pdf" target="_blank">http://pdf.euro.savills.co.uk/residential---other/spot-worldlondon-lr.pdf</a>)</p><p>Knight Frank (October 2013) found that between 85 and 90 per cent of new build purchases in Greater London over the last two years went to UK residents. They note that “Our research points to the fact that the majority of demand for new-build property in London from overseas remains focussed on the relatively small and concentrated market made up of the central London postcodes.”</p><p>(<a href="http://resources.knightfrank.com/GetResearchResource.ashx?versionid=2017&amp;type=1" target="_blank">http://resources.knightfrank.com/GetResearchResource.ashx?versionid=2017&amp;type=1</a>)</p><p>I would also refer the noble Lord to my reply to him of 1 April 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, columns WA179-180.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stowell of Beeston question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4205 label Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston
	tabling member	2483 label Biography information for Lord Bradshaw

44617

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	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 encourage local authority pension schemes to take into account environmental, social and governance factors in their decisions.
	tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
	uin	HL6274
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p>These issues are matters for individual local authorities that administer pension funds to consider when deciding upon their investment strategies. Each administering authority is required to publish a statement of principles, which may address such issues. Statutory guidance states that the authority must report periodically to scheme members on the implementation of their policies.</p><p>Notwithstanding, local authorities need to focus on delivering a good rate of return for their fund and value for taxpayers, given local government pensions cost taxpayers (via employer contributions) almost £6 billion a year.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stowell of Beeston question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4205 label Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston
	tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison