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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

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

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