Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed attachment file name title grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

439356

registered interest
date	17/12/2015
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	Council Tax
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to conduct a revaluation of council tax bands in 2016.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	20553
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2016 answer text <p>There are no plans to carry out a revaluation of council tax bands in 2016.</p> answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones question first answered 05/01/2016 15:55:55 answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

439357

registered interest
date	17/12/2015
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	Local Government: Powers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to review the effectiveness of the general power of competence.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	20554
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2016 answer text <p>The Conservative led coalition Government gave a commitment that a post implementation review of the provisions of the Localism Act 2011, including the provisions relating to the general power of competence, would be undertaken within three to five years following implementation. We will honour that commitment.</p> answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones question first answered 05/01/2016 15:57:00 answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

438599

registered interest
date	15/12/2015
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	Devolution
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how his Department plans to enable the sharing of best practice from current and completed devolution deals.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	20262
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2016 answer text <p>The Government is pleased to have reached agreement on devolution deals with seven local areas during 2015 which will enable local people to make decisions on the priorities and investments which will best help local areas to succeed and grow. We are now focused on implementation of these deals, and as part of this process monitoring and evaluation will be crucial.</p> answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones question first answered 05/01/2016 15:57:55 answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

438600

registered interest
date	15/12/2015
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 Services: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how his Department plans to monitor whether income from the proposed two per cent rise in council tax intended to contribute to the social care levy is being spent on social care.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	20263
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2016 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Members to information accompanying the provisional local government finance settlement 2016-17, which was announced by my rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Greg Clark) 17 December 2015, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 1722.</p><p>This is available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/council-tax-in-2016-to-2017" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/council-tax-in-2016-to-2017</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486708/Core_spending_power_supporting_information.xlsx" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486708/Core_spending_power_supporting_information.xlsx</a></p> answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones grouped question UIN 20341 question first answered 05/01/2016 16:34:24 answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

438601

registered interest
date	15/12/2015
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 Services: Finance
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 (a) the level of funding required to cover local authority spending on social care in the period to 2020 and (b) how much the proposed two per cent increase in council tax intended for the social care levy will have raised in funding by 2020 if every authority implements that proposal to the full.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	20291
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2016 answer text <p>Ahead of the Spending Review, the Local Government Association estimated the gap in adult social care funding to be £2.9 billion - arising from a growing elderly population and introduction of the National Living Wage.</p><p>At Spending Review the Government outlined a package of support worth up to £3.5 billion to ensure councils are able to support some of their older and most vulnerable residents. That included giving authorities with social care responsibilities the flexibility to raise council tax in their area by up to 2% above the referendum threshold for each year between 2016-17 and 2019-20, to fund adult social care services. It is also providing £1500 million additional funding for local authorities to spend on adult social care by 2019-20, to be included in an improved Better Care Fund. Taken together, these measures provide significant resources to address the demographic pressures facing the social care system.</p><p>In terms of what the social care flexibility could raise, I refer the hon. Member to information accompanying the provisional local government finance settlement 2016-17, which my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Greg Clark), announced to the House on 17 December 2015, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 1722. This can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/council-tax-in-2016-to-2017" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/council-tax-in-2016-to-2017</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486708/Core_spending_power_supporting_information.xlsx" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486708/Core_spending_power_supporting_information.xlsx</a></p><br /> answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones question first answered 05/01/2016 15:55:20 answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

438602

registered interest
date	15/12/2015
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the level of local authority preparedness and funding for winter road maintenance.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	20292
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2016 answer text <p>Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network are in need of repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances. This duty includes winter maintenance.</p><br /><p>In terms of funding, this Government is providing both tools and funding to local highway authorities in England, outside London, to tackle the condition of our local road network. In the Spending Review 2015, the Government announced that we are allocating a total of £6.1 billion funding for local highways maintenance between now and 2021. This funding includes an additional £250 million between 2016 and 2021 for a potholes action fund to improve local roads, to promote innovation within the sector and to ensure that taxpayers get greater value for money. I also note that funding in 2010 to 2015 was itself £1 billion higher than in 2005 to 2010.</p><br /><p>Further details can be found here:</p><br /><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/6-billion-funding-to-tackle-potholes-and-improve-local-roads" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/6-billion-funding-to-tackle-potholes-and-improve-local-roads</a></p><br /><p>In October, I wrote to the leaders of all local highway authorities reminding them of their responsibilities regarding preparation for winter and the need for robust contingency plans in place to mitigate against any significant weather we may encounter over the winter period. I also took the opportunity to remind them of the recommendations to local authorities made in the independent review of transport resilience the Department commissioned following the wet winter of 2013/14. The report can be found at the following web link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transport-resilience-review-recommendations" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transport-resilience-review-recommendations</a></p><p>The Department for Transport (DfT) continues to play its part to ensure we stay ahead of the game for the winter and some of the action we are taking to ensure the country enters the 2015/16 winter season well prepared. This includes continuing to maintain a substantial national emergency salt reserve, first set up by the Coalition government, and having a robust distribution process in place, if for any reason this salt of last resort is needed to be allocated.</p><br /><p>We have published on the DfT section of GOV.UK website a Salt Protocol Note which sets out the arrangements for the allocation of emergency reserve salt to local authorities, if and when required. From October, the Department regularly monitors salt stocks being held by highway authorities.</p><p>We also work with the Met Office and other Government departments in respect of the ‘Get Ready for Winter’ Campaign. The guidance provides to the general public advice on clearing snow and ice from pathways and we encourage local authorities to include a web link on their website to it. The guidance can be found here:</p><br /><p><a href="http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/get-ready-for-winter/out-and-about/the-snow-code" target="_blank">http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/get-ready-for-winter/out-and-about/the-snow-code</a></p><br /> answering member constituency Harrogate and Knaresborough answering member printed Andrew Jones question first answered 05/01/2016 13:43:09 answering member 3996 label Biography information for Andrew Jones
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

438606

registered interest
date	15/12/2015
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	Local Government Finance
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 has taken in response to the recommendations and key findings of the National Audit Office's report, Financial sustainability by local authorities 2014, published in November 2014; and what work his Department has carried out on improving its understanding of the financial stability of local authorities.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	20323
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2016 answer text <p>The National Audit Office report, Financial Sustainability of Local Authorities made four key recommendations.</p><p>In line with my rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State's (Greg Clark) statement to the House on 17 December, <em>Official Report</em>, Columns 1722-1724, we have noted the criticism of the Public Accounts Committee and the DCLG select committee about previous inclusions of the existing Better Care Fund and the Public Health Grant in councils' spending power. So we will follow their advice, and henceforth report only resources over which councils have discretion.</p><p>In relation to transformation projects, the overall local government finance system sets the conditions to achieve value for money through strong pressure to improve outcomes, whilst delivering services more efficiently</p><p>We have learnt from previous spending reviews. In preparation for the Spending Review 2015 officials had early and extensive engagement with all departments that rely on local government to deliver services. This enabled the department to build up a clear picture of whether local authorities core funding was sufficient to deliver their statutory services.</p><p>The Department monitors the financial stability of local authorities as part of its oversight of local government expenditure. Officials use the detailed data returns that provided by local authorities throughout the year and they gather intelligence through routine interactions with local authorities, representative bodies and other departments. This helps them to anticipate and act on potential problems.</p> answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones question first answered 05/01/2016 16:02:22 answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

428975

registered interest
date	18/11/2015
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Clothing: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of product safety guidance for manufacturers of children's fancy dress costumes; and what assessment he has made of the effect on safety of retailers classifying such costumes as toys rather than clothing.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	16854
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2015 answer text <p><strong></strong></p><p>I am satisfied that existing guidance for manufacturers of children’s fancy dress costumes on compliance with the appropriate product safety legislation is adequate.</p><br /><p>I am also satisfied that the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 include robust requirements that provide for a high level of protection of children. However, Trading Standards are currently undertaking a major assessment of the state of the UK market and the compliance of fancy dress costumes with the relevant European Standard (BS EN71-2). In addition, the British Standards Institution is considering whether the Standard still reflects best practice or should be improved. This will include consideration of testing methods used for fabrics in other consumer products.</p><br /><p><strong></strong></p> answering member constituency Broxtowe answering member printed Anna Soubry question first answered 23/11/2015 16:06:50 answering member 3938 label Biography information for Anna Soubry
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

428769

registered interest
date	17/11/2015
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: Greater London
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 provided in Homelessness Prevention Grant to each local authority in London in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15 and (d) 2015-16.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	16726
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2015 answer text <p>We have made available over £500 million to local authorities and the voluntary sector to tackle homelessness. Since 2010, this has helped local authorities to prevent 935,800 households from becoming homeless.</p><p>The attached table (London Borough Homelessness Prevention Grant allocation 2012-13) shows the allocations of Homelessness Prevention Grant in 2012- 13 for London Boroughs.</p><p>From 2013-14 support for preventing homelessness has been included in the annual Local Government Finance Settlement, split between Revenue Support Grant and estimated retained business rates. In the following years London Boroughs’ level of notional grant was as set out in the attached table (London Borough Homelessness Prevention Grant allocation 2013-16).</p><p>Revenue Support Grant and retained business rates are not ring-fenced. It is up to individual authorities to decide how grant funding should be spent in order to deliver local services.</p> answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones attachment 1 file name 1190070.docx title London Borough HPG allocation 2012/13 2 file name 1188773.docx title London Borough HPG allocation 2013-16 question first answered 20/11/2015 11:48:48 answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

428055

registered interest
date	13/11/2015
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	Local Government: Disclosure of Information
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 he has made of the effectiveness of the Local Government Transparency Code 2015; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	16106
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2015 answer text <p>My Department is currently reviewing compliance with the Local Government Transparency Code 2015.</p> answering member constituency Nuneaton answering member printed Mr Marcus Jones question first answered 25/11/2015 14:32:26 answering member 4024 label Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed