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227487

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2015
	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	Empty Property: Shops
	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 is taking to reduce the length of time that vacant shops remain empty.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	227690
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2015 answer text <p>Our town centres and high streets have undergone dramatic changes over the last decade- the rise of online shopping, the effect of out of town retail parks and huge shifts in consumer spending patterns have all offered significant challenges. However, despite this, our high streets and town centres have fought back and up and down the country teams of local people are working hard to make our high streets great places to visit, live or work.</p><p> </p><p>A recent study from Southampton University showed how high streets are facing these challenges head on, meeting customers’ needs by offering a more convenient, creative and varied shopping experience, which increasingly offers more leisure opportunities.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, since 2010 national vacancy rates have continued to fall. Recent research by Deloitte showed that since 2009, high street vacancies as a result of high-profile administrations had been filled more successfully than those in out-of-town shopping centres and out-of-town retail parks.</p><p> </p><p>However the Government is not complacent and understands that the town centre needs to continue to evolve towards the provision of services and leisure alongside traditional retail. We are committed to supporting our high streets to embrace that change and to continue to hold their place at the heart of our communities.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has taken a number of significant steps to tackle vacant shops. We have relaxed planning rules to support “meanwhile use” as well as introducing new permitted development rights making it simpler to change use, so making it easier for businesses to respond to the needs of their communities.</p><p> </p><p>We have also taken forward a range of measures to tackle over-zealous parking enforcement that undermines the vitality of town centres, driving people out of town. We are restricting the use of CCTV ‘spy cars’ to enforce parking (through the Deregulation Bill currently going through Parliament). We have introduced 10 minute ‘grace periods’ when parking on-street allowing additional parking time before a late penalty is imposed, which will come into force in early April. We have published new statutory guidance allowing local people and businesses to demand a review of parking in their area, and we are reforming parking guidance so it is less heavy handed with motorists.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has also introduced a range of support for high streets through business rates. As well as offering business rate discounts to new occupants of previously empty shops, the Government has doubled Small Business Rate Relief for a further year (2015-16) and offered a 2% cap on the inflation increase for 2015-16, for the second year. This comes in addition to funding 50% of all local discounts granted, increasing the temporary discount for shops, pubs and restaurants with rateable values below £50,000 and offering a 100% rate relief for empty new builds. Finally, as announced at Autumn Statement 2014, the Government is also undertaking a long-term and wide-ranging review of business rates to ensure they are fit for purpose for a 21st century economy and allow our high streets to thrive.</p><p> </p><p>We have also championed the innovative use of vacant shops through <a href="http://thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/high-street-of-the-year-award" target="_blank">the Great British High Street Competition.</a> A number of the entrants set out the innovative ways that they are tackling empty shops on the high streets and we have promoted their examples on the <a href="http://thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/" target="_blank">Great British High Street Portal</a> and through documents such as <a href="http://thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk/pdf/GBHS-Celebrating-The-GB-High-Street.pdf" target="_blank">Celebrating the Great British High Street</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 23/03/2015 17:42:01 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

228084

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2015
	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	Parking
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's announcement, Government delivers on parking promises to help local shops, published on 6 March 2015, if he will take further steps to ensure that local authority parking schemes are more advantageous to motorists.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	228091
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2015 answer text <p>Higher parking charges and more parking fines were the explicit policy of the Labour Government.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Labour Ministers called for councils to charge for more services, including parking, bemoaning that: ‘Only one in five councils are using charging to the full potential... [such as for] reducing congestion’ (Speech to the Local Government Association, 2 July 2008).</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Planning guidance issued by the Labour Government in 2001 (PPG13) told councils to hike parking charges and adopt aggressive enforcement to discourage drivers.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Labour Ministers asserted: ‘The local government sector already has significant powers to raise revenue through fees and charges in return for the provision of services, and many councils have used this mechanism extensively to support local service delivery (for example through parking charges… The Government supports councils in looking creatively at the scope offered by fees and charges’ (DCLG, <em>Government response to the CLG Select Committee report into the balance of power: central and local government</em>, 18 September 2009).</li></ul><p> </p><p>Yet unreasonable parking charges and fines push up hard-working people’s cost of living. If parking is too expensive or difficult, shoppers will simply drive to out of town supermarkets or just shop on-line, undermining the vitality of town centres and leading to ‘ghost town’ high streets. This Government has rejected the Labour policy of encouraging higher parking charges and aggressive parking enforcement, and has been standing up for hard-working people and local shops.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2010, we have:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Scrapped Labour’s Whitehall policy that pressured councils to hike car parking charges as a ‘demand management measure’ to discourage car use.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Removed Whitehall restrictions which restricted the provision of off-street parking spaces, and issued new national planning policy to discourage unnecessary restrictions on parking spaces being provided in new developments.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Abolished Labour’s Whitehall policy which inhibited parking charge competition between council areas, and instead introduced a new policy that says parking charges should not undermine the vitality of town centres, and stated that parking enforcement should be proportionate;</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Issued new planning practice guidance on removing street clutter and encouraging the provision of shopper-friendly parking space provision.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Introduced the local retention of business rates, which means that councils benefit from business and retail growth in town centres, rather than just hiking parking charges.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Increased parking transparency through the local government Transparency Code so councils are required to publish how income from parking charges is being used.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Stopped the industrial use of CCTV for parking enforcement: this will commence in April following the Deregulation Bill receiving Royal Assent.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Introduced a mandatory 10 minute “grace period” at the end of on-street and off-street, free and paid municipal parking.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Introduced a new right to allow local residents and local firms to demand a review of parking in their area, including charges and the use of yellow lines.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Changed guidance so drivers parking at an out-of-order meter are not fined if there are no alternative ways to pay.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Reformed statutory parking guidance so it is less heavy handed with drivers, prevents over-aggressive action by bailiffs, positively supports local shops and clearly reinforces the prohibition against parking being used to generate profit.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Updated guidance so the public know when they can be awarded costs at tribunals; strengthened the power of adjudicators to overturn parking fines; frozen parking fines in this Parliament; the Government will also be trialling a 25% discount for motorists who lose an appeal against a parking ticket at tribunal on the full price of their parking ticket</li></ul><p> </p><p>My Department has now taken on the policy responsibility for off-street parking, both municipal and on private land. We will consult shortly on areas where we can intervene to tackle unfair practices. We will also address the issue of local authorities not offering any cash payment facilities in municipal parking.<br><br></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 25/03/2015 17:38:21 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

228835

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2015
	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	Parking Offences
	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 is taking to prevent illegal parking on private property and land.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	228561
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2015 answer text <p>On 12 March 2015, the Department for Communities and Local Government took on the policy responsibility for off-street parking, both municipal and on private land. We expect to consult shortly on areas where we can intervene to tackle unfair practices.<br><br></p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 24/03/2015 12:21:12 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

229087

	registered interest
	date	23/03/2015
	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	Fire and Rescue Services: Floods
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received on introducing a statutory duty on the fire and rescue service to respond to major flooding; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Stoke-on-Trent North
	tabling member printed	Joan Walley
	uin	228650
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>In 2012, my Department, consulted interested parties on this issue. The responses supported the Government's view, that the local resilience forums are best placed to decide how to organise local flooding response, as they do for other emergencies. In 2013 the Government amended its flood response guidance to support the work of the local resilience forums, and to affirm that no statutory duty would be needed.</p><p> </p><p>The Civil Contingencies Act already requires fire and rescue authorities, and other responders such as the police, ambulance and local authorities, to work together to deal with a range of risks in their area, including flooding. This collaboration worked well during the flood events in winter 2013-14.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 26/03/2015 11:38:03 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	286 label Biography information for Joan Walley

155751

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	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
	hansard heading	Fire and Rescue Services
	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 (a) whole-time and (b) part-time firefighters there were in (i) Northamptonshire and (ii) England in each of the last 10 years.
	tabling member constituency	Wellingborough
	tabling member printed	Mr Peter Bone
	uin	214654
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2015 answer text <p>The numbers of (a) whole-time and (b) retained duty system fire fighters in (i) Northamptonshire and (ii) England, as at the end of March in each of the last 10 years, are shown in the attached tables alongside the number of fire incidents attended:</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 23/03/2015 17:44:57 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt attachment 1 file name 214654 Bone.docx title Table of Whole Time and RDS Firefighters previous answer version 29046 answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	1581 label Biography information for Mr Peter Bone

175012

	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	Private Sector: Thames Gateway
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what Government support (a) is available and (b) has been provided to secure private sector investment in the Thames Gateway since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	221627
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2015 answer text <p>The Thames Gateway is a long term national priority for growth and the Government is firmly committed to working with local partners to help them deliver its potential.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has worked closely with investors across a range of projects, for example we have helped to secure £1.5 billion investment into the London Gateway Port by working hard with the Highways Agency to ensure that road capacity was not a barrier to the Dubai Ports World investment. London Paramount is another major potential investment which could bring up to 15 million visitors a year to the area. I am delighted to hear that Lafarge Tarmac has now agreed a deal with London Resort Company Holdings to sell their land in the Swancombe Peninsula in north Kent, which is needed for the creation of this entertainment resort.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to encouraging investors, Government is itself providing funding for a number of major projects in the area. These are set out in the attached document.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 221628 221629 221630 221631 222265 question first answered 25/03/2015 11:08:14 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt attachment 1 file name 690691 Brown.docx title Thames Gateway - Major Projects
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

175013

	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	Private Sector: Thames Gateway
	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 progress in securing private sector investment in the Thames Gateway since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	221628
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2015 answer text <p>The Thames Gateway is a long term national priority for growth and the Government is firmly committed to working with local partners to help them deliver its potential.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has worked closely with investors across a range of projects, for example we have helped to secure £1.5 billion investment into the London Gateway Port by working hard with the Highways Agency to ensure that road capacity was not a barrier to the Dubai Ports World investment. London Paramount is another major potential investment which could bring up to 15 million visitors a year to the area. I am delighted to hear that Lafarge Tarmac has now agreed a deal with London Resort Company Holdings to sell their land in the Swancombe Peninsula in north Kent, which is needed for the creation of this entertainment resort.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to encouraging investors, Government is itself providing funding for a number of major projects in the area. These are set out in the attached document.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 221627 221629 221630 221631 222265 question first answered 25/03/2015 11:08:14 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt attachment 1 file name 690691 Brown.docx title Thames Gateway - Major Projects
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

175014

	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	Domestic Visits: Thames Gateway
	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 for Ministers to visit locations in the Thames Gateway in the period up to the dissolution of Parliament; and what the planned locations of those visits are.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	221629
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2015 answer text <p>The Thames Gateway is a long term national priority for growth and the Government is firmly committed to working with local partners to help them deliver its potential.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has worked closely with investors across a range of projects, for example we have helped to secure £1.5 billion investment into the London Gateway Port by working hard with the Highways Agency to ensure that road capacity was not a barrier to the Dubai Ports World investment. London Paramount is another major potential investment which could bring up to 15 million visitors a year to the area. I am delighted to hear that Lafarge Tarmac has now agreed a deal with London Resort Company Holdings to sell their land in the Swancombe Peninsula in north Kent, which is needed for the creation of this entertainment resort.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to encouraging investors, Government is itself providing funding for a number of major projects in the area. These are set out in the attached document.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 221627 221628 221630 221631 222265 question first answered 25/03/2015 11:08:14 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt attachment 1 file name 690691 Brown.docx title Thames Gateway - Major Projects
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

175015

	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	Regeneration: Thames Gateway
	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 plans to take to ensure that development of new Thames Gateway communities is sustainable, cohesive and integrated.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	221630
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2015 answer text <p>The Thames Gateway is a long term national priority for growth and the Government is firmly committed to working with local partners to help them deliver its potential.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has worked closely with investors across a range of projects, for example we have helped to secure £1.5 billion investment into the London Gateway Port by working hard with the Highways Agency to ensure that road capacity was not a barrier to the Dubai Ports World investment. London Paramount is another major potential investment which could bring up to 15 million visitors a year to the area. I am delighted to hear that Lafarge Tarmac has now agreed a deal with London Resort Company Holdings to sell their land in the Swancombe Peninsula in north Kent, which is needed for the creation of this entertainment resort.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to encouraging investors, Government is itself providing funding for a number of major projects in the area. These are set out in the attached document.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 221627 221628 221629 221631 222265 question first answered 25/03/2015 11:08:14 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt attachment 1 file name 690691 Brown.docx title Thames Gateway - Major Projects
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

175016

	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	Private Sector: Thames Gateway
	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 progress in securing private sector investment in Thames Gateway projects at (a) London Gateway Port, (b) Purfleet, (c) Paramount Park and (d) Southend Airport since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
	uin	221631
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2015 answer text <p>The Thames Gateway is a long term national priority for growth and the Government is firmly committed to working with local partners to help them deliver its potential.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has worked closely with investors across a range of projects, for example we have helped to secure £1.5 billion investment into the London Gateway Port by working hard with the Highways Agency to ensure that road capacity was not a barrier to the Dubai Ports World investment. London Paramount is another major potential investment which could bring up to 15 million visitors a year to the area. I am delighted to hear that Lafarge Tarmac has now agreed a deal with London Resort Company Holdings to sell their land in the Swancombe Peninsula in north Kent, which is needed for the creation of this entertainment resort.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to encouraging investors, Government is itself providing funding for a number of major projects in the area. These are set out in the attached document.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 221627 221628 221629 221630 222265 question first answered 25/03/2015 11:08:14 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt attachment 1 file name 690691 Brown.docx title Thames Gateway - Major Projects
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown