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42684

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2014
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what estimate he has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) the Law Officers' Departments and (b) any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of the Law Officers' Departments in the current financial year.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	191801
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p>The Law Officers' Departments have been actively reducing their estate running costs since 2010 in line with Government policy and have already made significant savings.</p><p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) estate rationalisation programme began in 2009 and is set to be completed in 2016, with most of the leases on empty property having expired by then. This programme has already led to a reduction in expenditure and increased efficiency. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has paid £320,178.38 in property business rates in the current financial year on the properties which are currently recorded as vacant on the ePIMS database as at 14 March 2014. The costs figure has been produced by DTZ who are CPS' managing agents and has not yet been audited.</p><p>The Treasury Solicitor's Department owns a lease on a building which has some vacant space. This building attracts full business rates in the current financial year. This lease is due to expire in 2016. The estimated business rates for the vacant proportion of the property for 2013/14 are £59 372.71</p><p>The remaining Law Officers' Departments do not have any vacant properties.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Beaconsfield answering member printed Mr Dominic Grieve question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 16 label Biography information for Mr Dominic Grieve
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

46439

	registered interest
	date	02/04/2014
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, when he expects to answer question No. 191801 tabled by the Rt hon. Member for Leeds Central on 12 March 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	194895
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2014 answer text <p>I have done so today.</p> answering member constituency Beaconsfield answering member printed Mr Dominic Grieve question first answered 07/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 16 label Biography information for Mr Dominic Grieve
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

42698

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2014
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) his Department and (b) any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of his Department in the current financial year.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	191802
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2014 answer text <p>At the time of the last General Election the central Government estate was far larger than required and taxpayers were paying to maintain, run and rent properties which were under-occupied while other part of the freehold estate remained vacant.</p><p>The Government Property Unit has been supporting departments to rationalise rapidly the Government's estate including by taking a whole of Government view of property. Since the 2010 General Election over £1.25 billion has been raised by selling surplus freehold properties. Through the exiting of property across the central civil estate, we have also delivered cumulative, gross run rate savings of over £454 million per annum.</p><p>Where surplus property is awaiting disposal or lease end, the government looks to explore all disposal options, including commercially sub-letting all or part of the space. Surplus property is listed on gov.uk</p><p>There is no liability at taxpayers' expense for business rates on any vacant Cabinet Office properties in the current financial year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Horsham answering member printed Mr Francis Maude question first answered 19/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 115 label Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

48437

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2014
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Government's target is for the proportion of (a) women, (b) people from black and minority ethnic communities and (c) disabled people in senior management posts in central government departments.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	196793
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p>Appointments and promotion in the Civil Service should be made on merit through fair and open competition. To ensure our civil service delivers the best for Britain we must draw on the widest possible pool of talent. We want to ensure that the best people - irrespective of who they are - rise to the top of the Civil Service but are concerned that for too long the very top ranks do not reflect those further down. We have commissioned independent research to look at the blockages women face making it to the very top and will use this to drive a new strategy for managing talent.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Horsham answering member printed Mr Francis Maude question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 115 label Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

49794

	registered interest
	date	06/05/2014
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to answer Question 196793, tabled on 25 April 2014 for answer on 29 April 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	197922
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 May 2014 (Official Report) Column Ref: 4W. This was answered within the set timescale.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Horsham answering member printed Mr Francis Maude question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 115 label Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

43015

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	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 applications to dispose of statutory allotments have been (a) submitted, (b) approved and (c) rejected in each local authority area in each year since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	191956
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Further to the Allotments Act 1925, applications for consent to dispose of allotment land are submitted to the Department by local councils (parish councils and principal authorities). The table below shows the breakdown of applications since May 2010.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p><em>Granted</em></p></td><td><p><em>Withdrawn</em></p></td><td><p><em>Refused</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2010- March 2011</p></td><td><p>18</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15 to date</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>To place this in context, the Secretary of State granted 34 allotment disposals in 2007, granted 22 in 2008 and granted 18 in 2009, whilst only 2 were declined, which is a greater rate than under this Administration.</p><p>I observe that the rt. hon. Member has been quoted in the media attacking such consents. He would have been wiser however to have undertaken a closer examination of the 68 individual consents granted to the local councils since May 2010.</p><p>The table below provides some context to help explain why there was a reasonable case by the representative local bodies for changing the statutory status of the land.</p><p>In January 2014, my Department published <em>Allotment Disposal Guidance: Safeguards and Alternatives</em> replacing the previous guidance from 2002. The new guidance strengthens allotment protection, as the requirement for waiting lists to be taken into account must now be rigorously applied to all that council's waiting lists, not just the waiting list for the site to be disposed of. This aims to ensure that poorly maintained sites are not used to justify disposal. Ministers will be closely monitoring to ensure that this new guidance is followed.</p><p>Notwithstanding, I have taken the opportunity to analyse these previous cases in the table below. The National Allotment Society was consulted in every case, and nine out of ten decisions were consistent with advice from the National Allotment Society (where advice was given); the remaining cases where the advice diverged related to land not actually in use as allotments, requiring a judgement call on whether it was realistic to bring the land back into productive use.</p><p>Having analysed these approvals, I can note that half of the land disposed was not actually in use as allotments. Moreover, in every case where existing allotment plot holders were displaced, evidence from local authorities indicates that alternative plots were made available to them.</p><p>More new plots were proposed to be created and/or vacant sites proposed to be brought back into use than the number of proposed disposals of in-use allotment plots. Consequently, the statutory disposal process overseen by the Secretary of State since May 2010 should have resulted in an <strong>increase</strong> in allotment provision not a reduction. This reflects this Government's commitment both to supporting local communities grow their own food and to protecting important community assets.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 196310 question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams attachment 1 file name 2269 & 2521 Benn - Table.docx title Allotments - Disposal Consents Granted
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

48163

	registered interest
	date	10/04/2014
	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 applications he has (a) received and (b) approved for the disposal of allotment sites in each year since 2010 in England; and in what local authority each such site was located.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	196310
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Further to the Allotments Act 1925, applications for consent to dispose of allotment land are submitted to the Department by local councils (parish councils and principal authorities). The table below shows the breakdown of applications since May 2010.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p><em>Granted</em></p></td><td><p><em>Withdrawn</em></p></td><td><p><em>Refused</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2010- March 2011</p></td><td><p>18</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15 to date</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>To place this in context, the Secretary of State granted 34 allotment disposals in 2007, granted 22 in 2008 and granted 18 in 2009, whilst only 2 were declined, which is a greater rate than under this Administration.</p><p>I observe that the rt. hon. Member has been quoted in the media attacking such consents. He would have been wiser however to have undertaken a closer examination of the 68 individual consents granted to the local councils since May 2010.</p><p>The table below provides some context to help explain why there was a reasonable case by the representative local bodies for changing the statutory status of the land.</p><p>In January 2014, my Department published <em>Allotment Disposal Guidance: Safeguards and Alternatives</em> replacing the previous guidance from 2002. The new guidance strengthens allotment protection, as the requirement for waiting lists to be taken into account must now be rigorously applied to all that council's waiting lists, not just the waiting list for the site to be disposed of. This aims to ensure that poorly maintained sites are not used to justify disposal. Ministers will be closely monitoring to ensure that this new guidance is followed.</p><p>Notwithstanding, I have taken the opportunity to analyse these previous cases in the table below. The National Allotment Society was consulted in every case, and nine out of ten decisions were consistent with advice from the National Allotment Society (where advice was given); the remaining cases where the advice diverged related to land not actually in use as allotments, requiring a judgement call on whether it was realistic to bring the land back into productive use.</p><p>Having analysed these approvals, I can note that half of the land disposed was not actually in use as allotments. Moreover, in every case where existing allotment plot holders were displaced, evidence from local authorities indicates that alternative plots were made available to them.</p><p>More new plots were proposed to be created and/or vacant sites proposed to be brought back into use than the number of proposed disposals of in-use allotment plots. Consequently, the statutory disposal process overseen by the Secretary of State since May 2010 should have resulted in an <strong>increase</strong> in allotment provision not a reduction. This reflects this Government's commitment both to supporting local communities grow their own food and to protecting important community assets.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 191956 question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams attachment 1 file name 2269 & 2521 Benn - Table.docx title Allotments - Disposal Consents Granted
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

49254

	registered interest
	date	30/04/2014
	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 the reasons are for the time taken to answer question 191956 tabled for answer on 8 April 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	197366
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>I refer the rt. hon. Member to my answer of 1 May, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 803W.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 197367 question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

49255

	registered interest
	date	30/04/2014
	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, when he plans to answer Question 194894, tabled for answer on 8 April 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	197367
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>I refer the rt. hon. Member to my answer of 1 May, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 803W.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 197366 question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

48158

	registered interest
	date	10/04/2014
	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 estimate he has made of the average number of people on a waiting list for an allotment for every 100 plots available in England.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	196308
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>My Department does not estimate allotment waiting list times, as it is individual local authorities which have the legal responsibility for the management and provision of allotments in their area, ensuring that those who want to start an allotment can do so.</p><p>Notwithstanding, a survey of allotment waiting lists was carried out by the National Allotment Society and Transition Town West Kirby in July 2013. Whilst there is a degree of difficulty in creating precise estimates, their research indicated that there was an average of 52 people waiting for every 100 plots (as of January 2013). These waiting list figures were down on their previous surveys, which indicated an average of 57 people waiting in January 2011 and 59 people waiting in January 2010.</p><p>The 2013 survey also noted that that 65 new allotment sites had been created in the previous two years, across 51 councils, creating roughly 2,000 new allotment plots.</p><p>The Coalition Government has introduced a range of measures to help communities who want land to grow fruit and vegetables. Through new community rights, local residents have increased opportunities to protect existing allotments from development and increase provision of green spaces. For example, in Thame, in Oxfordshire, their new neighbourhood plan will create an additional hectare of allotment land. Allotments have also been listed as assets of community value.</p><p>As part of our commitment to supporting local community groups, my Department has also published a best practice guide for community groups wanting to find land to grow fruit and vegetables, as well as an additional guide on establishing community orchards and other spaces for food growing. These can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/space-for-food-growing-a-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/space-for-food-growing-a-guide</a></p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-orchards-a-how-to-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-orchards-a-how-to-guide</a></p><p>In January 2014, my Department published <em>Allotment Disposal Guidance: Safeguards and Alternatives </em>replacing the previous guidance from 2002. The new guidance strengthens allotment protection, as the requirement for waiting lists to be taken into account must now be rigorously applied to all that council's waiting lists, not just the waiting list for the site to be disposed of. This aims to ensure that poorly maintained sites are not used to justify disposal. Ministers will be closely monitoring to ensure that this new guidance is followed.</p><p>I also refer the rt. hon. Member to my answer today to him of questions 191956 &amp; 196310, which explains how the Secretary of State's decisions on allotments since May 2010 have resulted in an increase in usable allotment land.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bristol West answering member printed Stephen Williams grouped question UIN 196309 196311 question first answered 14/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1492 label Biography information for Stephen Williams
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn