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1005680

	registered interest
	date	12/11/2018
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Social Rented Housing: Waiting Lists
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the validity of reports that local authorities are excluding people from social housing waiting lists due to (a) a history of rent arrears, (b) criminal convictions and (c) experience of rough sleeping.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow East
	tabling member printed	Bob Blackman
	uin	190431
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p>The Localism Act 2011 gave local authorities the power to set their own qualification criteria for social housing. They can now decide who should qualify for social housing in their area, and develop solutions which make best use of the social housing stock. The Localism Act also retained the statutory ‘reasonable preference’ requirements which ensure that overall priority for social housing goes to those in housing need, including homeless households, those in overcrowded housing, and those with medical and welfare needs.</p><p>The Social Housing Green Paper published in August this year (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a-new-deal-for-social-housing" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a-new-deal-for-social-housing</a>) sets out an intention to undertake an evidence collection exercise to help us understand how the social housing allocation framework is playing out in local areas and if it is striking the right balance of fairness, support and aspiration. The exercise will include a focus on how local authority flexibilities on qualification and prioritisation are being used in practice.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 19/11/2018 16:25:12 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	4005 label Biography information for Bob Blackman

1017475

	registered interest
	date	30/11/2018
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Housing Revenue Accounts
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities to increase housebuilding as a result of the removal of the HRA borrowing cap.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow East
	tabling member printed	Bob Blackman
	uin	197621
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/12/2018 answer text <p>We are developing the planning capacity local authorities need to increase the delivery of new homes through the Planning Delivery Fund. Local authorities are able to draw from a wide range of sector led advice, good practice, and case study examples and we will also be working closely with local authorities to ensure they are able to make the most of the tools we have given them.</p><p>Local authorities can bid alongside housing associations for the £9 billion Affordable Homes Programme to build affordable homes. We are also providing a longer term rent deal for 5 years from 2020 to provide local authorities with a stable investment environment to deliver new homes and we have consulted on options for allowing local authorities more flexibility in the use of their Right to Buy receipts.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 05/12/2018 16:55:47 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	4005 label Biography information for Bob Blackman

1052333

	registered interest
	date	31/01/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Social Services: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential effects on children of not using the children’s services relative needs formula to distribute the social care support grant announced in Budget 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow East
	tabling member printed	Bob Blackman
	uin	215161
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/02/2019 answer text <p>At Autumn Budget 2019, the Chancellor made available £410 million in 2019/20 for social care services in local authorities – both adult and children’s social care. We proposed in the provisional local government finance settlement to distribute these resources based on the existing Adult Social Care relative needs formula, as the best available method. Consultation responses overwhelmingly supported this approach which was confirmed in the final settlement. Local authorities have welcomed the additional funding and the discretion to spend in a way which best fits their community’s needs.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 06/02/2019 16:56:38 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
	tabling member	4005 label Biography information for Bob Blackman

1052334

	registered interest
	date	31/01/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, 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 Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department made of the needs of urban areas when allocating £1 billion of additional funding in the provisional local government finance settlement.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow East
	tabling member printed	Bob Blackman
	uin	215162
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2019 answer text <p>The final local government finance settlement confirmed a real-terms increase in available funding for local authorities to help deliver local services, support vulnerable residents and build vibrant communities.</p><p>This includes an additional £650 million for social care, allocated using the well-established Adult Social Care relative needs formula, which takes into account the relative needs of local authorities, including in urban areas.</p><p>The additional resources provided through the settlement also included the distribution of £180 million of surplus in the business rates retention levy account, which was allocated on the basis of each authority’s 2013-14 Settlement Funding Assessment. The Settlement Funding Assessment is a measure of the relative needs of local authorities, including in urban areas.</p><p>Funding baselines for every authority are determined by an assessment of the relative needs of areas, including measures of deprivation.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 07/02/2019 17:14:15 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
	tabling member	4005 label Biography information for Bob Blackman

1240852

	registered interest
	date	06/10/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Local Government: Property
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of commercial property investments made by local authorities in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow East
	tabling member printed	Bob Blackman
	uin	99595
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/10/2020 answer text <p>Local authorities borrow and invest under the Prudential Framework (the Framework) which is designed to ensure that the capital plans of local authorities are affordable, prudent and sustainable, while giving councils the freedom to set their own capital strategies. Government is responsible for ensuring the Framework remains effective in driving sound decision making, and collects appropriate data to monitor trends and identify risks, including from commercial investment activity. Government does not routinely undertake any assessment of the effectiveness of local decisions to borrow and invest; local authorities remain accountable to their electorate for managing their own investment strategies and meeting their best value duty. However, councils have to appropriately comply with the Framework’s statutory guidance, including the requirement to report performance against a set of metrics designed to demonstrate the objectives of the Framework are being met, and to publish an investment strategy.</p><p>Government is aware of recent trends where some local authorities are taking on high levels of debt to invest for commercial income, rather than for providing the functions of a council. We are clear that borrowing to invest for yield is not in keeping with the intent of the Framework and exposes councils and taxpayers to undue financial risk. We have already tightened our statutory guidance on investments to improve decision making, and we are now carefully considering the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee’s report on local authority investment in commercial property (July 2020) and what further interventions are needed.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall grouped question UIN 99596 question first answered 14/10/2020 13:21:12 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
	tabling member	4005 label Biography information for Bob Blackman

1240853

	registered interest
	date	06/10/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Local Government: Property
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of the borrowing undertaken by local authorities to fund investments in commercial property.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow East
	tabling member printed	Bob Blackman
	uin	99596
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/10/2020 answer text <p>Local authorities borrow and invest under the Prudential Framework (the Framework) which is designed to ensure that the capital plans of local authorities are affordable, prudent and sustainable, while giving councils the freedom to set their own capital strategies. Government is responsible for ensuring the Framework remains effective in driving sound decision making, and collects appropriate data to monitor trends and identify risks, including from commercial investment activity. Government does not routinely undertake any assessment of the effectiveness of local decisions to borrow and invest; local authorities remain accountable to their electorate for managing their own investment strategies and meeting their best value duty. However, councils have to appropriately comply with the Framework’s statutory guidance, including the requirement to report performance against a set of metrics designed to demonstrate the objectives of the Framework are being met, and to publish an investment strategy.</p><p>Government is aware of recent trends where some local authorities are taking on high levels of debt to invest for commercial income, rather than for providing the functions of a council. We are clear that borrowing to invest for yield is not in keeping with the intent of the Framework and exposes councils and taxpayers to undue financial risk. We have already tightened our statutory guidance on investments to improve decision making, and we are now carefully considering the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee’s report on local authority investment in commercial property (July 2020) and what further interventions are needed.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall grouped question UIN 99595 question first answered 14/10/2020 13:21:12 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
	tabling member	4005 label Biography information for Bob Blackman

1240855

	registered interest
	date	06/10/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Local Government Finance: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the covid-19 outbreak on local authorities' finances.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow East
	tabling member printed	Bob Blackman
	uin	99597
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/10/2020 answer text <p>Councils across the country are supporting communities, protecting the most vulnerable and helping the NHS in our efforts to combat Covid-19. In order to meet these additional cost pressures, the Government has continued to support local authorities by delivering an unprecedented package of measures. So far, we have provided over £4.8 billion in funding for spending pressures, including £3.7 billion of un-ringfenced grants and £1.1 billion to help stop the spread of the virus in care homes. This underlines Government’s commitment to ensuring adult social care has the resources it needs to keep residents and staff safe. In addition, the Prime Minister has announced a further £1 billion of funding for local authorities, details of which will be announced shortly. <br> <br> In total, over £28 billion has already been committed to local areas to support councils, businesses and communities across government. This comprehensive package of support includes direct financial support and cashflow measures for councils, bus and tram services, support for the homeless and both grants and rates reliefs for businesses. <br> <br> We will continue to monitor the impact of Covid-19 on local government.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 14/10/2020 13:20:19 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
	tabling member	4005 label Biography information for Bob Blackman