1038 0 1 10 Julian Sturdy 2014-01-30 false To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local planning authorities in (a) improving the viability of brownfield sites and (b) restarting stalled developments. House of Commons York Outer 185957 Biography information for Julian Sturdy 7 2014-04-03T12:00:00.00Z Grantham and Stamford Nick Boles false 2014-04-03 Biography information for Nick Boles <p> </p><p><em>Kick-starting stalled developments</em></p><p>This Government has introduced a series of measures to support stalled house building. These include:</p><p>· The Get Britain Building investment fund, providing over £500 million of finance which has so far helped start 11,893 new homes on stalled sites (as of February 2014).</p><p>· The Growing Places Fund is providing £770 million to deliver the infrastructure needed to unlock stalled schemes that will promote economic growth, create jobs and build homes. The fund has been fully allocated to Local Enterprise Partnerships and the devolved administrations to fund local projects.</p><p>· The £474 million Local Infrastructure Fund investment fund is supporting the delivery of upfront infrastructure for locally-supported, large scale housing sites and commercial development; it also provides capacity funding and brokerage support to local authorities to help them progress major schemes through the planning process. Nearly 80,000 homes have been unlocked on fifteen different sites. A further thirteen schemes are currently being assessed for investment, which we believe have the potential to deliver nearly 40,000 homes.</p><p>· The Autumn Statement committed an additional £1 billion of Local Infrastructure Fund funding to unlock locally-led housing schemes capable of delivering up to a further 250,000 new homes, and a second round prospectus will be published in due course.</p><p>· The Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013 enables developers with any Section 106 agreement to apply for a review of the affordable housing component to ensure development is not being made unviable by unrealistic requirements. Such unviable Section 106 agreements result in no development, no regeneration and no community benefits: a sensible review can result in more housing and more affordable housing.</p><p>· As the housing market has improved, we have ended the temporary measure (introduced by the last Administration) which allowed developers to roll forward their planning permissions; this ending of the measure will increase the incentive for developers to start on site before permission expires.</p><p>· We are also seeking to tackle the inappropriate use of planning conditions and speed up the process of gaining non-planning consents.</p><p>· The Budget announced a £525 million Builders' Finance Fund to assist small and medium sized developers to access finance to support the delivery of housing schemes of between 15 and 250 units, helping kick-start stalled sites and deliver around 15,000 units over four years.</p><p><em>Supporting development on brownfield land</em></p><p>Freeing up brownfield land for regeneration and development is a key priority for my department. Our actions include:</p><p>· We have amended planning regulations to make it easier to change the use of an existing building from commercial to residential use, retail to residential use and agricultural to residential use. Permitted development rights have been expanded, including for flats above shops and allowing for new temporary uses. The Budget announced our intention to further extend these flexibilities.</p><p>· The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that planning should encourage the effective use of land by re-using brownfield land provided that it is not of high environmental value, and that local councils can set locally appropriate targets for using brownfield land. We have also amended planning practice guidance to stress the importance of bringing brownfield land into use.</p><p>· We have abolished the last Government's Pathfinder programme which sought to demolish homes and instead we have focused on refurbishment and getting empty homes into use. We are investing £160 million specifically to bring empty homes back into use. The New Homes Bonus rewards long-term empty homes being brought back into use and we have given councils the flexibility to remove tax subsidies given to empty homes, and use the money to keep the overall rate of council tax down. The number of empty homes in England has fallen to its lowest rate ever according to the Empty Homes Agency.</p><p>· My Department has been supporting the Olympic legacy, driving renewal and regeneration in east London, replacing over 740 acres of polluted, low-grade industrial land and premises with new sports and community facilities, parks, homes, shops and transport infrastructure.</p><p>· We are working with the Mayor of London to unlock the construction of 11,000 new homes at Barking Riverside, and extend transport infrastructure.</p><p>· A new garden city will be delivered on brownfield land in Ebbsfleet, supported by an Urban Development Corporation and up to £200 million of public investment. The last Administration pledged in its 2003 Sustainable Communities Plan to regenerate Ebbsfleet but failed to deliver.</p><p>· The new Right to Contest builds on our existing Community Right to Reclaim Land, which lets communities ask that under-used or unused land owned by public bodies is brought back into beneficial use. This new Right applies to sites currently in use, but are not vital for operations. It gives businesses and members of the public an opportunity to challenge government on the best use of its estate.</p><p>· We have a comprehensive programme to sell surplus public sector land and property, freeing up taxpayers' money and providing land for new homes. As at the end of December we had released surplus government owned land with capacity for 68,000 homes to be built. We have strengthened the role of the Homes and Communities Agency through a targeted programme of transfers from other Government Departments and agencies. In addition, to ensure land is released efficiently, the Homes and Communities Agency will be Government's land disposal agency. This builds on the Homes and Communities Agency's expertise and experience of complex land remediation and disposals as well as their close relationships with local planning authorities.</p><p>· Through the Strategic Land and Property Review we have identified scope to generate £5 billion of receipts from government land and property between 2015 and 2020. This will put land and property into the hands of those who can exploit them for commercial purposes – creating opportunities for housing and economic development.</p><p>· Changes to Community Infrastructure Levy rules now provide an increased incentive for brownfield development, and extended exemptions for empty buildings being brought back into. We have recently published a consultation paper to lift Section 106 burdens on vacant buildings being returned to use.</p><p>· The Budget announced an Estate Regeneration fund which will provide £150 million to help kick start and accelerate the regeneration of housing estates.</p><p>I hope this outlines the decisive action that this Government is taking.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> Department for Communities and Local Government 1 1 false Department for Energy and Climate Change To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the health effects of infrasound from wind turbine generators. Energy and Climate Change Energy and Climate Change Julian Sturdy 192989 63 2014-03-20 York Outer 2014-03-25T12:00:00.00Z Bexhill and Battle Gregory Barker false 2014-03-25 Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle <p>A number of independent peer reviewed research studies have concluded that there is no evidence of health effects arising from infrasound or low frequency noise, generated by windfarms that are built according to Government guidelines.</p><p> </p><p>For example, a comprehensive study undertaken in the UK in 1997 by ETSU for the Department of Trade and Industry (ETSU W/13/00392/REP) found no evidence that ground transmitted low frequency noise from wind turbines is at a sufficient level to be harmful to human health. These findings were confirmed by a study published in 2005 by the Applied and Environmental Geophysics Group of the School of Physical and Geographical Sciences at Keele University titled Microseismic and Infrasound Monitoring of Low Frequency Noise and Vibrations from Wind Farms1. In 2003 the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs published a report entitled 'A Review of Published Research on Low Frequency Noise and its Effects'2 and in 2004, BERR commissioned Hayes McKenzie to conduct an independent study to investigate the levels and effects of Low Frequency Noise from wind farms3.</p><p> </p><p><em>1</em><em> <a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/geophysics/appliedseismology/wind/Final_Report.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.keele.ac.uk/geophysics/appliedseismology/wind/Final_Report.pdf</a></em></p><p><em>2</em><em> <a href="http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/noise/research/lowfrequency/documents/lowfreqnoise.pdf" target="_blank">http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/noise/research/lowfrequency/documents/lowfreqnoise.pdf</a></em></p><p><em>3 </em><em><a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/explained/wind/onshore-offshore/page31267.html" target="_blank">http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/explained/wind/onshore-offshore/page31267.html</a></em></p><p> </p><p> </p> 1 false 7 Department for Communities and Local Government To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of wind turbine developers using the Community Right to Build scheme to circumvent the local planning process. Communities and Local Government 193840 2014-04-07T12:00:00.00Z Keighley Kris Hopkins false 2014-04-07 Biography information for Kris Hopkins <p> </p><p>The Community Right to Build allows local communities to undertake small-scale, site-specific, community-led developments. It may only be used by community organisations in which local people in the relevant neighbourhood area have a majority of the voting rights and have the majority on the board of directors or governing body of the organisation, and, include different people from at least 10 different addresses within the area. This means the Community Right to Build cannot be used by property developers, including wind turbine developers, to gain planning permission for their development proposal - unless that development is something that the community wishes to see and which the community initiates.</p><p>Proposals that require an Environmental Impact Assessment or are likely to have significant effects on a site protected under the Habitats Regulations are not eligible to use the Community Right to Build. Where proposals are eligible they will be tested by an independent examiner to see that they are appropriate in the light of national planning policy and generally conform with the strategic policies of the Local Plan for the area and any neighbourhood plans that are in force.</p><p>The National Planning Policy Framework is very clear that local councils should design their policies to ensure the adverse impacts of renewable energy developments are addressed satisfactorily. To help implement the environmental balance expected by the Framework, we issued new planning practice guidance for renewable and low carbon energy last July. The guidance makes clear that the need for renewable energy does not automatically override environmental protections and the planning concerns of local communities.</p><p> </p> 2014-03-26 York Outer Julian Sturdy Communities and Local Government true 194276 York Outer Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2014-03-28 To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the amount of British-grown wheat used in bio-fuel production. 13 Julian Sturdy 1 2014-04-07T12:00:00.00Z Camborne and Redruth George Eustice false 2014-04-07 Biography information for George Eustice <p> </p><p>There is no specific published data on the amount of wheat grown in the UK that is used for bioethanol. However it is possible to provide an estimate. Defra's statistics on ‘The Area of Crops Grown For Bioenergy in England and the UK: 2008 – 2012' published in December 2013 include data reported under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) on the volume of bioethanol supplied to the UK road transport market with information on the feedstock and the country of origin of the feedstock. By applying appropriate conversion factors, it is possible to derive an estimate of the equivalent tonnage and crop area of wheat grown and used to produce bioethanol. These figures are outlined in the table below.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/289168/nonfood-statsnotice2012-12mar14.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/289168/nonfood-statsnotice2012-12mar14.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>UK wheat areas used to produce bioethanol supplied to the UK road transport market 2008/9 - 2012/13 </strong><strong>Wheat (RTFO Year: 15 April n-1 to 14 April n) </strong></p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Volume of bioethanol (million litres)</strong><strong>(b) </strong></p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Tonnage of crop implied ('000 tonnes)</strong><strong>(c) </strong></p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>wheat yield (t/ha)</strong><strong>(d)(e) </strong></p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Area implied (thousand ha) and % of UK total wheat area</strong><strong>(e) </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Year 1: 15 April 2008 - 14 April 2009</p></td><td><p>0.0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>8.3</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Year 2: 15 April 2009 - 14 April 2010</p></td><td><p>0.9</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>7.9</p></td><td><p>0.3 (0%)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Year 3: 15 April 2010 - 14 April 2011(a)</p></td><td><p>211.9</p></td><td><p>581</p></td><td><p>7.7</p></td><td><p>75.4 (4%)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Year 4: 15 April 2011 - 14 April 2012</p></td><td><p>17.9</p></td><td><p>49</p></td><td><p>7.7</p></td><td><p>6.3 (0%)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Year 5: 15 April 2012 - 14 April 2013 (provisional)(f)</p></td><td><p>48.2</p></td><td><p>132</p></td><td><p>6.7</p></td><td><p>19.6 (1%)</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>(a) This includes an estimated 92 million tonnes of bioethanol produced from wheat used for markets other than for UK Road Transport.</p><p> </p><p>(b) All wheat volumes above were grown on previously cropped land.</p><p> </p><p>(c) Conversion: 365 litres bioethanol = 1 tonne wheat grain (at 15% moisture). Source: Department for Transport commissioned research.</p><p> </p><p>(d) Source: Defra annual Cereal and Oilseed Rape Production Survey (In 2012 the Cereal Production Survey and Oilseed Rape Production Survey were brought together to reduce costs Cereal Production Survey) UK yield at year n-1. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/structure-of-the-agricultural-industry" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/structure-of-the-agricultural-industry</a></p><p> </p><p>(e) Source: Defra June Survey of Agriculture. UK area at year n-1. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/structure-of-the-agricultural-industry" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/structure-of-the-agricultural-industry</a></p><p> </p><p>(e) Figures for 2012-13 (Year 5) are as of 15 September 2013 and are not final.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The RTFO data exclude UK biofuel production from UK grown wheat which may be subsequently exported, although the 2010/11 figure also includes an estimate of bioethanol produced from wheat and used for other markets or exported. Similarly, data is not available on wheat grown in the UK which is exported for possible biofuel production outside the UK.</p><p> </p> Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Environment, Food and Rural Affairs false Julian Sturdy 13 2014-04-02T12:00:00.00Z Camborne and Redruth George Eustice false 2014-04-02 <p> </p><p>The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) carries out non-discriminatory, risk-based inspections of animals, means of transport and accompanying documentation, as required by Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005. This Regulation is implemented in England by The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 (WATEO).</p><p>Local authorities are responsible for enforcement of this legislation, in terms of investigating and, where appropriate, taking prosecution action against any transporters alleged to have committed an offence.</p><p> </p> Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2014-03-28 York Outer 1 To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) the welfare of horses is considered a priority in live exports and (b) laws relating to the welfare of horses are being enforced. 194277 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Energy and Climate Change Julian Sturdy To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, columns 340-1W, on warm home discount scheme, on what date his Department will publish its consultation on changes to the warm home discount for 2015-16 onwards. 63 Energy and Climate Change false Department for Energy and Climate Change 2014-04-01 2014-04-03T12:00:00.00Z Bexhill and Battle Gregory Barker false 2014-04-03 <p>We plan to publish the consultation on changes to the Warm Home Discount for 2015-16 later this spring. We have not set a date for publication.</p> York Outer 194785 1 2014-04-10 2014-04-22T12:00:00.00Z Camborne and Redruth George Eustice false 2014-04-22 <p> </p><p>The Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme was reviewed at the end of February and revised to offer support to rural businesses affected by flooding.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The scheme now funds additional items, such as pumps, that will help businesses to become more resilient to future flooding. It also offers an increase in grant rates.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Applications from those affected by flooding are being prioritised and the deadline for applications has been extended.</p><p> </p> Julian Sturdy Environment, Food and Rural Affairs false Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2014, from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Official Report, column 1005, what assessment he has made of how the farming and forestry improvement scheme might help those affected by flooding. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs York Outer 13 1 196340 Health To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent steps he has taken to raise awareness of the conditions that can lead to young sudden cardiac death and sudden death syndrome. 1 Department of Health Julian Sturdy false 197438 Health York Outer 17 2014-05-01 2014-05-12T12:00:00.00Z Battersea Jane Ellison false 2014-05-12 Biography information for Jane Ellison <p>The UK National Screening Committee advises Ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy and supports implementation. It is currently reviewing the evidence for screening young people between the ages of 12 to 39 years for the major causes of sudden cardiac death. A public consultation will open shortly.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>NHS England is working with the Chief Coroner to discuss what the coronial system can do to help reduce sudden cardiac death in the young. As a result, the Chief Coroner has written to local Coroners asking them to make families of those who have died of the condition aware that it may be inherited, and encouraging them to contact either the British Heart Foundation, Cardiac Risk in the Young, or their general practitioner for testing and counselling.</p><p> </p> Environment, Food and Rural Affairs false To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of property level protection measures on flood insurance premiums. 13 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 198264 Julian Sturdy 1 2014-05-08 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2014-05-14T12:00:00.00Z North Cornwall Dan Rogerson false 2014-05-14 Biography information for Dan Rogerson <p> </p><p>The levels of insurance premiums are commercial decisions taken by individual insurance companies. These will take into account a range of factors and we cannot guarantee that installing property level protection will reduce premiums. However, installing property level protection will reduce the level of damage, distress and disruption associated with flooding for the householder.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is working with the insurance industry to ensure that affordable cover continues to be available.</p><p> </p> York Outer Cystic Fibrosis false Department of Health 1 To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust's report entitled Hope for More: Improving access to lung transplantation and care for people with cystic fibrosis, what assessment he has made of the donor lung utilisation rate for transplantation; and what measures he has identified as having the greatest potential to increase such utilisation. Health Health York Outer 199027 2014-06-11T15:43:54.7503328Z Battersea Jane Ellison false 2014-06-11 <p>Currently donated lungs are allocated to the designated cardiothoracic transplant centres on a zonal basis. However, the Cardiothoracic Organs Advisory Group (CTAG) have recently reviewed the allocation policy and have recommended that the size of the allocation zones be adjusted to help ensure equity of access. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) have therefore confirmed that for cardiothoracic organs, the zones will be reviewed in August 2014 to coincide with changes in liver allocation zones and from August 2015, heart and lung zones will be disaggregated and the zones reviewed separately.</p><p> </p><p>CTAG have also recommended that NHSBT reviews the consequences of introducing two levels of priority for listing for lung transplants - urgent and routine, and suggest a national allocation scheme for urgent listed patients, and zonal allocation for routine listed patients.</p><p> </p><p>Any proposed change would need to be validated by NHSBT, who will review the criteria for urgent listing and the statistical modelling of the potential impact of such a system. NHSBT will continue to work closely with the Cystic Fibrosis Trust to improve outcomes for patients requiring lung transplants.</p><p> </p> 2014-06-04 17 Julian Sturdy