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<\/p>
The Department does not provide advice on gas safety specifically for leaseholders in local authority\u2013managed properties. However, the lease of a property will set out the responsibilities of the freeholder and the leaseholder, including responsibility for maintenance of gas appliances.<\/p>
In the private rented and social rented sectors, landlords are required by law to: repair and maintain gas pipework, keep flues and appliances in safe condition; ensure an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue; and keep a record of each safety check.<\/p>
For the social housing sector, the Homes and Communities Agency \u2018Home Standard' says that registered providers must \u201cmeet all applicable statutory requirements that provide for the health and safety of the occupants in their homes\u201d. The Homes and Communities Agency has recently issued three \u2018serious detriment' notices against Gallions, Your Housing Group and the Guinness Partnership for failing to maintain gas safety and they have all had their Governance ratings downgraded partly based on that.<\/p>
The Home Standard is a \u2018consumer' standard and therefore applies to all registered providers, including local authorities.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/strong><\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4043", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kris Hopkins"}
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, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Keighley"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kris Hopkins"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-04-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to encourage local authorities to promote gas safety among leaseholders in local authority-managed properties.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/411", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman"}
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, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Huddersfield"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Barry Sheerman"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/37915", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/37915/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> [Holding Reply: Thursday 13 February 2014]<\/em><\/p> No estimate has been made of the number of small businesses in Chelmsford constituency that will benefit from the extension of the doubling of small business rate relief.<\/p> The Government estimates around 540,000 businesses in England will benefit from the extension of the doubling of small business rate relief announced at Autumn Statement 2013.<\/p> It is planned that next month some new local figures for small business rate relief by billing authority will be published.<\/p> <\/p> <\/strong><\/p> <\/p> <\/strong><\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4009", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis"}
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, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Great Yarmouth"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Brandon Lewis"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-05-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of how many small businesses in Chelmsford constituency will benefit from the extension of the small business rate relief scheme.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/46", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Simon Burns"}
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, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chelmsford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Simon Burns"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/35983", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/35983/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> Kick-starting stalled developments<\/em><\/p> This Government has introduced a series of measures to support stalled house building. These include:<\/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> · 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> · 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> · 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> · 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> · 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> · We are also seeking to tackle the inappropriate use of planning conditions and speed up the process of gaining non-planning consents.<\/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> Supporting development on brownfield land<\/em><\/p> Freeing up brownfield land for regeneration and development is a key priority for my department. Our actions include:<\/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> · 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> · 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> · 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> · 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> · 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> · 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> · 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> · 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 \u2013 creating opportunities for housing and economic development.<\/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> · The Budget announced an Estate Regeneration fund which will provide £150 million to help kick start and accelerate the regeneration of housing estates.<\/p> I hope this outlines the decisive action that this Government is taking.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3995", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nick Boles"}
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, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nick Boles"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-04-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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], "questionText" : "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.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4079", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Julian Sturdy"}
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, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "York Outer"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Julian Sturdy"}
], "uin" : "185957"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/35175", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/35175/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> [Holding Reply: Thursday 30 January 2014]<\/em><\/p> DCLG Ministers and officials talk regularly to elected members and officers of local authorities about a range of issues.<\/p> The nationally run Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans were poorly targeted and failed to help those most in need. So, in 2012 as part of wider welfare reform, the Department for Work and Pensions abolished these national discretionary schemes and transferred responsibility to local authorities so they could deliver and tailor new local support as part of their existing services to their communities.<\/p> Councils can continue to provide support to those in their community who face financial difficulties or who find themselves in unavoidable circumstances, but there is no requirement to replicate the previous approach adopted by central government.<\/p> In contrast to a centralised grant system that was poorly targeted, under the Department for Work and Pensions' reforms, councils can now choose how best to support local welfare needs within their areas \u2013 what is right for, say, Barrow and Furness may not be for other authorities. Some councils have already chosen to wind down their dedicated schemes following underspends.<\/p> In the next Spending Round period, from April 2015, central government continues to provide support to local authorities through general funds as part of the Coalition Government's commitment to reducing ring-fencing and ending top-down Whitehall control.<\/p> The Department for Work and Pensions provided a separate fund for 2013-2015 and are carrying out a review of the provision to date.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4043", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kris Hopkins"}
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, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Keighley"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kris Hopkins"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-05-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received on the decision to withdraw the local welfare provision grant in 2015-16; and what consultation he undertook prior to making that decision.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3917", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Walney"}
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, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Barrow and Furness"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "John Woodcock"}
], "uin" : "185294"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/34720", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/34720/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> Labour's legacy<\/em><\/p> The last Labour Government had a policy of actively pushing fortnightly bin collections and hitting hard-working families with new bin charges.Their \u2018Household Waste Prevention Policy Side Research Programme' advocated \u201ccollection limitations in terms of rubbish bin size or the interval between collections\u201d, and sought to \u201cnationalise this policy among local authorities\u201d. Cutting weekly rubbish collections was not a locally-led initiative, but an explicit Whitehall mission pursued with the zeal of a convert.<\/p> Legislation in 2005 allowed the introduction of bin fines for minor breaches of complex and confusing bin rules; further legislation in 2008 watered down councils' legal duties to collect rubbish. Guidance issued in 2005 advised town halls that councillors should be bullied to stop them opposing the axing of collections or proposing to restore weekly collections. It also recommended that cutting collections should be done after local elections \u2013 to avoid the nuisance of democratic opposition. The Government funded the covert imposition of \u201cbin brother\u201d microchips into families' bins. The 2009 Pre-Budget Report made clear that a further wave of bin cuts were being planned. In short, the \u201cTown Hall Talibin\u201d doubled council tax and halved bin collections.<\/p> We disagree. This Government believes that households deserve a frequent and comprehensive rubbish and recycling service in return for the £122 a month in council tax that a typical household pays (Band D), especially given the typical refuse collection service only costs councils £6 to £7 per month to provide.<\/p> What we've done<\/em><\/p> We have taken a series of steps to help households:<\/p> <\/p> · Issued the first ever Whitehall guidance on weekly bin collections, demolishing the myths that fortnightly bin collections are needed to save money or increase recycling;<\/p> <\/p> · Stopped the Audit Commission inspections which marked down councils who do not adopt fortnightly rubbish collections, and rejected the Audit Commission guidance which advocated fortnightly collections (Waste Management: The Strategic Challenge<\/em> and Waste Management Quick Guide<\/em>).<\/p> <\/p> · Abolished the Local Area Agreements and National Indicator 191 imposed by Whitehall which created perverse incentives to downgrade waste collection services;<\/p> <\/p> · Scrapped the Whitehall requirement for municipal Annual Efficiency Statements, which allowed a reduction in the frequency of a household rubbish collection service to qualify as a \u201cvalid efficiency\u201d and allowed revenue from bin fines to classed as a \u201ccashable efficiency gain\u201d;<\/p> <\/p> · Scrapped the imposition of eco-towns which would have had fortnightly bin collections and/or bin taxes as part of the \u201ceco-standards\u201d;<\/p> <\/p> · Safeguarded weekly collections for 6 million households through the Weekly Collection Support Scheme as well as championing innovation and best practice;<\/p> <\/p> · Supported over 40 innovative reward schemes to back recycling through the Weekly Collection Support Scheme (as pledged in the Coalition Agreement);<\/p> <\/p> · Through the Localism Act, revoked the 2008 legislation that allowed for the imposition of new bin taxes;<\/p> <\/p> · Issued guidance to stop the imposition of illegal \u2018backdoor bin charging' on households bins;<\/p> <\/p> · Stopped funding the \u2018Waste Improvement Network' which told councils to adopt fortnightly collections as best practice;<\/p> <\/p> · Challenged the incorrect interpretation by some bodies that European Union directives require fortnightly collections, and resisted the imposition of bin taxes by the European Union;<\/p> <\/p> · Removing powers of entry and snooping powers from \u201cBinquisition\u201d inspectors and scrapped guidance telling councils to rifle through families' bins;<\/p> <\/p> · Changing building regulations to tackle \u2018bin blight'; and<\/p> <\/p> · Changing the law through the Deregulation Bill to scrap unfair bin fines.<\/p> In short, this has been a fundamentally different approach from the Labour Government: we are working with families to help them go green, but believe in proper, regular and comprehensive collections for taxpaying households.<\/p> The configuration of services is complex. The table below, based on available estimates from WRAP, provide the most detailed information held on the breakdown of refuse and recycling collections of \u2018smelly' rubbish across councils in England.<\/p> Weekly collections of smelly rubbish<\/em><\/p> <\/p> Councils<\/em><\/p><\/td> Weekly Residual + Separate Weekly Food Waste<\/em><\/p><\/td> Weekly Residual + Weekly mixed food and garden waste<\/em><\/p><\/td> Weekly Residual + fortnightly mixed food and garden waste<\/em><\/p><\/td> Weekly Residual and no separate food waste collection<\/em><\/p><\/td> Weekly Food Waste + Fortnightly Residual<\/em><\/p><\/td> Weekly mixed food and garden waste + Fortnightly Residual <\/em><\/p><\/td><\/tr> Jun-11<\/p><\/td> 33<\/p><\/td> 11<\/p><\/td> 19<\/p><\/td> 189<\/p><\/td> 45<\/p><\/td> 7<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Nov-11<\/p><\/td> 31<\/p><\/td> 9<\/p><\/td> 20<\/p><\/td> 190<\/p><\/td> 52<\/p><\/td> 10<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Jan-12<\/p><\/td> 33<\/p><\/td> 8<\/p><\/td> 20<\/p><\/td> 189<\/p><\/td> 54<\/p><\/td> 11<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Feb-12<\/p><\/td> 33<\/p><\/td> 8<\/p><\/td> 17<\/p><\/td> 182<\/p><\/td> 58<\/p><\/td> 11<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Aug-12<\/p><\/td> 39<\/p><\/td> 8<\/p><\/td> 21<\/p><\/td> 181<\/p><\/td> 61<\/p><\/td> 12<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Sep-12<\/p><\/td> 39<\/p><\/td> 8<\/p><\/td> 20<\/p><\/td> 179<\/p><\/td> 62<\/p><\/td> 12<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> <\/em><\/p> <\/p> Households<\/em><\/p><\/td> Weekly Residual + Separate Weekly Food Waste<\/em><\/p><\/td> Weekly Residual + Weekly mixed food and garden waste<\/em><\/p><\/td> Weekly Residual + fortnightly mixed food and garden waste<\/em><\/p><\/td> Weekly collection and no separate food waste collection<\/em><\/p><\/td> Weekly Food Waste + Fortnightly Residual<\/em><\/p><\/td> Weekly mixed food and garden waste + Fortnightly Residual <\/em><\/p><\/td><\/tr> Jun-11<\/p><\/td> 1,296,296<\/p><\/td> 405,719<\/p><\/td> 718,292<\/p><\/td> 10,480,876<\/p><\/td> 1,750,654<\/p><\/td> 353,001<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Nov-11<\/p><\/td> 1,079,984<\/p><\/td> 479,151<\/p><\/td> 998,017<\/p><\/td> 9,694,524<\/p><\/td> 2,197,166<\/p><\/td> 542,695<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Jan-12<\/p><\/td> 1,141,584<\/p><\/td> 441,151<\/p><\/td> 998,017<\/p><\/td> 9,341,759<\/p><\/td> 2,426,531<\/p><\/td> 602,695<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Feb-12<\/p><\/td> 1,124,040<\/p><\/td> 441,151<\/p><\/td> 861,447<\/p><\/td> 9,064,454<\/p><\/td> 2,571,575<\/p><\/td> 602,695<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Aug-12<\/p><\/td> 1,378,876<\/p><\/td> 440,812<\/p><\/td> 851,915<\/p><\/td> 8,239,673<\/p><\/td> 2,896,107<\/p><\/td> 747,024<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Sep-12<\/p><\/td> 1,386,876<\/p><\/td> 440,812<\/p><\/td> 747,915<\/p><\/td> 7,885,321<\/p><\/td> 2,981,513<\/p><\/td> 747,024<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> Fortnightly collections<\/em><\/p> <\/p> Councils<\/em><\/p><\/td> Fortnightly mixed food and garden waste + Fortnightly Residual<\/em><\/p><\/td> Fortnightly residual and no separate food waste collection<\/em><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/thead> Jun-11<\/p><\/td> 36<\/p><\/td> 143<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Nov-11<\/p><\/td> 41<\/p><\/td> 142<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Jan-12<\/p><\/td> 41<\/p><\/td> 144<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Feb-12<\/p><\/td> 44<\/p><\/td> 149<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Aug-12<\/p><\/td> 47<\/p><\/td> 145<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Sep-12<\/p><\/td> 49<\/p><\/td> 147<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> Households<\/em><\/p><\/td> Fortnightly mixed food and garden waste + Fortnightly Residual<\/em><\/p><\/td> Fortnightly residual and no separate food waste collection<\/em><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/thead> Jun-11<\/p><\/td> 1,668,211<\/p><\/td> 5,879,808<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Nov-11<\/p><\/td> 1,838,632<\/p><\/td> 6,014,336<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Jan-12<\/p><\/td> 1,860,532<\/p><\/td> 6,032,245<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Feb-12<\/p><\/td> 2,034,102<\/p><\/td> 6,145,050<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Aug-12<\/p><\/td> 2,170,143<\/p><\/td> 6,173,402<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Sep-12<\/p><\/td> 2,319,143<\/p><\/td> 6,389,348<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> Note: Some councils may have a combination of the categories in the table below and have been counted under each one that they provide.<\/p> This shows that 14 million households in England have some form of weekly collection of smelly rubbish. Had the Government not taken the actions it had, weekly collections would have disappeared in England by 2015. This simple assertion can be illustrated by the extinction of weekly collections in most of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which have devolved Administrations and policies of supporting fortnightly bin collections. Indeed, in Wales, the Labour-led Welsh Government now has a policy of supporting monthly bin collections (Welsh Government, Municipal Sector Plan Part 1<\/em>, March 2011 and Welsh Government, Cabinet decision, Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, Additional Funding for Zero Waste Gurnos<\/em>, February 2012).<\/p> We have stopped the rot, but there is more to do to support weekly bin collections. Many town hall jobsworths, over-zealous NGOs and vested interests in the waste industry remain blindly obsessed with restricting bin collections as a perverse policy goal in itself, and this is reflected in the figures in the table above. Indeed, even Keep Britain Tidy \u2013 which one would think would want regular rubbish collections to keep the streets clean \u2013 has been taken over by a NGO (Waste Watch) which campaigns for fortnightly bin collections. Bin collections are not viewed as a public service \u2013 but as a policy tool to deliver other arbitrary policy goals.<\/p> More to do<\/em><\/p> One option which should be considered is a minimum service standard \u2013 for example, the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003 already lays down minimum service requirements for recycling, and indeed, the Public Health Act 1875 introduced a duty on local authorities to collect rubbish; this duty was enhanced by the Public Health Act 1936 obliging them to collect household waste weekly which existed until 1974.<\/p> Moving forward, we are open to representations on how best to support frequent and comprehensive rubbish and recycling service; stand up for taxpayers' interests from arbitrary state charges and taxes; and protect the local environment, public health and local amenity from the nuisance of stinking rubbish.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4009", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Great Yarmouth"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Brandon Lewis"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-05-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-05-14T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-01-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households in England received a weekly general, all-purpose, rubbish collection service in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/394", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Clive Betts"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sheffield South East"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Clive Betts"}
], "uin" : "184873"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/34369", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/34369/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> I have placed in the Library of the House, a table showing affordable and social rents as a proportion of market rents, for each London borough.<\/p> The affordable rent model allows for more new affordable housing to be delivered with lower levels of taxpayer capital subsidy and by levering in more private investment. The programme is helping deliver £15 billion of private investment in new affordable housing over the current spending review, alongside £4.5 billion of public investment. Social rent and affordable rent go hand in hand; both help provide accommodation for those on low incomes.<\/p> As the National Audit Office has observed: \u201cthe Department selected the best delivery model open to it for the funds it had available\u201d and \u201cthe Department has so far achieved its policy objective to maximise the number of homes delivered within the available grant funding\u201d (National Audit Office, \u201cFinancial viability of the social housing sector: introducing the Affordable Homes Programme\u201d, 4 July 2012, HC465,<\/em> pp.6-7).<\/p> I note in his recent Fabian Society pamphlet, the rt. hon. Member has complained that affordable rent would result in rents of 80 per cent of market rents in London. Whilst it varies by borough, as the table shows, for example, affordable rent levels are 38 per cent of average local market rents in Camden, 48 per cent in Islington, 54 per cent in Southwark and 35 per cent in Westminster, reflecting local circumstances.<\/p> I also observe that the housing policy announced at the Labour Party Conference in October 2012 also endorsed the use of affordable rents to build new homes; albeit this point is frequently lost on many Labour hon. Members who proceed to attack the basic principle of affordable rent in allowing more new affordable homes to be built using taxpayer capital subsidy.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4043", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kris Hopkins"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Keighley"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kris Hopkins"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-05-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-05-14T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average proportion of market rent of all affordable housing is in each London borough.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1577", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sadiq Khan"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Tooting"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sadiq Khan"}
], "uin" : "184627"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/34374", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/34374/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p> [Holding Reply: Monday 27 January 2014]<\/em><\/p> The Department does not collect constituency level data. A table has been placed in the Library of the House with data for Chelmsford City Council and Essex. To assist my rt. hon. Friend, I have provided quarterly data back for the last ten years; the table illustrates how there are fewer households in temporary accommodation than the average under the last Administration.<\/p> This Government has retained a strong homelessness safety net protected in law, supported by £470 million in the current Spending Review period to prevent and tackle homelessness, rough sleeping and repossessions. We are seeing this investment making an impact with households now spending on average 7 months less in temporary accommodation than at the start of 2010.<\/p> We have also made some changes to the rules under the Localism Act to enable local authorities to end the main homelessness duty by arranging an offer of suitable accommodation in the private rented sector. This means households are likely to spend less time in temporary accommodation waiting for social housing to become available.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4043", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kris Hopkins"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Keighley"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kris Hopkins"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-05-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-05-13T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many families were based in temporary accommodation in (a) Chelmsford constituency and (b) Essex in each quarter of the last five years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/46", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Simon Burns"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chelmsford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Simon Burns"}
], "uin" : "184755"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/34375", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/34375/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " <\/p>