We welcome the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe\u2019s important work in this area. The UK Government continues to take its responsibilities under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities very seriously and does not underestimate the importance and challenge of preserving national minorities.
The UK is committed to creating a fair society in which all people are valued and able to participate fully and realise their own potential. In that respect, we call on all member States who have not done so, to ratify the Framework Convention for National Minorities in a timely manner, as a valuable tool for protecting the rights of minorities across Europe.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4635", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Eddie Hughes"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Walsall North"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Eddie Hughes"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-05-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-05-19T16:22:51.623Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-05-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Minority Groups"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of resolution 2368 on preserving national minorities in Europe passed at the Council of Europe on 19 April 2021; and whether the Government plans to take steps following the passing of that resolution.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1606", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John Howell"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Henley"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "John Howell"}
], "uin" : "179"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1312974", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1312974/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department will ensure that local authorities have the guidance they need to deliver the additional £1.5 billion business rates support package once primary legislation is passed, in line with the announcement on 25 March. As with other business rates reliefs, officials will work closely with local government on the development of the relief scheme and guidance for local authorities will be published in due course.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4450", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Luke Hall"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Luke Hall"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-05-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-05-18T15:56:07.007Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-05-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Business Rates: Coronavirus"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to (a) simplify and (b) homogenise across local authorities the process of applying for business rates relief in respect of the Government's £1.5 billion business rates relief fund for businesses in England outside of the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors which have been affected by the covid-19 outbreak.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4386", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Margaret Ferrier"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rutherglen and Hamilton West"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Margaret Ferrier"} ], "uin" : "276"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1312975", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1312975/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department will work closely with local government throughout the development of the £1.5 billion relief scheme and will ensure that experiences from the delivery of other support measures are taken on board. This includes experiences of administering the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) which \u2013 as of 28 March 2021 \u2013 has delivered £816 million in support to over 400,000 businesses. The Government will continue to support local authorities in making further ARG payments throughout 2021/22.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4450", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Luke Hall"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Luke Hall"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-05-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-05-18T15:56:57.283Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-05-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Additional Restrictions Grant and Business Rates"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with businesses which have applied for Additional Restrictions Grant funding; and if he will apply lessons learnt from the administration of that scheme to the new £1.5 billion Business Rates Relief Fund for businesses affected by covid-19 outside the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4386", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Margaret Ferrier"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rutherglen and Hamilton West"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Margaret Ferrier"} ], "uin" : "277"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1312976", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1312976/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The\u202fselection criteria\u202ffor Town Deals\u202fwas\u202fset by officials\u202fand\u202ftook into account\u202fa range of factors including deprivation, skills levels and exposure to economic shocks.\u202fFrom this\u202flist of eligible towns,\u202fMinisters\u202fselected\u202fthe 101 towns invited to develop town deal proposals in line with advice from officials. It was appropriate that Ministers made the selection rather than officials, due to the need for qualitative judgement and accountability for decision-making.<\/p>
The Department has published a summary of its Accounting Officer Assessment which sets out the details of this selection process\u202fhere<\/a>.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4450", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Luke Hall"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Luke Hall"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-05-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "59"}
, {"_value" : "60"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-05-18T15:59:41.167Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-05-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Towns Fund: South Yorkshire"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason Thurnscoe, Barnsley, Mexborough, Bolton-upon-Dearne, Rawmarsh and Wath-upon-Dearne were not invited to bid for Towns Fund funding when their total score, following an assessment by his officials of their need and growth potential, was higher than the scores for Whitby, Shipley, Wakefield, Todmorden, Stocksbridge, Brighouse and Morley, which were invited to bid.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/400", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John Healey"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wentworth and Dearne"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "John Healey"}
], "uin" : "58"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1312977", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1312977/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The\u202fselection criteria\u202ffor Town Deals\u202fwas\u202fset by officials\u202fand\u202ftook into account\u202fa range of factors including deprivation, skills levels and exposure to economic shocks.\u202fFrom this\u202flist of eligible towns,\u202fMinisters\u202fselected\u202fthe 101 towns invited to develop town deal proposals in line with advice from officials. It was appropriate that Ministers made the selection rather than officials, due to the need for qualitative judgement and accountability for decision-making.<\/p> The Department has published a summary of its Accounting Officer Assessment which sets out the details of this selection process\u202fhere<\/a>.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4450", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Luke Hall"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Luke Hall"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-05-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "58"}
, {"_value" : "60"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-05-18T15:59:41.233Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-05-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Towns Fund: South Yorkshire"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason Thurnscoe, Barnsley, Mexborough, Bolton-upon-Dearne, Rawmarsh and Wath-upon-Dearne were not invited to bid for Towns Fund funding when officials in his Department scored them higher for income deprivation than Goole, Whitby, Wakefield, Todmorden and Brighouse, which were invited to bid.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/400", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John Healey"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wentworth and Dearne"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "John Healey"}
], "uin" : "59"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1312978", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1312978/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The\u202fselection criteria\u202ffor Town Deals\u202fwas\u202fset by officials\u202fand\u202ftook into account\u202fa range of factors including deprivation, skills levels and exposure to economic shocks.\u202fFrom this\u202flist of eligible towns,\u202fMinisters\u202fselected\u202fthe 101 towns invited to develop town deal proposals in line with advice from officials. It was appropriate that Ministers made the selection rather than officials, due to the need for qualitative judgement and accountability for decision-making.<\/p>