A total of 228 responses were received to the Further Consultation on 100 per cent Business Rates Retention; 187 from local government, 7 from local authority associations, and 34 from other interested parties. The Department for Communities and Local Government is currently conducting analysis of these responses. This will inform further development of business rates retention policy. We are currently considering how this work will progress in the wider context of further rates retention policy.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4024", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Nuneaton"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Marcus Jones"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-09-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "7189"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-09-08T14:41:09.957Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-09-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Non-domestic 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 Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2017 to Question 5262, on non-domestic rates, how many responses were received to the consultation.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1506", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Gwynne"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Denton and Reddish"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Gwynne"} ], "uin" : "7188"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/755632", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/755632/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
A total of 228 responses were received to the Further Consultation on 100 per cent Business Rates Retention; 187 from local government, 7 from local authority associations, and 34 from other interested parties. The Department for Communities and Local Government is currently conducting analysis of these responses. This will inform further development of business rates retention policy. We are currently considering how this work will progress in the wider context of further rates retention policy.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4024", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Marcus Jones"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Nuneaton"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Marcus Jones"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-09-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "7188"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-09-08T14:41:09.897Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-09-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Non-domestic 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 Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2017 to Question 5262, on non-domestic rates, when the Government plans to publish a response to the consultation.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1506", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Gwynne"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Denton and Reddish"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Gwynne"} ], "uin" : "7189"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/756204", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/756204/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The legislation that provides for the licensing of taxi services is enabling in its nature, giving licensing authorities the discretion to set standards that they deem to be appropriate for their area. Although currently there is no requirement in legislation for local authorities to have a published taxi licensing policy in place, the Department for Transport does publish Best Practice Guidance to assist licensing authorities when setting standards for taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers and operators.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Department will, for the first time, issue statutory guidance to licensing authorities. The guidance will contain robust standards that I expect all licensing authorities to adopt, to ensure that all passengers, particularly children and vulnerable adults, are protected when using taxi and PHV services. We will also consult on revised best practice guidance which will include recommendations to licensing authorities to assist them in setting appropriate standards to enable the provision of services the public demand.<\/p>
<\/p>
At the recent Westminster Hall Debate on the \u2018Regulation of working conditions in the private hire industry\u2019 I announced my intention to set up a working group to consider how PHV and taxi licensing authorities use their powers. The group\u2019s terms of reference and membership will be confirmed shortly.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/350", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir John Hayes"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Holland and The Deepings"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr John Hayes"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-09-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-09-11T10:21:54.207Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-09-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Taxis: Licensing"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that local authorities have a taxi licensing policy in place.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1506", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Gwynne"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Denton and Reddish"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Gwynne"} ], "uin" : "7563"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/754894", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/754894/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "