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1132005

registered interest
date	13/06/2019
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: Audit
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 implications for his policies of the failure of EY to complete local authority audits within the required time limits.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
uin	264322
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>We are aware of this issue, affecting 19 local government bodies and, together with Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd, are monitoring the situation. It is not acceptable for a professional services firm like EY to be unable to meet its contractual obligations to the statutory timetable and we expect the situation to be resolved as quickly as possible.</p><p>The forthcoming review of the local audit regime will consider the implications of our audit policy, including the timeliness of audit completion.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 18/06/2019 13:27:52 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

1132063

registered interest
date	13/06/2019
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: Rural Areas
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 plans he has to review the rural sparsity factor in the calculation of Government support for rural areas; and if he will ensure that changes can be incorporated within the delivery of the Rural Services Delivery Grant.
tabling member constituency	Stroud
tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
uin	264312
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government’s aim is to increase local government’s retention of business rates from 50 per cent to 75 per cent. To ensure the increase in business rates retention is fiscally neutral, some existing grants (including the Rural Services Delivery Grant) will be devolved to local authorities so that these responsibilities are funded through retained business rates. We recognise that some redistribution of business rates between authorities will continue to be necessary to ensure that no council loses out if it is unable to collect enough business rates locally to meet its needs. We are therefore undertaking a review of local authorities’ relative needs and resources to determine the basis on which redistribution will take place in the new system.</p><p>The review of relative needs and resources will set fresh baseline funding levels for councils in England, and we are working closely with local government representatives and others to examine all of the available evidence for the costs faced by authorities, including how geographical features such as rurality and density affect the cost of delivering services across the country, and how to account for these in a robust manner. In December 2018 we published a consultation paper that set out a proposed ‘Area Cost Adjustment’ methodology to account for these factors. This included consideration of how levels of 'accessibility' and 'remoteness' - the impact of journey times on labour and procurement costs - might account for the additional costs associated with sparsity, isolation or market size. For example, local authorities with longer journey times from service points to households may have to pay their staff (e.g. on domiciliary care visits) for more hours in order to deliver an equivalent level of service.</p><p>In developing this innovative new approach, we have worked closely with both local government and other government departments, including the Department for Transport and DEFRA as champions for rural proofing. Our most recent consultation closed on 21 February and we are considering the many representations made in response, before taking further decisions on the shape of the review.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 18/06/2019 13:36:33 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1132135

registered interest
date	13/06/2019
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	UK Shared Prosperity Fund
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2019 to Question 262260 and with reference to the Written Statement of 24 July 2018, HCWS927 on local growth, if he will publish an updated timescale for the public consultation on the design of the UK Shared Prosperity.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	264341
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of reassuring local areas on the future of local growth funding and will consult widely on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.</p><p>We believe leaving the European Union with a deal is the best outcome and remain focused on ensuring a smooth and orderly withdrawal. It is right, however, that we also continue to prepare for all scenarios. Therefore, we continue to review our approach to consulting on the Fund.</p> answering member constituency Rossendale and Darwen answering member printed Jake Berry question first answered 18/06/2019 13:39:01 answering member 4060 label Biography information for Sir Jake Berry
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1131231

registered interest
date	11/06/2019
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	Council Tax: Debt Collection
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 implications for his Department's policies of the Citizens Advice Costs of Collection report finding that council tax collection practices are adding nearly half a billion pounds a year to personal debt.
tabling member constituency	Makerfield
tabling member printed	Yvonne Fovargue
uin	263137
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>I am aware of concerns of charities, debt advice bodies and local councils about council tax debt. That is why my Department is engaging with, and reviewing evidence compiled by these bodies with a view to making council tax debt collection fairer, more efficient and compassionate. Following these discussions we intend to publish updated guidance on good collection practices, before considering the scope for further reforms.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 18/06/2019 13:37:24 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
tabling member	4034 label Biography information for Yvonne Fovargue

1131232

registered interest
date	11/06/2019
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	Council Tax: Non-payment
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 plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to amend The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 to remove the sanction of imprisonment for non-payment of council tax.
tabling member constituency	Makerfield
tabling member printed	Yvonne Fovargue
uin	263138
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government is currently engaging with a range of stakeholders to consider how to improve council tax collection. Following those discussions, we intend to publish updated guidance on good collection practices, before considering the scope of further reforms. The Government is clear that imprisonment should only ever be the last resort for non-payment of council tax. Before a magistrates’ court commits someone to prison for failure to pay their council tax, it must inquire as to the debtor’s means, and satisfy itself that failure to pay is due to “wilful refusal or culpable neglect”. This is to prevent persons who are genuinely unable to pay their council tax from being committed to prison.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 18/06/2019 13:38:21 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
tabling member	4034 label Biography information for Yvonne Fovargue

1130605

registered interest
date	06/06/2019
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	Mayors: Elections
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 27 May (HL15627), what was the cost of running each of the most recent eight mayoral elections.
tabling member printed	Lord Grocott
uin	HL16149
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>Costs of elections of combined authority mayors are met by the combined authorities and this information is held locally. Certain combined authorities have also reported and published their running expenses for conducting elections in their General Fund Revenue Account Outturns and these are set out in the table below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Combined authority</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Year of election</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£ (thousands)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cambridgeshire and Peterborough</p></td><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p>£1,151 (2017-18 return)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Liverpool City Region</p></td><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p>£1,532 (2016-17 return) + £630 (2017-18 return) = £2,162</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tees Valley</p></td><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p>£1,083 (2017-18 return)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Midlands</p></td><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p>£4,318 (2017-18 return)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West of England</p></td><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p>£1,534 (2017-18 return)</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Link to the 17-18 data (attached):</p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/787871/RO6_2017-18_data_by_LA_-_revised.xlsx" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/787871/RO6_2017-18_data_by_LA_-_revised.xlsx</a></p><p>Link to the 16-17 data (attached):</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/659779/RO6_2016-17_data_by_LA.xlsx" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/659779/RO6_2016-17_data_by_LA.xlsx</a></p> answering member printed Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth attachment 1 file name 190617 Copy of RO6 2016-17 data by LA - HL16149.xlsx title 16-17 data 2 file name 190617 Copy of RO6 2017-18 data by LA revised - HL16149.xlsx title 17-18 data question first answered 18/06/2019 15:01:01 answering member 4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
tabling member	276 label Biography information for Lord Grocott

1123707

registered interest
date	29/04/2019
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	Smallholdings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities have sold off (a) all and (b) more than 50 per cent of council smallholdings since 1997.
tabling member constituency	Stroud
tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
uin	248573
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/05/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">This information is not held centrally.</del><ins class="ministerial">Records held by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) show that in 1997 a total area of 119,977 hectares was held for smallholdings purposes by local authorities in England. Data on land held for smallholdings purposes by individual local authorities in 1997 is unavailable. A recent report published by Defra records that, at 31 March 2018, the total area of land held by 43 reporting smallholdings authorities in England was 89,020 hectares (for the whole estate), of which 83,600 hectares were let as smallholdings (for 40 reporting authorities).</ins></p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse previous answer version 116395 answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse 116427 answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse question first answered 03/05/2019 10:26:49 question first ministerially corrected 08/10/2019 10:47:23 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1037146

registered interest
date	07/01/2019
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	Sleeping Rough
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 recent estimate he has made of the number of homeless people sleeping in (a) tents and (b) cars.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	205832
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/01/2019 answer text <p>National street counts and intelligence driven estimates of people sleeping rough are conducted every year in autumn. The most recent data from the autumn 2017 annual street count and estimate returned a total figure of 4,751 rough sleepers in England.</p><p>Rough sleepers are defined as people sleeping, about to bed down, or actually bedded down in the open air (such as on the streets, in tents or in bus shelters) - as well as people in buildings or other places not designed for habitation. As such, homeless people sleeping in tents or cars are captured in the total. However, whilst they are incorporated in our data, there is not a separate breakdown for these demographics.</p><p>The official street count and estimate of the number of people sleeping rough on a single night in England, between 1 October 2018 and 30 November 2018, will be published on Thursday 31 January 2019.</p><p>This Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy which sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 10/01/2019 15:02:25 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane