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78287

registered interest
date	16/07/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Constituencies
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to receive reports from the Boundary Commissioners in relation to district and ward boundaries.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL1177
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Reports on ward boundaries are not made to the Government. The electoral arrangements of a local authority (number of councillors and the number and boundaries of electoral areas) are matters that are entirely the responsibility of the independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England which itself makes the statutory order, subject to Parliament not objecting to a draft of the proposed order, implementing any new electoral arrangements. Recommendations for changes to administrative (district and county) boundaries are required to be sent to the Secretary of State but the Commission has no such reviews in hand.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 23/07/2014 12:28:55 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

65943

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Housing: Disability
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enable disabled people to locate suitable properties in their locality.
tabling member printed	Lord Swinfen
uin	HL870
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government is committed to supporting disabled people to live safely in accommodation suitable to their needs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To facilitate the provision of suitable housing in England, the Government is providing £315 million over 5 years for the Care and Support Specialised Housing fund. The main aim of the fund is to support and accelerate the development of the specialised housing market for older people and disabled adults.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department for Communities and Local Government is providing £785 million between 2011-12 – 2014-15 for the Disabled Facilities Grant which is administered by local authorities in England and provides adaptations to the homes of disabled people to help them to live as independently as possible in their own home.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have no plans to require local authorities to provide lists of homes suitable for disabled people. However a number of local authorities maintain 'accessible housing registers', and in London there is a city wide London Accessible Housing Register (<a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housing-land/renting-home/london-accessible-housing-register" target="_blank">https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housing-land/renting-home/london-accessible-housing-register</a>).<br> <br></p><p><br></p><p>The Government believes it is important that people who require accessible housing are given the right level of priority under a council’s housing allocation scheme, and that councils and social landlords are able to make the best use of affordable housing in their area, including accommodation which is accessible or has been adapted. We have retained the statutory ‘reasonable preference’ requirements which ensure that priority for social housing is given to those who need to move on medical and welfare grounds (including grounds relating to a disability).</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>Around half of all disabled people are also older people, and the Department for Communities and Local Government supports FirstStop Advice, a national information and advice service that can help older people to locate more suitable properties to move to, or to access services to help them repair, adapt or improve their current homes to make them more suitable for older age.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL871 question first answered 18/07/2014 13:55:08 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2235 label Biography information for Lord Swinfen

65944

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Housing: Disability
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require local authorities to provide a list of suitable accessible homes for disabled people in their local area.
tabling member printed	Lord Swinfen
uin	HL871
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government is committed to supporting disabled people to live safely in accommodation suitable to their needs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To facilitate the provision of suitable housing in England, the Government is providing £315 million over 5 years for the Care and Support Specialised Housing fund. The main aim of the fund is to support and accelerate the development of the specialised housing market for older people and disabled adults.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department for Communities and Local Government is providing £785 million between 2011-12 – 2014-15 for the Disabled Facilities Grant which is administered by local authorities in England and provides adaptations to the homes of disabled people to help them to live as independently as possible in their own home.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have no plans to require local authorities to provide lists of homes suitable for disabled people. However a number of local authorities maintain 'accessible housing registers', and in London there is a city wide London Accessible Housing Register (<a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housing-land/renting-home/london-accessible-housing-register" target="_blank">https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/housing-land/renting-home/london-accessible-housing-register</a>).<br> <br></p><p><br></p><p>The Government believes it is important that people who require accessible housing are given the right level of priority under a council’s housing allocation scheme, and that councils and social landlords are able to make the best use of affordable housing in their area, including accommodation which is accessible or has been adapted. We have retained the statutory ‘reasonable preference’ requirements which ensure that priority for social housing is given to those who need to move on medical and welfare grounds (including grounds relating to a disability).</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>Around half of all disabled people are also older people, and the Department for Communities and Local Government supports FirstStop Advice, a national information and advice service that can help older people to locate more suitable properties to move to, or to access services to help them repair, adapt or improve their current homes to make them more suitable for older age.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL870 question first answered 18/07/2014 13:55:07 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2235 label Biography information for Lord Swinfen

65947

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Disabled Facilities Grants
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total amount of Disabilities Facilities Grant money that has been awarded to households (1) in each of the past three years, and (2) by each local authority.
tabling member printed	Lord Swinfen
uin	HL874
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>This Government has increased central funding to councils for Disabled Facilities Grant, as illustrated by the table below.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>2010-11</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011-12</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012-13</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013-14</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014-15</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015-16</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>£169m</p></td><td><p>£180m</p></td><td><p>£180m</p></td><td><p>£180m</p></td><td><p>£185m</p></td><td><p>£220m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>£20m*</p></td><td><p>£40m*</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>* Additional funding provided by the Department of Health</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A table showing figures for each local authority has been placed in the Library of the House.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The total amount of Disabled Facilities Grant expenditure by local authorities was £298 million in 2011-12 and £275 million in 2012-13; figures for 2013-14 will be available in the Autumn.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 21/07/2014 11:23:21 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2235 label Biography information for Lord Swinfen

65948

registered interest
date	07/07/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Home Improvement Agencies
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total number of home improvement agencies in (1) the United Kingdom, and (2) in each local authority area.
tabling member printed	Lord Swinfen
uin	HL875
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect this information. The Department funds Foundations, to act as the national body for home improvement agencies in England, and they maintain information on home improvement agency coverage across England. Further information on Foundations can be found at: <a href="http://www.foundations.uk.com/home/" target="_blank">http://www.foundations.uk.com/home/</a></p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stowell of Beeston question first answered 14/07/2014 14:51:23 answering member 4205 label Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston
tabling member	2235 label Biography information for Lord Swinfen

65244

registered interest
date	02/07/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Regional Planning and Development
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to strengthen regional economic power.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL774
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Coalition Government has reversed years of centralisation to rebalance our economy so it can achieve strong, lasting growth that shares prosperity more widely across the country.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have put power in the hands of local councils and businesses:</p><p> </p><p>• 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships bringing together business and civic leaders to drive their own economic development and fulfil growth potential.</p><p> </p><p>• City Deals and Growth Deals offering localities the opportunity for a deal with central government tailored to their local needs and circumstances – devolving power in exchange for local commitment and investment.</p><p> </p><p>• Introduced the general power of competence that enables councils to do anything that an individual might do, apart from that which is specifically prohibited.</p><p> </p><p>• Removed ring-fencing from local government grants to give councils the freedom and flexibility over the money they receive and allows them to work with their residents to decide how best to make their spending decisions to fit their local priority needs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have radically reformed the local government finance system by removing top-down national targets and strategies and replaced with powerful incentives for local areas to drive growth.</p><p> </p><p>• Business rates reform, New Homes Bonus and Community Infrastructure Levy will also ensure councils and communities feel real benefits from development and are incentivised to grow the local economy</p><p> </p><p>• Created 24 Enterprise Zones with the prospect of business rates discounts and planning simplification for businesses and business rates retention for the locality, and supported by £54 million from the Local Infrastructure Fund.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>And we are investing in local economies to unlock wider investment, jobs and housing through the Regional Growth Fund and the European Regional Development Fund.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Through Growth Deals we are devolving £12 billion of funding from 2015-16 to 2020-21 to local leaders and businesses to spend on local priorities. The first £6 billion of local projects to have been agreed under the first wave of Growth Deals were announced on the 7th July, and will see investment in local infrastructure, skills, housing, business support and innovation. These projects will provide thousands of new jobs and homes as well as improving infrastructure across the country.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Deals also mean that places will get additional powers to take greater control over the economic levers they need to unlock growth. More details on the Growth Deals can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-growth-deals</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are also for the first time putting £5 billion of European Structural Investment Funds for the 2014-20 period under the strategic direction of Local Enterprise Partnerships, bringing the total resource (including the Local Growth Fund) under the control of Local Enterprise Partnerships to over £17 billion up until 2020.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Taken together, these measures are empowering and strengthening local economies.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 24/07/2014 14:59:10 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

65198

registered interest
date	01/07/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Islam: Community Relations
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any growing tension between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslim communities in the United Kingdom.
tabling member printed	Lord Pearson of Rannoch
uin	HL734
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2014 answer text <p>The UK has a proud track record of inter faith and intra faith cooperation. The Government is working with all communities to ensure that extremist individuals do not provoke tensions</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 08/07/2014 12:49:15 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	3153 label Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch

64604

registered interest
date	30/06/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Housing: Construction
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what they are doing to promote housebuilding.
tabling member printed	Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
uin	HL687
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>This Government has delivered over 445,000 new homes since 2010 and housing starts in the past year are up 31 per cent and the highest since 2007. I refer the noble Lord to my comprehensive Written Ministerial Statement of 10 June 2014, <em>Official Report,</em> Col. WS40, which details the measures that this Government is taking to promote housebuilding and increase housing supply across the country.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In addition to these measures, we are creating new dedicated Housing Zones to support housing development on brownfield sites in London and across the country. £200 million investment each from the government and the Mayor of London will create 50,000 new homes in twenty Housing Zones across London, and a further £200 million of government money will create ten Housing Zones outside London.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stowell of Beeston question first answered 09/07/2014 12:42:11 answering member 4205 label Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston
tabling member	4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

64633

registered interest
date	30/06/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Letting Agents
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will identify the redress schemes approved to accept complaints against letting agents, under the Redress Schemes for Letting Agency Work and Property Management Work (Approval and Designation of Schemes) (England) Order 2013; and what were their reasons for the selection of such schemes.
tabling member printed	Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town
uin	HL716
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>In April 2014 the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government approved 3 redress schemes, these are: The Property Ombudsman, Ombudsman Services Property and The Property Redress Scheme. The schemes were selected as they have met all the conditions for approval including demonstrating that they are independent, fair, effective, transparent and accountable.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stowell of Beeston question first answered 03/07/2014 16:25:34 answering member 4205 label Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston
tabling member	4159 label Biography information for Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

63101

registered interest
date	23/06/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Local Government: Audit
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what local authority studies corresponding to those previously undertaken by the Audit Commission are planned for 2014–15.
tabling member printed	Lord Christopher
uin	HL510
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Commission will produce its final report under Section 33 of the Audit Commission Act 1998 in October 2014: Protecting the Public Purse 2014. The Comptroller and Auditor General was given new powers on 9 April 2014 to carry out examinations into the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which relevant local authorities have used their resources in discharging their functions, under section 35 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stowell of Beeston question first answered 01/07/2014 14:49:25 answering member 4205 label Biography information for Baroness Stowell of Beeston
tabling member	3395 label Biography information for Lord Christopher