Ministers and officials meet regularly with representatives of Northamptonshire County Council, and all councils, across the full range of policy areas covered by the department.<\/p>
In relation to the financial position of the Council, officials have had monthly phone calls with Council officers, and the Secretary of State met with the Leader of the Council most recently on 12 October 2017.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4483", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rishi Sunak"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Richmond (Yorks)"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Rishi Sunak"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-22T17:07:31.147Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Northamptonshire County Council"} , "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 meetings held by (a) Ministers of his Department and (b) officials of his Department have had with representatives from Northamptonshire County Council from 1 January 2017 to date.", "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" : "122447"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/821531", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/821531/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The situation in Northamptonshire has been developing for some time. However as a result of recent documentation from the external auditor and the Local Government Association, as well as the council\u2019s own publicly available budget documents, it is now appropriate to take a detailed view of the authority to ascertain its compliance with its best value duty.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4483", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rishi Sunak"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Richmond (Yorks)"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Rishi Sunak"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-22T16:59:29.67Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Northamptonshire County Council"} , "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, when and by whom he was first informed of the financial difficulties at Northamptonshire County Council.", "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" : "122449"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/821534", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/821534/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
My Department and the Department of Health and Social Care are in regular contact about public health policy and funding, including in relation to Public Health Grant.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4483", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rishi Sunak"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Richmond (Yorks)"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Rishi Sunak"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-22T17:05:55.457Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Public Health: Finance"} , "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 recent discussions he has had with the Health Secretary on the effect of changes in public health grants on council budgets.", "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" : "122452"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/821537", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/821537/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Officials from my Department attend a monthly meeting hosted by both Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) which specifically focuses on matters relating to the Public Health Grant. In addition to such meetings, officials from my Department have frequent ad-hoc dialogue on the Public Health Grant with their counterparts from PHE and DHSC.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4483", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rishi Sunak"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Richmond (Yorks)"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Rishi Sunak"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-25T16:36:40.167Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Public Health: Finance"} , "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 meetings (a) Ministers in his Department and (b) officials in his Department have had with Public Health England on the public health grant in the last 12 months.", "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" : "122455"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/821539", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/821539/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The government does not prescribe centrally where local government pension funds should invest their assets. Funds are responsible and accountable for their own decisions, provided that they act reasonably and follow the Local Government Pension Scheme Investment Regulations 2016 and associated guidance.
Local government pension funds should make the pursuit of a financial return their predominant concern but they may also take into account purely non-financial considerations provided that doing so would not involve a significant risk of financial detriment and they have good reason to believe that scheme members would support their decision.
Funds are required to set out their policy on how environmental, social or corporate governance concerns are taken into account in their Investment Strategy Statement. The Regulations also require this statement to be published and kept under review.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4483", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rishi Sunak"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Richmond (Yorks)"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Rishi Sunak"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-22T16:55:52.03Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Local Government: Pension Funds"}
, "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 his policy is on local government pension funds being used to invest in fossil fuels; and if he will make a statement.", "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" : "122457"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/821540", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/821540/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Local authorities may incur more expenditure than they have budgeted for a range of reasons, including increases in demand for services and unforeseeable events. This is why every local authority is required to maintain a level of unallocated reserve commensurate with sound financial risk management.<\/p>