The Secretary of State recognises the importance of parks and green spaces in building safer, stronger and more integrated communities. We announced on 7 October that Government would invest £1 million in a second pocket parks programme to create new parks and also provide support to maintain and improve existing parks to help bring existing parks back into safe and regular use.<\/p>
The Government will shortly be publishing a prospectus, inviting bids for funding from across the England. Following closure of the application process, bids will be reviewed and announcement of successful applicants will be announced in spring 2018.<\/p>
<\/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" : "2018-11-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-12T17:21:10.793Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pocket Parks Scheme"} , "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, how much funding will be allocated to the second round of pocket parks; and if any of those parks will be located in South Yorkshire.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "true", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4243", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Jarvis"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Barnsley Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dan Jarvis"} ], "type" : "http://data.parliament.uk/schema/parl#WrittenParliamentaryQuestion", "uin" : "187343"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1002717", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1002717/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government understands the important part that sports and recreation places play in local communities.<\/p>
Over the five year period from 2015-16 to 2019-20 council\u2019s will have access to more than £200 billion after this month\u2019s budget. The Chancellor\u2019s announcement means a real-terms increase in funding for local government in 2018/19 and 2019/20.<\/p>
The Government has increased local councils\u2019 financial flexibility by removing conditions from many grants. This gives them more freedom over the money they receive and enables them to work with their residents to decide how best to spend it on local priorities.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/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" : "2018-11-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-12T17:27:43.507Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Local Government 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 comparative assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of Government funding for local authorities and trends in local authority spending on sports and recreation spaces.", "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"} ], "type" : "http://data.parliament.uk/schema/parl#WrittenParliamentaryQuestion", "uin" : "188754"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1002722", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1002722/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 places a requirement on commissioners, including local authorities, to consider the social, economic and environmental benefits of their approaches to services contracts before the procurement process starts. The existing scheme of UK procurement rules, which implement the EU public procurement directives, are preserved under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 when the UK leaves the European Union, with relevant adjustments necessary to ensure legal operability. This will give legal certainty and continuity to businesses, contracting authorities, and employees, on day one of Exit. We will use opportunities offered by our exit from the EU to carefully consider longer-term options for the UK's public procurement rules.<\/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" : "2018-11-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-12T17:22:01.757Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Local Government: Procurement"} , "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, pursuant to his oral contribution of 5 November 2018, Official Report column 1229, what guidance he has issued to local authorities on taking local value into account when awarding contracts.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/318", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John Spellar"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Warley"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "John Spellar"} ], "type" : "http://data.parliament.uk/schema/parl#WrittenParliamentaryQuestion", "uin" : "188710"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1003736", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1003736/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Imprisonment should only ever be the last resort for non-payment of council tax. Before a magistrates\u2019 court commits someone to prison for failure to pay their council tax, it must inquire as to the debtor\u2019s means, and satisfy itself that failure to pay is due to \u201cwilful refusal or culpable neglect\u201d. This is to prevent persons who are genuinely unable to pay their council tax from being committed to prison. The Government does not have any plans to change the current arrangements.<\/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" : "2018-11-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-19T16:24:15.72Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Council Tax: Non-payment"} , "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 plans he has to bring England in line with the rest of the UK by ending the use of imprisonment for non-payment of council tax debt.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/411", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Huddersfield"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Barry Sheerman"} ], "type" : "http://data.parliament.uk/schema/parl#WrittenParliamentaryQuestion", "uin" : "189834"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1003848", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1003848/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
At the Budget the Government announced a one third discount off business rate bills for high streets and town centres worth almost £900 million. The discount will be available, subject to state aid, to retail properties with a rateable value of less than £51,000 such as shops, restaurants, cafes and drinking establishments. We will publish guidance shortly to help local authorities determine eligibility and implement the discount.<\/p>
Since 2016 the Government has announced a raft of measures to support business, including permanently doubling Small Business Rate Relief from 50 per cent to 100 per cent for eligible businesses, and raising the threshold for 100 per cent relief from £6,000 to £12,000. As a result, over 655,000 small businesses \u2013 occupiers of a third of all properties \u2013 pay no business rates at all. In addition, the Government brought forward to April 2018 the switch in the annual indexation of business rates from RPI to the main measure of inflation, currently CPI, which will be a saving for all ratepayers.<\/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" : "2018-11-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-16T13:33:49.527Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-09", "_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 Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the business rates relief for properties announced in Budget 2018 will apply to premises in planning use class D2.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1491", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kerry McCarthy"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bristol East"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kerry McCarthy"} ], "type" : "http://data.parliament.uk/schema/parl#WrittenParliamentaryQuestion", "uin" : "189620"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1006922", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1006922/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department does not collect this information for the UK. However, figures on the number of dwellings liable for council tax and those that are empty or are second homes in England can be found at the following link:<\/p>
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/755950/Local_Authority_Council_Tax_base_England_2018_Statistical_Release.pdf<\/a>.<\/p> <\/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" : "2018-11-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-19T09:33:12.727Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Council Tax"}
, "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 proportion of houses in the UK are marked as (a) empty and (b) a second home for Council Tax purposes.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coventry South"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Jim Cunningham"}
], "type" : "http://data.parliament.uk/schema/parl#WrittenParliamentaryQuestion", "uin" : "191278"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818794", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818794/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The manifesto committed the Government to bring forward a new integration strategy, which will include proposals to teach more people to speak English. We are working closely with other government Departments, including the Department for Education, in preparing the integration strategy, which we will publish for consultation shortly.<\/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" : "2018-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "121784"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-16T17:57:30.013Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "English Language: Education"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to publish a strategy for English as a Second Language provision in England.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4433", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bristol West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Thangam Debbonaire"}
], "type" : "http://data.parliament.uk/schema/parl#WrittenParliamentaryQuestion", "uin" : "121558"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818967", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818967/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Every local area is required to have a multi-agency suicide prevention plan in place to implement tailored approaches to reducing suicides in their communities. We expect multi-agency groups to include all relevant organisations and professionals who may come into contact with someone at risk of suicide such as social care services and social workers. Guidance published by Public Health England on developing suicide prevention plans, Local suicide prevention planning: A practice resource, sets out how local data collections are important in developing effective action plans to reduce suicides and that data should be collected across a wide range of services including social care: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/suicide-prevention-developing-a-local-action-plan<\/a><\/p> The Government launched the Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat in 2014 which has been signed by a wide range of organisations including the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, Association of Directors of Children\u2019s Services and the College of Social Work. Every local area has a Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat action plan in place which should set out how local services such as health services, social services and the police should work together to respond to someone experiencing a mental health crisis.<\/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" : "2018-01-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-19T13:35:04.757Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Social Services: Telephone Services"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of response times for callers contacting local authority emergency social worker duty teams with suicidal thoughts.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1538", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rosie Cooper"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "West Lancashire"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rosie Cooper"}
], "type" : "http://data.parliament.uk/schema/parl#WrittenParliamentaryQuestion", "uin" : "121644"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/819094", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/819094/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "