The Government's approach to transposition of the two Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision Directives for the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) reflects the fact that it is a statutory public service scheme. The appropriate response is therefore different than it is for other, trust-based schemes. Having taken legal advice, our view is that the current governance arrangements of the LGPS, set out in the LGPS Regulations and the broader suite of local authorities' statutory obligations, are sufficient to meet the objectives of the directive. The Department of Work and Pensions has led for the UK Government on negotiation and transposition of the directives with the EU Commission and any request to see correspondence with the Commission should be addressed to them.<\/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" : "2018-11-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-28T15:47:28.97Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Local Government: Pensions"} , "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 the governance arrangements of the Local Government Pension Scheme currently comply with the first Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision Directive and the new Directive due to be implemented on 13 January 2019; and if he will place all correspondence on those Directives his Department has had with the EU Commission in the Library.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"} ], "uin" : "195078"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1010280", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1010280/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Business rates are a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and should be a matter for a future Executive.<\/p>
<\/p>
In the absence of an Executive, the Northern Ireland Office and the Secretary of State for Northen Ireland work closely with the Northern Ireland Civil Service on a range of issues, including finance related matters such as the setting of regional rates.<\/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" : "2018-11-27", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-27T17:07:00.167Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Non-domestic Rates: Northern Ireland"} , "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 discussions he has had with local councils in Northern Ireland on business rates.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1597", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Simpson"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Upper Bann"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "David Simpson"} ], "uin" : "192883"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1007759", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1007759/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
I received representations on unitarisation in Buckinghamshire from the following local business organisations: Buckinghamshire Business First, Buckinghamshire Business Group, Chiltern Chamber of Commerce, Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce; 18 individual local businesses also made representations. Information about grant funding and support provided by local authorities to business organisations is not held centrally. The Local Government Transparency Code 2015 requires local authorities to publicise specified data on financial transactions including publishing details of all grants to voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations.<\/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" : "2018-11-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-21T13:51:10.943Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Unitary Councils: Buckinghamshire"} , "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 the Written Statement of 1 November 2018, Local Government Update, HCWS 1058, from which businesses and organisations in Buckinghamshire he has received representations on local government reorganisation; and what information his Department holds on the amount of grant funding or financial support those businesses and organisations have received from Buckinghamshire County Council in the last three years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/18", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Cheryl Gillan"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chesham and Amersham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dame Cheryl Gillan"} ], "uin" : "191992"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1005703", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1005703/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The information to which the Secretary of State had regard when making his decision on the Buckinghamshire proposal for a single unitary council included financial estimates from Buckinghamshire County Council, indicating that savings of some £18 million per year could be made. Information on costs and benefits is available here: https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/council-and-democracy/our-plans/buckinghamshire-unitary/<\/a><\/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" : "2018-11-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-20T17:28:03.287Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Unitary Councils: Buckinghamshire"}
, "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 estimate he has made of the savings to be accrued as a result of the establishment of a single unitary district council in Buckinghamshire.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/18", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Cheryl Gillan"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chesham and Amersham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dame Cheryl Gillan"}
], "uin" : "190319"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1005704", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1005704/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government\u2019s New Burdens doctrine ensures local planning authorities receive the relevant resources to meet their statutory obligations under neighbourhood planning. This Government has paid out over £23 million since 2012 to help local planning authorities meet their neighbourhood planning responsibilities. Local authorities can apply for funding of £20,000 for every neighbourhood plan that has passed its independent examination and reached referendum stage. Further details are available in the Chief Planners letter of May 2018 (full link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717060/180605_Chief_Planner_Letter_NPG_18-19_-_revised.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" : "2018-11-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-20T17:24:55.747Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Unitary Councils: Buckinghamshire"}
, "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 additional financial support he plans to provide to the district councils in Buckinghamshire to enable them to fulfil the requirement to support town and parish councils in the production of neighbourhood plans during the period of preparation for a new single unitary district council.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/18", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Cheryl Gillan"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chesham and Amersham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dame Cheryl Gillan"}
], "uin" : "190320"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1005705", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1005705/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "