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  • John Baron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Baron – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Baron on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of measures taken by local authorities in tackling loneliness; and what support the Government has provided for such measures.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my rt. hon. Friend the Minister of State for Health (Alistair Burt) on 21 October, PQ 12272

    In addition, a growing number of town and parish councils are involved in the delivery of work to support residents, in particular vulnerable elderly residents, through programmes such as village agent schemes, which can help older people feel more independent, secure, and cared for, and to have a better quality of life.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what action the Government has taken to bring back into use long-term empty properties.

    Brandon Lewis

    The number of long term empty homes is at its lowest since records began. Over the last Parliament, the Government provided the right tools and incentives to tackle empty properties.

    • Through the New Homes Bonus, local authorities earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back into use as building a new one. Since April 2011 almost £3.4 billion has been paid in recognition of the delivery of over 700,000 homes, plus over 100,000 long-term empty properties brought back into use. 75 per cent of local authorities are financially better off in 2014-15 than if New Homes Bonus scheme didn’t exist.
    • We made changes through the Local Government Finance Act 1992 so local authorities can charge up to 150% council tax for homes empty for over two years.
    • We extended permitted development rights to make it easier to convert property from business to residential to give new life to thousands of empty buildings.
    • We amended Empty Dwelling Management Orders to ensure they are only used to tackle the most problematic empty homes.
    • We provided £216 million direct funding to local authorities, registered providers and community groups between 2012- 2015 to help tackle the problem of empty homes and properties. This funding created 9,044 homes from empty properties.
  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of properties required to meet housing demand in (a) England, (b) the North East and (c) Easington constituency in each of the next five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Government does not assess demand for housing or set housing targets. The National Planning Policy Framework and planning guidance expects local authorities to objectively identify and then meet the housing needs of their area.

  • Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Grahame Morris – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding his Department has provided to renovate, repair and bring back into use long-term empty properties in each of the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    The number of long term empty homes is at its lowest since records began. Over the last Parliament, the Government provided the right tools and incentives to tackle empty properties.

    • Through the New Homes Bonus, local authorities earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back into use as building a new one. Since April 2011 almost £3.4 billion has been paid in recognition of the delivery of over 700,000 homes, plus over 100,000 long-term empty properties brought back into use. 75 per cent of local authorities are financially better off in 2014-15 than if New Homes Bonus scheme didn’t exist.
    • We made changes through the Local Government Finance Act 1992 so local authorities can charge up to 150% council tax for homes empty for over two years.
    • We extended permitted development rights to make it easier to convert property from business to residential to give new life to thousands of empty buildings.
    • We amended Empty Dwelling Management Orders to ensure they are only used to tackle the most problematic empty homes.
    • We provided £216 million direct funding to local authorities, registered providers and community groups between 2012- 2015 to help tackle the problem of empty homes and properties. This funding created 9,044 homes from empty properties.
  • Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jamie Reed – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what investment in the road network the Government plans to make in (a) Copeland constituency and (b) Cumbria as part of the Northern Powerhouse initiative.

    Andrew Jones

    The Government is working with Transport for the North to determine future transport investment priorities for the next road and rail investment periods in the North of England. This work builds on the “Northern Powerhouse: one Agenda, One economy, One North” report published in March this year with a further report focussing on investment priorities due in March 2016.

    In the meantime, Government is undertaking a Northern Trans-Pennine strategic study to examine the case for improving or dualling one or both of the A66 and A69 between the A1(M) and M6.Improvements to either of these routes would benefit the economy of Cumbria and further help the development of a northern powerhouse.

    Government is also providing £7.638m for integrated transport improvements and £75.981m for highways maintenance to Cumbria council for the three years 2015/16 to 2017/18, both of which can be used to invest in the road network in Cumbria and Copeland. Over £8m of Local Growth Funding has been provided to the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership for three local road projects in Kendal, Ulverston and Workington, although none of these are in the Copeland.

  • Gareth Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Gareth Johnson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Johnson on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many new homes were built in Dartford constituency in 2014.

    Brandon Lewis

    Statistics on house building starts and completions in England and in each local authority district, including Dartford, are published in the Department’s live tables 253 (annual) and 253a (quarterly), which are available at the following link:

    http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building

    These statistics are not available by parliamentary constituency.

    The house building statistics exclude other sources of housing supply such as conversions.

    “

  • Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Craig Whittaker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the potential savings to local authorities of holding local council elections once every four years.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    On the assumptions that the cost of running local elections is £1.50 per elector and that all councils currently having elections more frequently than every 4 years were to move to whole council elections every fourth year, we estimate the savings across England over a four year period would be in the order of £50 million.

  • Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made under what working assumptions of the potential cost of the holding of an election for a North East regional mayor.

    James Wharton

    We have made no such estimates as all these costs are matters for the councils concerned which will have considered such matters when giving their provisional agreement to the North East Devolution Deal, which in addition to establishing a North East regional mayor, will create an Investment Fund to support the North East, worth up to £1.5 billion, with an initial allocation of revenue funding for capital financing of £30 million a year for 30 years.

  • Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made under what working assumptions of the cost and the salary and other elements of the remuneration package for the potential future position of regional mayor of the North East of England.

    James Wharton

    We have made no such estimates as all these costs are matters for the councils concerned which will have considered such matters when giving their provisional agreement to the North East Devolution Deal, which in addition to establishing a North East regional mayor, will create an Investment Fund to support the North East, worth up to £1.5 billion, with an initial allocation of revenue funding for capital financing of £30 million a year for 30 years.

  • Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Kevan Jones – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kevan Jones on 2015-10-22.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made under what working assumptions of the potential annual running costs for the office of a North East regional mayor.

    James Wharton

    We have made no such estimates as all these costs are matters for the councils concerned which will have considered such matters when giving their provisional agreement to the North East Devolution Deal, which in addition to establishing a North East regional mayor, will create an Investment Fund to support the North East, worth up to £1.5 billion, with an initial allocation of revenue funding for capital financing of £30 million a year for 30 years.