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  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the reasons are for the timing of his Department’s sale of the remaining £2 billion of Lloyds’ shares.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated his intention to return Lloyds Banking Group to the private sector over the coming year in his Mansion House speech of June 2015. The proposal to launch a retail sale in Spring 2016 is consistent with this commitment.

    The Government is determined to build a share-owning democracy and to continue to reduce the national debt by making Lloyds shares available to the public. Final decisions around the timing of a sale are dependent on market conditions, among other factors.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Andrew Rosindell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2015-10-13.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to improve Britain’s economic ties with China.

    Harriett Baldwin

    In 2014, UK goods exports to China were worth £15.5bn, making China our 6th largest goods export partner. The government wants to improve this relationship, with a target for China to be the 2nd largest recipient of UK exports within a decade.

    The Government warmly welcomes the State Visit of President Xi and Madame Peng, an important milestone that should lay the foundations for a golden age in the bilateral relationship. The Visit will build upon the sustained engagement by the Chancellor and other Ministers to deepen UK-China economic cooperation, including via the annual, Chancellor-led Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD).

    At the most recent EFD in September 2015, both sides agreed a package of measure to strengthen their long-term collaboration, including on capital markets, bond markets, green finance, asset management and insurance. Further detail can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/462412/EFD_factsheet.pdf

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  • Ann Coffey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Ann Coffey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities in phase two of the Troubled Families programme have made tackling (a) child sexual exploitation and (b) sexual abuse an outcome in their Troubled Families Outcome Plan.

    Greg Clark

    Troubled Families Outcomes Plans are locally designed and owned documents that state how each local authority will demonstrate significant and sustained progress against the whole range of complex problems that a family on the programme may have. We have no current detailed analysis of child sexual exploitation and abuse within all Outcome Plans, but the programme is designed to be flexible so that all local authorities can bring in families where they believe child sexual exploitation or sexual abuse is an issue, and they believe the family would benefit from being included on the programme.

  • Amanda Solloway – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Amanda Solloway – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Amanda Solloway on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with Derby City Council on the re-development of brownfield sites in the city with support from the grant announced on 28 January 2015 to help develop such sites following the announcement of a £4.4 million fund to help unlock potential sites.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Secretary of State has not held any meetings with Derby City Council in connection with the re-development of brownfield land or the funding made available to local authorities to develop local development orders for housing on brownfield land in January.

    Derby City Council did not submit a bid to the £4.4 million fund.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households occupy social housing in each London borough; and how many such households in each such borough have an annual income above £40,000.

    Brandon Lewis

    Data on the number of dwellings by tenure and district can be found in Live Table 100 which is available to download at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants

    The Department collects its data on household income from the English Housing Survey which does not go down to the district level.

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  • Oliver Colvile – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Oliver Colvile – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to promote tenant management.

    Brandon Lewis

    We have allocated funding of £1million in 2015/16 (through the Tenant Empowerment Programme) to support social housing tenants’ involvement in their local communities. This includes support to those who wish to manage delivery of services to their homes and estates by taking up their Statutory Right To Manage.

  • Conor McGinn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Conor McGinn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Conor McGinn on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department differentiates between private sector landlords and housing associations in the manner in which it makes direct payments to landlords on behalf of tenants who receive universal credit.

    Justin Tomlinson

    No. DWP does not differentiate between social and private landlords in the manner in which it makes direct payments of rent to landlords on behalf of tenants who receive universal credit.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will commission an independent inquiry into the practice of classifying people as intentionally homeless.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    How an authority should determine whether or not someone is intentionally homeless is set out in legislation and statutory homelessness guidance, which is available to the public and authorities. It makes clear that housing authorities should consider each case in light of its particular facts and must not adopt general policies which seek to pre-define circumstances that do or do not amount to intentional homelessness. We have no plans to carry out a review.

    Homelessness legislation ensures that families and the most vulnerable always have a roof over their head. This includes cases where households have made themselves homeless and are assessed by a local authority as being in priority need for accommodation. The law places a duty on the authority to secure suitable accommodation for a period that enables the household a reasonable opportunity to secure their own accommodation.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department provides to (a) the public and (b) councils on the definition and application of the classification of intentional homelessness.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    How an authority should determine whether or not someone is intentionally homeless is set out in legislation and statutory homelessness guidance, which is available to the public and authorities. It makes clear that housing authorities should consider each case in light of its particular facts and must not adopt general policies which seek to pre-define circumstances that do or do not amount to intentional homelessness. We have no plans to carry out a review.

    Homelessness legislation ensures that families and the most vulnerable always have a roof over their head. This includes cases where households have made themselves homeless and are assessed by a local authority as being in priority need for accommodation. The law places a duty on the authority to secure suitable accommodation for a period that enables the household a reasonable opportunity to secure their own accommodation.

  • Mark Garnier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Mark Garnier – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Garnier on 2015-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to provide financial assistance to local authorities to deal with unforecastable shortfalls arising from the revaluation of business rates levied on GP surgeries.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The business rates retention scheme in England is providing real incentives for councils to support enterprise and economic growth. In 2015/16, 362 authorities expect to retain an extra £544 million in business rates above baseline funding. Under the scheme, local authorities or pools of local authorities are protected against significant declines in business rates income, such as from rating appeals on GP surgeries, through a safety net that guarantees income at 92.5% of baseline funding.