Author: admin

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will apply EU Directive 41/2003 on Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision to the Local Government Pension Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    We are satisfied that the Scheme is consistent with the way in which Directive 41/2003 on the Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision Directive was transposed into national law. It is not therefore necessary to take any further legislative steps to ensure compliance.

    In March 2014 the European Commission published proposals for new Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provisions Directive. The implications for the scheme will be fully considered if these proposals are taken forward.

  • John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    John Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Mann on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the use of fraudulent roofing materials in the building of new houses.

    James Wharton

    Building Regulations require that building work is carried out with adequate and proper materials which are appropriate for the circumstances in which they are used. Building control bodies are responsible for checking compliance as with any other Building Regulations’ requirements. In addition, if a building material is covered by a harmonised European standard, the requirements of the European Construction Products Regulation will apply. This Regulation is enforced by local authorities (trading standards in England, Scotland and Wales and District Councils in Northern Ireland).

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many local libraries closed in Lancashire in (a) 2012, (b) 2013, (c) 2014 and (d) 2015.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service that takes account of local needs within available resources. Government has the power to ensure public libraries comply with the law, and where individual authorities have failed to meet this duty we will – and have – intervened. While the Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not commission specific information relating to the closure of public libraries, the Department monitors closely proposed changes to library service provision throughout England. Desk research undertaken by the Department indicates that no local static libraries closed in the Lancashire Library Authority in 2012 – 2015.

    This Government is helping libraries innovate, to ensure they serve the needs of local communities – particularly through the expansion of their digital offer. In the latest spending round we secured extra funding for our Libraries Task Force, set up in 2015, to promote the role of digital and share best practice between councils, and we have funded the rollout of free Wi-Fi so that it will be available in 99% of public libraries in England. E-book loans have rocketed more than four-fold from nearly 445,000 in 2011/12 to over 2.3 million in 2014/15.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many projects planned for West Cumbria will be (a) part-funded and (b) wholly-funded by the EU.

    James Wharton

    The Department is unable to predict how many projects in West Cumbria will come forward for funding from the EU.

  • Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jamie Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many projects in West Cumbria have been (a) part-funded and (b) wholly-funded by the EU in each of the last 10 years.

    James Wharton

    The Department is unable to confirm how many projects in West Cumbria have been part-funded by the EU in the last ten years. DCLG is able to confirm that during the 2007-13 European Regional Development Fund programme 11 projects were funded in Cumbria. The regulatory requirement is for applicants to provide 50% of match-funding to support investment. No European Regional Development Fund projects were wholly-funded by the EU in the last 10 years.

  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to exempt victims of domestic abuse who move home to escape violence from the provisions on fixed term tenancies of the Housing and Planning Bill.

    Brandon Lewis

    Fixed term tenancies will enable local councils to review on-going need for a tenancy and, if this is still the case, to issue a new tenancy for the same or a more suitable home.

    Where existing lifetime tenants transfer, the provisions in the Bill ensure that local authorities retain a discretion to offer the tenant a further lifetime tenancy in their new home.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will conduct an assessment of the appropriateness of the definition of houses in multiple occupation; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department considers the definition of a house in multiple occupation, as set out in the Housing Act 2004, is appropriate and has no plans to change it. We have recently issued a technical discussion paper on whether to extend mandatory licensing to those houses in multiple occupation with fewer than three storeys and plan to publish our response and proposed next steps in the coming months.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received from local councils on the application of (a) mandatory and (b) additional licensing for houses in multiple occupation; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department published a technical discussion paper on licensing of houses in multiple occupation on 6 November 2015. We received representations from 170 local authorities which we are currently analysing. We plan to publish our response in the coming months.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of licences issued for houses of multiple occupation in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) the UK in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    The numbers of licences issued for houses in multiple occupation during the relevant period were:

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    2014/15

    Coventry

    233

    216

    282

    357

    West Midlands

    1,426

    2,997

    3,284

    3,562

    England

    34,464

    36,256

    27,182

    38,530

    The Department only began collecting this data in 2011 and collects data in respect of England.

    Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-housing-data

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Daniel Zeichner – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2016-02-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will introduce a requirement that Local Government Pension Scheme funds be invested in infrastructure projects.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Administering authorities in the local government pension scheme in England and Wales have been asked to explain the proportion of their funds currently allocated to infrastructure projects and what proportion they intend to invest in infrastructure in the future. The benefits of scale achieved under the new pooling arrangements will enable authorities to be more ambitious and invest in infrastructure in a way that will help drive local growth.

    Administering authorities have also been asked to submit their detailed proposals for pooling their assets, including their plans to invest in infrastructure, by 19 July. The proposals will then be assessed to establish whether they comply with the Department’s criteria for the pooling of scheme assets, including infrastructure.