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  • Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support lottery regulations permit to be given to gaming, live digital and other features of cultural technology.

    Tracey Crouch

    National Lottery funding supports projects within the four good causes – arts; sport; heritage; voluntary and community. The arts good cause covers a broad range of arts and media forms and there are no specific regulations against funding gaming, live digital and other features of cultural technology. Decisions on which individual projects to fund are made by the twelve Lottery distribution bodies.

  • Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Frank Field – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to meet Premier League supporters clubs before his next meeting with the Executive Chair of the Premier League to discuss the living wage.

    Tracey Crouch

    We welcome the commitment that clubs in the Premier League have made to paying the living wage to their full-time employees, and we see no reason why this cannot be extended to include all employees. That is the message I will put across to the Executive Chair of the League when we next meet.

  • Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Philip Davies – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Davies on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average time taken was between receipt and decision for a planning appeal to be considered by the Planning Inspectorate in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what that time was in each of the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    There are different procedures for determining planning appeals according to the nature and detail of the individual case. In some cases the approach can change during the course of consideration of the specific appeal, eg it could start off as a Written Representation and then change to an Inquiry. This all depends on the documentation submitted and the criteria it fulfils. A change in the approach may involve starting afresh with the new procedure which will impact on the timetable of the appeal

    The attached table shows, for the three different procedures, the average time taken, in weeks, to make decisions on planning appeals decided in each year since 2006-07, according to the procedure under which the appeal decision was taken.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by MiDavies on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what incentives his Department provides to encourage local authorities to build retirement and adapted housing.

    Brandon Lewis

    We are committed to increasing the diversity and choice of housing for older people. We know that the right housing can help people to have the lifestyle they want in later life, and help people stay healthier for longer. The National Planning Policy Framework requires local authorities to plan for a mix of housing based on current and future demographic trends, and the needs of different groups in the area, including older people and disabled people. In March 2015 we strengthened our planning guidance further to encourage local authorities to recognise the importance for planning for older people’s housing.

    Local authorities are eligible to bid for capital grant funding for specialised housing for older people, including adapted housing through the Government’s Affordable Homes Programme, which includes funding for supported housing and the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund.

    To help older people stay healthier for longer in their existing home the Government provides the Disabled Facilities Grant, which is part of the Better Care Fund. This capital grant for adaptations is paid to local authorities in England to fund the provision of home adaptations (including stair lifts, level access showers and, in some instances, home extensions) to help disabled people to live as comfortably, safely and independently as possible in their own homes for longer. In the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced that funding for the Grant will rise to over £500 million by 2020. Annual allocations for the Disabled Facilities Grant for each year until 2020 will be announced in due course.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to provide additional funding for local authorities to provide school crossing patrols.

    Nick Gibb

    The Government has no plans to make additional funding available specifically for school crossing patrols. The Education and Inspection Act 2006 (section 508A) puts a duty on local authorities to promote and establish a strategy for developing a sustainable transport infrastructure that meets the needs of children and young people in their area. This strategy should address such issues as enhanced child safety and security. School Crossing Patrols are one option that can contribute to the fulfilment of this duty. It is for local authorities and schools to determine if and how school crossing patrols are funded from the resources made available by central government.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many affordable rent-to-buy houses are being constructed.

    Brandon Lewis

    Through the Autumn Statement 2015, the Government has committed to investing £8 billion to deliver over 400,000 affordable housing starts by 2020/21. This includes £1.7 billion to deliver around 100,000 homes for affordable or intermediate rent, of which 10,000 are to be affordable rent to buy homes that enable tenants to have the opportunity to save for a deposit while renting.

    Bids into the Rent to Buy 2015-2017 programme are currently being considered. The prospectus for the new Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 will be launched shortly.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities follow the guidance given by the Environment Agency on the building of houses on floodplains.

    Brandon Lewis

    National planning policy on flooding must be taken into account by local planning authorities in preparing their local plans and we are clear they should take advice from the Environment Agency and other relevant flood risk management bodies in doing so.

    Additionally, a local planning authority must, as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015, consult the Environment Agency on planning applications for development proposed on a floodplain and, in determining the application, they must take into account their advice. As an added safeguard, if a local planning authority wants to approve an application that the Environment Agency has objected to because of concerns about flood risk, they must first refer it to the Secretary of State to consider whether it should be ‘called-in’. Between April 2011 and March 2015 over 99% of proposed new homes had planning outcomes in line with Environment Agency advice where they had been made aware of the decision.

  • Stephen McPartland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Stephen McPartland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen McPartland on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether a local authority’s revenue surplus from off-street car parking may be used for general purposes or is restricted in the same manner as an on-street parking revenue surplus.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    A local authority’s revenue from civil enforcement in off-street car parks is restricted and can only be spent on off-street parking, transport and environmental improvements.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the guidance given to local authorities regarding housebuilding on floodplains.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department, together with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, holds regular discussions with the Environment Agency on a variety of matters including to ensure the safeguards in national planning policy to protect people and property from flooding are being applied. Between April 2011 and March 2015 over 99% of proposed new homes had planning outcomes in line with Environment Agency advice where they had objected because of concerns about flood risk and had been made aware of the decision.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Cunningham on 2016-01-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on housebuilding on floodplains.

    Brandon Lewis

    National planning policy is designed to protect people and property from flooding. Local planning authorities are expected to avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. The policy is underpinned by planning guidance which makes clear that new house building should not be permitted in functional floodplains where water has to flow or be stored in times of flood.

    Mitigation measures to make development acceptable in flood risk areas can be made a requirement of any planning consent.

    All local planning authorities are expected to follow the strict tests set out in national planning policy and guidance. Where these tests are not met, national policy is very clear that new development should not be allowed.