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  • Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    Poulter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Poulter on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that landlords in the private rented sector comply with the requirement for properties to be a minimum of energy efficiency rating E by April 2017.

    Andrea Leadsom

    The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and wales) Regulations 2015 require that, subject to certain exemptions, domestic and non-domestic private rented sector landlords improve their properties to a minimum energy efficiency rating of E from April 2018.

    The Department is currently developing guidance documents to assist landlords in complying with their obligations under the regulations, and to support enforcement authorities in fulfilling their duties.

  • Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Peter Bone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Bone on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on creation of new unitary authorities.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government’s policy is to work with local areas to deliver effective devolution with the governance necessary to support this. We support the move to create new unitary authorities where such a move is locally driven and enjoys local support.

  • Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Rebecca Long Bailey – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rebecca Long Bailey on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Greater Manchester Life Science Enterprise Zone will cover the Salford and Eccles constituency.

    James Wharton

    Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership’s successful bid for a Life Sciences Enterprise Zone covers two sites in central Manchester.

    Neither site is within Salford and Eccles.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which Ministers of his Department attended events to celebrate Chanukah in (a) 2014 and (b) 2015.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    My hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, (Baroness Williams of Trafford) attended Chanukah reception at No. 10 in 2015. The former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities andLocal Government, the former hon. Member for Bristol West (Stephen Williams) attended the Deputy Prime Minister’s Chanukah reception on 18 December 2014 at Admiralty House.

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent steps his Department has taken to help councils to house refugees.

    Richard Harrington

    Those who have been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection must qualify under local rules set by the relevant local authority and have sufficient priority under the local authority’s allocation scheme to be eligible for social housing, just as anyone else.

    At the Spending Review the Government committed £129 million to assist with local authority costs over years 2-5 for those local authorities who are resettlling refugees under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme. This is unringfenced funding and it will be for local authorities to decide how to use the funding to support the refugees they resettle.

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what help his Department will provide to assist local authorities to resettle Syrian refugees over the next five years.

    Richard Harrington

    Local authorities have played a vital role in helping those Syrian refugees arriving here to settle into a new life in the UK. The Syrian Resettlement Team, made up of officials from Home Office, DCLG and DFID, is working closely with those local authorities that wish to participate in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, helping to manage the process of accepting refugees for resettlement, providing help and advice where appropriate.

    At the Spending Review the Government committed £129 million to assist with local authority costs over years 2-5 for those local authorities who are resettlling refugees under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme. This is unringfenced funding and it will be for local authorities to decide how to use the funding to support the refugees they resettle.

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance his Department provides for local authorities on the administration of blue badge disabled parking arrangements.

    Andrew Jones

    The Blue Badge scheme applies to on-street parking only. The Department for Transport (DfT) has produced non-statutory guidance designed to help local authorities with the administration and enforcement of the scheme. The guidance can be viewed at:

    www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-badge-scheme-local-authority-guidance-england

    The guidance also includes a link to a good practice guide on inclusive mobility which includes a chapter on parking issues aimed at helping local authorities meet their obligations under the Equalities Act 2010.

    “

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations which had planned, prior to the announcement in paragraph 1.125 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, to raise rents above any of the relevant local housing allowance rates between 2016 and 2020.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department does not hold information about the individual rent setting plans of local authorities or housing associations.

    At Budget 2015 the Government announced its intention to reduce rents for housing association and local authority tenants, by 1% a year, for four years, from April 2016. This will help protect social tenants from rising housing costs, whilst protecting taxpayers from rising costs of subsidising rents through housing benefit. We expect local authorities and housing associations to be planning on this basis.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 1.149 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, on what basis the total amount allocated to local authorities for funding temporary accommodation has been calculated.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Spending Review and Autumn Statement announced that funding of the Temporary Accommodation management fee will be devolved to local authorities from 2017/18, giving them more freedom and flexibility in how they use this funding. Current levels of funding will be maintained and, in addition, councils will receive £10 million a year more. The Department for Communities and Local Government will set out the precise detail of how the new funding will be distributed in 2016/17. The Department will work closely with local authorities and other partners to ensure that funding will be allocated in order to most effectively help councils tackle homelessness.

  • Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Michael Tomlinson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Tomlinson on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made on plans to allow local councils to retain business rates.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    DCLG confirmed at the Spending Review our intention, by the end of this Parliament, to allow local government to keep 100% of the business rates they raise locally. We have had initial discussions with local government representative bodies and individual authorities about the reform programme. We will broaden and deepen those discussions in the New Year.