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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to reduce regional variations in local authority (a) core spending power and (b) core spending power per dwelling in England.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Local Government Finance Settlement distributes resources fairly by taking into account the main sources of income available to councils, including council tax and business rates. This means that funding is allocated in a way that ensures authorities delivering the same set of services receive broadly the same annual percentage change in these main sources of income.

    Councils facing the highest demand for services generally continue to receive more funding and have higher spending power than less deprived authorities. In 2016-17 the 10% most deprived authorities received 23% more funding than the 10% least deprived.

    We have also announced a Fair Funding Review to consider the funding needs of different types of areas. This will involve a thorough review of what the needs assessment formula should be in a world in which local government spending is funded by local resources, not central grant. The Review will be done in partnership with the Local Government Association and the wider local government sector, so that all councils have the opportunity to contribute their views.

  • Rupa Huq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rupa Huq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rupa Huq on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment the Government has made of the extent of variation between local authorities in their (a) per capita spending on physical activity services and (b) facilities for children and young people.

    Jane Ellison

    Information on local authorities’ total spending on physical activity services and facilities for children and young people is not collected centrally.

    The decision on how much is spent on specific local public health services rests with individual authorities who are best placed to assess local population needs and priorities.

    Local authorities are required to undertake Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and to develop Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategies which must inform local authority commissioning plans.

  • Rupa Huq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Rupa Huq – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rupa Huq on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of spending by each local authority was allocated to provision of facilities and services for children’s and young people’s physical activity in each of the last three years.

    Jane Ellison

    Information on local authorities’ total spending on physical activity services and facilities for children and young people is not collected centrally.

    The decision on how much is spent on specific local public health services rests with individual authorities who are best placed to assess local population needs and priorities.

    Local authorities are required to undertake Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and to develop Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategies which must inform local authority commissioning plans.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Menzies on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to encourage businesses into high street premises in town and city centres.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Government has taken action to help high streets thrive through a range of targeted tax breaks, sensible planning changes and measures to ensure fairer parking for motorists. At Budget, we announced the biggest ever cut in business rates in England – worth £6.7 billion over the next five years, cutting business rates for all ratepayers, and meaning 600,000 of the smallest businesses won’t have to pay business rates again

    We have also given over £18 million to fund successful initiatives such as “Love Your Local Market” and the “Great British High Street Competition”, and have recently announced a digital pilot programme in Gloucestershire, to support town centres and SMEs to compete in the digital era.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33117, which programmes the reprioritisation of £100 million in capital funding to deliver low-cost second stage accommodation for rough sleepers will affect.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Department is not reducing delivery of any existing programmes. We are confident that we will be able to meet this new pressure through careful management and review of existing capital budgets. This may include use of receipts from other programmes and re-profiling underspends on capital grant programmes. The reprioritisation of the money means that the Department’s homelessness budget now has an additional £100 million to spend on programmes to help those vulnerable and at risk of homelessness.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will estimate how many jobs have been created in Yorkshire since May 2015.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Financial Conduct Authority is taking to enforce rules which prevent misleading advertisement by credit brokers.

    Mr Edward Vaizey

    This Government supports the system of co-regulation and self-regulation, overseen by the independent Advertising Standards Authority and underpinned by consumer protection legislation. This regulatory system is independent of the Government and is ultimately responsible for setting the standards in advertising, ensuring that all adverts, wherever they appear, are legal, decent, honest and truthful. The Government believes the system has worked well, suitably serving consumers and is sufficiently flexible to deal with both technological advances and new evidence.

  • Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Alison Thewliss – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent payday loan companies from advertising financial services from third party companies to customers during the loan application process.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The Government has fundamentally reformed regulation of the consumer credit market, transferring regulatory responsibility from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on 1 April 2014. This more robust regulatory system is helping to deliver the Government’s vision for a well-functioning and sustainable consumer credit market which is able to meet consumers’ needs.

    The FCA has introduced detailed rules regarding firms’ promotions and advertisements. It has consulted on possible new rules, including forbidding financial promotions appearing in or among the rankings of price comparison websites comparing high-cost short-term credit.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many referrals the Financial Conduct Authority has made to (a) the Insolvency Service and (b) Companies House recommending that a person be disqualified from acting as a company director or investigated further with a view to such action being taken in the last five years.

    Harriett Baldwin

    The issues raised are a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) who are operationally independent from Government.

    These questions have been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the honourable member by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-18.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 14 April 2016 to Question 33354, who is responsible for (a) initial negotiation and (b) any renegotiation of centrally-supported PF1 and PF2 projects.

    Greg Hands

    Pursuant to the answer given on 14 April 2016 to PQ UIN 33354, it is the contract parties that are responsible for the initial negotiation or any renegotiations of PFI and PF2 projects.