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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of non-priority single homeless people in the UK in each year since 2010-11.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Information on homeless households not in priority need is already collected and published in table 770 of the homelessness live tables which can be viewed at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness

    No information is collected on the household type of households found to be not in priority need.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward plans to (a) require all local authorities to measure the level of single non-priority homelessness in their areas and (b) collate that data in a national database.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Information on homeless households not in priority need is already collected and published in table 770 of the homelessness live tables which can be viewed at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness

    No information is collected on the household type of households found to be not in priority need.

  • Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Catherine McKinnell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2015 to Question 16318, what recent progress he has made on discussions with stakeholders on proposals to exempt certain groups from the removal of automatic entitlement to housing support for 18 to 21 years olds on universal credit; and when he plans to publish proposals resulting from those discussions.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department continues to liaise with a range of key stakeholders as it develops exemptions to the removal of automatic entitlement to housing support for 18-21 year olds in Universal Credit. This includes discussing this policy with landlords, housing associations and charities.

    Once this work has been completed we will bring forward detailed proposals.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine McKinnell on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to require six-monthly inspections of all licensed houses in multiple occupation and bed and breakfasts catering for homeless people.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Local authorities, familiar with stock in their areas, are best placed to set up appropriate inspection plans that take account of resources available and risk posed by individual properties. The Government has no plans to require six-monthly inspections of licensed houses in multiple occupation and bed and breakfast accommodation occupied by homeless persons.

    Local housing authorities must also exercise their functions in respect of hazards under the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System in relation to licensed houses in multiple occupation and ensure any accommodation they secure to accommodate homeless households is suitable. In considering "suitability" authorities must consider whether the accommodation is affordable for the household, its size, its condition, its accessibility and also its location.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on how many occasions in each of the last two calendar years his Department has been notified by outside consultants or other third parties of breaches by employees or subcontractors of those consultants of document retention or security policies relating to confidential or secure materials.

    Brandon Lewis

    There is no record of any occasion during 2014 or 2015 where the Department has been notified centrally by outside consultants or other third parties of breaches by employees or subcontractors of those consultants of document retention or security policies relating to confidential or secure materials.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rosie Cooper on 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to ensure that borough councils in two-tier authority areas provide sandbags to all residents to protect their properties during incidents of flooding.

    James Wharton

    It is up to individual local authorities to set their policies for sandbag distribution and allocation to residents based on flood risk.

  • 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 2016-01-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2016 to Question 22026, what proportion of the £47 million paid to local authorities under the Communities and Business Recovery Scheme was subsequently paid by local authorities to households which were not entitled to flood compensation payments.

    James Wharton

    Local authorities are responsible for the administration and delivery of the Communities and Business Recovery Scheme.

    They determine how to use the money to best meet local need and ensure value for money. My Department does not collect detailed information on the payments that have been made through the Scheme. However, officials are aware that of more that 15,000 payments made to households, fewer than 50 have been found to be incorrect. Those have been returned to the local authority in question.

  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to increase the compensation available to Equitable Life pensioners.

    Harriett Baldwin

    There are no plans to review the payments made by the Equitable Life Payment Scheme. The Scheme closed to new claims on 31st December 2015. However, the annual payments to With-Profits annuitants will continue unaffected for the duration of their annuity.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed removal of third party contributions from the Landfill Communities Fund on (a) the future availability of funding for community and biodiversity projects and (b) environmental bodies.

    Damian Hinds

    Further information on the impact of the changes to the LCF announced at Autumn Statement 2015 is set out in Reform and value of the Landfill Communities Fund. This document can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reform-and-value-of-the-landfill-communities-fund/reform-and-value-of-the-landfill-communities-fund

  • Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Mark Hendrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-01-20.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2016 to Question 22263, what procedures, budgets and facilities are in place to compensate tax credit claimants for the cost and inconvenience of losing supporting documents confirming identity and finances lost by the Tax Credit Office.

    Mr David Gauke

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) policy in respect of compensation payments is that they will consider refunding any reasonable costs that customers may have incurred due to their mistakes and/or unreasonable delays. If HMRC actions are judged to have affected a customer particularly badly, they may pay a small amount to acknowledge their mistake and for any worry or distress they may have caused. These payments are made out of the public purse and are not intended to put a monetary value on any worry and upset.