Tag: 2014

Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-26.

To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, if the Electoral Commission will publish the names of the 10 local authorities with the (a) smallest and (b) biggest percentage increase in registration after the implementation of the Standard Three door-to-door canvassing for 2013 canvass; and which parliamentary constituencies each such local authority covers.

Mr Gary Streeter

The Electoral Commission informs me that the table below shows the ten local authorities with the biggest increases and decreases in electorate between the start and end of the 2013 canvass.

Local authority	Change (November 2013 – Feb/March 2014
Edinburgh, City of	20,241
Cheshire West and Chester	14,676
Tower Hamlets	10,566
Newcastle upon Tyne	9,550
Taunton Deane	9,023
North Lanarkshire	9,001
South Lanarkshire	8,926
Glasgow City	8,710
Huntingdonshire	8,023
Mole Valley	7,866
Northampton	-10,309
Barnet	-12,743
Newham	-16,617
Maidstone	-10,121
Cornwall	-13,195
East Devon	-6,424
Birmingham	-20,572
Shropshire	-14,350
Leeds	-24,119
Renfrewshire	-7693

These local authorities cover the following parliamentary constituencies:

Local authority

Constituencies covered

Edinburgh, City of

Edinburgh East

Edinburgh North and Leith

Edinburgh South

Edinburgh South West

Edinburgh West

Cheshire West and Chester

City of Chester

Eddisbury

Ellesmere Port and Neston

Tatton

Weaver Vale

Tower Hamlets

Bethnal Green and Bow

Poplar and Limehouse

Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne Central

Newcastle upon Tyne East

Newcastle upon Tyne North

Taunton Deane

North Lanarkshire

Airdrie and Shotts

Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill

Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East

Motherwell and Wishaw

South Lanarkshire

Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale

East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow

Lanark and Hamilton East

Rutherglen and Hamilton West

Glasgow City

East Dunbartonshire

Glasgow Central

Glasgow East

Glasgow North

Glasgow North East

Glasgow North West

Glasgow South

Glasgow South West

Huntingdonshire

Huntingdon

North West Cambridgeshire

Mole Valley

Epsom and Ewell

Mole Valley

Northampton

Northampton North

Northampton South

South Northamptonshire

Barnet

Chipping Barnet

Finchley and Golders Green

Hendon

Newham

East Ham

West Ham

Maidstone

Faversham and Mid Kent

Maidstone and The Weald

Cornwall

Camborne and Redruth

North Cornwall

South East Cornwall

St Austell and Newquay

St Ives

Truro and Falmouth

East Devon

Central Devon

East Devon

Tiverton and Honiton

Birmingham

Birmingham, Edgbaston

Birmingham, Erdington

Birmingham, Hall Green

Birmingham, Hodge Hill

Birmingham, Ladywood

Birmingham, Northfield

Birmingham, Perry Barr

Birmingham, Selly Oak

Birmingham, Yardley

Sutton Coldfield

Shropshire

Ludlow

North Shropshire

Shrewsbury and Atcham

The Wrekin

Leeds

Elmet and Rothwell

Leeds Central

Leeds East

Leeds North East

Leeds North West

Leeds West

Morley and Outwood

Pudsey

Renfrewshire

Paisley and Renfrewshire North

Paisley and Renfrewshire South

November 2, 2022

Heidi Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Heidi Alexander on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what target his Department sets for the amount of time for people to receive an accurate assessment for personal independence payments under (a) normal rules claiming and (b) special rules claiming.

Mike Penning

There are no legal requirements to complete action on a claim to PIP within a specified time, but we continuously monitor how long the claimant journey is taking against original estimates and implement measures to speed up the process.

November 2, 2022
Simon Danczuk – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Danczuk on 2014-06-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will request that the Office of Fair Trading investigates the level of competition in the car insurance industry.

Jo Swinson

The competition powers of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) passed to the new Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on 1 April 2014. Like the OFT, the CMA is an independent authority, and therefore has complete discretion to investigate those cases, which, according to its prioritisation principles, it considers most appropriate.

In the case of the private motor insurance industry, the CMA is already conducting a market investigation, and on 12 June set out for consultation its proposed changes to the market. These include a cap on the charges to the insurer of an at-fault driver in an accident for the cost of providing a replacement vehicle to the non-fault driver; better information for consumers; and a ban on price parity agreements between price comparison websites and insurers. Further details are available via this link to the CMA press release:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-sets-out-changes-for-private-motor-insurance

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November 2, 2022
Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-06-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on permitting motorists to park briefly on double yellow lines, single yellow lines or loading bays; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis

In December, our consultation on parking asked for comments on the scope for introducing new grace periods for parking, including what areas it should apply to. In the recently published Government response to the consultation, we announced we will introduce a mandatory 10 minute free period (a) at the end of paid-for on-street parking, (b) at the end of free on-street parking, and (c) extend the same grace period to local authority off-street parking.

This measure will support local shops and stop shoppers being penalised for returning to their car a few minutes late. This Government recognises that if parking on local high streets and shopping parades is made too difficult, shoppers will merely drive to out of town superstores or just shop online. Our position is in stark contrast to the Labour Government which actively encouraged councils to hike parking charges, cut the number of car parking spaces and adopt aggressive parking enforcement.

November 2, 2022
Emma Reynolds – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emma Reynolds on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many community referendums there have been as a result of the Community Right to Build.

Stephen Williams

A key priority for the Coalition Government has been to give communities greater control over shaping the development of their area. The Localism Act 2011 created new powers for communities to write their own neighbourhood plans and to gain planning permission for community-led development through Neighbourhood Development Orders and Community Right to Build Orders.

Nearly 1,400 communities, covering six million people, are now engaged at different stages of the neighbourhood planning process, giving millions of people the chance to participate in identifying, and voting on, where development takes place and what it looks like. All 52 referendums held to date have resulted in big ‘yes’ votes and 34 plans have been ‘made’ (brought into force) and therefore are part of the development plan, the starting point for determining planning applications.

The popularity of neighbourhood planning has shown that when given the opportunity, communities are keen to shape future development in their areas, and we expect the number of community-led developments to increase as more neighbourhood plans are finalised. Over the last two years there have been over 3,100 enquiries and 14,000 web hits relating to the Community Right to Build. The Community Right to Build gives communities the freedom to build new homes, shops, businesses or facilities where they want them, without going through the normal planning application process. Experience has shown that following discussions with the local planning authority for community-led development proposals, community groups have chosen to submit a planning application for their project, rather than a Community Right to Build Order.

To ensure groups undertaking community-led development have the right support and advice to gain planning approval, we broadened the remit of available support funding to assist community groups to bring forward development either through Community Right to Build Orders or community-led planning applications.

This has led to significant take up of funding for community-led projects coming forward, with over 100 applications for funding already approved by the Homes and Communities Agency and the Greater London Authority. Locality and their partners have also been working with 60 groups to provide assistance and advice.

The first three referendums for Community Right to Build Orders took place in December, all of which were passed and are now in force.

We have allocated a further £3.5 million to support the Community Right to Build and community-led planning applications for housing in 2015-18. On 17 February, my department announced a further £6 million funding boost to the community rights programme. This new funding will mean:
- like-minded communities will be able to network and learn from each other through the new My Community Network;
- communities will have access to tailored advice through a phone and online advice service to help them use the range of community rights and other neighbourhood approaches;
- 100 more neighbourhoods will be supported to use the Our Place approach, enabling councils and other public sector providers, voluntary and community groups, local businesses and the community to work together to tackle important local issues from job creation to health priorities;
- 100 communities will receive support to take the first steps in identifying important local issues and develop Community Action Plans;
- 50 communities will receive support to develop economic plans to address local economic priorities like job creation and enterprise;
- 50 local authority/community partnerships will receive advice, support and grants to support the transfer of multiple or complex publicly owned assets into community ownership; and
- 6 new contracts have been awarded to external partners to support communities in using the community rights in 2015-16.
November 2, 2022
Caroline Flint – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s Site Licence Companies were awarded in efficiency fees and support and overhead cost reduction fees in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13 and (d) 2013-14.

Matthew Hancock

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority paid its Site Licence Companies total efficiency fees, including support and overhead cost reduction fees where applicable, of £29.6m in 2010-11, £32.2m in 2011-12, £18.4m in 2012-13 and £16.0m in 2013-14.

November 2, 2022
Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in which secure units young people ordinarily resident in Scotland have been accommodated in each of the last five years.

Andrew Selous

The Youth Justice Board (YJB) are responsible for placing young people under 18 years of age in custody in England and Wales, and make every effort to place them as close to home as possible. The appropriate placement of young people into the secure estate is undertaken on a case-by-case basis and is based upon a combination of factors unique to each young person entering custody.

According to the most recent snapshot of data held by the National Offenders Management Service (NOMS), taken in September 2014, there was one young person ordinarily resident in Scotland being accommodated in an under-18 Young Offender Institution in England and Wales. Information about where this young person was held cannot be disclosed as this could possibly result in the identification of the offender, which could lead to a potential breach of the Data Protection Act.

In snapshots taken each September between 2010 and 2013, there were no young people ordinarily resident in Scotland being accommodated in under-18s Young Offender Institutions in England and Wales. There is no data held for Secure Children’s Homes and Secure Training Centres.

There have been no recent discussions between the Secretary of State and the Scottish Government on the accommodation of young people from Scotland in the youth secure estate in England.

November 2, 2022
David Simpson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Simpson on 2015-01-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on golf clubs of differences in VAT rules applying to propriety-owned and member-owned golf clubs; and if he will meet the hon. Member for Upper Bann to discuss this matter.

Mr David Gauke

I refer the hon. Member to the HMRC briefing paper (25/14) of June 2014.

November 2, 2022
Roberta Blackman-Woods – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roberta Blackman-Woods on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to bring forward housing development on brownfield land.

Brandon Lewis

We have introduced a package of measures designed to accelerate the development of brownfield land and deliver more homes. We expect local authorities to be proactive in bringing forward housing on brownfield land and to ensure they have local development orders in place, granting planning permission for new homes on over 90 per cent of brownfield land suitable for housing by 2020. This reflects the priority given to re-using brownfield in the National Planning Policy Framework. In particular:
- We have reformed the planning system to ensure that it supports the delivery of housing, including homes on brownfield land. The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that planning should encourage the effective use of land by re-using brownfield sites, provided they are not of high environmental value and that local councils can set locally appropriate targets for using brownfield land.
- We have amended planning practice guidance to stress the importance of bringing brownfield land back into use
- Local authorities have been invited to bid for funding from a £4.4million incentive fund to support up to 100 local development orders.
- We are currently consulting on measures to underpin the Government’s programme.
- We are developing a support package, including local development order templates, to help authorities develop local development orders on smaller sites.
- Included powers in the Infrastructure Act which will enable the Mayor of London to produce Mayoral Development Orders that will remove planning obstacles to help deliver more housing in London.
- We are providing £400 million of recoverable investment funding to create Housing Zones to support development on brownfield land. 9 housing zones have already been announced in London.
- We have changed the Community Infrastructure Levy rules to provide an increased incentive for brownfield development, and extended exemptions for empty buildings being brought back into use.
- We have also introduced changes to national policy to lift Section 106 burdens on vacant buildings being returned to use or demolished for re-development and made it easier to convert empty buildings into homes.
- We have introduced a new national Starter Homes exception site planning policy to make it easier to secure planning permission for Starter Homes on underused or unviable commercial and industrial land which is not currently identified for housing – to be offered exclusively to young first time buyers at a 20% discount
- We have provided tax relief where brownfield land suffers from contamination
- We have provided access to funding for developers through initiatives such as the Local Infrastructure Fund, Get Britain Building investment fund and the Growing Places Fund
- We have secured the release of enough unused public sector land to build over 103,000 new homes and announced the establishment of a London Land Commission, based at the Greater London Authority, which will be tasked with identifying public sector brownfield land that is no longer needed in London.
We have also, as outlined in Question UIN 227326 of 17 March, implemented a package of proposals to get empty homes back into use.
November 2, 2022

Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in which countries rabbit meat sold in the UK in each of the five most recent years for which data is available was produced.

George Eustice

Rabbit meat was imported into the UK from the following countries. We have no data on whether this meat was then sold in the UK.

Country	Volume and Value	2010	2011	2012	2013	Jan to Nov 2014
Belgium	Tonnes	19	38	42	137	108
	£000s	77	160	160	556	428
France	Tonnes	237	232	225	475	334
	£000s	905	848	838	1,221	794
Germany	Tonnes			1	0
	£000s			4	6
Irish Republic	Tonnes	1	22		72	87
	£000s	3	67		227	301
Italy	Tonnes	6	11	14	14	9
	£000s	22	41	41	40	26
Netherlands	Tonnes		2	75	170	84
	£000s		5	119	984	817
Poland	Tonnes			0
	£000s			1
Portugal	Tonnes	5	4	6	9	8
	£000s	24	15	21	22	26
Spain	Tonnes			12	75	54
	£000s			43	284	191

Crown Copyright
Source: HM Revenue and Customs

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November 2, 2022