Tag: Clive Betts

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities have (a) an adopted local plan in place, (b) a local plan found sound by the planning inspectorate but not yet adopted, (c) a plan that has been submitted but not yet assessed by the planning inspectorate and (d) a plan published but not yet submitted for inspection.

Brandon Lewis

As of 29 February 2016 (a) 237 authorities had an adopted local plan in place, (b) 1 authority had a local plan that had been found sound by the planning inspectorate but not yet adopted, (c) 29 authorities had plans that have been submitted but not yet assessed by the planning inspectorate and (d) 17 authorities had published a plan but not yet submitted it for inspection.

We have committed to publishing league tables, setting out local authorities’ progress on providing a plan for the jobs and homes needed locally. Last month we set out our intention to publish this information from summer 2016, on a six monthly basis, further details of our proposals can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/implementation-of-planning-changes-technical-consultation.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish the review carried out by McKinsey and Company into his Department’s budget.

Joseph Johnson

The Department will not be publishing the McKinsey work on the grounds that to do so would be likely to reduce the Government’s ability to protect the policy-making process and maintain the delivery of effective Government.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2016 to Question 29982, on local plans, which local authorities fall into each of the four categories of authority.

Brandon Lewis

The Planning Inspectorate publishes this information for all authorities across England, available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-plans.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, under what criteria local authorities will be compensated for the change in the updating of business rates from RPI to CPI.

Mr Marcus Jones

Our business rates tax cuts provide significant support to local businesses.

The Small Business Rate Relief measure announced at the Budget which starts in 2017-18 will mean 600,000 of the smallest businesses will not have to pay business rates. We will compensate local authorities, in full, for the loss of income as a result of this measure, in the same way as we have done for every other reduction to business rates we have made since the introduction of the business rates retention scheme.

In addition, from April 2020, the annual indexation of business rates will be changed from RPI to be consistent with the main measure of inflation, currently CPI. The impact on local authority revenues, post-2020, of this and the other changes announced at the Budget will be considered as part of the Government’s work with the sector on implementing 100 per cent business rate retention.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how the proposed cost savings outlined in the BIS 2020 programme have been calculated; and what estimate he has made of projected savings of relocating staff from the office in Sheffield to London.

Joseph Johnson

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has committed to delivering 30-40% reductions in the Department’s operating expenditure which equates to around £350m by 2020. Savings of this magnitude can only be delivered by changing the Department’s overall business model so that it is simpler, cheaper and better for users of BIS services. This involves reducing the number of offices, our number of partner bodies, and our headcount as well as rationalising customer support, grant giving and digital service delivery. The proposed move of policy teams into a single centre and proposed closure of the Sheffield office forms part of a larger programme to change our business model.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of retaining his Department’s office at St Paul’s Palace, Sheffield.

Joseph Johnson

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 27113 from the Hon Member for Sheffield Central.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 2 of Budget 2016, whether the £3.5 billion savings to public spending to be achieved by 2012-20 will affect the four year funding settlement to local councils announced by his Department in December 2015.

Mr Marcus Jones

While the Government has not yet completed its departmental efficiency review to help identify further savings in 2019-20, we expect the four year allocations confirmed in the final settlement on 10 February 2016 to be the amounts presented to Parliament each year, should councils choose to accept the offer.

We look forward to councils publishing efficiency plans by 14 October 2016 that demonstrate how the greater certainty on offer can bring about opportunities for further savings. However, if councils prefer not to have a four year settlement we cannot guarantee their future levels of funding.

We have been clear that funding allocations in 2019-20 may be subject to the implementation of 100% business rate retention, something councils have asked for over decades and which we are working with the sector to deliver.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how he plans that the section 31 grant to compensate councils for the extension of small business rate relief will be funded.

Mr Marcus Jones

By raising £8 billion through a package of measures to counter tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning by multinational enterprises, Government has been able to announce in the Budget a £6.7 billion reduction in business rates. This is the biggest ever cut in business rates in England. The funding for these section 31 grants was provided for in Budget 2016 through the Budget scorecard (lines 15-17). This additional funding is included in the DCLG Local Government DEL budget figures on page 91 of the Budget Report.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how the proposed cost savings outlined in the BIS 2020 programme have been calculated; and what estimate he has made of projected savings of relocating staff from the office in Sheffield to London.

Joseph Johnson

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has committed to delivering 30-40% reductions in the Department’s operating expenditure which equates to around £350m by 2020. Savings of this magnitude can only be delivered by changing the Department’s overall business model so that it is simpler, cheaper and better for users of BIS services. This involves reducing the number of offices, our number of partner bodies, and our headcount as well as rationalising customer support, grant giving and digital service delivery. The proposed move of policy teams into a single centre and proposed closure of the Sheffield office forms part of a larger programme to change our business model.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Clive Betts on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of retaining his Department’s office at St Paul’s Palace, Sheffield.

Joseph Johnson

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 27113 from the Hon Member for Sheffield Central.

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