Tag: Hilary Benn

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many apprentices aged (a) 16 to 18, (b) 19 to 24 and (c) 25 years or over are employed in (i) his Department and (ii) each of his Department’s executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Brandon Lewis

My Department currently has six apprentices. Two are aged 16 to 18, and four are aged 19 to 24. We are due to get a further 4 apprentices in September 2014.

Of our Arms Length Bodies, the Planning Inspectorate currently has seven apprentices. Six are aged 19 to 24, and one is aged 25 or over. Homes and Communities Agency currently has three apprentices, all of whom are aged 19 to 24.

6 apprentices were appointed to permanent roles in the Department of the 10 employed last year. The Department is committed to bringing in apprentices and promoting fresh perspectives and ideas. They are enthusiastic in their approach to work and committed to learning and developing the skills needed to make a positive contribution, both within and outside the Department.

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 types of premises will be excluded from the wider retail use class announced in the Budget 2014.

Nick Boles

We will consult in due course. The consultation will include proposals on the wider retail use class announced in the Budget 2014.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the average lettings agency fees charged to tenants in the private rented sector (a) at the start of a new tenancy and (b) when a tenancy is renewed.

Kris Hopkins

My Department has not made its own estimate of the average lettings agency fees charged to tenants in the private rented sector but has taken note of the figures reported by independent organisations, such as the Office of Fair Trading, Shelter and Which.

The Government is currently legislating through the Consumer Rights Bill to ensure there is full transparency on fees charged by all letting agencies, ending hidden fees.

By contrast, I would observe that the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has commented that the policy proposals of HM Opposition on fees would harm tenants, as it would lead to: “increases in rents to cover the additional costs visited upon landlords” and a “reduction in supply” (RICS, Letting agent fees for tenants: a tale of two amendments, 15 May 2014).

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 estimate he has made of the potential additional cost to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal Appeals Service if a 25 per cent discount on the full price of their parking ticket is given to motorists who lose an appeal against that parking ticket at tribunal.

Brandon Lewis

As recommended by the Transport Select Committee (Local authority parking enforcement, HC 118, October 2013), the Government intends to work in partnership with a local authority to assess introducing a 25% discount to motorists who lose an appeal at tribunal level. This trial will allow us to evaluate the impacts, before rolling out the policy nationally.

The underlying policy rationale is the current lack of any discount at an appeal stage (but with a discount operating if the driver does not appeal) acts as a disincentive for drivers with genuine cases to appeal. I would remind the rt. hon. Member that parking fines are a quasi-judicial process, not a source of revenue for councils. This Government believes in fairness, in contrast to the Labour Government which actively told councils to adopt aggressive parking enforcement practices.

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.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his letter of 24 October 2014 to the chief finance officers of English billing authorities, which local authorities have offered a business rate discount to premises with a free-to-use cash machine since the sending of that letter; and if he will make a statement.

Kris Hopkins

We do not hold this information centrally. Councils do not need the permission of Whitehall to levy such local discounts.

The Localism Act 2011 gave local authorities in England powers to grant business rates discounts. We have urged authorities to use their powers to provide relief to cash machines where there is a clear community benefit, such as where cash machine providers commit to introduce extra cash machines or reduce charges on existing machines. Central government now funds 50% of local discounts.

We also announced at the 2014 Autumn Statement an extra £650 million of support for 2015-16 business rates bills in England, bringing the total support from 2013 and 2014 Autumn Statement measures to £1.4 billion in 2015-16.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he will answer Question 200690 tabled by the hon. Member for Leeds Central on 13 June 2014.

Kris Hopkins

Question 200690 was answered on 26 June 2014, Official Report¸ Column 270W.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assistance has been (a) requested from or (b) offered by his Department to South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils following the fire at their offices in Crowmarsh Gifford.

Penny Mordaunt

Following the fire at the council offices on 15 January local business continuity arrangements were immediately put into place. Telephone calls were made to Councillor John Cotton, leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, and Councillor Ian Hudspeth, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, on the day to offer support and no central government assistance was requested. I would like to pay tribute to Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service, and to neighbouring fire and rescue services that supported them, for their response to this incident, and to council officials who have maintained essential council services. Officials from Fire, Resilience and Emergencies Directorate have been in contact with Oxfordshire’s Chief Fire Officer, Dave Etheridge.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library correspondence he has received from Essex County Council and Brentwood Council on changes to councillors’ eligibility for the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Kris Hopkins

Brentwood Borough Council did not send in a response to the consultation on “Taxpayer-funded pensions for councillors and other elected local office holders”. A copy of Essex County Council’s response is attached.

This differential interest no doubt reflects the fact that Brentwood Borough Council did not have any councillors in the Local Government Pension Scheme (a consequence of the decision of my hon. Friend, the Member for Great Yarmouth, when he was leader of the Council not to join the scheme), whereas Essex did. Non-participating councils tended not to respond to the consultation.

Prior to the consultation, only 16 per cent of councillors were actually members of the scheme and only 55 councils actually responded. The majority of Councils and Councillors submitted no objection to the Government’s proposal to end Councillor’s access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Such taxpayer-funded local government pensions have now been abolished, subject to practical transition measures introduced as a result of the consultation. These reforms will save taxpayers’ money, strengthen the independence of councillors, and reflects that the fact that councillors are not salaried employees of the council. Nothing prevents councillors from contributing to their own private personal pension, receiving tax relief like any other member of the public.

The suggestion by some that these changes would discourage people from running for election has not been borne out. In last year’s London borough elections, all candidates nominated in the knowledge that there would be no taxpayer-funded pensions if they were elected; yet more candidates ran for election in London in 2014 than in 2010 (source: London datastore).

I suspect that the council tax-paying public would be less than impressed at the Labour Party’s calls to reintroduce such taxpayer-funded pensions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-02-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensures that in cases where jobseeker’s allowance claimants are sanctioned, local authorities suspend housing benefit only in cases where it is appropriate to do so.

Esther McVey

I refer the Hon. member to the reply given to the Rt Hon. Member for East Ham on 5 January 2015.