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Tag: Hilary Benn

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-04-30.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2014, Official Report, column 677W, on VAT, how many VAT431NB claims have been submitted in each of the (a) last eight years and (b) smallest time periods by which data is kept over the last eight years.

    Mr David Gauke

    VAT 431NB New House Build Claims and VAT431C Conversion claims forms have only been in use in their current form since September 2009.

    Data on these forms is kept on an annual calendar year basis.

    Type of claim

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    New Build/from 2009 VAT431NB

    6818

    6441

    6183

    5303

    Conversion/from 2009 VAT431C

    1155

    1107

    1251

    999
  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-06-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of brownfield land in England is covered by a Local Development Order.

    Nick Boles

    At this point in time, this information is not centrally held.

    However, I refer the rt. hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement of 16 June 2014, Official Report, Column 71-72WS, on the steps we are taking to promote the use of Local Development Orders on brownfield land.

    In addition, the Written Ministerial Statement of 10 June 2014, Official Report, Column 33WS, provides a broader summary of steps we have taken to facilitate empty and redundant land and property being brought back into productive use.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) his Department and (b) any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of his Department in the current financial year.

    Elizabeth Truss

    Since May 2010 the Department for Education has reduced the size of its estate from 30 properties, at a cost of circa £51 million per annum, to 11 properties costing circa £34 million per annum. This is a saving of circa £17 million per annum. The Department is planning to further reduce the size of the estate to 6 properties. This will achieve further annual savings to the Department of circa £2.5 million. The Department also plans to vacate Sanctuary Buildings at lease expiry in 2017.

    The Department for Education, including the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), has the following vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS property database.

    Number of properties

    Business Rates 13-14

    Department for Education

    3

    £79,010.25

    Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service

    1

    £9,222.00

    The Department for Education properties are legacy Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) properties which became the Department’s responsibility following the closure of the TEC in the early 2000s. The Department had successfully sub-let a number of facilities, although over the last three years some of the sub-tenants have operated lease break options and the properties are again vacant.

    These properties are advertised on the Government Property Unit’s e-PIMS property database for use by other Government Departments and we are also marketing these facilities to the private sector, via letting agents, to secure new sub-tenants in order to mitigate costs, including business rates. The Department has offered all vacant properties listed above to the Government business incubator initiative and for free schools.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-04-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many VAT431NB claims have been submitted in each of the last 32 quarters.

    Mr David Gauke

    Data on these forms is not kept on a quarterly basis.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research her Department has undertaken on the relationship between levels of street lighting and the incidence of (a) burglaries, (b) offences against the person and (c) other crimes.

    Norman Baker

    The Home Office has not undertaken any recent research into the relationship
    between levels of street lighting and the incidence of crimes.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-03-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) his Department and (b) any executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies of his Department in the current financial year.

    Mike Penning

    The Department does not own any buildings. The DWP estate was sold (freehold, feuhold and long leasehold interests) or transferred (short leasehold interests) to Telereal Trillium under a 20 year PFI contract known as “PRIME” in 1998.

    Any properties that become surplus to DWP’s requirements are returned to Telereal Trillium under the PRIME contract.

    The Health and Safety Executive estimate that the empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database in the current financial year is £40,143.33. However, this relates to Douglas House in Edinburgh which, strictly speaking, is not empty. There are other occupants in the property but HSE’s space held on e-PIMS is shown as vacant to attract potential tenants. As a result, the e-PIMS entry will make Douglas House appear empty.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-04-10.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many VAT431C claims have been submitted in each of the last 32 quarters.

    Mr David Gauke

    Data on these forms is not kept on a quarterly basis.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research his Department has undertaken on the relationship between levels of street lighting and (a) road traffic accidents and (b) injuries to pedestrians.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Highways Agency is responsible for lighting on the strategic road network and local authorities for street lighting in their areas. It is for the authorities themselves to decide the level of service they wish their street lighting network to deliver.

    No recent research has been undertaken by the Department for Transport on the relationship between levels of street lighting and (a) road traffic accidents and (b) injuries to pedestrians. The Department does, however, collect accident data and this will include factors including whether or not the area was in darkness or lit.

    In　2006 investigations were carried out by the Highways Agency which concluded road lighting reduced the number of night-time personal accident injuries on the strategic road network by 10% on motorways & dual carriageways, and 12% on single carriageway roads. The Highways Agency has not conducted any specific research on the impact of road lighting on accidents involving pedestrians due to their low numbers on the strategic road network.

    Where the Highways Agency has undertaken the switching off of lights at midnight at certain site locations, these were subject to a detailed safety assessment. By selecting sites with a good safety record and where night-time traffic flows are low, the Highways Agency is confident there will be no adverse impact on road safety.

    This Government is providing over £4.5 billion from 2010 to 2015 to local highway authorities in England for highways maintenance, including street lighting. If a local highway authority is considering upgrading or improving their street lighting stock, the Department for Transport encourages them to consider the "Invest to Save" Guidance produced by the Association of Directors of Environment, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) which is available from the Institution of Lighting Professionals.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-03-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of local authorities which registered for emergency financial assistance under the Bellwin Scheme as a result of recent flooding have received payment within 15 working days.

    Brandon Lewis

    [Holding Reply: Monday 31 March 2014]

    Bellwin provides emergency financial assistance to local authorities to help them meet uninsurable costs they incur when responding to a major emergency in their area. The level of funding over time is casually linked to the scale of flooding or other emergency. It operates by local authorities retrospectively claiming spending back.

    As at 27 March 2014, only five local authorities have submitted Bellwin claims in respect of the recent flooding. One of these claims was paid within 15 days. The other four claims have only been received in the last few days and should also be paid within 15 days. Local authorities have until the end of June 2014 to apply.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-04-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many homes have been self-built in each of the last eight years.

    Kris Hopkins

    The Department does not hold official statistics.

    To assist the preparation and implementation of policy to support self-builders, the Department is examining how best the take-up of self-build can be quantified.