The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2014-07-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the administration costs of the proposed 2015 firefighters’ pension scheme.
Penny Mordaunt
The Firefighters’ Pension Schemes are administered locally by individual fire and rescue authorities. No assessment has been made of the administrative costs of the schemes by this Department.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2014-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many crew were available in each fire and rescue authority area during the 24-hour strike on 12 June 2014; and how many crew are available in each area on non-strike days.
Brandon Lewis
The levels of crewing available for each authority, whether or not during periods of strike action, are dependent upon a number of factors. These include the duty system being worked locally, availability of on-call firefighters and, during strike periods, local contingency arrangements, which are the responsibility of each fire and rescue authority. The Department collects details of appliance availability from local fire and rescue authorities on a confidential basis. The arrangements for business continuity planning during strike action are kept under review by the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser.
The principles of the recall to duty protocol, published as National Joint Council for Fire and Rescue Services Circular NJC/09/13, were agreed between the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser, the Fire Brigades Union and the National Employers. Appendix 1 applies to fire and rescue authorities in England and makes clear that the Chief Fire Officers are responsible for arrangements locally, in accordance with their service’s major incident policies. I am confident that should there be a major disaster, striking firefighters would return to work.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2014-07-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Northern Ireland Executive’s offer to firefighters on pensions is cost neutral.
Penny Mordaunt
The pension arrangements to apply to firefighters in Northern Ireland are a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. Northern Ireland is not covered by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013 which requires a Normal Pension Age of 60 to apply to firefighters in England, Scotland and Wales.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2014-06-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will publish his assessment of the workability of the protocol agreed between his Department and the Fire Brigades Union on recall to duty in the event of a major incident or national disaster.
Brandon Lewis
The levels of crewing available for each authority, whether or not during periods of strike action, are dependent upon a number of factors. These include the duty system being worked locally, availability of on-call firefighters and, during strike periods, local contingency arrangements, which are the responsibility of each fire and rescue authority. The Department collects details of appliance availability from local fire and rescue authorities on a confidential basis. The arrangements for business continuity planning during strike action are kept under review by the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser.
The principles of the recall to duty protocol, published as National Joint Council for Fire and Rescue Services Circular NJC/09/13, were agreed between the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser, the Fire Brigades Union and the National Employers. Appendix 1 applies to fire and rescue authorities in England and makes clear that the Chief Fire Officers are responsible for arrangements locally, in accordance with their service’s major incident policies. I am confident that should there be a major disaster, striking firefighters would return to work.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of how many pumps were available in each fire and rescue authority (a) during periods of Fire Brigades Union strike action in 2013-14 and (b) on comparable non-strike days in the same period.
Brandon Lewis
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 30 June, Official Report, Column 409-410W.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2014-06-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s publication of work carried out by the Government Actuary’s Department Costings and Correspondence on 12 June 2014, what plans he has to bring forward new proposals based on options set out in that document negotiations on firefighters’ pensions.
Brandon Lewis
As set out in my response to the hon. Member of 24 June, Official Report, column 131W, we are currently consulting on draft regulations to implement the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 2015 and this consultation concludes on 4 July 2014. The Department will consider all the responses received to that consultation and final decisions will subsequently be taken on the design of the scheme to be implemented. It is open to the Fire Brigades Union, or any other interested party, to respond to the consultation in a way that builds on the costings carried out on behalf of the Union by the Government Actuary’s Department. However, it would be premature to pre-empt the outcome of that consultation.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2015-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of population growth on local government finance needs.
Kris Hopkins
Parliament approved the Local Government Finance Report for 2015-16 on 10 February 2015. The settlement is fair to all; councils with the highest needs have higher spending power per household than those with lower needs.
The focus of the settlement has deliberately changed away from keeping authorities dependent on grant, to providing them with the tools they need to grow their economies. As a result, although we took into account relative needs when setting the baseline for the new system, we have frozen this to maximise the incentive effect. All councils can benefit from the incentives for growth we have put in place – the New Homes Bonus and business rates retention.
For example Newham’s retained income from Business Rates in 2013-14 was just under £7 million above its baseline funding level; and the authority’s own forecasts suggest it will be over £10 million above its baseline funding level in 2014-15. In addition Newham’s housing stock has increased by over 8,000 units over the period of the New Homes bonus scheme, providing a further £28 million of funding to the Borough in the years to 2015-16.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2015-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to link local government finance settlements to ONS population growth figures.
Kris Hopkins
Parliament approved the Local Government Finance Report for 2015-16 on 10 February 2015. The settlement is fair to all; councils with the highest needs have higher spending power per household than those with lower needs.
The focus of the settlement has deliberately changed away from keeping authorities dependent on grant, to providing them with the tools they need to grow their economies. As a result, although we took into account relative needs when setting the baseline for the new system, we have frozen this to maximise the incentive effect. All councils can benefit from the incentives for growth we have put in place – the New Homes Bonus and business rates retention.
For example Newham’s retained income from Business Rates in 2013-14 was just under £7 million above its baseline funding level; and the authority’s own forecasts suggest it will be over £10 million above its baseline funding level in 2014-15. In addition Newham’s housing stock has increased by over 8,000 units over the period of the New Homes bonus scheme, providing a further £28 million of funding to the Borough in the years to 2015-16.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2015-02-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to compensate (a) Newham, (b) other councils in East London and (c) other areas in the UK where population growth is above average for the increased demand for council services resulting from population growth.
Kris Hopkins
Parliament approved the Local Government Finance Report for 2015-16 on 10 February 2015. The settlement is fair to all; councils with the highest needs have higher spending power per household than those with lower needs.
The focus of the settlement has deliberately changed away from keeping authorities dependent on grant, to providing them with the tools they need to grow their economies. As a result, although we took into account relative needs when setting the baseline for the new system, we have frozen this to maximise the incentive effect. All councils can benefit from the incentives for growth we have put in place – the New Homes Bonus and business rates retention.
For example Newham’s retained income from Business Rates in 2013-14 was just under £7 million above its baseline funding level; and the authority’s own forecasts suggest it will be over £10 million above its baseline funding level in 2014-15. In addition Newham’s housing stock has increased by over 8,000 units over the period of the New Homes bonus scheme, providing a further £28 million of funding to the Borough in the years to 2015-16.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2015-02-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2015 to Question 222233, if he will place in the Library the grant agreements for integration projects and activities funded by his Department since 2010.
Stephen Williams
I will shortly place copies of grant agreements relating to 37 current integration projects and work streams in the Library of the House. Copies of grant agreements relating to concluded projects could only be provided at disproportionate cost.