Tag: Steve Reed

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken in response to the recommendations and key findings of the National Audit Office’s report, Financial sustainability by local authorities 2014, published in November 2014; and what work his Department has carried out on improving its understanding of the financial stability of local authorities.

Mr Marcus Jones

The National Audit Office report, Financial Sustainability of Local Authorities made four key recommendations.

In line with my rt. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State’s (Greg Clark) statement to the House on 17 December, Official Report, Columns 1722-1724, we have noted the criticism of the Public Accounts Committee and the DCLG select committee about previous inclusions of the existing Better Care Fund and the Public Health Grant in councils’ spending power. So we will follow their advice, and henceforth report only resources over which councils have discretion.

In relation to transformation projects, the overall local government finance system sets the conditions to achieve value for money through strong pressure to improve outcomes, whilst delivering services more efficiently

We have learnt from previous spending reviews. In preparation for the Spending Review 2015 officials had early and extensive engagement with all departments that rely on local government to deliver services. This enabled the department to build up a clear picture of whether local authorities core funding was sufficient to deliver their statutory services.

The Department monitors the financial stability of local authorities as part of its oversight of local government expenditure. Officials use the detailed data returns that provided by local authorities throughout the year and they gather intelligence through routine interactions with local authorities, representative bodies and other departments. This helps them to anticipate and act on potential problems.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Attorney General, what steps the CPS has taken to ensure that administrative errors do not prevent victims from giving evidence at trial.

Robert Buckland

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does all that it can to make sure that administrative errors do not prevent victims from giving evidence at trial.

The CPS introduced a national standard operating practice for magistrates’ court activity in May 2015. The process is digital and task-based and is designed to ensure consistency of approach and timing of activity in managing casework which will further reduce the risk of administrative errors being made. Testing of Crown Court standard operating practice commenced at the beginning of February 2016.

Joint police/CPS Witness Care Units (WCUs) provide a single point of contact for victims and witnesses and ensure they have access to tailored support to make sure they are able to attend court and give their best evidence. Most WCUs use the Witness Management System (WMS) to record the contact they have with victims and witnesses. WMS is a bespoke IT system designed to support WCUs in managing their cases, thereby reducing the risk of administrative errors.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the potential effect on business rate revenue of converting all schools to academies.

Mr Marcus Jones

Loss of business rates income to local authorities under the existing 50% business rates retention scheme will be considered under the new burdens doctrine. This assesses how much new policies will cost local authorities and how they will be funded.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has received a copy of the report by the Westminster Commission on Autism, entitled A Spectrum of Obstacles, published in July 2016; and what plans he has to implement that report’s recommendations.

David Mowat

The Department welcomes the Westminster Commission report as a valuable addition to the autism debate. Departmental Officials met with the co-ordinator of the report in July to discuss the report and work is underway to consider the report’s recommendations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to conduct a revaluation of council tax bands in 2016.

Mr Marcus Jones

There are no plans to carry out a revaluation of council tax bands in 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what official domestic visits he has made since May 2015; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

Greg Clark

I have carried out a wide range of domestic visits since May 2015. Transparency data is recorded on the Department’s website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-05-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications to the Disclosure and Barring Service from people living in Croydon have taken more than 60 days to process in the last 12 months.

Karen Bradley

The number of Enhanced Disclosure applications from people living in Croydon that have taken more than 60 days to process in the last 12 months (for which data is available) is listed in the following table.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the period of maternity leave for mothers of premature babies.

Margot James

The UK’s generous entitlement of 52 weeks’ maternity leave provides mothers with sufficient leave to take account of a range of circumstances. Parents who have been employees with the same employer for over a year also have a separate entitlement to parental leave of 18 weeks per parent per child, up to the child’s 18^th birthday, of which typically up to 4 weeks can be taken in one year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2015-12-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to review the effectiveness of the general power of competence.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Conservative led coalition Government gave a commitment that a post implementation review of the provisions of the Localism Act 2011, including the provisions relating to the general power of competence, would be undertaken within three to five years following implementation. We will honour that commitment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-02-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department has spent on (a) hospitality and (b) catering since May 2015.

Brandon Lewis

Guidance to staff now states that refreshments may only be ordered for meetings with external attendees of longer than four hours.

The Department has no separate budget for hospitality and catering. The Department spent £10,829.44 on hospitality from May 2015 to 29 February 2016.

This compares to a bill of almost £500,000 in the last year of the Labour Government.