Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to (1) devise, and (2) introduce, a qualification in agriculture at (a) GCSE, and (b) A-Level.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The government has introduced a number of recent changes to GCSEs and A levels in England that will affect schools in the coming years. We know that extensive changes need time to settle in to schools, and that school leaders will want stability to bring in the new qualifications. Therefore, at the present time, there are no plans to introduce any further GCSEs or A levels beyond those to which the government has already committed.
There are vocational qualifications currently available in this subject, such as City & Guilds Level 2 Technical Certificate in Agriculture and IMI Level 3 Extended Diploma in Land-based Engineering Technology (VRQ). As part of our reforms to technical education, we are establishing a common framework of 15 technical education routes that encompass all employment-based and college-based training. The Agriculture, Environment and Animal Care route will be rolled out in September 2022.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 14 November (HL Deb, col 1928), how many of the proposed new garden cities, towns and villages will be located in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government is already, through our garden cities, towns and villages programme, supporting garden towns at Bicester, Didcot and Aylesbury and a garden village close to Eynsham. Decisions are still being made on the location of the five new garden towns which the government committed to supporting at Autumn Budget.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to review the law relating to public rights of way that go through (1) private homes and gardens, and (2) working farmyards, in relation to cases in which privacy, safety or security is an issue.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
We are working towards implementing a package of reforms to the policy and legislative framework governing public rights of way. The package includes measures that we believe will help people who are experiencing problems with rights of way that cross their property. We have already undertaken to review these measures two years after implementation to evaluate how well they are working.
Good progress has been made on drafting the various required statutory instruments and guidance, working with the Stakeholder Working Group who developed the recommendations for reform. We intend to implement all the reforms in one go as a complete package, but I am not yet in a position at present to say precisely when.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to issue planning authorities with guidance on whether applications for permission to construct light industrial buildings or workshops should be considered in the light of the possibility of a later application for change of use to residential purposes.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Local planning authorities are required to determine planning applications for development in accordance with their Local Plan, national policy and other material considerations.
The temporary national permitted development right for the change of use of light industrial buildings to residential use requires the building to have been in light industrial use on 19 March 2014, and if not in use on that date for light industry to have been the last use. There are no requirements in respect of how long the building must have been in that use. The right does not apply to buildings whose use for light industrial use commenced after 19 March 2014.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government for how long buildings and workshops with planning permission for light industrial use must be (1) in existence, and (2) used for such purposes, before they may be converted for residential use.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Local planning authorities are required to determine planning applications for development in accordance with their Local Plan, national policy and other material considerations.
The temporary national permitted development right for the change of use of light industrial buildings to residential use requires the building to have been in light industrial use on 19 March 2014, and if not in use on that date for light industry to have been the last use. There are no requirements in respect of how long the building must have been in that use. The right does not apply to buildings whose use for light industrial use commenced after 19 March 2014.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Small Business Commissioner is able to intervene where service suppliers demand payment in less than 30 days from the date of the invoice.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Small Business Commissioner will consider complaints about payment issues between small business suppliers (with fewer than 50 staff) and their larger customers, making non-binding recommendations. A complaint will be considered by the Small Business Commissioner if it relates to a payment matter which could be a request or other act, or a failure to pay or other omission in relation to payment.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued to planning authorities concerning the inclusion in permissions for housing schemes of a clause or clauses regarding the priority to be given to the construction of affordable dwellings.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the government’s planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied. This is supported by planning practice guidance.
The NPPF recommends that local planning authorities plan for a diverse range of housing however it is their responsibility to determine affordable housing policies, and to assess planning applications accordingly. It is up to local authorities to determine their policies for affordable housing, and to determine their planning applications accordingly.
Where local policies indicate that affordable housing provision is necessary, Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 requires developers to enter into obligations to provide affordable homes. These obligations must be fully justified and evidenced.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the purchase or rental of a mobility scooter is dependent upon an assessment by a health professional of the degree of invalidity of the user.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The law states that a Class 2 and Class 3 vehicle may only be used by a disabled person, or by a non-disabled person who is demonstrating a vehicle before sale, training a disabled user or taking the vehicle to or from a place for maintenance or repair. In addition, a Class 3 vehicle can only be used by a disabled person aged 14 or over. A disabled person in this context is someone with an injury, physical disability or medical condition which means that they are unable to walk or have difficulty in walking.
Mobility vehicle users are encouraged to have an assessment with a dealer or supplier before acquiring a vehicle and to take training in their use.
The law does not require people to provide proof that they have a 'physical defect or disability’ in order to qualify to use a mobility scooter.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 9 October (HL1367), what rules govern the acquisition and use of mobility scooters.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The law states that a Class 2 and Class 3 vehicle may only be used by a disabled person, or by a non-disabled person who is demonstrating a vehicle before sale, training a disabled user or taking the vehicle to or from a place for maintenance or repair. In addition, a Class 3 vehicle can only be used by a disabled person aged 14 or over. A disabled person in this context is someone with an injury, physical disability or medical condition which means that they are unable to walk or have difficulty in walking.
Mobility vehicle users are encouraged to have an assessment with a dealer or supplier before acquiring a vehicle and to take training in their use.
The law does not require people to provide proof that they have a 'physical defect or disability’ in order to qualify to use a mobility scooter.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many, and what proportion, of affordable homes granted planning permission in each of the last five years have not yet received a completion certificate (1) in the private sector, and (2) in the public sector.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The department does not hold any data monitoring the completion of individual units granted permission on affordable housing.