Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what targeted, additional support they are making available to businesses in seaside towns during and beyond the lockdown.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The government has already invested £228m since 2012 in coastal towns, supporting 359 projects through the Coastal Communities Fund and a further £7.5 million though the Coastal Revival Fund.
In recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19, the government has announced a package of support for businesses to help with their ongoing business costs.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has been working across Government to provide £13 billion of grant funding to help small and rural businesses and businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors manage their cashflow through this period. This support is in the form of two grant funding schemes, the Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF). As of 10 May, these grants have been received by over 742,000 businesses and the performance of local authorities in disbursing funding is published on a weekly basis, including all local authorities covering coastal areas of England, this document can be found here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-grant-funding-local-authority-payments-to-small-and-medium-businesses
In addition, on 1 May, the Business Secretary announced that up to £617 million is being made available to Local Authorities in England to allow them to provide discretionary grants. This is an additional 5% uplift to the £12.33 billion funding previously announced. The additional Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund is aimed at small businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs but not liable for business rates or rates reliefs. Guidance, intended to support Local Authorities in administering the Discretionary Grants Fund, was published on 13 May. This does not replace existing guidance for the SBGF or the RHLGF.
Furthermore, High Streets Minister Simon Clarke announced on 24 May 2020 a new £50 million fund for councils to support their local high streets get safely back to business. To prepare for the reopening of non-essential retail when the scientific advice allows, the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund will help councils in England, including those with seaside towns, introduce a range of safety measures in a move to kick-start local economies, get people back to work and customers back to the shops. The announcement, including allocations, can be found (attached) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/50-million-boost-to-support-the-recovery-of-our-high-streets and the accompanying guidance at : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reopening-high-streets-safely-fund-guidance
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on business rates revenue, following the closure of Thomas Cook's high street shops.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
My Department does not hold data on business rates liabilities associated with particular ratepayers or properties. However, I understand that a significant number of former Thomas Cook branches have been reopened by Hays Travel, with more to follow.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the total amount spent on tourism by local authorities in each region of England in 2016–17; and whether they will provide a breakdown of any such estimate by local authority area.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Providing the complete information requested would exceed the word limit for written parliamentary questions. The information has been provided as attachments.
Local authority revenue expenditure on tourism for 2016-17 was reported in Revenue Outturn 5 (RO5), 2016-17. See 'RO5' data table here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-2016-to-2017-individual-local-authority-data-outturn
Local authority capital expenditure on tourism for 2016-17 was reported in Capital Outturn Return 1 (COR1), 2016-17. See 'COR1' data table here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-capital-expenditure-and-financing-in-england-2016-to-2017-individual-local-authority-data
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why private landlords are required to install a carbon monoxide alarm under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 while those renting their property on sharing economy platforms are not.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The requirement to install a carbon monoxide alarm under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 does apply to properties rented on sharing economy platforms in cases where they are occupied as a person’s only or main residence.
All landlords, including those who let property on a short-term basis, must comply with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 to ensure gas appliances, fittings and chimneys/flues provided for tenants are safe, including keeping a record of the annual gas safety check.
Where homes let on sharing platforms are not occupied as a person’s only or main residence, we are encouraging the Short Term Accommodation Association to drive up standards and promote best practice, and the STAA advise their members that Carbon Monoxide detectors are provided for any rooms were gas, oil or solid fuel is burnt (https://www.ukstaa.org/fire-safety).
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what weight they will give to the advice on the contribution of aviation to economic growth contained in the National Planning Policy Framework, the Planning Practice Guidance, the Aviation Policy Framework, and the General Aviation Strategy, when advising on the Surrey Heath garden village.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Surrey Heath Borough Council’s expression of interest for Fairoaks Garden Village was assessed using the criteria set out in out in the Government prospectus “Locally-Led Garden Villages, Towns and Cities” published (attached) March 2016. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/508205/Locally-led_garden_villages__towns_and_cities.pdf
The National Planning Policy Framework is a material consideration in planning decisions and the Framework’s policies for delivering sustainable development must be considered as a whole. Where relevant, this would include the policy for airports and airfields (that are not subject to a separate national policy statement), which expects local planning authorities to take account of their growth and role in serving business, leisure, training and emergency needs. Planning guidance supporting the Framework makes clear local authorities should consider the interconnectivity between airfields of different sizes and that they should have regard to the Aviation Policy Framework.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in reaching their decision on support for garden villages, what assessment they made of (1) the Planning Practice Guidance which states that local authorities should have regard to airfield connectivity, and (2) the Aviation Policy Framework.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Surrey Heath Borough Council’s expression of interest for Fairoaks Garden Village was assessed using the criteria set out in out in the Government prospectus “Locally-Led Garden Villages, Towns and Cities” published (attached) March 2016. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/508205/Locally-led_garden_villages__towns_and_cities.pdf
The National Planning Policy Framework is a material consideration in planning decisions and the Framework’s policies for delivering sustainable development must be considered as a whole. Where relevant, this would include the policy for airports and airfields (that are not subject to a separate national policy statement), which expects local planning authorities to take account of their growth and role in serving business, leisure, training and emergency needs. Planning guidance supporting the Framework makes clear local authorities should consider the interconnectivity between airfields of different sizes and that they should have regard to the Aviation Policy Framework.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they made of developments at Longcross, Woodham New Town and Deepcut in reaching their decision on the 14 new garden villages.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
All expressions of interest were measured against the assessment criteria as set out in the Government prospectus “Locally-Led Garden Villages, Towns and Cities” published March 2016
They include, for example: the likelihood of timely progress and accelerated delivery; the strength of quality, innovation and design in the proposal; and the strength of local leadership and support.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria they used to select the 14 new garden villages which will receive government support, from the 51 expressions of interest received; and on what criteria the Fairoaks garden village was rejected.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
All expressions of interest were measured against the assessment criteria as set out in the Government prospectus “Locally-Led Garden Villages, Towns and Cities” published March 2016
They include, for example: the likelihood of timely progress and accelerated delivery; the strength of quality, innovation and design in the proposal; and the strength of local leadership and support.