Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the prospectus for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will help to level up and create opportunity across the UK for places most in need, such as ex-industrial areas, deprived towns and rural and coastal communities, and for people who face labour market barriers.
In addition, to help local areas prepare over 2021/22 for the introduction of the UKSPF, we will provide additional UK funding to support our communities to pilot programmes and new approaches.
The November 2020 Spending Review set out the main strategic elements of the UKSPF in the Heads of Terms. The Government will publish a UK-wide investment framework in Spring 2021 and confirm multi-year funding profiles at the next Spending Review. Further details on the operation of the additional funding in 2021/22 will be published soon.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend building regulations to ensure that all new developments are provided with facilities for recharging electric vehicles relating to each new dwelling in the development.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The government consulted in 2019 on options to amend the building regulations to require electric vehicle chargepoints in residential and non-residential buildings. We will publish a response, which will set out our plans for the new requirements coming into effect.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposal in the report by Onward The Policies of Belonging, published on 12 January, that every local area should have the 'right to self government' through a parish or town council; and, further to this, what assessment they have made of proposals for the removal of the ability of principal local authorities to veto proposals for new town and parish councils.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
My department notes the proposals set out in this report and the calls to remove the formal role of principal councils in the creation of town and parish councils. It is however the government’s view that democratically elected and accountable local government has a vital role to play in this process, ensuring that councils can take a strategic view on governance on behalf of their communities. The Devolution white paper will set out the government’s plans for levelling up all areas of the country and empowering our communities.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have encouraged principal councils to provide financial support to parish and town councils from the funding they have received from the Government; and if so, (1) how, (2) what guidance they have provided, and (3) when any such guidance was issued.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government does not have powers to offer direct financial support to parish and town councils, which are funded through a precept collected from within the overall council tax paid by the residents of the parish or town. The Secretary of State has written to principal authorities encouraging them to discuss funding issues with parish councils where parishes are performing covid-related services. In addition the department has written to parish councils encouraging them to engage with their principal council to discuss access to funding. The Government has provided £8 billion of un-ringfenced support to local authorities since the start of the pandemic, recognising that local authorities are best placed to decide how to meet the major service pressures in their local areas.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the deferred local elections which are expected to take place in May 2021 will be for (1) three, or (2) four, year terms of office.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Section 60(3) of the Coronavirus Act 2020 provides that for elected representatives whose elections scheduled for May 2020 were postponed, their term of office has been extended to May 2021; for those elected in 2021 as a result of the postponement, their term of office will be three years ending in 2024 rather than four years. This will maintain the pre-pandemic electoral cycles. By-elections postponed until May 2021 will be for the remaining term of office for that seat in May 2021.