Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the statutory duties of local highway authorities for the public rights of way network are integrated into the Local Government Outcomes Framework.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has no plans at this stage to integrate local highway authorities’ statutory duties for public rights of way into the Local Government Outcomes Framework. The Local Government Outcomes Framework will include key national priorities delivered at the local level, so will not have metrics measuring all local authority statutory duties. Local highway authorities have clear statutory responsibilities for managing and maintaining the public rights of way network within their individual areas, including ensuring routes are kept free from obstruction. They are also required to prepare and keep under review a Rights of Way Improvement Plan, which assesses the condition of the network and sets out planned improvements for all users. These plans are published on each authority’s website.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to publish any amendments they intend to make to the draft code of practice under the Elections Act 2022.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities received the Electoral Commission's draft code of practice for third-party campaigners on controlled expenditure, required by the Elections Act 2022, on the 19 of April 2023. In line with Section 29 of the Act, the Secretary of State is currently considering the draft code. Once approved, the code will be laid before Parliament, with or without modifications. If the draft code incorporates any such modifications, the Secretary of State will lay before Parliament a statement setting out the Secretary of State's reasons for making them.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to bring the code of practice under the Election Act 2022 into force.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities received the Electoral Commission's draft code of practice for third-party campaigners on controlled expenditure, required by the Elections Act 2022, on the 19 of April 2023. In line with Section 29 of the Act, the Secretary of State is currently considering the draft code. Once approved, the code will be laid before Parliament, with or without modifications. If the draft code incorporates any such modifications, the Secretary of State will lay before Parliament a statement setting out the Secretary of State's reasons for making them.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they received the draft code of practice required under the Elections Act 2022 from the Electoral Commission.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities received the Electoral Commission's draft code of practice for third-party campaigners on controlled expenditure, required by the Elections Act 2022, on the 19 of April 2023. In line with Section 29 of the Act, the Secretary of State is currently considering the draft code. Once approved, the code will be laid before Parliament, with or without modifications. If the draft code incorporates any such modifications, the Secretary of State will lay before Parliament a statement setting out the Secretary of State's reasons for making them.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) number, and (2) percentage, of properties were sold in each of the Council Tax bands in (a) 2004, and (b) the latest year for which figures are available.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department does not hold information on the number of domestic properties sold by council tax band.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the proposed (1) name, (2) terms of reference, (3) membership, and (4) frequency of meetings, of the Cabinet Committee to be set up under the plans in the Levelling Up White Paper.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The terms of reference for the Domestic and Economic (Levelling Up) Cabinet Committee are: ‘To set direction for place-based strategies and embed levelling up within government policy and delivery’. The membership of the Committee comprises: the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; the Chief Secretary to the Treasury; and, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Levelling Up, The Union and Constitution. Other Ministers are invited according to the agenda.
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they meet, is not normally shared publicly.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which ministers sit on the Safe and Integrated Communities Inter-Ministerial Group; and how many times has the Group met in the last 12 months.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Government is committed to ensuring that our communities are both safe and well integrated. This is at the heart of our mission to level up communities across the whole of the UK. The specific inter-ministerial group last met in 2019. Ministers and officials continue to meet regularly, driving forward vital work across Government – and in local places - to create socially and economically stronger, more confident and integrated communities.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to announce the results of the consultation on the Integrated Communities Strategy green paper, in particular the review of the Life in the UK test, which closed on 5 June 2018.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
On 9 February, we published the Integrated Communities Action Plan alongside the government’s response to the consultation on our Integrated Communities Green Paper. The Action Plan contains a range of cross-government measures to support the government’s commitment to build strong integrated communities where people – whatever their background – live, work, learn and socialise together, based on shared rights, responsibilities and opportunities.
The Government has committed in the Action Plan to revise the content of the Life in the UK test to give greater prominence to British values. We are currently considering how to take forward the process of consulting and seeking input into the Life in UK Test.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Integrated Communities Strategy green paper, published in March 2018, when they expect to announce the results of the consultation on methods of improving English language skills.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
On 9 February we published the Government Response to the Integrated Communities Green Paper and an accompanying Action Plan. The new Integrated Communities Action Plan will drive forward work across government to create socially and economically stronger, more confident and integrated communities. In the Action Plan we commit to a new Cross-Government National English Language Strategy for Autumn 2019. We will engage widely with the sector to help shape its content.
Asked by: Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to require the Forestry Commission to prepare and publish an environmental impact assessment in respect of the planned development by Forest Holidays in Mortimer Forest, Herefordshire.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Herefordshire Council has already screened the proposal as requiring an environmental statement as part of the process of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Therefore, an environmental statement must be produced to accompany any planning application that follows. In these circumstances the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 provide for the applicant to contest the opinion of the local authority by requesting a screening direction from the Secretary of State.
No request has been made for a screening direction. However, I cannot comment as I must be careful not to prejudice the outcome should a request be received by the Secretary of State.