Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Lord Stunell, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Lord Stunell has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Lord Stunell has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Cabinet Office does not centrally hold commercial information on Government-funded construction projects. Individual departments manage and procure their own contracts. The Cabinet Office can confirm that no contracts with Caledonian Modular were held with the Cabinet Office prior to its collapse in March 2022.
The Clearing House function does not have full time members of staff, and its work is done by a small team of people in the FOI team, including the Deputy Director of Freedom of Information and Transparency, alongside their other day to day responsibilities. There is no separate budget for the Clearing House.
The Cabinet Office does not routinely capture data on the number of requests which are referred to the Clearing House. However, in 2020, Clearing House gave advice on 516 aggregated ‘round robins’ (requests made to more than one department and that have repeat characteristics); a small proportion of over 30,000 requests received by government departments in the same time period.
The Cabinet Office has referred requests to the Clearing House where appropriate and in line with the published criteria, which is available on gov.uk here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-and-freedom-of-information.
Information on Freedom of Information statistics is also published on gov.uk here - https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics.
The Government published how the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s current year budget has been allocated in the 2023-24 Main Estimate. The Government will publish the equivalent information for the 2024-25 financial year in the forthcoming 2024-25 Main Estimate. Departmental headcount figures are published each year in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts.
Nuclear power stations in Great Britain must comply with our stringent nuclear safety laws, overseen by a robust and independent regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). The ONR would not allow a reactor to be built or to operate if it judged that it was not safe to do so.
The ONR are already engaged with relevant contacts, including its international regulatory partners, to fully understand the issues at Taishan, and any associated learning will form part of their ongoing scrutiny of the Hinkley Point C (HPC) project.
As of 8th February, 22,165 vouchers have already been issued with more being issued each day.
The value of these vouchers is currently £94.1 million.
Official scheme statistics will be published in due course.
As of 11 February, 22,953 vouchers have been issued under the scheme. These, given by region, are as follows (reporting 2.55pm, 11th February 2021):
The overall number of vouchers issued (22,953) and the sum of the total number of vouchers by region above (22,913) differ by 40 vouchers. This is because these vouchers do not list an English region on their application.
As of 8th February, 22,165 vouchers have already been issued with more being issued each day.
Applications will continue to be processed by the scheme administrator in line with the rules of the scheme. Official scheme statistics will be published in due course.
Official scheme statistics will be published in due course. BEIS will continue to monitor application data as the scheme progresses.
A good supply of skilled workers is essential in order to meet our aspiration for as many UK homes as possible to be Energy Performance Certificate band C by 2035, where practical, cost-effective and affordable.
In 2018, the domestic and non-domestic energy efficiency sectors employed 153,600 people, but more will be required. The new Green Homes Grant scheme could deliver over 100,000 green jobs throughout the many different regions of England.
The Government calculates greenhouse gas emissions savings for a range of different policies, and we will equally do so for the Green Homes Grant scheme.
There are currently 166 retrofit coordinators who have completed the training and over 250 more are undertaking it. Given the number of people completing the qualification is based on demand and individuals’ chosen speed of training, we have not estimated how many will complete it by 31 December 2020.
The Government remains committed to delivering the aspiration set out in the Clean Growth Strategy for as many homes as possible to be Energy Performance Certificate Band C by 2035, where practical, cost-effective and affordable.
We are planning to publish a Heat and Buildings Strategy in due course, which will set out the immediate actions we will take for reducing emissions from buildings.
These actions include the deployment of energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating as part of an ambitious programme of work required to enable key strategic decisions that set us on a path to decarbonising all homes and buildings.
The Government has no plans to consult on bringing forward legislation to include all construction operations in connection with process industry operations within the remit of Part 2 of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996.
We estimate that 250 – 1,000 retrofit coordinators will be required to meet the PAS2035:2019 requirements for the Energy Company Obligation, which is currently the only policy in which the Retrofit Standards Framework will have to be implemented from 1 July 2021. The number of retrofit coordinators required will depend on the number of projects and the number of measures per project.
Currently, around 80 people have graduated from the training with around an additional 230 going through the process.
The training can be provided fully on-line and we are in regular contact with the training provider to monitor uptake as well as considering options to increase it should we deem it necessary.
We estimate that 250 – 1,000 retrofit coordinators will be required to meet the PAS2035:2019 requirements for the Energy Company Obligation. The number of retrofit coordinators required will depend on the number of projects and the number of measures per project.
Currently, around 80 people have graduated from the training with around an additional 230 going through the process.
The training can be provided fully on-line and we are monitoring uptake as well as considering options to increase it should we deem it necessary.
The department takes into account all legislation and government guidance in its construction procurements, including procurement policy notes and the Construction Playbook. Its approach to contractual payment mechanisms balances the efficient operation of its construction contracts and management of public money against the expectations of the construction sector. The use of retentions in construction contracts is subject to ongoing consultation across government, and the industry and the department are keen to be part of this debate.
Following the Minister of State for Rail’s meeting with the operator on 4 September, and after reviewing its options, Northern is introducing two trains in the morning, Monday to Friday, for Rose Hill-Marple from 14 September, which will help school children and morning commuters. There will be an additional afternoon service, arriving at Rose Hill-Marple at 1514 and arriving Manchester Piccadilly half an hour later. From the 26 October schools’ half-term, Northern will provide a regular service every 90 minutes during the day between Manchester Piccadilly and Rose Hill Marple.
Northern Trains Ltd (NTL) had been rolling out a major driver training programme for its new trains prior to the Covid -19 lockdown, however in line with the rest of the rail industry, driver training was suspended due to the epidemic. The operator is trialling a process to ensure the safety of the driver and a trainer in a cab, and is using technology to support training outside of the cab including use of Virtual Reality simulations. NTL has also been working with health advisors to enable those previously classed as shielded or vulnerable to return to work where appropriate and it has put together a driver recruitment plan.
Customers claiming Universal Credit, New Style JSA and ESA already do so online. Many parts of the verification process, which is essential to check an individual’s eligibility to claim, is also carried out online. To protect Universal Credit from the risk of fraud, in some cases we require face to face verification activity in a COVID secure environment.
Key workers will continue to deliver essential services, including in jobcentres, across the UK. Anyone who needs to get support or other vital services from our jobcentres will be able to continue to do so in an environment that is safe and compliant with COVID regulations. Telephone appointments can be arranged for customers who prefer to receive support virtually. We ask customers who do come in-person to take a lateral flow test and follow all the safety measures to help reduce the spread of COVID.
NHS England will publish its planning guidance and funding allocations for 2023/24 in due course.
NHS England asked dental practices to return to full delivery of contracted activity from July 2022. In September, we announced how we will meet oral health needs and increase access to dental care. This includes improvements to ensure dentists are renumerated fairly for more complex work, allowing greater flexibility to reallocate resources and to utilise dentists with greater capacity to deliver National Health Service treatment, whilst enabling full use of the dental team. We will also streamline processes for overseas dentists and holding the local NHS to account for dentistry provision. In addition, Health Education England is also reforming dental education to improve the recruitment and retention of dental professionals.
In England, National Health Service organisations are locally responsible for planning their transport requirements for patients, visitors and staff. This includes working with their local authorities to promote sustainable transport and provide a safe and integrated transport network via identified initiatives.
Guidance on transport planning is provided to the NHS in Health Technical Memorandum 07-03 NHS car-parking management: environment and sustainability 2015 edition. A copy is attached. There are currently no plans to update this with regards to sustainability transport plans.
The additional £3 billion funding for the NHS next year, on top of the long-term settlement, will be used to support the NHS recovery from the impact of COVID-19. There are currently no plans to use this funding to support trusts with implementation of integrated transport plans.
In England, National Health Service organisations are locally responsible for planning their transport requirements for patients, visitors and staff. This includes working with their local authorities to promote sustainable transport and provide a safe and integrated transport network via identified initiatives.
Guidance on transport planning is provided to the NHS in Health Technical Memorandum 07-03 NHS car-parking management: environment and sustainability 2015 edition. A copy is attached. There are currently no plans to update this with regards to sustainability transport plans.
The additional £3 billion funding for the NHS next year, on top of the long-term settlement, will be used to support the NHS recovery from the impact of COVID-19. There are currently no plans to use this funding to support trusts with implementation of integrated transport plans.
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Banking Hubs are a voluntary industry initiative, which enable customers of participating banks to access cash and banking services in shared facilities. To date, LINK has recommended over 100 Banking Hubs across the UK. Over 30 Banking Hubs have opened, with a further 70 expected to open by the end of the year. LINK has also recommended cash deposit services in another 90 communities, including Marple in Greater Manchester. While industry is responsible for delivering these services, the government is closely monitoring the rollout and hopes to see facilities open as soon as possible.
Separately, the government has legislated to protect access to cash specifically. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 provides the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities. Following the conclusion of its consultation on 8 February, the FCA expects to finalise its rules in Q3 2024.
Since 2018, the Office for Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision (OPBAS) has worked with the accountancy and legal sector professional body anti-money laundering supervisors (PBSs) to increase the consistency of their anti-money laundering/counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) supervision and facilitate increased intelligence and information sharing. OPBAS has independently assessed how each PBS carries out their AML/CTF supervisory responsibilities.
In its third report, published in September 2021, OPBAS found that although PBS compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations continues to improve, there were some weaknesses in the effectiveness of their supervision, including risk assessment, governance and enforcement.
OPBAS noted significant improvements in PBSs’ technical compliance, driven in part by PBSs’ positive response to action plans drawn up as a result of the first annual report. However, OPBAS will continue to work with individual PBSs to address issues identified in the third report.
In addition, HM Treasury is currently reviewing the UK’s AML/CFT regulatory and supervisory regimes.
The Government recognises the essential role of the insurance industry in providing the cover businesses need to operate. We are working closely with the insurers, the trade bodies and regulators to understand what more the industry can do to help individuals and businesses as the economy reopens, and to monitor the availability of cover and the impact this is having on the sector.
As measures to control the virus change, it is right that government support should also evolve. Because of this, we continue to take a flexible approach and keep all impacts and policies under review.
The Government recognises the essential role of the insurance industry in providing the cover businesses need to operate. We are working closely with the insurers, the trade bodies and regulators to understand what more the industry can do to help individuals and businesses as the economy reopens, and to monitor the availability of cover and the impact this is having on the sector.
As measures to control the virus change, it is right that government support should also evolve. Because of this, we continue to take a flexible approach and keep all impacts and policies under review.
The asylum support cash payments are currently made on a weekly basis. There has been some suggestion that these payments should be made fortnightly, and we are currently seeking views on this issue.
We are currently reviewing the level of the cash payments, as we do each year, to ensure that they remain capable of meeting the essential living needs of asylum seekers and will announce the outcome as soon as we can.
The asylum support cash payments are currently made on a weekly basis. There has been some suggestion that these payments should be made fortnightly, and we are currently seeking views on this issue.
We are currently reviewing the level of the cash payments, as we do each year, to ensure that they remain capable of meeting the essential living needs of asylum seekers and will announce the outcome as soon as we can.
Over the lifetime of the Levelling Up Fund £4.8 billion has been invested into 271 projects across Great Britain.
For both rounds 1 and 2, all local authorities were eligible to bid for funding. We received 305 bids in round 1 of the Fund, and 529 in round 2. A list of successful bids has been published for each of the three rounds on gov.uk, as well as analysis on the geographic and thematic split of successful and unsuccessful bids in rounds 1 and 2.
Successful Round 1 bidders: Link
Successful Round 2 bidders: Link
Round’s 1 and 2 geographic and thematic analysis: Link
Further details of the objectives and decision-making process are set out in published methodology notes for each round.
Round 1 methodology note: Link
Round 2 methodology note: Link
Round 3 methodology note: Link
As of April 2021, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is responsible for the regulation of construction products. The regulator is undertaking enforcement activity under the current Construction Products Regulations 2013, funded by the department. In July 2022, the department further extended existing enforcement powers, enabling OPSS to act on behalf of the Secretary of State as the national enforcement authority, overseeing compliance where there are existing designated standards.
The department is also looking to lay future secondary legislation (to be made under the Building Safety Act 2022) which will give OPSS access to broader powers to intervene in the sector.
To examine how the system for testing the safety of construction should be strengthened, the department commissioned an independent review into weaknesses in the existing testing regime. This report has recently been published, and the department is working with the two regulators (OPSS and HSE) to take its recommendations forward.
As of April 2021, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is responsible for the regulation of construction products. The regulator is undertaking enforcement activity under the current Construction Products Regulations 2013, funded by the department. In July 2022, the department further extended existing enforcement powers, enabling OPSS to act on behalf of the Secretary of State as the national enforcement authority, overseeing compliance where there are existing designated standards.
The department is also looking to lay future secondary legislation (to be made under the Building Safety Act 2022) which will give OPSS access to broader powers to intervene in the sector.
To examine how the system for testing the safety of construction should be strengthened, the department commissioned an independent review into weaknesses in the existing testing regime. This report has recently been published, and the department is working with the two regulators (OPSS and HSE) to take its recommendations forward.
All bids submitted to the second round of the Levelling Up Fund, including the Marple Leisure and Community Hub in Stockport Borough, have been assessed following the robust process set out in published guidance.
I appreciate that applicants, if successful, will want to begin work on their projects as soon as possible. We have notified applicants and MPs that having received such a high number of quality applications, the announcement has been delayed until the New Year to allow us to allocate additional funds - meaning up to £2.1 billion will be granted to successful bids in this round. We will therefore announce the results of the second round by the end of January 2023.
We are aware that since the end of January there has been a vacancy in this ward.
The North Yorkshire (Structural Changes) Order 2022 cancelled the ordinary elections in May 2022 in Harrogate.
My officials are discussing with Harrogate’s officers what the implications are for representation in this ward for Harrogate Borough council.
While we do not formally monitor the production of neighbourhood plans, our records suggest that over 1000 neighbourhood plans have been adopted (made) since 2011. We do not hold data on how many additional homes in aggregate have been granted approval compared to current local plans. A recent study by the University of Reading of 141 neighbourhood plans found that they allocated 18,000 additional homes above those already allocated in adopted or emerging local plans and on sites with planning permission.
The white paper “Planning for the Future” sets out a package of proposals to secure better outcomes in terms of land for homes, beauty, and environmental quality, as well as processes which give greater certainty and speed for communities, councils and developers. The Government remains committed to neighbourhood planning, and the white paper sets out our intention to retain neighbourhood plans as part of the planning system. The consultation on these proposals is now closed and we will be using the feedback we have received to develop future neighbourhood planning policy.
The white paper “Planning for the Future” sets out a package of proposals to secure better outcomes in terms of land for homes, beauty, and environmental quality, as well as processes which give greater certainty and speed for communities, councils and developers. The Government remains committed to neighbourhood planning, and the white paper sets out our intention to retain neighbourhood plans as part of the planning system. The consultation on these proposals is now closed and we will be using the feedback we have received to develop future neighbourhood planning policy.
The white paper “Planning for the Future” sets out a package of proposals to secure better outcomes in terms of land for homes, beauty, and environmental quality, as well as processes which give greater certainty and speed for communities, councils and developers. The Government remains committed to neighbourhood planning, and the white paper sets out our intention to retain neighbourhood plans as part of the planning system. The consultation on these proposals is now closed and we will be using the feedback we have received to develop future neighbourhood planning policy.
The Government is in on-going discussions with local authorities and their representative bodies, including the Local Government Association, to understand the impact that Covid-19 is having on councils’ funding, including non-domestic rating income. As a result of those discussions, we have announced the suspension of the planned reforms to the local government finance system, including the Review of Relative Needs and Resources (the ‘Fair Funding Review’) and the increase to 75% business rates retention. These were due to be introduced in 2020-21 and would have complicated councils’ financial planning at a time when the impact of Covid-19 on present and future business rates income is still uncertain. We have also introduced measures worth over £5 billion to ease the immediate cashflow pressures caused by reductions in local authority revenues. We will continue to work with councils and their representative bodies to understand the on-going impact of the pandemic on councils’ finances and capacity.
We announced in the policy paper ‘Planning for the Future’ published on 12 March that we will introduce new permitted development rights for building upwards on existing buildings by summer 2020, including to extend residential blocks by up to two storeys and to deliver new and bigger homes. Further information is (attached) available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/planning-for-the-future
The proposals were consulted on as part of the consultation exercise on Planning Reform: supporting the high street and increasing the delivery of new homes. A summary of the responses received and our response is (attached) available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-reform-supporting-the-high-street-and-increasing-the-delivery-of-new-homes
The Government is working with local councils to understand the impact that Covid-19 is having on their finances and capacity. We have now made £3.2 billion available to local authorities so they can address any pressures they are facing. This is in addition to measures to ease cashflow pressures, including deferring £2.6 billion of payments to government.
We announced in the policy paper ‘Planning for the Future’ published on 12 March that we will introduce new permitted development rights for building upwards on existing buildings by summer 2020, including to extend residential blocks by up to two storeys and to deliver new and bigger homes. Further information is (attached) available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/planning-for-the-future
The proposals were consulted on as part of the consultation exercise on Planning Reform: supporting the high street and increasing the delivery of new homes. A summary of the responses received and our response is (attached) available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-reform-supporting-the-high-street-and-increasing-the-delivery-of-new-homes
(1) The most recent analysis of the number of homes within each Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band that this Department has is the 2016 English Housing Survey which estimated that over 7 million dwellings in England had an energy efficiency rating of A to C, over 15.5 million dwellings were rated C to D and over 1.1 million dwellings were rated F to G.
(2) This Department does not hold any information on the amount by which annual CO2 emissions would be reduced if every home within each rating band were to be improved to the next rating band level. However, the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy estimated that upgrading energy efficiency from an EPC Band E to an EPC Band D reduces energy costs by £380 per year on average.