Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to introduce sector-led planning guidance for general aviation airfields; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Government’s planning policy for airfields is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. This is supported by our planning practice guidance on 'Transport evidence bases in plan-making and decision taking’, which makes clear to local authorities that they should consider the interconnectivity between airfields of different sizes and that they should have regard to the Aviation Policy Framework.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to supporting Help to Rent projects to enable more people to rent privately.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
My Department has committed £20 million of funding to schemes that will support those who are, or are at the risk of homelessness or rough sleeping, to access or sustain private rented tenancies.
We have also set aside £28 million to fund 3 regional Housing First pilot schemes, which will offer permanent homes to homeless people.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to expand the right to buy scheme to a national level.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Eligible council and housing association tenants in England can buy their home under the Right to Buy and preserved Right to Buy with discounts of up to £104,900 (£78,600 outside London).
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the judgment of 29 July 2015 in Woolway v. Mazars on eligibility for small business rate relief among small businesses.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
The Supreme Court judgement in the case of Woolway (VO) v Mazars LLP will bring simplicity and consistency to the rating system. The Valuation Office Agency are responsible for implementing the decision independently of Ministers. We will keep this matter under review. From April we are permanently doubling small business rate relief meaning 600,000 small businesses will pay no business rates at all.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to limit the use of accessible toilets solely for disabled people.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The Department for Communities and Local Government has commissioned research into existing guidance in Approved Document M (Access to and use of buildings) of the Building Regulations, including on the use of accessible toilets, and that research will help to guide the way forward where any change to existing legislation is needed. Legislating to restrict use of accessible toilets raises many complex issues including in defining who would, and who would not, be entitled to use such facilities and whether this would be enforceable. Government takes the view that current arrangements are practicable without the need for further legislation and, as a result, does not intend to pursue this further at this time.
Asked by: Alex Chalk (Conservative - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment the Government has made of the effectiveness of the regulatory framework for the use of disabled toilets.
Answered by Lord Barwell
Building Regulations apply where building work – typically the erection, alteration, or extension of a building – take place. Part M of the Building regulations requires that reasonable provision is made for people to access and use buildings and their facilities. Statutory guidance is given in Section 5 of Approved Document M (Access to and use of buildings) Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings on the provision and design of suitable toilet and sanitary accommodation in buildings other than dwellings. Statutory guidance is provided in Approved Document M (Access to and use of buildings) Volume 1 for dwellings, which includes guidance on provision and design of accessible toilets in new homes.
The Deparment for Communities and Local Government has commissioned PRP Architects to undertake scoping research looking at the effectiveness of the existing statutory guidance in Approved Document M for buildings other than dwellings, which includes consideration of sanitary provision. This research will be published in due course.
For existing public and commercial buildings, the Equality Act 2010 places duties on building owners, employers and business operators to put in place suitable management practices and to make reasonable adjustments to physical features of buildings in order to ensure that disabled people are not placed at a disadvantage when compared to a non-disabled person. This could include consideration of the nature and availability of toilet provision.