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Written Question
Investment Zones
Monday 27th March 2023

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether funds provided to investment zones may be used to provide business rate relief to (a) shops and (b) other businesses.

Answered by Dehenna Davison

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 167099 on 21st March 2023.

Places will be expected to set out how their Investment Zone proposals deliver value for money, additionality and avoid displacement.


Written Question
Investment Zones
Monday 27th March 2023

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of investment zones on the displacement of shops and other businesses.

Answered by Dehenna Davison

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 167099 on 21st March 2023.

Places will be expected to set out how their Investment Zone proposals deliver value for money, additionality and avoid displacement.


Written Question
Levelling Up Fund
Monday 24th October 2022

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to revise levelling up funding commitments in the context of rising inflation.

Answered by Dehenna Davison

My department is monitoring the situation closely through formal reporting mechanisms and on the ground relationships, allowing us to understand the impact of cost inflation and respond accordingly. We have put in place proportionate project adjustment processes on our two biggest live programmes, the Towns Fund and Levelling Up Fund.

This means that where projects need to re-scope or make adjustments to phasing in response to rising costs, we can review and where appropriate agree those quickly, whilst ensuring value for money. Places receiving Town Deals also have greater flexibility to agree necessary adjustments to projects locally


UK Shared Prosperity Fund's delegated delivery model and light touch change control process enables local authorities to adjust their plan to react to local need. Local authorities can also use their allocation to fund community measures to reduce the cost of living, including measures to improve energy efficiency and combat fuel poverty.


Written Question
Local Government Services: Pay
Thursday 13th October 2022

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will provide additional financial support to local authorities in the financial year 2023-24 to support pay rises in line with inflation for (a) care workers, (b) social workers and (c) those working in refuse collection.

Answered by Paul Scully

The Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £54.1 billion in 2022/23 for local government in England, which equates to an increase of up to £3.7 billion compared to 2021/22.

Local government pay is negotiated between the National Joint Councils employer and union representatives. Pay is ultimately a decision for local councils, and it is the responsibility of employers to make an assessment on what is affordable within the overall available resources.

We are working closely with the sector, as we always do, to understand what the impact of cost and demand pressures will be on service delivery and budgets in 2023/24. We will set out more details later this year at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement.


Written Question
Local Government Finance
Thursday 13th October 2022

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of inflation on local authority budgets for the next 12 months.

Answered by Paul Scully

The Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £54.1 billion in 2022/23 for local government in England, an increase of up to £3.7 billion on 2021/22. The additional funding, we have made available is the largest cash-terms increase in grant funding provided through the settlement in the past 10 years.

We do, however, recognise that inflation forecasts are higher than they were at the Spending Review. Local authorities will benefit from the new Energy Bill Relief Scheme. Through this we will provide a discount on energy prices this winter for local authorities whose bills have been significantly inflated by the global energy crisis. The Government is also launching a £500 million Adult Social Care Discharge Fund, which is the first step and will inform further action from next year to rebalance funding across health and care.

Beyond these steps, we are working closely with the sector, as we always do, to understand what the impact of cost and demand pressures will be on service delivery and budgets. We will set out more details later this year at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement.


Written Question
Local Government Finance
Thursday 13th October 2022

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans he has to review local government funding; and what the timetable is for that review.

Answered by Paul Scully

We recognise how important planning certainty is to councils' budget setting processes and to delivering excellent public services. We also understand councils need clarity on the funding settlement next year


The Government understands the sector's desire for clarity on distribution reform and review of local government funding. These are complex issues which must be addressed openly with representatives from local government.


Written Question
Local Government: Inflation
Thursday 13th October 2022

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to provide additional financial support to local authorities in the current financial year in the context of rising inflation.

Answered by Paul Scully

The Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £54.1 billion in 2022/23 for local government in England, an increase of up to £3.7 billion on 2021/22. The additional funding, we have made available is the largest cash-terms increase in grant funding provided through the settlement in the past 10 years.

Local authorities will benefit from the new Energy Bill Relief Scheme. Through this we will provide a discount on energy prices this winter for local authorities whose bills have been significantly inflated by the global energy crisis.

The Government is also launching a £500 million Adult Social Care Discharge Fund, which is the first step and will inform further action from next year to rebalance funding across health and care.

Beyond these steps, we are working closely with the sector, as we always do, to understand what the impact of cost and demand pressures will be on service delivery and budgets.


Written Question
Freeports: Countryside
Friday 23rd September 2022

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many hectares of land falls within the proposed outer freeport boundaries in England; and how much of that land falls within the boundaries of (a) a National Park, (b) an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and (c) a National Site Network and Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Answered by Dehenna Davison

By delivering investment on specific priority sites, Freeports will create thousands of high-quality jobs in some of our most deprived communities. These sites have been carefully selected for their suitability for development by the local Freeport coalition, which comprises key private partners and local authorities who, importantly, provide democratic accountability for the actions of the Freeport.

The department does not hold information on how many hectares of land falls within the proposed outer freeport boundaries in England; and how much of that land also falls within the boundaries of (a) a National Park, (b) an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or (c) a National Site Network and Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The development sites sit within an 'outer boundary' which sets the limit for how far apart they can be and broadly indicates the area they expect to benefit most directly from the Freeport's economic impacts. This in no way means that the area has been earmarked for development nor does this confer any special planning status and local authorities within it retain all their statutory powers and responsibilities, including responsibility for providing planning permission. Freeport status in no way undercuts the local planning process and there is no change to the current planning and environment status of national parks.


Written Question
Freeports: Planning Permission
Friday 23rd September 2022

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether there will be a relaxation of planning protections in designated landscapes where parts of those areas fall within proposed freeport outer boundaries.

Answered by Dehenna Davison

By delivering investment on specific priority sites, Freeports will create thousands of high-quality jobs in some of our most deprived communities. These sites have been carefully selected for their suitability for development by the local Freeport coalition, which comprises key private partners and local authorities who, importantly, provide democratic accountability for the actions of the Freeport.

The department does not hold information on how many hectares of land falls within the proposed outer freeport boundaries in England; and how much of that land also falls within the boundaries of (a) a National Park, (b) an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or (c) a National Site Network and Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The development sites sit within an 'outer boundary' which sets the limit for how far apart they can be and broadly indicates the area they expect to benefit most directly from the Freeport's economic impacts. This in no way means that the area has been earmarked for development nor does this confer any special planning status and local authorities within it retain all their statutory powers and responsibilities, including responsibility for providing planning permission. Freeport status in no way undercuts the local planning process and there is no change to the current planning and environment status of national parks.


Written Question
Right to Buy Scheme: Housing Associations
Friday 15th July 2022

Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Government's announcement of 9 June 2022, what his planned timetable is for extending the right to buy to housing association tenants.

Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)

This Government is committed to the Right to Buy, which has helped nearly two million social housing tenants to realise their dream of home ownership. The Prime Minister announced on 9 June 2022 the intention to extend the Right to Buy to housing association tenants.

We want the scheme to work effectively for tenants and housing associations and will be working with housing associations on the scheme design. We will announce more details in due course, including on the planned timetable.