Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reclassifying Almhouses as social housing and allowing them to apply for S106 funding.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As part of the recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, the government sought views on whether changes were needed to the definition of ‘affordable housing for rent’ to make it easier for organisations that are not Registered Providers, including almshouses, to develop new affordable homes.
While the government are committed to making it easier for almshouses to develop new affordable homes, we ultimately decided against extending the definition to capture almshouses for the reasons set out in our response to the consultation which can be found on gov.uk here.
Informed by the points raised in the consultation, the government will actively explore options in future changes to national policy related to decision making.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2025 to Question 25333 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: China, whether those checks have revealed attempts by organisations controlled by (a) the Hong Kong Trade Office, (b) the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and (c) Confucius Institutes to access Government funding.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Checks are conducted on all organisations that apply to receive money from the department. These checks are to ensure that the department is satisfied insofar as is possible with the information available, that the organisation is suitable to receive government funding. My department is not aware of any links between government funded programmes or attempts to receive government funding and the organisations named.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued guidance to Councils on the process for residents to issue deputations at meetings; and whether residents are required to provide the full text of their deputation in advance.
Answered by Jim McMahon
We have been clear that it is not for Government to micromanage local authorities. We do not provide guidance on allowing public participation, such as deputations, at formal local authority meetings; it is for individual authorities to decide what public participation they may permit and to put in place procedures that work for them and their residents. In support of open and accountable local government, formal council meetings must be open to the public except in limited defined circumstances where legislation requires or allows the meeting to be closed to the public.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance (a) her Department has and (b) its predecessor Departments have issued to councils on including within their constitutions provision for public participation at council meetings.
Answered by Jim McMahon
We have been clear that it is not for Government to micromanage local authorities. We do not provide guidance on allowing public participation, such as deputations, at formal local authority meetings; it is for individual authorities to decide what public participation they may permit and to put in place procedures that work for them and their residents. In support of open and accountable local government, formal council meetings must be open to the public except in limited defined circumstances where legislation requires or allows the meeting to be closed to the public.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with (a) Ministers and (b) hon. Members on the application for a proposed Chinese Embassy.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As has been the case under successive administrations, government does not normally disclose details of internal discussions or discussions with Members of Parliament.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter from the Secretary of State for the Home Department and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the planning and listed building consent applications by the Chinese Embassy in the UK for the redevelopment of the Royal Mint Court site in Tower Hamlets, dated 14 January, whether that letter will be admissible to the examination, in the context of being submitted after the deadline of 2 December 2024 for comments by interested parties.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The conduct of the public inquiry is a matter for the Planning Inspectorate.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what checks her Department undertakes before providing funding to community organisations for Hong Kongers in the UK.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government takes the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously and my department works closely with the Home Office and the FCDO, as well as other government departments, to ensure that the UK is a safe and welcoming place for Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders.
The department assesses the appropriateness and suitability of all potential grant funding recipients, and their ability to deliver the support required as part of HMG’s BN(O) Welcome Programme. This Programme reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to the people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up BN(O) status at the point of Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997.
In deciding whether to make a grant award to any organisation through the Hong Kong BN(O) Welcome Programme, checks are conducted on all organisations to be satisfied insofar as is possible with the information available, that the organisation is suitable to receive Government funding.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, what plans her Department has to consult with the public on proposals for local government reforms.
Answered by Jim McMahon
For local government reorganisation, it will be essential for councils to work with local partners, stakeholders, and MPs, to develop plans for sustainable unitary structures capable of delivering the high-quality public services that residents need and deserve. It is for councils to decide how best to engage locally, including with residents, in a meaningful and constructive way when developing their proposals.
We will consult a range of stakeholders in areas where we receive proposals for reorganisation, as required by statute. I will write to local authorities in further detail, inviting proposals for local government reorganisation and setting out the criteria to be used to assess proposals, in due course.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether the Government has plans to allow referendums to authorise local authority merges.
Answered by Jim McMahon
It will be essential for councils to work with local partners, including MPs, to develop plans for sustainable unitary structures capable of delivering the high-quality public services that residents need and deserve. It is for councils to decide how best to engage locally in a meaningful and constructive way when developing their proposals. We will consult a range of stakeholders in areas where we receive proposals for reorganisation, as required by statute. I will write to local authorities in further detail, inviting proposals for local government reorganisation and setting out the criteria to be used to assess proposals, in due course.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has allocated funding to organisations controlled by (a) the Hong Kong Trade Office, (b) the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and (c) Confucius Institutes.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Checks are conducted on all organisations that receive money from the Department to be satisfied insofar as is possible with the information available, that the organisation is suitable to receive Government funding.