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Written Question
Public Houses
Tuesday 23rd April 2024

Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the impact of his Department's funding for Pub Is The Hub on local communities.

Answered by Jacob Young

The Government recognises the important role of support organisations such as Pub is The Hub in helping local communities create and maintain vital community assets. Pub is The Hub has received funding from the department previously and their work demonstrates the wider role which pubs can play in running local services, nurturing community relationships, and helping communities to thrive socially and economically.


Written Question
Land Registry: Blockchain
Monday 27th November 2023

Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Answer of 26 October 2023 to Question 204013 on Land Registry, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using blockchain technology when digitising the land registry.

Answered by Lee Rowley

HM Land Registry’s (HMLR’s) Digital Street research and development programme carried out a successful research piece and prototype into Blockchain technologies in 2020 and a summary of the research work can be found here.


Written Question
Land Registry
Thursday 26th October 2023

Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using blockchain technology in digitising the land registry.

Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch

The Government strongly believes that there are significant opportunities from digitising HM Land Registry (HMLR) and making more information freely-available. HMLR is also committed to promoting digital innovation in the property market. In recent years, it has introduced digital tools relating to electronic signatures and a standard for digital identity solutions. HMLR is working collaboratively with stakeholders in the conveyancing sector and is considering a range of technologies to contribute to a truly digital, automated conveyancing process.

Government’s Roadmap to a Digital Future includes digital transformation in Government by “automating manual processes”. Almost 90% of HMLR’s applications are received via digital application routes and the majority of HMLR’s services are already automated. HMLR continues to increase automation to drive greater efficiency and deliver maximum value for the taxpayer, and to increase the proportion of end-to-end digital processes.


Written Question
Land Registry
Thursday 26th October 2023

Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of digitising the Land Registry.

Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch

The Government strongly believes that there are significant opportunities from digitising HM Land Registry (HMLR) and making more information freely-available. HMLR is also committed to promoting digital innovation in the property market. In recent years, it has introduced digital tools relating to electronic signatures and a standard for digital identity solutions. HMLR is working collaboratively with stakeholders in the conveyancing sector and is considering a range of technologies to contribute to a truly digital, automated conveyancing process.

Government’s Roadmap to a Digital Future includes digital transformation in Government by “automating manual processes”. Almost 90% of HMLR’s applications are received via digital application routes and the majority of HMLR’s services are already automated. HMLR continues to increase automation to drive greater efficiency and deliver maximum value for the taxpayer, and to increase the proportion of end-to-end digital processes.


Written Question
Community Ownership Fund
Wednesday 20th September 2023

Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department plans to take to monitor the success of schemes supported by the UK Community Ownership Fund.

Answered by Jacob Young

There are regular monitoring points throughout projects’ lifetime.

To assess whether the Community Ownership Fund is delivering its four strategic objectives, we will undertake high-quality, robust evaluations.


Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 26 Oct 2022
Levelling Up Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

"I beg to move,

That this House has considered levelling up Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.

Thank you, Mr Pritchard, for calling me to propose this debate on levelling up in Barry. It is a privilege to serve under your chairmanship, and I am grateful for the opportunity to highlight the …..."

Alun Cairns - View Speech

View all Alun Cairns (Con - Vale of Glamorgan) contributions to the debate on: Levelling Up Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 26 Oct 2022
Levelling Up Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

"I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for making those points, which allows me to underline some points that I touched on earlier. Economic development has generally been a devolved function. Therefore, investing in communities and attracting new jobs and companies has been a devolved, rather than a reserved, responsibility. …..."
Alun Cairns - View Speech

View all Alun Cairns (Con - Vale of Glamorgan) contributions to the debate on: Levelling Up Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 26 Oct 2022
Levelling Up Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

"I am grateful to my hon. Friend for underlining the support that has been made available, but may I draw to her attention the point that I made about the capacity of local authorities? Those projects that gained support were primarily by authorities that were used to bidding for European-aided …..."
Alun Cairns - View Speech

View all Alun Cairns (Con - Vale of Glamorgan) contributions to the debate on: Levelling Up Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 16 May 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"Energy performance improvements to domestic dwellings are an important part of the Government’s agenda in respect of climate change obligations, as well as in respect of the cost of living. May I draw the attention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to private-rented off-grid properties, for which …..."
Alun Cairns - View Speech

View all Alun Cairns (Con - Vale of Glamorgan) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 07 Mar 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"Until recently, European aid was the main means of regenerating communities in some of the devolved nations, but that European aid was restricted to certain parts of the nations. Now, the levelling-up fund and the shared prosperity fund will give us the opportunity to regenerate other parts of the UK, …..."
Alun Cairns - View Speech

View all Alun Cairns (Con - Vale of Glamorgan) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions