Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure that local planning authorities are able to manage the planning demands of large scale developments and their impact on communities effectively.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Local planning authorities need to have the right skills to deliver for their communities. We have committed to developing a comprehensive skills strategy for the planning sector to set out solutions for training and capacity-building. We have also announced that we will consult on increasing planning fees for major and minor applications, by 35% and 25% respectively.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the House will be able to review the proposed changes to Parliament’s restoration and renewal programme.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Work is continuing, at the direction of the House Commissions, on preparing for changes to the Restoration and Renewal (R&R) Programme. An independent assurance panel has provided advice which will inform the Commissions’ deliberations and recommendations. The two Houses will then be asked to consider a revised mandate for the works and changes to the sponsorship function. The debates are currently planned to take place before the summer recess.
R&R is a Parliamentary programme and the responsibility of Parliament. As any change will ultimately be a matter for the two Houses, I am committed to ensuring that Members are able to make informed decisions and review the proposed changes before making a decision.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will make an assessment of the number of surveys planned during the (a) Summer and (b) Conference recesses in connection with maintenance work on the Palace of Westminster.
Answered by Charles Walker
There is planned activity for over 23 projects in the Palace of Westminster during the Summer recess, and there will also be planned maintenance and reactive maintenance work. Many activities will continue in the Conference recess.
Teams will carry out surveys prior to and during the Summer and Conference recesses; surveys are required before any work can commence.
Surveys will range from visual checking of spaces (for example, identifying cable routes, or taking audits of equipment/assets) to more intrusive work, such as digging as part of ground investigations, or putting up scaffold to conduct a stonework survey.
Survey work for the recesses is still being finalised, and individual projects might identify the need for more surveys after work commences. For this reason, it would be difficult to put a figure on the number of surveys in the Palace over the Summer and Conference recesses, but it is likely to be over a hundred.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will make a statement on the new short-term task brief agreed by the Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority; and what steps have been agreed to be taken in order to prepare for the future transition of the programme to a new operating framework.
Answered by Charles Walker
Under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019, it is for the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body to task the Delivery Authority.
Following the meetings of the two Houses’ Commissions in February, the Sponsor Body provided the Delivery Authority with new instructions in the form of a Task Brief which embodies the relevant decisions of the Commissions. The Task Brief addressed: stopping or completing activities that were no longer relevant; continuing activities that would be relevant for any future programme of works; and continuing necessary corporate functions.
The Delivery Authority continues to undertake or has commenced other work including essential surveys and gathering of information about the condition of the Palace.
Work is continuing, at the direction of the Commissions, on preparing for changes to the Restoration and Renewal Programme. As noted in the Commissions’ joint statement of 18 March 2022, an independent panel of experts has been convened at the request of the Commissions to provide advice on changes to the sponsorship function and assurance on a new approach to the works. The panel’s work will inform the Commissions’ deliberations and the recommendations which they will propose to the two Houses on a revised mandate for the works and changes to the sponsorship function. This is currently planned to take place before the summer recess. Any changes will ultimately be a matter for the two Houses.
An R&R transition programme which brings together officials from the two Houses, the Sponsor Body and the Delivery Authority has been established to support the Commissions in their work.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make a statement on potential measures under consideration for households to opt out of the £200 energy bill reduction.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Energy Bills Support Scheme, as announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer on 3 February, is currently the subject of a government consultation issued on 11 April.
The implementation of the policy will be reviewed following the conclusion of the consultation. Allowing consumers to opt out of receiving the reduction on their bills would likely increase the administrative costs and complexities of the scheme.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what mitigation processes are in place for contractors who are waiting for late payment for work carried out on behalf of his Department.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
Ministry of Defence (MOD) policy is to pay valid and undisputed invoices within 30 calendar days, reflecting the legal obligations in the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 and the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. In line with the prompt payment code, the MOD is fully committed to paying all suppliers as quickly as possible and since May 2010 our aim has been to pay 80% of invoices within five working days. Our latest statistics show that, for the three quarters of 2021-22, we paid nearly 92% of our invoices within five days and 99% within 30 days.
The Public Contracts Regulations also require that the obligation to pay undisputed invoices within 30 days is flowed down the supply chain and the MOD has a standard contract condition to this effect. Suppliers' adherence to contractual requirements is managed through normal contract management processes. The MOD has also implemented Cabinet Office procurement policy, published in 2018, which requires that we take account of our suppliers' performance in relation to prompt payment in our supplier selection process.
More information about our payment performance is published on gov.uk at the following link:
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of poor service complaints made to the Driver and Vehicle License Agency in the last six months; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is by using its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham.
Information on the number of enquiries made to the DVLA by parliamentary constituency or geographical location is not held. Throughout the pandemic, the DVLA’s contact centre has flexed its services for customers in line with the available resources. An additional building has been procured and more staff continue to be recruited to answer calls and enquiries. The DVLA has also increased resource on the team that deals with enquiries from honourable members on behalf of their constituents.
The DVLA has prioritised the processing of applications for vocational driving licences (including HGVs) to support the Government’s response the driver shortage. There are no delays in straightforward applications for vocational licences, which are being processed within normal turnaround times of five working days. It may take longer to process applications where medical investigations are needed.
Information about the number of complaints specifically about poor service is not held.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to help ensure that people seeking HGV licence renewals from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency receive them in a timely manner.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is by using its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham.
Information on the number of enquiries made to the DVLA by parliamentary constituency or geographical location is not held. Throughout the pandemic, the DVLA’s contact centre has flexed its services for customers in line with the available resources. An additional building has been procured and more staff continue to be recruited to answer calls and enquiries. The DVLA has also increased resource on the team that deals with enquiries from honourable members on behalf of their constituents.
The DVLA has prioritised the processing of applications for vocational driving licences (including HGVs) to support the Government’s response the driver shortage. There are no delays in straightforward applications for vocational licences, which are being processed within normal turnaround times of five working days. It may take longer to process applications where medical investigations are needed.
Information about the number of complaints specifically about poor service is not held.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the backlog of enquiries to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency from constituents of Northamptonshire; and what steps he is taking to resolve that matter.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is by using its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham.
Information on the number of enquiries made to the DVLA by parliamentary constituency or geographical location is not held. Throughout the pandemic, the DVLA’s contact centre has flexed its services for customers in line with the available resources. An additional building has been procured and more staff continue to be recruited to answer calls and enquiries. The DVLA has also increased resource on the team that deals with enquiries from honourable members on behalf of their constituents.
The DVLA has prioritised the processing of applications for vocational driving licences (including HGVs) to support the Government’s response the driver shortage. There are no delays in straightforward applications for vocational licences, which are being processed within normal turnaround times of five working days. It may take longer to process applications where medical investigations are needed.
Information about the number of complaints specifically about poor service is not held.
Asked by: Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the recent performance of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's customer enquiry system.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The quickest and easiest way to make an application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is by using its extensive suite of online services. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their documents within a few days.
However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham.
Information on the number of enquiries made to the DVLA by parliamentary constituency or geographical location is not held. Throughout the pandemic, the DVLA’s contact centre has flexed its services for customers in line with the available resources. An additional building has been procured and more staff continue to be recruited to answer calls and enquiries. The DVLA has also increased resource on the team that deals with enquiries from honourable members on behalf of their constituents.
The DVLA has prioritised the processing of applications for vocational driving licences (including HGVs) to support the Government’s response the driver shortage. There are no delays in straightforward applications for vocational licences, which are being processed within normal turnaround times of five working days. It may take longer to process applications where medical investigations are needed.
Information about the number of complaints specifically about poor service is not held.