Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many ex-service personnel (a) in each service, (b) of (i) regular and (ii) reserve status and (c) who (i) have and (ii) have not completed a pensionable engagement have been classified as rough sleepers in each year since 2000.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Department does not collect statistics on whether or not people sleeping rough have served in the armed forces.
However, the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) a multi-agency database that represents the UK's most detailed and comprehensive source of information on rough sleeping in London. According to CHAIN, 3 per cent of the rough sleeping population in London have self-declared as having served in the armed forces.
This Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy which sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the cost to the public purse has been of compulsory purchase orders in each London borough in each year since 1990.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The Department does not hold the specific information requested. The Secretary of State’s role in a compulsory purchase order ends when he issues a decision whether or not to confirm the order. We have no role in the amount of compensation paid.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what metrics his Department uses to calculate compensation for owners of agricultural land under compulsory purchase.
Answered by Lord Barwell
Compensation is a matter for negotiation between the acquiring authority and the claimant according to the Compensation Code determined, if necessary, by the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber). The Department does not, therefore, have any role in the calculation of compensation in any particular case.
The Department has published guidance on the compulsory purchase process which can be found at the following link: Guidance in particular see Stage 6 on Compensation.
There are some additional measures in relation to compensation where the Compulsory Purchase Order includes agricultural land and these can be found in Booklet 3 at the following link: Booklet 3.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many compulsory purchase orders have been made, by London borough, (a) in total, (b) for heritage purposes and (c) to provide housing in each year since 1990.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The Department does not hold the specific information requested, compulsory purchase order data only exists from 2011 to present day. However, to obtain this information would involve interrogating individual case records, at disproportionate cost. We do not hold information on compulsory purchase orders for heritage purposes which are the responsibility of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities have made compulsory purchase orders in each year since 1990.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The Department does not hold the specific information requested, compulsory purchase orders data only exists from 2011 to present day. However, to obtain this information would involve interrogating individual case records, at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that private letting agencies do not (a) transfer costs to landlords and (b) redefine tenant fees.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The Government is keen to see tenants receiving a good service from their landlord and letting agent and that is why we announced in the Autumn Statement a ban on letting agent fees paid by tenants in England. This will support better competition in the market and bring down overall costs. Tenants will be better able to search around for properties that suit their budget and there will be no hidden costs. This may be preferable to tenants being hit with upfront charges that can be difficult for them to afford. The Government will consult in the New Year on the detail of how best to implement a ban.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what actions were agreed during meetings he had in the last six months with representatives from the Association of Residential Letting Agents relating to fees for private sector tenants.
Answered by Lord Barwell
In the last six months, I have met jointly with the managing directors of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) and the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA). This was an initial briefing where the two organisations outlined their views on a range of private sector housing issues, but no actions were agreed.
I also opened the first meeting of the Affordability and Security Working Group, set up by the Department for Communities and Local Government, and attended the initial part of the meeting, at which ARLA was one of the organisations present.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects the review by Dame Louise Casey into opportunity and integration in isolated communities to be published.
Answered by Marcus Jones
Dame Louise Casey's important review will be published shortly.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the announcement by the then Prime Minister of 20 July 2015, when he expects the Cohesive Communities Programme to be launched.
Answered by Marcus Jones
The previous Prime Minister’s announcement made clear the new Cohesive Communities Programme would be informed by Dame Louise Casey’s Review of Integration and Opportunity. Dame Louise’s Review will be published shortly.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to protect the rural services delivery grant.
Answered by Marcus Jones
Parliament approved the local government finance settlement for 2016-17 on 10 February. Recognising the particular costs of providing services in sparse rural areas, Rural Services Delivery Grant will increase by more than fivefold in 2016-17, to £80.5 million.