Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has had with stakeholders on ensuring general practice capacity increases when large new housing developments are approved.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Local authorities have responsibility for planning for local development and the infrastructure to support it. Our guidance encourages engagement between plan-making bodies and relevant organisations on the provision of health infrastructure. My officials have worked with NHS England and NHS Improvement to ensure there is early engagement in the plan-making process between local authorities and NHS Trusts.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what provisions are available to leaseholders trying to sell their properties whose purchasers’ mortgage lender requires an EWS1 form on buildings in the event that the local Fire and Rescue service have no issues of concern for that property; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
EWS1 is not a Government form or regulatory requirement, and it is not a safety certificate. EWS1 was created by industry to help with mortgage valuations for flats in blocks with cladding. It is designed to identify whether a block is likely to need value-affecting remediation work.
On the 8 March, RICS published its updated EWS1 guidance to allow for a more proportionate approach to be taken. It outlines clearly when the EWS1 process is required.
Most major lenders, representing roughly 80% of the whole mortgage market have adopted the approach in the RICS guidance or already take a significantly less risk averse approach. This makes clear the process is for financial valuation and not building safety.
We estimate nearly 500,000 homeowners should no longer need to produce an EWS1 to sell or re-mortgage.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether an inspector can approve a council policy allowing for traveller site development when the council has concluded that there is no unmet accommodation need in the planning period.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Inspector’s role is to examine whether a submitted plan meets the Tests of Soundness set out in paragraph 35 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and legislative requirements.
The Inspector’s conclusions will be based on a consideration of all the evidence and on the application of professional expertise and judgement.
With regard to traveller sites, as part of this consideration an Inspector will consider plan proposals against policy in the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (PPTS) and NPPF. The PPTS encourages authorities to identify a 5-year supply of specific, deliverable sites and other developable sites to accommodate growth for years 6-10 and, where possible, years 11-15.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Church of England's statement on Local Authority Investment in Church Property, published March 2018, on his Department's implementation of the (a) Local Government Act 1894 and (b) Local Government Act 1972.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The Government recognises and values the important work which churches carry out for their communities. We would encourage local authorities and churches to work together closely to consider the wishes and priorities of local people, as well as how to make the best use of public resources. It is important to ensure that any additional public funding given to local churches, and any consequences for council tax or precepts are considered carefully given the current financial pressures on local council taxpayers.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking in response to the consultation entitled Powers for dealing with unauthorised development and encampments; and when he plans to implement the measures proposed in that consultation.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Many of the measures set out in the government response to the consultation on powers for dealing with unauthorised developments and encampments are being progressed or have already been delivered. These include £1.79 million awarded to 37 planning authorities to support enforcement activities and the publication of a Written Ministerial Statement on 6 February (HCWS1305) on transit sites and intentional unauthorised developments.
Furthermore, in support of authorised encampments, local authorities can bid for funding for permanent traveller sites through the 2016-21 Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme, along with other forms of affordable housing. The New Homes Bonus will match fund the additional council tax raised for new homes, including traveller pitches. Other measures still to be implemented by the Department includes strengthening policy on intentional unauthorised development.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what procedures should be followed by which bodies when non-Travellers live on Traveller sites.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Land Registry is kept up to date in respect of land holdings on Traveller sites.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to define dominance in respect of the proportion of Traveller sites in a local area.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
When assessing the suitability of sites in rural or semi-rural areas, local planning authorities should ensure that the scale of the development does not dominate the nearest settled community. It is for the local planning authority when assessing an application to apply this policy when determining if the proposed development could dominate the nearest settled community.
The Secretary of State is in the process of preparing guidance to support authorities in determining planning applications for Gypsy and Traveller sites where the issue of traveller sites dominating the nearest settled community are raised.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph three of his Department's April 2015 Planning policy for Traveller sites, what evidential test is used to ensure that the interests of the settled community are respected; in what way the provision of Traveller sites facilitates the traditional and nomadic way of life of Travellers; and whether that way of life can be facilitated by (a) the provision of parking for caravans and (b) in other ways.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department operates a ban the box employment policy in respect of ex-offender job applicants with unspent convictions; and how many employees of his Department have unspent convictions.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
The Department is committed to ensuring that all of our recruitment is done in a fair and open manner, and that all applicants are treated equally.
Consequently, we do operate a ban-the-box policy within our recruitments, and applicants are not asked to provide any information on previous unspent convictions at any point in the selection process.
While successful applicants are subject to criminal record and security clearance checks during pre-appointment, declaration forms are not retained centrally once monitoring checks have been carried out.