Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions the Sponsor Body has had with (a) experts and (b) industry leaders in (i) haulage and (ii) construction to ensure that the River Thames is effectively utilised during the construction of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The UK Holocaust Memorial project team has held preliminary discussions with representatives from the R&R programme to discuss potential efficiencies in using the River Thames for both construction projects. The different timetables of each project may limit opportunities for cost-effective co-operation.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
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 is taking to help ensure that the construction of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre is conducted sustainably.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
Our intention is to achieve an 'excellent' rating against the Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) as was stated at the public inquiry in 2020.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many people under the Homes for Ukraine scheme have settled in the Huddersfield constituency since 24 February 2022.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The data on visa approvals is published at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/homes-for-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-numbers-of-visa-applications.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps is he taking to ensure that asbestos in public buildings is remedied as rapidly as possible.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
All public bodies, including local authorities, are responsible for how they manage asbestos in their buildings and are expected to comply as dutyholders under the relevant legal requirements.
The Health and safety Executive - an executive arm of the Department for Work and Pensions - publishes a range of guidance about working with asbestos and how to comply with relevant legislation. This is set out under the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012 with further guidance available on HSE’s website HSE: Asbestos - health and safety in the workplace
The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2022/23 makes available up to £54.1 billion to councils. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities have suitable guidance in place on tackling asbestos and its effect on public health.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
All public bodies, including local authorities, are responsible for how they manage asbestos in their buildings and are expected to comply as dutyholders under the relevant legal requirements.
The Health and safety Executive - an executive arm of the Department for Work and Pensions - publishes a range of guidance about working with asbestos and how to comply with relevant legislation. This is set out under the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012 with further guidance available on HSE’s website HSE: Asbestos - health and safety in the workplace
The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2022/23 makes available up to £54.1 billion to councils. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities are adequately equipped to tackle asbestos in public sector buildings.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
All public bodies, including local authorities, are responsible for how they manage asbestos in their buildings and are expected to comply as dutyholders under the relevant legal requirements.
The Health and safety Executive - an executive arm of the Department for Work and Pensions - publishes a range of guidance about working with asbestos and how to comply with relevant legislation. This is set out under the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012 with further guidance available on HSE’s website HSE: Asbestos - health and safety in the workplace
The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2022/23 makes available up to £54.1 billion to councils. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure that landlords effectively deal with asbestos within their properties.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Landlords must ensure that the properties that they rent out are safe and tenants have a right to a decent place to live. To raise awareness of this important issue, the government publishes advice at https://www.gov.uk/asbestos-in-home and the Health and Safety Executive has specific advice and guidance at https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/managing/domestic.htm.
Rented homes must be free of the most serious ‘category 1’ hazards, which include but are not limited to issues such as asbestos, assessed using the housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS). Local authorities must take action if they identify category 1 hazards and we have given them enforcement strong powers including fines of up to £30,000.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to investigate the methods debt collection agencies use to pursue unpaid parking fines.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Education)
The Government is concerned about the fees and practices of some parking debt recovery agencies. On 7 February 2022 we published a draft Private Parking Code of Practice to improve the private parking sector. The Code and its enforcement framework will prevent parking operators from adding additional fees on top of the amount of the parking charge. We are also prohibiting the use of misleading and intimidatory language in communications and introducing greater protection for vulnerable customers. This includes a requirement on operators to provide information to motorists on where they can find free debt counselling or legal advice services. We intend to review the policy as part of the general review of the Code of Practice, within two years of its implementation.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to take steps to help protect historic farmers markets from closure.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Education)
The Department engages regularly at official level with the retail markets industry on a range of joint issues affecting markets through the Retail Markets Forum. The Farm Retail Association, which represents farm shops and farmers' markets, is a member of the Forum.
The Government has made permanent the permitted development right, initially introduced as a time-limited right as part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, that enables markets to be held by or on behalf of local authorities for an unlimited number of days. The right will help local authorities to encourage economic activity, thereby creating employment and improving the vitality and viability of high streets and town centres.
The Government has provided a comprehensive package of around £400 billion of direct support to the economy during this financial year and last, which has helped to safeguard jobs, businesses and public services in every region and nation of the UK. This package includes business grants, the coronavirus loan schemes, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, as well as deferral of income tax payments. Market traders have been able to benefit from this support package for businesses.
Our £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund announced in the Levelling Up White Paper will be used to restore local pride across the UK by focusing investment on improving communities and place, people and skills, and supporting local business. Local leaders will be empowered to direct funding towards their own, locally identified priorities, whether that be promoting new outdoor markets, reducing litter, graffiti and anti-social behaviour, reviving high streets, supporting local businesses or introducing skills provision to match local labour market need and support those furthest from the labour market.
Ultimately we believe it is for local authorities, not central Government, to make decisions on running, supporting and investing in local markets in their areas.