Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the distribution of flood relief grant-aid to (a) homes and (b) businesses affected by the flooding caused by Storm Babet in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I extend my sympathy to all those affected by the impacts of Storm Babet, flooding is a devastating experience for anyone. I also recognise the efforts of councils and emergency responders and thank them for their ongoing work in affected areas.
The Secretary of State activated the Flood Recovery Framework on Wednesday 25 October. The activation of the Storm Babet Flood Recovery Framework will be reviewed following implementation by local authorities.
For the Storm Babet Flood Recovery Framework activation, eligible areas are those upper and lower tier authority areas:
East Suffolk Council, Mid Suffolk Council and Ipswich Council are eligible for the Storm Babet Flood Recovery Framework and have until 25 January 2024 to provide information on impacts to my department to support payment processes.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to re-introduce neighbourhood planning grants.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Policy announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to change the Park Home Pitch Fee Inflationary Index from RPI to CPI.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government recognises that park home residents are concerned about additional cost of living pressures. That is why we are supporting a Private Member's Bill by my Hon. Friend, the Member for Christchurch, to change the pitch fee review index from RPI to CPI.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has plans to help protect high quality agricultural land from housing development.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government already places great importance upon our agricultural land and food production. Within the National Planning Policy Framework, we set out that the benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land should be reflected in planning policies and decisions. The Framework is also clear that where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to offer financial assistance to Ukrainian families who travelled to the UK either on the (a) Homes for Ukraine Scheme or (b) Ukraine Family scheme; and what plans he has to lessen potential disparities between the two schemes.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
All Ukrainians arriving under either scheme have the right to work and access to benefits and services including Universal Credit. The Department for Levelling Up’s Homes for Ukraine scheme provides additional funding for local authorities. The Ukraine Family Scheme is administered by the Home Office.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans he has to improve the energy efficiency of grade 1 listed homes.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government remains fully committed to meeting its climate change targets, alongside the protection of the historic environment, and recognises the important contribution that cost effective energy efficiency improvements to buildings can make in meeting these targets.
Approved Document L Volume 1 gives guidance on how to meet the energy efficiency requirements in homes. The guidance explains that when doing work on a listed building, dwellings do not need to comply fully with the energy efficiency requirements, where to do so would unacceptably alter their character or appearance. However, the work should comply with standards to the extent that it is reasonably practicable.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans he has to help improve the energy efficiency of grade II listed homes.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government remains fully committed to meeting its climate change targets, alongside the protection of the historic environment, and recognises the important contribution that cost effective energy efficiency improvements to buildings can make in meeting these targets.
Approved Document L Volume 1 gives guidance on how to meet the energy efficiency requirements in homes. The guidance explains that when doing work on a listed building, dwellings do not need to comply fully with the energy efficiency requirements, where to do so would unacceptably alter their character or appearance. However, the work should comply with standards to the extent that it is reasonably practicable.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans he has to re-introduce virtual participation in district and parish council meetings to ensure accessibility for members who may have to isolate as a result of covid-19 infection.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Department has been considering the responses to the call for evidence on local authority remote meetings and the Government will respond shortly.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department will publish further clear guidance to local councils about holding meetings virtually after the 6th May 2021 whilst national covid-19 restrictions are in place.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government keeps all policy under review. To extend the facility for all local authorities to continue to meet remotely or in hybrid form after 7 May 2021 would require primary legislation.
We have received representations from local authorities and sector representative organisations making the case for the continuation of remote meetings beyond 7 May 2021 and we are carefully considering next steps in this area.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the Planning Inspectorate's guidance on site visits, hearings, inquiries and events, published on 28 May 2020, relating to how interested parties and members of the public can participate in the planning process through (a) examination of local plans, (b) accessing documents online and (c) attending virtual hearings during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Department has worked closely with the Planning Inspectorate during the COVID-19 outbreak, and the Inspectorate’s guidance on site visits, hearings, inquiries and examinations has been kept under regular review. Since it was first published on 12 March 2020 the guidance has been updated when necessary to reflect changes in the public health situation and to ensure that it remains effective.
The Inspectorate responded to the Written Ministerial Statement of 13 May 2020 by designing and testing an online environment suitable for hosting events and to facilitating public engagement and identifying emerging best practice across similar bodies, such as HM Courts and Tribunals Service. The Inspectorate conducted the first virtual hearing on 11 May 2020, and since then around 600 virtual hearings and inquiries have taken place across planning appeals, local plan examinations and nationally significant infrastructure applications.
Virtual events have proven to be effective and offer greater opportunity for involvement in the planning system. The Inspectorate has requested feedback from all participants in virtual events and 90% of those who responded have rated their experience good or excellent, with 97% saying that they would be happy to take part in a virtual event again.
Information supporting nationally significant infrastructure applications is fully available on the Planning Inspectorate website. Supporting information for planning appeals and local plan examinations is published through the website of the relevant council.
The Department is working with the Inspectorate to identify how to best capture the benefits of these new ways of working as part of the vision for a digital future of the planning system that we set out in our Planning for the Future White Paper.