Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what planning protections are in place to prevent inappropriate housing developments in areas of outstanding natural beauty.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that great weight should be given to conserving and enhancing landscape and scenic beauty in National Parks, the Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which have the highest status of protection in relation to these issues. The scale and extent of development within these designated areas should be limited. Planning permission should be refused for major development other than in exceptional circumstances, and where it can be demonstrated that the development is in the public interest.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what planning protections are in place to prevent inappropriate road developments in areas of outstanding natural beauty.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government recognises that it is important to strike a balance between enabling development and growth whilst continuing to protect and enhance the natural environment. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that when producing plans and development proposals, the environmental impacts of traffic and transport infrastructure, including road developments, should be identified, assessed and taken into account. This should include taking appropriate opportunities to avoid and mitigate any adverse effects.
The Framework also sets out that great weight should be given to conserving and enhancing landscape and scenic beauty in National Parks, the Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which have the highest status of protection in relation to these issues.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to increase local authority funding for substance misuse services as a result of changes in the cost of prescribing buprenorphine.
Answered by Rishi Sunak
The Department of Health and Social Care has provided £16 billion to local authorities over five years for public health services, including for alcohol and drug treatment, and there are currently no plans to increase this funding further.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the financial effect on substance misuse services of the changes in the cost of prescribing buprenorphine.
Answered by Rishi Sunak
The Secretary of State has not met the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to discuss the prescribing of buprenorphine. Funding to local authorities for public health is provided by the Department of Health and Social Care.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce penalties for local planning authorities that fail to introduce a five-year land supply.
Answered by Dominic Raab
In order to build the homes this country needs it is vital that local authorities produce a plan, in consultation with their local communities, for the homes that are needed in their area.
The National Planning Policy Framework introduced the presumption in favour of sustainable development, which applies where a local authority cannot demonstrate a five year land supply. This has been effective in bringing forward more land for housing but has been a blunt tool.
The Housing White Paper included proposals to continue this policy while offering more certainty to those authorities who are identifying enough land for housing. Subject to consultation, this will be taken forward through the revised National Planning Policy Framework, which will be published for consultation before Easter.