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Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Ystradffin Farm
Wednesday 23rd October 2019

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reasons he has leased Ystradffin Farm, Rhandirmwyn, Llandovery SA20 0PG.

Answered by Jake Berry

A lease, in the name of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has been taken, on behalf of the Home Office, to accommodate infrastructure for the new Emergency Services Network (ESN).

The site at Ystradffin Farm was identified by the ESN Programme as a suitable location for a 22.5m Extended Area Service (EAS) lattice mast. Planning for the site has been submitted but not yet granted.


Written Question
Local Government: Freedom of Information
Monday 8th April 2019

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance he has provided to local authorities on responding to freedom of information requests on preparations for the UK leaving the EU.

Answered by Rishi Sunak

The Government has not issued guidance to local authorities on freedom of information (FOI) requests on preparations for leaving the European Union. It has provided guidance to members of local resilience forums who had received FOI queries on no deal planning.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 28 Mar 2019
Permitted Development and Shale Gas Exploration

"We hear a lot from some people about the benefits of firing on with unconventional gas extraction, but not, rather surprisingly, from some Conservative Back Benchers today. Perhaps the Government should listen rather more closely to the voices in their own party on this issue. We have heard about the …..."
Deidre Brock - View Speech

View all Deidre Brock (SNP - Edinburgh North and Leith) contributions to the debate on: Permitted Development and Shale Gas Exploration

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 28 Mar 2019
Permitted Development and Shale Gas Exploration

"Absolutely. I think that all of us who represent Scottish constituencies are pleased by the much more cautious, evidence-based approach that the Scottish Government have been taking, and I would hope that the UK Government could learn from their example.

Perhaps a more thorough regulatory regime will reduce the likelihood …..."

Deidre Brock - View Speech

View all Deidre Brock (SNP - Edinburgh North and Leith) contributions to the debate on: Permitted Development and Shale Gas Exploration

Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Cambridge Analytica
Tuesday 3rd April 2018

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether (a) his Department and (b) any of its agencies has entered into contracts with Cambridge Analytica since 2012.

Answered by Jake Berry

Please see answer to Question UIN 134008, answered on 29 March 2018.


Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: SCL Group
Thursday 29th March 2018

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether (a) his Department and (b) any of his Department's agencies entered into contracts with Strategic Communication Laboratories in each year since 2010.

Answered by Jake Berry

The Department and its Arms Length Bodies’ records show no contracts were held with these suppliers for these periods.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 05 Mar 2018
National Planning Policy Framework

"While there is always more to do, in Scotland the SNP has led the UK on housing, delivering nearly 71,000 affordable homes since 2007—a supply of affordable housing that is a third higher per head of population than in England. Has the Secretary of State learned any lessons from the …..."
Deidre Brock - View Speech

View all Deidre Brock (SNP - Edinburgh North and Leith) contributions to the debate on: National Planning Policy Framework

Written Question
Department for Communities and Local Government: Social Media
Thursday 23rd November 2017

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people in his Department with responsibility for social media are employed on an (a) full and (b) part-time basis.

Answered by Marcus Jones

The Department does not employ any full or part time members of staff with the sole responsibility for social media.


Written Question
Department for Communities and Local Government: Advertising
Wednesday 1st November 2017

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 September 2017 to Question 3402, if he will publish the scoring and evaluation conducted by his Department of its social media advertising campaigns since January 2016.

Answered by Marcus Jones

Since January 2016, the Department for Communities and Local Government’s social media advertising has been used to support delivery of the government’s priorities of supporting increased homeownership and informing voters of the regional mayoral elections held in May 2017.

As with all government communications, social media advertising is evaluated as part of overall campaign delivery to ensure objectives are met and provides value for money.

Based on independent evaluation of the homeownership campaign activity:

  • Awareness of the campaign on homeownership rose from 32 per cent to 43 per cent.

  • As a result of seeing our advertising, 41 per cent claimed to have taken action with 62 per cent reported they are saving for a deposit (up from 55) and 33 per cent said they are likely to use a government home-buying scheme to buy a home in the next 4 years.

  • Of council tenants who were aware of the Right to Buy element of this campaign, 46 per cent went on to take further action as a result of the campaign. Those reporting they would use the scheme in the next 4 years rose from 26 per cent to 37 per cent.

On the mayoral election campaign:

  • There was a 15 per cent increase in awareness of the elections among the target audience.

  • 420,000 web page views(www.gov.uk/ourmayor), and 12,000 users engaged and visited the register to vote page to take further action.


Written Question
Department for Communities and Local Government: Advertising
Tuesday 17th October 2017

Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 September 2017 to Question 3402, on advertising, how much of that spend was (a) through Carat Ltd and (b) on the departmental procurement card.

Answered by Marcus Jones

Government advertising is purchased by our media buying agency, Carat Ltd. Carat has held the contract for UK government media buying since January 2015. There has been no spend on the departmental procurement card.