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, what the reasons were for the large increase in spend in March 2017.
Answered by Marcus Jones
The increase in spend in March was due to the Regional Mayoral Elections, accounting for 73 per cent of the spend in that month.
The objective of the campaign was to raise public awareness ahead of the regional elections held on 4 May 2017.
This is in support of the Government's aim to enable a shift in power from central to local government, with decentralisation bringing power closer to local communities. My department wants cities to have more control over transport, housing, skills and healthcare with elected mayors.
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 much his Department has spent on advertising on social media in each month since January 2016.
Answered by Marcus Jones
Since January 2016 the Department for Communities and Local Government spent the following amount on social media:
Month | Gross Spend (ex VAT & commission) |
Jan-16 | £ 9,369 |
Feb-16 | £ 24,287 |
Mar-16 | £ 31,053 |
Apr-16 | £ 7,161 |
May-16 | £ 4,729 |
Jun-16 | £ 13,792 |
Jul-16 | £ 2,768 |
Aug-16 | £ 8,672 |
Sep-16 | £ 10,461 |
Oct-16 | £ 23,022 |
Nov-16 | £ 19,622 |
Dec-16 | £ 4,029 |
Jan-17 | £ 13,037 |
Feb-17 | £ 37,228 |
Mar-17 | £ 134,752 |
Apr-17 | £ 49,037 |
May-17 | £ 11,782 |
Total Spend | £ 404,802 |
These figures represent gross social media advertising spend excluding fees, commission and VAT. ‘Social’ channels are defined as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. These figures represent total spend for DCLG, excluding its arm’s length bodies (ALBs).
Government advertising supports the government’s priorities and helps deliver its programmes, from raising awareness of government home buying schemes so people can own their own home, to informing voters of the combined authority regional mayoral elections held in May 2017 to help increase turnout. The media in which we place government advertising are selected for their ability to most effectively reach our target audience.
Government advertising is purchased by our media buying agency, Carat Ltd. Carat has held the contract for UK government media buying since January 2015.
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 public engagements for which a media calling notice was issued were attended by a departmental Minister in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Marcus Jones
This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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 officials of his Department are working full-time on preparations for the UK leaving the EU; and what proportion of his Department's staff that number represents.
Answered by Marcus Jones
Exit is an all-of-government operation. The Department for Exiting the European Union is doing detailed work with departments to prepare for the upcoming negotiations by understanding the risks and opportunities of leaving the EU and coordinating planning.
Staff within the strategy team lead on providing advice to Ministers on EU Exit and exit-related issues as required.
Members of staff across the Department also provide advice and analysis on EU Exit issues as required.
Given the interactions between EU exit work and the Department's other priorities, it would not be possible to give an accurate figure.
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, with reference to the Answer of 7 July 2015 to Question 5576, on social rented housing: EU nationals, whether it remains his Department's policy to introduce a four-year residency requirement for EU migrants following the decision of the UK to leave the EU.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The Government remains of the view that social housing should be for those with a strong connection to the local community. Statutory guidance issued in December 2013 already ensures that only people who have lived in their area for at least two years can apply to their council for social housing.
We are considering whether to go further and adopt a stronger residency test by extending this to four years.
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, whether it is his policy to continue to require environmental impact assessment for projects under the same or similar terms to those of current EU law after the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.
Answered by Lord Barwell
Until we leave, the UK will remain a full member of the EU, with all of the rights and obligations. The Department for Exiting the EU will be working on the UK’s withdrawal and future relationship, liaising closely with other key departments on future support for the environment.
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 7 July 2015 to Question 5575, how the four-year residency of EU migrants is to be proven; upon whom the onus of proof that the residency criterion is met will lie; and what measures social housing providers will take to verify any proof they are given that residency criteria are met.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The detail of how the policy will be implemented will be determined following successful EU treaty negotiation. However, local authorities are already experienced in assessing whether foreign national applicants meet the eligibility criteria for social housing set by central government as well as the authority’s local residency test.
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, whether the proposed four-year residency requirement for EU citizens to access social housing is intended to apply throughout the UK.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
As housing is a devolved matter, this change will apply to England and it will be for the devolved administrations to take their decisions as to whether they would wish to apply a similar requirement in their areas.
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, what proportion of the total affordable housing stock in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) England is leased to citizens of other EU countries.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
English Housing Survey data shows that in 2012-13 there were 129,000 households living in social housing in England with a household reference person whose nationality was an EU country other than UK. This represents 15% of all households in England with a household reference person whose nationality was an EU country other than UK.
Information on the proportion of the total affordable housing stock in England which is leased to citizens of other EU countries is not held centrally.
Housing in Scotland, Wales or Northen Ireland is a matter for the devolved adminstrations.
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 citizens of other EU countries live in social housing in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) England; and what proportion of all citizens of other EU countries resident in each constituent part of the UK are so housed.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
English Housing Survey data shows that in 2012-13 there were 129,000 households living in social housing in England with a household reference person whose nationality was an EU country other than UK. This represents 15% of all households in England with a household reference person whose nationality was an EU country other than UK.
Information on the proportion of the total affordable housing stock in England which is leased to citizens of other EU countries is not held centrally.
Housing in Scotland, Wales or Northen Ireland is a matter for the devolved adminstrations.