Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of closing places of worship during the covid-19 pandemic on people’s (a) physical and (b) mental health; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Simon Hoare
Freedom of religion or belief and the freedom to worship are fundamental human rights.
That is why the decision to close our Places of Worship, alongside all other places where people gathered, was made with great reluctance in the very earliest stages of the pandemic.
Recognising the importance of our Places of Worship to the spiritual, mental and physical health of our communities, we worked hard to ensure that they were able to reopen as soon as possible.
Gradual reopening began in June 2020 when it was clear how risks to worshippers could be minimised and our Places of Worship were able to remain open for worshippers throughout the remainder of the pandemic.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans his Department has for further devolution in England.
Answered by Jacob Young
As the Chancellor set out at Autumn Statement, we remain committed to ensuring that every part of England that wants a devolution deal by 2030 will have one.
In addition to the four new devolution deals and deeper devolution offer announced last week, we have committed to consider whether level 2 powers and funding can be devolved to county councils that meet key criteria set out in the Levelling Up White Paper. We are also in advanced discussions with Devon and Torbay about a devolution deal there.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to publish the report from the Independent Faith Engagement Review.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
I refer my Rt Hon Friend to my answer to Question UIN 96636 on 30 November 2022.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he made of (a) the historical importance of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and (b) its potential viability as a commercial operation as part of his decision on the Whitechapel Bell Foundry site.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The decision to grant planning permission for the proposals at Whitechapel Bell Foundry was published on 13 May. The Secretary of State did not make this decision. In reaching his decision, the Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government took into account a wide range of issues, based on the detailed findings of the Planning Inspector who held a public local inquiry into the case. The published decision letter sets out in detail the full reasoning and conclusions and, like all decisions, is published on the gov.uk website.
As the decision is final, unless challenged through the courts, the Government has no further jurisdiction in this matter and I am unable to give any further comment on the merits of the proposals.