Written Question
Friday 26th July 2024
Asked by:
Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question
to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the terms of the financial support package given by her Department to Stoke-on-Trent City Council in February 2024 on the Council's future financial stability.
Answered by Jim McMahon
This Government is under no illusions about the scale of the pressures that councils are facing, and is committed to providing councils with greater certainty and stability. In February 2024, Stoke-on-Trent City Council received in-principle capitalisation support of £21.7 million and £20.5 million, for financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25, under the previous Government's Exceptional Financial Support framework. Details of this support were published on gov.uk.
Under the previous Government's framework, financial support was agreed in-principle, with formal support and any associated conditions to be confirmed at a later date, subject to the outcome of an external assurance review of the council. The Government will consider the overall impact of any support provided when final decisions are taken.
Written Question
Friday 26th July 2024
Asked by:
Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question
to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the terms of the financial support package given by her Department to Stoke-on-Trent City Council in February 2024.
Answered by Jim McMahon
This Government is under no illusions about the scale of the pressures that councils are facing, and is committed to providing councils with greater certainty and stability. In February 2024, Stoke-on-Trent City Council received in-principle capitalisation support of £21.7 million and £20.5 million, for financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25, under the previous Government's Exceptional Financial Support framework. Details of this support were published on gov.uk.
Under the previous Government's framework, financial support was agreed in-principle, with formal support and any associated conditions to be confirmed at a later date, subject to the outcome of an external assurance review of the council. The Government will consider the overall impact of any support provided when final decisions are taken.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 22 Jul 2019
Oral Answers to Questions
"7. What steps he is taking in relation to local authorities that do not have an adopted local plan. ..."Gareth Snell - View Speech
View all Gareth Snell (LAB - Stoke-on-Trent Central) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 22 Jul 2019
Oral Answers to Questions
"The Minister’s Department is taking action against only 15 local authorities where no local plan is actively in place. The Department also has an ambitious target of 300,000 homes a year—about 80,000 a year short. What action will he take to ensure that local authorities like Stoke-on-Trent that are failing …..."Gareth Snell - View Speech
View all Gareth Snell (LAB - Stoke-on-Trent Central) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 02 Jul 2019
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
"It is an honour to follow the right hon. Member for Witham (Priti Patel). Being married to a councillor, she will appreciate most acutely the tough decisions that councillors must make. Let me begin my speech by thanking councillors of all political parties for their work. Looking around the Chamber …..."Gareth Snell - View Speech
View all Gareth Snell (LAB - Stoke-on-Trent Central) contributions to the debate on: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 02 Jul 2019
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
"I thank my hon. Friend for that and for presciently leading on to my next point, which is about how devolution settlements work and the myriad different settlements that we have, across England predominantly, with city deals, local enterprise partnership arrangements or mayoral combined authorities. That means there are lots …..."Gareth Snell - View Speech
View all Gareth Snell (LAB - Stoke-on-Trent Central) contributions to the debate on: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 02 Jul 2019
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
"I entirely agree, and the same goes for LEP boundaries. If we are going to do this, there has to be a way forward that fits local area needs.
According to the NAO, £6 billion is currently tied up between section 106 agreements and the community infrastructure levy. That is …..."Gareth Snell - View Speech
View all Gareth Snell (LAB - Stoke-on-Trent Central) contributions to the debate on: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 08 Apr 2019
Oral Answers to Questions
"I am sure the Minister will agree, as he said to my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Jo Platt), that political leadership is exactly what is needed when we look at children’s services. He will therefore be as upset and aghast as me that Stoke-on-Trent City Council was rated …..."Gareth Snell - View Speech
View all Gareth Snell (LAB - Stoke-on-Trent Central) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Written Question
Friday 25th January 2019
Asked by:
Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question
to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the rate of remuneration for (a) cleaners, (b) security guards and (c) catering staff in his Department in (i) Greater London and (ii) outside Greater London.
Answered by Jake Berry
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government does not directly employ (a) cleaners (b) security guards and (c) catering staff.
Cleaning, security guarding and catering services in buildings managed by the Department are outsourced under facilities management contracts. Suppliers are responsible for setting rates of pay for their staff and rates vary dependent on their age, location and market rates. All suppliers are required to pay, as a minimum, either the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage. The rates set by government for the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage are to rise in April 2019.
Cleaning, security guarding and catering services to the Department’s headquarters based in 2 Marsham Street are provided under a contract managed by the Home Office.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 13 Dec 2018
Local Government Funding Settlement
"I thank the Secretary of State for allowing Stoke and Staffordshire to be in the business rates pilot. It is late—it should have been last year—but it is welcome. However, I remain confused. When I wrote to the Conservative leadership at Stoke-on-Trent City Council last February about their increase in …..."Gareth Snell - View Speech
View all Gareth Snell (LAB - Stoke-on-Trent Central) contributions to the debate on: Local Government Funding Settlement