Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 3.12 of the Autumn Statement 2016, how much of the £1.7 billion investment by 2020-21 intended for accelerated construction on public sector land will be spent in each region of England.
Answered by Lord Barwell
£1.7 billion of investment for Accelerated Construction was announced at the Autumn Statement. This will see up to 15,000 homes started on surplus public sector land this Parliament.
We are currently undertaking detailed project scoping. Further details about the programme will be made available on completion of this work.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 5.12 of the Autumn Statement 2016, how much of the additional £10 million committed to the Rough Sleeping Fund will be spent in each region.
Answered by Marcus Jones
One person without a home is one too many. That is why we have made a £50 million Homelessness Prevention Programme available to local authorities all over England to provide an innovative approach to tackling homelessness, with prevention at its heart. This includes an additional £10 million announced at Autumn Statement for the Rough Sleeping Fund to support people at imminent risk of, or new to sleeping rough.
Bids to all of the funds in the Homelessness Prevention Programme are currently being assessed on the basis of the criteria set out in the funding prospectuses, and successful areas will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to require planning permission before the use of a building is changed from Use Class A4 to A1.
Answered by Lord Barwell
Since 6 April 2015, where a drinking establishment in the A4 Use Class is nominated or listed as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), the permitted development rights are dis-applied, and a planning application is required for the change of use.
This provides the right balance between protecting valued community pubs and avoiding blanket regulation which would lead to more empty and boarded up buildings.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of powers available to community groups to appeal against housing development targets drawn up by local authorities.
Answered by Lord Barwell
Local authority housing targets must be based on an objectively assessed evidence of need and the capacity to meet that need. There are opportunities for community groups and local residents to raise their concerns about proposed housing targets through public consultation on an emerging Local Plan, and again at the independent examination which must be undertaken before the Local Plan can be adopted.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will hold discussions with local authority leaders in Yorkshire on creating a post of Mayor of Yorkshire.
Answered by Andrew Percy
We have been clear that devolution is a bottom-up process, and that while devolution must take place across a functional economic area, the precise geography is in the first place a matter for local areas. The Government has been equally clear that a significant devolution of powers and funding to a local area requires the accountability provided by an elected Mayor. Within Yorkshire, we remain committed to working in partnership with local authorities to implement devolution for the Sheffield City Region, which includes the creation of an elected Mayor.
In the past week, I have also met with Yorkshire leaders at the Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire All-Party Parliamentary Group, and met with the leaders of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities in Yorkshire on creating a Mayor of Yorkshire role.
Answered by Andrew Percy
The Government has made clear that a significant devolution of powers and funding to a local area requires the accountability provided by an elected Mayor. We have been equally clear that devolution is a bottom-up process, and that while devolution must take place across a functional economic area, the precise geography is in the first place a matter for local areas. Within Yorkshire, we remain committed to working in partnership with local authorities to implement devolution for the Sheffield City Region, which includes the creation of an elected Mayor.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to enable communities with neighbourhood plans that are (a) complete and (b) being developed to appeal against planning decisions that conflict with that plan.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The Neighbourhood Planning Bill will strengthen neighbourhood planning, by requiring local planning authorities and others who decide planning applications to have regard to neighbourhood plans that have been independently examined, once the decision has been taken to put the plan to a referendum.The Bill would also ensure plans have full legal weight at an earlier stage of the process, as soon as the outcome of the referendum is announced, and make it easier to ensure plans can be kept up to date.
These measures are in addition to existing safeguards that ensure neighbourhood plans are given proper consideration, including existing powers for communities to request that the Secretary of State ‘calls-in’ planning applications for his own determination, and new requirements introduced in the Housing and Planning Act, that will require any conflict with a made neighbourhood plan to be set out in the committee report that will inform a planning committee decision.
Furthermore, national planning policy is clear that where a planning application conflicts with a neighbourhood plan that has been brought into force, planning permission should not normally be granted, and that decision-makers may give weight to policies in emerging neighbourhood plans according to the stage of preparation of the plan, the extent of unresolved objections, and the degree of consistency with the National Planning Policy Framework.
In the light of these safeguards, the government does not support a right of appeal for those opposed to a decision to grant planning permission, which would delay the building of the new homes we need.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps members of the public can take to ensure that their local authorities comply with the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Lord Barwell
There are many ways in which local people can ensure that Local Planning Authorities have regard to the policies in the National Planning Policy Framework when carrying out their planning functions.
Local Plans prepared by Local Planning Authorities are assessed against requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework as part of the tests of soundness. There are opportunities at various stages for communities to comment on the Local Plan including at publication stage. Each local council must prepare a Statement of Community Involvement. This should set out a local council’s policy for involving communities in the preparation and revision of its Local Plan.
Local Planning Authorities are required to make decisions on planning applications in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The National Planning Policy Framework is such a material consideration. There are opportunities for communities to comment on planning applications.
Neighbourhood planning also provides a powerful set of tools for local people to ensure they get the right types of development for their community, where the ambition of the neighbourhood is aligned with the strategic needs and priorities of the wider local area. Communities are able to choose where they want new homes, shops and offices to be built, have their say on what those new buildings should look like, and what infrastructure should be provided, and grant planning permission for the new buildings they want to see go ahead.
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average hourly earnings were of his Department's (a) BME and (b) non-BME employees in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.
Answered by Mark Francois - Shadow Minister (Defence)
The tables below are the average hourly rates for all employees (Senior Civil Service and below within my department for the following categories. However, I would note to the Hon. Member that such simple averages do not paint an accurate figure of our workforce and recruitment practices.
2015
Category | Average hourly rate |
BME | £18.39 |
Non-BME | £21.05 |
Undeclared | £19.92 |
2016
Category | Average hourly rate |
BME | £18.20 |
Non-BME | £20.83 |
Undeclared | £20.79 |
The Civil Service is changing, and our recruitment seeks to reflect the make-up and composition of our nation as a whole. Historically, BME staff were under-represented: both in terms of previous recruitment patterns and the number and proportion in higher grades, both of these factors have contributed to the differences in average salaries.
We are making progress the proportion of BME staff in the Civil Service has risen from 9.2% in 2010 to 10.6% in 2015, but we recognise that there is still more to do.
In March, the Government published its 2016 Talent Action Plan for the Civil Service. It provides a progress update on initiatives to increase diversity in the Civil Service, including cross-Government talent programmes aimed at under-represented groups.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/talent-action-plan-2016-removing-the-barriers-to-success
Asked by: Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat - Leeds North West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects Louise Casey's review of opportunity and integration in isolated and deprived communities to be (a) completed and (b) published.
Answered by Marcus Jones
The review is expected to be completed and published shortly.