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Written Question
Housing: Planning
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to paragraph 61 of the National Planning Policy Framework, published on 19 December 2023, whether the definition of exceptional circumstance has been influenced by case law.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out an expectation that the standard method will be used by local authorities to assess local housing needs, while recognising there may be exceptional circumstances that justify the use of an alternative approach.

The Framework does not set out an exhaustive list of what may or may not constitute an exceptional circumstance, but it does explain that this can include issues relating to the particular demographic characteristics of an area. It is for the local authority to determine if there are exceptional circumstances, and to then justify the use of an alternative method when bringing its plan forward for examination.


Written Question
Housing: Regional Planning and Development
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral contribution of 13 December 2022 of the Minister of State, Department or Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on Consideration of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, Official Report column 957, how the revised National Planning Policy Framework takes into account areas that have over-delivered and taken significant housing when calculating future housing figures.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out an expectation that the standard method will be used by local authorities to assess local housing needs, while recognising there may be exceptional circumstances that justify the use of an alternative approach.

The Framework does not set out an exhaustive list of what may or may not constitute an exceptional circumstance, but it does explain that this can include issues relating to the particular demographic characteristics of an area. It is for the local authority to determine if there are exceptional circumstances, and to then justify the use of an alternative method when bringing its plan forward for examination.


Written Question
Housing: Construction
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to paragraph 61 of the National Planning Policy Framework, published on 19 December 2023, whether high historic housebuilding numbers might be considered to be an exceptional circumstance.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out an expectation that the standard method will be used by local authorities to assess local housing needs, while recognising there may be exceptional circumstances that justify the use of an alternative approach.

The Framework does not set out an exhaustive list of what may or may not constitute an exceptional circumstance, but it does explain that this can include issues relating to the particular demographic characteristics of an area. It is for the local authority to determine if there are exceptional circumstances, and to then justify the use of an alternative method when bringing its plan forward for examination.


Written Question
Housing: Planning
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to paragraph 61 of the National Planning Policy Framework, published on 19 December 2023, how his Department defines exceptional circumstance in relation to housebuilding numbers.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out an expectation that the standard method will be used by local authorities to assess local housing needs, while recognising there may be exceptional circumstances that justify the use of an alternative approach.

The Framework does not set out an exhaustive list of what may or may not constitute an exceptional circumstance, but it does explain that this can include issues relating to the particular demographic characteristics of an area. It is for the local authority to determine if there are exceptional circumstances, and to then justify the use of an alternative method when bringing its plan forward for examination.


Written Question
Housing
Thursday 11th January 2024

Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department takes to ensure that calculated local housing need reflects the housing need of the local population.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

In 2018, we introduced a standard method for assessing local housing need. The standard method uses a formula to identify the minimum number of homes expected to be planned for, in a way which addresses projected household growth, affordability and historic under-supply.


Written Question
Council Housing: Construction
Wednesday 10th January 2024

Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which local authority areas have built homes for more than 100,000 people in the last 30 years.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The department publishes an annual release entitled ‘Housing supply: net additional dwellings, England’, which is the primary and most comprehensive measure of housing supply, with estimates of new homes delivered in each local authority, in each financial year since 2001-02, shown in Live Table 122 at the following link.

For earlier years, the department publishes a quarterly release entitled ‘Housing supply: Indicators of New Supply, England’, which includes estimates of new build completions, by local authority, in each financial year since 1980-81, shown in Live Table 253 at the following link.

Estimates of the number of houses completed by are not centrally collected by the department. However, approximately half of the data used to produce the house building statistics are supplied by the National House-Building Council. These data contain additional detail on the size and type of new homes being completed and can be used to provide annual estimates of the proportion of new build dwellings that are houses as opposed to flats. Annual estimates of the proportion of building control reported new build dwelling completions, in England that are purpose built houses, are shown in Live Table 254, at the following link.

Estimates of the number of local authority areas that have built homes for more than 100,000 people in the last 30 years are not centrally collected by the department.


Written Question
Council Housing: Construction
Wednesday 10th January 2024

Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many new houses were built in each local authority in each of the last 30 years.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The department publishes an annual release entitled ‘Housing supply: net additional dwellings, England’, which is the primary and most comprehensive measure of housing supply, with estimates of new homes delivered in each local authority, in each financial year since 2001-02, shown in Live Table 122 at the following link.

For earlier years, the department publishes a quarterly release entitled ‘Housing supply: Indicators of New Supply, England’, which includes estimates of new build completions, by local authority, in each financial year since 1980-81, shown in Live Table 253 at the following link.

Estimates of the number of houses completed by are not centrally collected by the department. However, approximately half of the data used to produce the house building statistics are supplied by the National House-Building Council. These data contain additional detail on the size and type of new homes being completed and can be used to provide annual estimates of the proportion of new build dwellings that are houses as opposed to flats. Annual estimates of the proportion of building control reported new build dwelling completions, in England that are purpose built houses, are shown in Live Table 254, at the following link.

Estimates of the number of local authority areas that have built homes for more than 100,000 people in the last 30 years are not centrally collected by the department.


Written Question
Commonwealth: Foreign Relations
Tuesday 24th October 2023

Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to strengthen the UK's relationship with Commonwealth countries.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK is deeply committed to the Commonwealth. We provide significant bilateral aid to Commonwealth countries, totalling over £608 million in 2022. We continue to support a range of Commonwealth initiatives, as the largest donor to many Commonwealth inter-governmental organisations. Our focus is on increasing intra-Commonwealth trade & investment, building resilience to climate change and promoting our shared values.


Written Question
UN Commission on the Status of Women
Friday 20th October 2023

Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2023 to Question 195825 on UN Commission on the Status of Women, what process was used to appoint the UK Youth Delegate to UN Commission on the Status of Women; how many applications were received for that position; and what the gender was of the successful applicant.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The UK Youth Delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women was not appointed through a selection process. The delegate was male. This was a trial appointment and we are currently evaluating the success of this initiative.


Written Question
UN Commission on the Status of Women: Young People
Monday 11th September 2023

Asked by: Maria Miller (Conservative - Basingstoke)

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many applications were received for the position of Youth Delegate for the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 2023.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The Minister for Women and Equalities has overall responsibility for the Government’s participation in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), supported by ministers across government particularly those from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

For the first time, in 2023, the Government appointed a young person as a UN Women Youth Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women. This was a trial appointment and we are currently evaluating the success of this initiative.

The priority theme for CSW68 is Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective. The Government will continue to promote gender equality internationally at CSW and elsewhere in line with the priorities set out in the International women and girls strategy 2023 to 2030 published in March.