Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
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 the devolved administrations on whether the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc.) (Modification) Order 1999 requires to be updated.
Answered by Marcus Jones
There have been no recent discussions with the devolved administrations on whether the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc.) (Modification) Order 1999 requires to be updated.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the reasons are for the time taken to update the Local Government Redundancy Modification Order; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Marcus Jones
DCLG administers the Local Government Redundancy Modification Order on behalf of the UK Government and the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales.
We are actively looking at options on taking forward the Redundancy Modification Order and will update relevant organisations in due course.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
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 provide financial assistance to local authorities which are increasing their insurance cover against the risk of terrorism.
Answered by Marcus Jones
Local authorities are democratically elected organisations, and as such are responsible for managing their budgets and insurance arrangements in line with local priorities and risks.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
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 potential merits of making compulsory the accessibility standards outlined in the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Lord Barwell
National planning policy is clear that in developing their local plans, planning authorities should consider the needs of a wide range of households, including older and disabled households.
The role of higher accessibility standards for new housing was considered during the Housing Standards Review undertaken by the Coalition Government. As a result, Optional Requirements for higher levels of accessibility were introduced into the Building Regulations and came into force on 1 October 2015. It was decided at that time that the application of these standards should remain a matter for Local Planning Authorities taking into account local needs and viability.
Details of relevant consultations and impact assessments can be found at the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2010-to-2015-government-policy-building-regulation/2010-to-2015-government-policy-building-regulation#appendix-5-technical-housing-standards-review