Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce measures to simplify licensing applications for hospitality businesses, with particular reference to trading outdoors, in order to support the reopening of business as covid-19 restrictions are eased.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
Last summer the Government introduced a series of measures to support hospitality businesses to open safely when lockdown restrictions were eased. The Secretary of State has made a statement in the House and written to local council leaders on planning and hospitality, setting out what these measures are, and confirming that they remain in place to support businesses as they reopen this year.
These measures include the temporary pavement licence provisions introduced in the Business and Planning Act 2020 which create a quicker and cheaper process for businesses to obtain a licence to place outdoor furniture, including tables, chairs and stalls outside their premise. The Government intends to extend the temporary pavement licence provisions for 12 months until September 2022, subject to Parliamentary approval.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the White Paper, Planning for the Future, whether Metropolitan Open Land will be included in the protected category of land.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Last year’s Planning for the Future White Paper proposed a new format of local plan where all land is put into one of three categories - areas for growth, for renewal or for protection. It proposed that protected areas would be those where recognised constraints exist, such as National Parks and the Green Belt, alongside open countryside.
Since publication, we have continued to engage with stakeholders to develop and refine the proposals as set out in the White Paper. We will publish a Government response setting out our decisions on the way forward.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s Rough Sleeping Strategy, published in 2018, what progress the Government has made on (a) improving understanding of LGBT homelessness and the experiences of LGBT homeless people and (b) improving interventions for LGBT homeless people.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
We are committed to tackling all forms of homelessness and recognise that LGBT people who find themselves homeless may have a different experience of homelessness due to their protected characteristics. We are working with the Government Equalities Office to undertake research into the nature of LGBT homelessness. This will be published in due course.
When delivering their homelessness duties and designing their services, local authorities must consider the needs of LGBT service users. The Government has worked with Stonewall Housing to provide training to staff working with LGBT individuals across various housing services about the issues they may face and how best to support LGBT people.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2021 to Questions 152648 and 152649, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending remote or hybrid meetings for local councils beyond 7 May 2021.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government keeps all policy under review. To extend the facility for all local authorities to continue to meet remotely or in hybrid form after 7 May 2021 would require primary legislation. We have received representations from local authorities and sector representative organisations making the case for the continuation of remote meetings beyond 7 May 2021 and we are carefully considering next steps in this area.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2021 to Questions 152648 and 152649, when his Department plans to set out its approach to local authorities when current provisions for remote or hybrid meetings for local councils expire on 7 May 2021.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government keeps all policy under review. To extend the facility for all local authorities to continue to meet remotely or in hybrid form after 7 May 2021 would require primary legislation. We have received representations from local authorities and sector representative organisations making the case for the continuation of remote meetings beyond 7 May 2021 and we are carefully considering next steps in this area.
Asked by: Nickie Aiken (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2021 to Question 152648 and 152649, what plans his Department has to bring forward additional primary legislation to extend remote or hybrid meetings for local councils when current provisions expire on 7 May 2021.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government keeps all policy under review. To extend the facility for all local authorities to continue to meet remotely or in hybrid form after 7 May 2021 would require primary legislation. We have received representations from local authorities and sector representative organisations making the case for the continuation of remote meetings beyond 7 May 2021 and we are carefully considering next steps in this area.