Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to strengthen civil law in respect of intentional unauthorised development; and what the timetable is for such action.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In the Government’s response last year to our consultation on powers for dealing with unauthorised development and encampments, we committed to strengthening national planning policy on intentional unauthorised development. We intend to consult on proposals for doing so shortly.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to Answer of 8 July 2019 to Question 269594 on Churches, which dioceses keep records of (a) thefts and (b) attempted thefts of metal.
Answered by Caroline Spelman
Detailed information on this is not held centrally.
Historic England has the most comprehensive list of churches and other listed buildings that have experience thefts or attempted thefts of metal.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2019 to Question 269594, whether the Diocese of St Albums holds any records of the type of metal stolen.
Answered by Caroline Spelman
This information is not held centrally. The St Albans Diocesan Office keeps a record of the types of metals stolen from churches and the frequency of thefts.
For a more detailed breakdown please contact the Pastoral and Advisory Secretary, Holywell Lodge, 41 Holywell Hill, St Albans, Herts. AL1 1HE.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Commissioners plan to investigate which roofing material is (a) least likely to be stolen and (b) best value; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Caroline Spelman
The Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division of the Archbishops’ Council provide advice and guidance to churches on a range of issues, including roofing materials. https://www.churchofengland.org/more/church-resources/churchcare/advice-and-guidance-church-buildings
Incidents of theft from non-metal roofs are rare, though there is a risk to some rarer types of slate or stone, which are most vulnerable when they are removed for repair.
Terne-coated stainless steel is unlikely to be stolen as it is difficult to manipulate and has a low scrap value for the work and risk involved. Metal and other material is least likely to be stolen from a church that has installed an effective alarm.
Lead is the most likely metal to be stolen due to its value and the ease of removing it, followed by copper roofing and rainwater pipes.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government has plans to compensate printers and other businesses for costs incurred by the date change for May Bank Holiday in 2020; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The early May bank holiday will move from 4 to 8 May 2020 to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of VE Day. This is to ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to honour our heroes of the Second World War. The Government acknowledges that the decision will bring economic benefits to some sectors and businesses and some disruption to others. The Government has corresponded directly with representatives from the calendar printing industry and has no plans for compensation.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Commissioners will make an estimate of the number of thefts of lead from church buildings in (a) the diocese of St Albans and (b) England in (i) 2018 and (ii) 2019 to date.
Answered by Caroline Spelman
The National Church Institutions do not hold information centrally about the theft of metal from Church of England churches, but records are kept at a diocesan level. Anecdotal evidence points to an increase in instances of metal theft from churches nationwide, with East Anglia and the Midlands being most affected.
Home Office Counting Rules do not require the police to record if a theft is from a listed building. The Church of England welcomes the July 2019 Sentencing Council proposals to introduce new sentencing guidelines for arson, criminal damage and vandalism of national heritage assets, including listed buildings, historic objects or unique parts of our historic environment.
Money to fund repairs or adaptations to church buildings is raised by local churches mainly through fundraising and local giving. There is no central Government funding, except through grants in respect of VAT paid on repairs to listed churches.
The following table for the Diocese of St Albans shows cases of metal theft or attempted theft since 2015. The Diocese covers the majority of the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire area and contains 380 Anglican churches.
Year | Number of Attacks |
2015 | 13 |
2016 | 23 |
2017 | 7 |
2018 | 14 |
2019 | 5 |
The Diocese provides advice to local churches on protective and preventative measures, including forensic marking and roof alarms, working with the Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust and the Allchurches Trust. Grants of up to £3,000 per church have been made available to more than 55 churches in the Diocese. In addition the Diocesan Board of Finance allocated 29 roof alarm grants in 2017 and 2018 from small trust funds for church repairs and maintenance. As a result there has been a significant reduction in the number of cases of metal theft in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, though incidents still occur. For example, in June 2019 St Mary's Church in Furneux Pelham north east Hertfordshire, had 90% of its lead roof stolen or damaged over a single weekend.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Written Statement of 17 December 2018, Official Report HCWS1184, when he plans to bring forward detailed proposals on tackling uncertainty around employment status.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Government has committed to legislate to improve the clarity of the employment status tests, reflecting the reality of modern working relationships. This will help to ensure that both businesses and individuals understand their rights and obligations.
Employment status is a complex issue and so it is only right that we take time to consider how best to achieve change that works for all. We will bring forward detailed proposals on status in due course.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of the speed of growth within Cambridgeshire on local health services.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
NHS England is responsible for decisions on the weighted capitation formula used to allocate resources between clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). This process is independent of Government. NHS England takes advice from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA), a group of academics and other experts.
NHS England published five-year CCG allocations 2019/20 to 2023/24 on 8 February 2019 at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/ccg-allocations-2019-20-to-2023-24-core-services/
In making these allocations, NHS England accepted all recommendations made by ACRA, including changes in the way population estimates and projections are used. NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s revenue allocation is based on the actual average registered population in the 12 months to October 2018, which was 967,902. Using population growth rates estimated by the Office for National Statistics, the allocations include an estimated population growth to 973,472 in 2019-20 (0.62% growth). We continue this approach throughout the allocations period so that by 2023-24 we assume a population of 992,432, equivalent to an average growth of 0.50% per annum over the period.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the current five year funding formula addresses actual as well as forecast growth in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG area.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
NHS England is responsible for decisions on the weighted capitation formula used to allocate resources between clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). This process is independent of Government. NHS England takes advice from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA), a group of academics and other experts.
NHS England published five-year CCG allocations 2019/20 to 2023/24 on 8 February 2019 at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/ccg-allocations-2019-20-to-2023-24-core-services/
In making these allocations, NHS England accepted all recommendations made by ACRA, including changes in the way population estimates and projections are used. NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s revenue allocation is based on the actual average registered population in the 12 months to October 2018, which was 967,902. Using population growth rates estimated by the Office for National Statistics, the allocations include an estimated population growth to 973,472 in 2019-20 (0.62% growth). We continue this approach throughout the allocations period so that by 2023-24 we assume a population of 992,432, equivalent to an average growth of 0.50% per annum over the period.
Asked by: Oliver Heald (Conservative - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the NHS has for the future of Royston Hospital; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
NHS Property Services, who own the Royston Hospital site, are working with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and local Sustainability and Transformation Plan Estates Group colleagues with a review of options for Royston Hospital, including the potential to create a neighbourhood health and wellbeing centre. The review also includes the nearby Royston Health Centre. As part of this review, NHS Property Services and the CCG continue to work with local partners providing health services to determine the right level of services and the appropriate use of the existing estate options to support the needs of the people of Royston. No decisions have yet been made.
The work with partners includes Addenbrookes Hospital who are looking to provide additional services from Royston Hospital.