Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the average number of full time equivalent trading standards officers per local authority over each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The department does not collect this information centrally.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he plans to take to ensure the (a) independence, (b) impartiality and (c) academic integrity of the counter-extremism centre of excellence.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Civil Service code applies to all civil servants. Further details of our work on Counter Extremism will be set out in the usual way.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the new definition of extremism.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Over the past year, a wide range of stakeholders were engaged to ensure a balance of views on the definitions development. The definition was tested across Government, with practitioners and with subject matter experts.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure (a) Birmingham City Council and (b) other Local Authorities designate an adequate number of authorised Gypsy and Traveller Sites.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Responsibility for the assessment of and provision for traveller sites is with local authorities.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the total costs incurred by local authorities relating to legal cases on the fitness for habitation of council properties in each of the last five years.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will provide guidance to local authorities on the maximum number of telegraph poles that can be erected in local areas per number of households.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government is aware of ongoing concerns about telegraph pole deployment. DLUHC officials are working with officials at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of using permitted development powers for the installation of (a) fibre optic and (b) 5G (i) poles and (ii) other infrastructure in residential areas on (A) broadband coverage, (B) quality of life and (C) street landscape in those areas.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Reliable, fast digital connectivity is vital for the prosperity of this country, local businesses and families.
It is essential that the planning system can effectively support the delivery of the telecommunications infrastructure that we need. Permitted development rights are an important tool to enable deployment of fixed line broadband and mobile telecommunications. In 2022 we introduced reforms to planning regulations to enable faster deployment of 4G and 5G networks.
These encouraged sharing of existing infrastructure and ensured that local areas can consider the location and appearance of new ground-based masts. The Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development and Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice outline additional expectations for operators to consult communities.
The Government Response to consultation, published on 7 March 2022, set the Government’s assessment of how these changes strike an appropriate balance between providing local control and delivering improved connectivity.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many properties were sold through Right to Buy in each of the core cities in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Official statistics on the number of Right to Buy sales are published annually. The official statistics can be found on Gov.uk in Live Table 691b available at the following link.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many (a) site visits by (i) an inspector and (ii) an inspector's representative and (b) written exercises were conducted following appeals to the Planning Inspectorate on planning applications in (A) Birmingham, Edgbaston constituency and (B) the Birmingham City Council area in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The table below gives information on site visits by Inspectors and others for the last five years, as well as those where we do not have statistics on who carried out the site visit.
Oct 18 - Sep 19 | Site visit by Inspector | Site visit by APO/ RTPI App | No Name/ Grade recorded |
All PINS | 19162 | 133 | 660 |
Birmingham LPA | 194 | 0 | 2 |
Edgbaston | 14 | 0 | 0 |
|
|
|
|
Oct 19 - Sep 20 | Site visit by inspector | Site visit by APO/ RTPI App | No Name/ Grade recorded |
All PINS | 15694 | 667 | 655 |
Birmingham LPA | 134 | 1 | 4 |
Edgbaston | 20 | 0 | 0 |
|
|
|
|
Oct 20 - Sep 21 | Site visit by inspector | Site visit by APO/ RTPI App | No Name/ Grade recorded |
All PINS | 15901 | 429 | 693 |
Birmingham LPA | 158 | 3 | 3 |
Edgbaston | 12 | 1 | 0 |
|
|
|
|
Oct 21 - Sep 22 | Site visit by inspector | Site visit by APO/ RTPI App | No Name/ Grade recorded |
All PINS | 15047 | 530 | 534 |
Birmingham LPA | 154 | 7 | 5 |
Edgbaston | 13 | 0 | 2 |
|
|
|
|
Oct 22 - Sep 23 | Site visit by inspector | Site visit by APO/ RTPI App | No Name/ Grade recorded |
All PINS | 15920 | 213 | 680 |
Birmingham LPA | 147 | 3 | 5 |
Edgbaston | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Note: APO = Appeals Planning Officer;
RTPI App = Royal Town Planning Institute Apprentices
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many (a) site visits by (i) an inspector or (ii) an inspector's representative and (b) paper exercises were undertaken in response to appeals to the Planning Inspectorate in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The table below gives information on site visits by Inspectors and others for the last five years, as well as those where we do not have statistics on who carried out the site visit.
Oct 18 - Sep 19 | Site visit by Inspector | Site visit by APO/ RTPI App | No Name/ Grade recorded |
All PINS | 19162 | 133 | 660 |
Birmingham LPA | 194 | 0 | 2 |
Edgbaston | 14 | 0 | 0 |
|
|
|
|
Oct 19 - Sep 20 | Site visit by inspector | Site visit by APO/ RTPI App | No Name/ Grade recorded |
All PINS | 15694 | 667 | 655 |
Birmingham LPA | 134 | 1 | 4 |
Edgbaston | 20 | 0 | 0 |
|
|
|
|
Oct 20 - Sep 21 | Site visit by inspector | Site visit by APO/ RTPI App | No Name/ Grade recorded |
All PINS | 15901 | 429 | 693 |
Birmingham LPA | 158 | 3 | 3 |
Edgbaston | 12 | 1 | 0 |
|
|
|
|
Oct 21 - Sep 22 | Site visit by inspector | Site visit by APO/ RTPI App | No Name/ Grade recorded |
All PINS | 15047 | 530 | 534 |
Birmingham LPA | 154 | 7 | 5 |
Edgbaston | 13 | 0 | 2 |
|
|
|
|
Oct 22 - Sep 23 | Site visit by inspector | Site visit by APO/ RTPI App | No Name/ Grade recorded |
All PINS | 15920 | 213 | 680 |
Birmingham LPA | 147 | 3 | 5 |
Edgbaston | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Note: APO = Appeals Planning Officer;
RTPI App = Royal Town Planning Institute Apprentices