Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the cost is of recent appointments to the Independent Improvement Panel to Birmingham City Council; and what body is funding those costs.
Answered by Kris Hopkins
As indicated in the Panel’s Terms of Reference agreed with the City Council, it will be supported by a secretariat provided jointly by Birmingham City Council and the Department for Communities and Local Government, and the expenses it will incur will be shared equally by the City Council and the Department.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the comparative change has been in local authority funding at the 10 (a) most and (b) least deprived local authority areas since 2010.
Answered by Kris Hopkins
The information is not held centrally in the form requested. Moreover, meaningful, like-for-like comparisons between individual local authorities cannot be made over more than one financial year owing to changes in local authority responsibility and function, as for instance due to the transfer of responsibility for concessionary travel and due to the introduction of academy schools.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on informing organisations whose funding from his Department is to be reduced of that decision and the reasons for it, before the House is informed by means of a statement or otherwise.
Answered by Stephen Williams
We will not fund any organisation that supports or is linked to individuals who fuel hatred, division and violence. We will fund only those programmes and organisations that actively encourage integration and uphold fundamental British values. Where the House is informed of a decision to cease funding an organisation, we aim to communicate final decisions to the organisations at the same time. This procedure was followed in the case of the Muslim Charities Forum.
The decision to cease funding the Muslim Charities Forum was made following a formal review of the project, which found concerns surrounding performance, governance and the support of individuals with extremist views.
In August 2014, Islamic Help, a member organisation of the Muslim Charities Forum, organised a fundraising event for Syria, presented by Uthman Lateef. This individual has espoused hatred and division and on this basis my Department wrote to Faith Action requesting that they no longer fund Islamic Help.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Statement of 18 December 2014, HCW5154, which individual with extremist views was invited by Islamic Help to speak at one of its events.
Answered by Stephen Williams
We will not fund any organisation that supports or is linked to individuals who fuel hatred, division and violence. We will fund only those programmes and organisations that actively encourage integration and uphold fundamental British values. Where the House is informed of a decision to cease funding an organisation, we aim to communicate final decisions to the organisations at the same time. This procedure was followed in the case of the Muslim Charities Forum.
The decision to cease funding the Muslim Charities Forum was made following a formal review of the project, which found concerns surrounding performance, governance and the support of individuals with extremist views.
In August 2014, Islamic Help, a member organisation of the Muslim Charities Forum, organised a fundraising event for Syria, presented by Uthman Lateef. This individual has espoused hatred and division and on this basis my Department wrote to Faith Action requesting that they no longer fund Islamic Help.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reason Birmingham council's funding in 2015 will be reduced by a greater amount than the national average reduction.
Answered by Kris Hopkins
I refer the Hon. Member to my written answer to him of 23 October 2014, PQ 210903.
More broadly, I would note:
· In 2014-15, Birmingham has an area spending power per dwelling of £2,679, considerably more than the comparable English average of £2,089.
· Birmingham City Council has the highest revenue outturn spending in England after the Greater London Authority: a total of £2.0 billion in 2013-14.
· Birmingham City Council is estimated to receive total government grants of £3,319 per dwelling in 2014-15; this compares with the English average of £2,628 and is the 13th highest in England (budgeted figures for revenue expenditure and financing; excludes income from mandatory housing benefits; includes education spending).
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what criteria his Department used to determine which councils received an (a) increase and (b) decrease in funding in 2014-15.
Answered by Kris Hopkins
I refer the Hon. Member to my written answer to him of 23 October 2014, PQ 210903.
More broadly, I would note:
· In 2014-15, Birmingham has an area spending power per dwelling of £2,679, considerably more than the comparable English average of £2,089.
· Birmingham City Council has the highest revenue outturn spending in England after the Greater London Authority: a total of £2.0 billion in 2013-14.
· Birmingham City Council is estimated to receive total government grants of £3,319 per dwelling in 2014-15; this compares with the English average of £2,628 and is the 13th highest in England (budgeted figures for revenue expenditure and financing; excludes income from mandatory housing benefits; includes education spending).
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
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 effects of the proposed changes to funding for Birmingham Council on deprivation and poverty in Birmingham.
Answered by Kris Hopkins
I refer the Hon. Member to my written answer to him of 23 October 2014, PQ 210903.
More broadly, I would note:
· In 2014-15, Birmingham has an area spending power per dwelling of £2,679, considerably more than the comparable English average of £2,089.
· Birmingham City Council has the highest revenue outturn spending in England after the Greater London Authority: a total of £2.0 billion in 2013-14.
· Birmingham City Council is estimated to receive total government grants of £3,319 per dwelling in 2014-15; this compares with the English average of £2,628 and is the 13th highest in England (budgeted figures for revenue expenditure and financing; excludes income from mandatory housing benefits; includes education spending).
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what criteria his Department used to calculate recent changes in funding levels for local authorities.
Answered by Kris Hopkins
The methodology that determines the retained business rates and Revenue Support Grant for local authorities is set out in the Local Govenrment Finance report each year. The Report for 2014/15 is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2014-to-2015/final-settlement-2014-to-2015-and-illustrative-settlement-2015-2016
I also refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement of 5 February 2014, Official Report, Column 19-21WS.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2014, Official Report, column 488W, on Business Improvement Districts: Birmingham, for what reasons no decision has yet been taken on the Business Improvement District for Sparkbrook and Springfield.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
We are considering carefully all the evidence and written representations and will issue a decision in due course.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what arrangements are in place for the pension entitlement and employment status of firefighters under the new pension arrangements if they are unable to maintain required fitness levels.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Where a firefighter cannot maintain operational fitness, the fire and rescue authority will assess the reasons for the loss of fitness. Where the loss is due to a permanent medical reason, the firefighter will be considered for ill-health retirement under the rules of the pension scheme. Where there is no permanent medical reason, the firefighter will receive support and training to increase fitness to the required level.