Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many businesses will benefit from the targeted support for Small Business Rate Relief measure in Budget 2017; and what the breakdown by (a) region, (b) constituency and (c) local authority of those businesses will be.
Answered by Marcus Jones
The Department estimates that 16,000 businesses will benefit from the targeted support for Small Business Rate Relief recipients measure announced at Budget 2017. The Department does not hold the data required to provide a breakdown by region, constituency or local authority.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 3.17 of the Spring Budget 2017, if he will take steps to ensure that public houses in receipt of the proposed business rate discount do not face significant additional charges in 2018-19.
Answered by Marcus Jones
The Government has put in place a £3.6 billion package of transitional relief to help businesses facing increases following revaluation. The Budget on 8 March included a further package to support business. £100 million will be available to assist rate payers, including eligible pubs, losing small business rates relief or rural rates relief as a result of revaluation. In addition, the Government is making available a £300 million discretionary relief fund over the next four years to enable local authorities to help individual businesses that are having difficulties paying increased rates bills.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how he plans for the additional money proposed for adult social care in paragraph 5.5 of the Spring Budget 2017 to be distributed to local authorities.
Answered by Marcus Jones
The Department published the allocations for the additional funding for adult social care announced at the Spring Budget 2017 online on 9 March, together with an Explanatory Note.
This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-allocations-of-the-additional-funding-for-adult-social-care.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how he plans for the discretionary business rate relief announced in paragraph 3.16 of the Spring Budget 2017 to be distributed to local authorities.
Answered by Marcus Jones
The Government has published a consultation on the design and implementation of the locally administered business rate relief scheme.
The consultation is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/598261/Discretionary_Business_Rates_Relief_Scheme_consultation.pdf with responses requested by 7 April.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when his Department plans to review Building Regulations Approved Document B (Fire Safety).
Answered by Lord Wharton of Yarm
My Department is considering a number of issues related to the Building Regulations and the building control system. We will make an announcement about our plans in due course.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when the ministerial working group on preventing and tackling homelessness will next meet; and what the membership of that group is.
Answered by Marcus Jones
The Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness will meet in the New Year. The group consists of Ministers from ten Departments – Ministry of Justice, Department for Education, Department of Health, Department for Work and Pensions, Cabinet Office, Ministry of Defence, Home Office, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Government Equalities Office, and Department for Communities and Local Government.