Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to use planning policy to support the provision of co-working spaces outside London.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
A key economic objective of the planning system is to ensure that sufficient land of the right types is available in the right places to support growth and innovation. The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published in July last year, makes it clear that planning policies should allow for new and flexible working practices and be flexible enough to accommodate needs not anticipated in the plan.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether (a) independent schools and (b) free schools are eligible for business rate relief, and whether his Department has plans to review that status.
Answered by Rishi Sunak
Schools may benefit from charitable rate relief from business rates if the billing authority considers that they satisfy the requirements and are used wholly or mainly for charitable purposes. The Government has no plans to review eligibility.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2019 to Question 207561 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit, for what reason his Department does not hold data on funding allocated to preparing for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Jake Berry
Officials working on EU Exit are preparing for all scenarios, whether as part of their regular duties or within EU Exit teams. We are therefore unable to disaggregate the cost of preparing for a no deal scenario from other EU exit and business as usual work.
On 28 January, I announced via Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS1279) an additional £56.5 million to help councils carry out their preparations. This funding is to support preparation for all scenarios.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much money his Department has allocated for preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a deal to date; how much of that funding has been made by way of ministerial direction; and for what functions that funding has been allocated.
Answered by Jake Berry
My Department is preparing for all EU Exit scenarios. We do not hold any data specifically in relation to the cost of preparation for a no deal scenario.
There has been no ministerial direction in relation to EU Exit funding for the Department.
HM Treasury announced the funding allocations for EU Exit Preparations in 2019/20 on 18 December. MHCLG received £35 million. Work is ongoing to decide where this money can best be allocated and an announcement will be made shortly.