Asked by: Baroness Gale (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the suspension of new Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigations on the mental health of (1) informal carers, and (2) people accessing social care.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has restarted suspended complaints and anticipates reopening for new complaints in the coming weeks. Members of the public will not lose their right of appeal, and complaints regarding the COVID-19 outbreak period will be considered in due course. The Ombudsman is not an emergency service, and members of the public are required by law to first have their complaints investigated by their council or care provider. The Ombudsman has also opened up a helpline to give advice and support to concerned members of the public.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect on the mental health of (a) informal carers and (b) people accessing social care of the decision by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman not to (i) take on and (ii) investigate new complaints during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 8 April we published guidance for unpaid carers on GOV.UK, which includes advice on infection control, caring where someone has symptoms and links to other information and support.
There is other guidance also published on GOV.UK for everyone, including unpaid carers, on self-care and mental health wellbeing.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has started to restart suspended complaints and anticipates reopening for new complaints in the coming weeks. Members of the public will not lose their right of appeal, and complaints regarding the COVID-19 outbreak period will be considered in due course. The Ombudsman is not an emergency service, and members of the public are required by law to first have their complaints investigated by their council or care provider. The Ombudsman has also opened up a helpline to give advice and support to concerned members of the public.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of complaints to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman were upheld in 2019.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman publishes on their website an annual review of local government complaints. The latest report available is for financial year 2018 to 2019. It reveals that 4,232 detailed investigations were carried out in 2018 to 2019 and 58 per cent of those complaints were upheld.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many complaints to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman were upheld in 2019.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman publishes on their website an annual review of local government complaints. The latest report available is for financial year 2018 to 2019. It reveals that 4,232 detailed investigations were carried out in 2018 to 2019 and 58 per cent of those complaints were upheld.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the (a) potential merits of making local authorities economically liable for negligence in the exercise of their building control functions and (b) effectiveness of the exercise by those authorities of those functions.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
As part of our reforms to building safety, we are establishing a new Building Safety Regulator which will provide enhanced oversight of the building safety regulatory system.
Building work is subject to building control either by the local authority or a private approved inspector. It is the responsibility of the building control body to take all reasonable steps to assess compliance. However, building control is a spot checking process at certain points during the building work.
A compliance certificate issued by a local authorities building control team is not an absolute guarantee of compliance and in no way removes the responsibility of compliance from the builder or installer.
If it is considered that the local authority building control team did not carry out its function properly or was negligent in the exercise of its building control functions, a complaint could be made to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO), the website for which is https://www.lgo.org.uk/.
The LGSCO is a free and impartial service to the general public, which is independent of the Government. Considering that it investigates complaints about local governments along with other authorities and organisations, it is paramount that its decisions cannot be influenced by the Government. As always, it is also possible to apply to the High Court for a judicial review to challenge an Ombudsman’s decision should it be considered to be legally flawed.
Asked by: John Baron (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what responsibilities local authorities have to ensure high standards of animal welfare in their area.
Answered by George Eustice
Local authorities respond to individual cases of animal welfare and can allocate resources based on local priorities. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, local authorities in England and Wales have powers to enforce the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which includes powers of entry and seizure in order to inspect allegations of poor animal welfare and cruelty.
Local authorities also have primary responsibility for the enforcement of legislation concerning animal welfare on farm, in transport and at markets. In addition, in England, local authorities have a statutory duty to enforce The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, which regulate pet selling, dog breeding, dog and cat boarding, riding schools and exhibiting animals. Under the 2018 Regulations, local authorities have powers to issue, refuse and revoke licences for the five regulated activities. Local authorities are also responsible for licensing zoos under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 and independent racing greyhound tracks under The Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010”.
Anyone concerned about a local authority’s handling of animal welfare cases can raise this in the first instance with the relevant local authority, of if not satisfied with the outcome, can refer the matter to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many complaints nationwide were upheld by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in the last 12 months.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
Complaints data for 2018/19 can be found in the Ombudsman’s latest annual report and accounts: https://www.lgo.org.uk/information-centre/about-us/our-performance/lgo-annual-reports.
It shows that 2,588 complaints were upheld in 2018/19.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 19, I - Housing & Planning (ALB)(Net) of Capital DEL - Communities of his Department's Main Estimates 2019-20 Memorandum, if he will publish details of budgeted expenditure under S01- Building Affordable Homes.
Answered by Jake Berry
The information provided below gives details of spending areas under each Strategic Objective as a whole, rather than broken down across Estimate Row. In the Main Estimate Explanatory Memorandum, Strategic Objectives are split across the Department’s Estimate Rows meaning that some Strategic Objectives appear under more than one Estimate Row.
The Department uses Strategic Objectives to allocate out budgets, monitor spend and delivery and report publicly. Under each Strategic Objective are a number of programmes which are made up of a number of Work Areas.
The Department’s budgets for both Programmes and the Work Areas that sit underneath each Programme, are kept under regular review and are revised where necessary to reflect changes in the operating environment. As such, the Department has not provided a further details of budget expenditure for each Work Area as budgets and structure may change during the year.
The Department notes that the level of budgeted expenditure detail provided in the Main Estimate Explanatory Memorandum is in line with guidance issued by the Scrutiny Unit.
Updated budgets for each Programme will be provided at the Supplementary Estimate later in the year.
Expenditure under the Strategic Objectives (SO), Programme and Work Area for Resource DEL budgets are as follows;
UIN | Strategic Objective | Programme | Work Area |
284201 | SO1 | Infrastructure for Housing | Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, Housing Infrastructure Fund |
284199 | SO1 | Market Diversification | Community Housing Fund, Housing Supply: Legacy (Get Britain Building, Local Infrastructure Fund, Custom Build), Housing Supply: Build to Rent, Housing Supply: Estate Regeneration, Home Building Fund: Short Term Investment, Home Building Fund: Long Term Investment |
284311 | SO1 | Public Sector Land | Single Land Programme |
284314 | Other | Admin including depreciation | Homes England Admin, Leasehold Advisory Services Admin, Homes England Receipts, The Housing Ombudsman Admin, Ebbsfleet Development Corporation Admin, The Regulator of Social Housing Admin |
Expenditure under the Strategic Objectives (SO), Programme and Work Area for Capital DEL budgets are as follows;
UIN | Strategic Objective | Programme | Work Area |
284300 284316 284327 | SO1 | Building Affordable Homes | London Settlement, Affordable Homes Programme, Brent Cross, Capital Running Costs, Affordable Homes Guarantee, Right to Buy |
284303 284321 | SO1 | Infrastructure for Housing | Infrastructure to Support Housing, Housing Deals: Greater Manchester, Housing Deals: West Midlands, Oxford-Cambridge Corridor (Ox Cam Arc), Housing Infrastructure Fund, Bicester |
284293 | SO1 | Market Diversification | Planning Inspectorate, Community Housing Fund |
284306 | SO1 | More land in the right places | Land Assembly Fund, Small Sites Fund, Accelerated Construction, LA Land Release Fund, Barking |
284309 | SO1 | Public Sector Land | Public Sector Land |
284269 | SO2 | Social Housing Green Paper | Domestic Abuse |
284278 | SO2 | Leasehold Reform | Leasehold Reform |
284274 284287 | SO2 | Homelessness | Preventing Homelessness, Move On Fund, Flexible Homelessness Support Grant |
284284 | SO2 | Rough Sleeping | Rough Sleeping Strategy |
284271 | SO4 | Adult Social Care | Disabled Facilities Grant |
284272 | SO5 | Building Safety | Technical Policy, Energy Safe Materials, Cladding Remediation, Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety |
284298 | SO5 | Grenfell Recovery | Grenfell Autumn Budget 2017 Commitments, Grenfell Tower Site Management |
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 18,C- Decentralisation and Growth of Capital DEL- Communities of his Department's Main Estimates 2019-20 Memorandum, if he will publish details of budgeted expenditure under S01- Infrastructure for Housing.
Answered by Jake Berry
The information provided below gives details of spending areas under each Strategic Objective as a whole, rather than broken down across Estimate Row. In the Main Estimate Explanatory Memorandum, Strategic Objectives are split across the Department’s Estimate Rows meaning that some Strategic Objectives appear under more than one Estimate Row.
The Department uses Strategic Objectives to allocate out budgets, monitor spend and delivery and report publicly. Under each Strategic Objective are a number of programmes which are made up of a number of Work Areas.
The Department’s budgets for both Programmes and the Work Areas that sit underneath each Programme, are kept under regular review and are revised where necessary to reflect changes in the operating environment. As such, the Department has not provided a further details of budget expenditure for each Work Area as budgets and structure may change during the year.
The Department notes that the level of budgeted expenditure detail provided in the Main Estimate Explanatory Memorandum is in line with guidance issued by the Scrutiny Unit.
Updated budgets for each Programme will be provided at the Supplementary Estimate later in the year.
Expenditure under the Strategic Objectives (SO), Programme and Work Area for Resource DEL budgets are as follows;
UIN | Strategic Objective | Programme | Work Area |
284201 | SO1 | Infrastructure for Housing | Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, Housing Infrastructure Fund |
284199 | SO1 | Market Diversification | Community Housing Fund, Housing Supply: Legacy (Get Britain Building, Local Infrastructure Fund, Custom Build), Housing Supply: Build to Rent, Housing Supply: Estate Regeneration, Home Building Fund: Short Term Investment, Home Building Fund: Long Term Investment |
284311 | SO1 | Public Sector Land | Single Land Programme |
284314 | Other | Admin including depreciation | Homes England Admin, Leasehold Advisory Services Admin, Homes England Receipts, The Housing Ombudsman Admin, Ebbsfleet Development Corporation Admin, The Regulator of Social Housing Admin |
Expenditure under the Strategic Objectives (SO), Programme and Work Area for Capital DEL budgets are as follows;
UIN | Strategic Objective | Programme | Work Area |
284300 284316 284327 | SO1 | Building Affordable Homes | London Settlement, Affordable Homes Programme, Brent Cross, Capital Running Costs, Affordable Homes Guarantee, Right to Buy |
284303 284321 | SO1 | Infrastructure for Housing | Infrastructure to Support Housing, Housing Deals: Greater Manchester, Housing Deals: West Midlands, Oxford-Cambridge Corridor (Ox Cam Arc), Housing Infrastructure Fund, Bicester |
284293 | SO1 | Market Diversification | Planning Inspectorate, Community Housing Fund |
284306 | SO1 | More land in the right places | Land Assembly Fund, Small Sites Fund, Accelerated Construction, LA Land Release Fund, Barking |
284309 | SO1 | Public Sector Land | Public Sector Land |
284269 | SO2 | Social Housing Green Paper | Domestic Abuse |
284278 | SO2 | Leasehold Reform | Leasehold Reform |
284274 284287 | SO2 | Homelessness | Preventing Homelessness, Move On Fund, Flexible Homelessness Support Grant |
284284 | SO2 | Rough Sleeping | Rough Sleeping Strategy |
284271 | SO4 | Adult Social Care | Disabled Facilities Grant |
284272 | SO5 | Building Safety | Technical Policy, Energy Safe Materials, Cladding Remediation, Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety |
284298 | SO5 | Grenfell Recovery | Grenfell Autumn Budget 2017 Commitments, Grenfell Tower Site Management |
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 18, A- Local Government and Public Services' of Capital DEL- Communities of his Department's Main Estimates 2019-20 Memorandum, if he will publish details of budgeted expenditure under SO1- Building Affordable Homes.
Answered by Jake Berry
The information provided below gives details of spending areas under each Strategic Objective as a whole, rather than broken down across Estimate Row. In the Main Estimate Explanatory Memorandum, Strategic Objectives are split across the Department’s Estimate Rows meaning that some Strategic Objectives appear under more than one Estimate Row.
The Department uses Strategic Objectives to allocate out budgets, monitor spend and delivery and report publicly. Under each Strategic Objective are a number of programmes which are made up of a number of Work Areas.
The Department’s budgets for both Programmes and the Work Areas that sit underneath each Programme, are kept under regular review and are revised where necessary to reflect changes in the operating environment. As such, the Department has not provided a further details of budget expenditure for each Work Area as budgets and structure may change during the year.
The Department notes that the level of budgeted expenditure detail provided in the Main Estimate Explanatory Memorandum is in line with guidance issued by the Scrutiny Unit.
Updated budgets for each Programme will be provided at the Supplementary Estimate later in the year.
Expenditure under the Strategic Objectives (SO), Programme and Work Area for Resource DEL budgets are as follows;
UIN | Strategic Objective | Programme | Work Area |
284201 | SO1 | Infrastructure for Housing | Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, Housing Infrastructure Fund |
284199 | SO1 | Market Diversification | Community Housing Fund, Housing Supply: Legacy (Get Britain Building, Local Infrastructure Fund, Custom Build), Housing Supply: Build to Rent, Housing Supply: Estate Regeneration, Home Building Fund: Short Term Investment, Home Building Fund: Long Term Investment |
284311 | SO1 | Public Sector Land | Single Land Programme |
284314 | Other | Admin including depreciation | Homes England Admin, Leasehold Advisory Services Admin, Homes England Receipts, The Housing Ombudsman Admin, Ebbsfleet Development Corporation Admin, The Regulator of Social Housing Admin |
Expenditure under the Strategic Objectives (SO), Programme and Work Area for Capital DEL budgets are as follows;
UIN | Strategic Objective | Programme | Work Area |
284300 284316 284327 | SO1 | Building Affordable Homes | London Settlement, Affordable Homes Programme, Brent Cross, Capital Running Costs, Affordable Homes Guarantee, Right to Buy |
284303 284321 | SO1 | Infrastructure for Housing | Infrastructure to Support Housing, Housing Deals: Greater Manchester, Housing Deals: West Midlands, Oxford-Cambridge Corridor (Ox Cam Arc), Housing Infrastructure Fund, Bicester |
284293 | SO1 | Market Diversification | Planning Inspectorate, Community Housing Fund |
284306 | SO1 | More land in the right places | Land Assembly Fund, Small Sites Fund, Accelerated Construction, LA Land Release Fund, Barking |
284309 | SO1 | Public Sector Land | Public Sector Land |
284269 | SO2 | Social Housing Green Paper | Domestic Abuse |
284278 | SO2 | Leasehold Reform | Leasehold Reform |
284274 284287 | SO2 | Homelessness | Preventing Homelessness, Move On Fund, Flexible Homelessness Support Grant |
284284 | SO2 | Rough Sleeping | Rough Sleeping Strategy |
284271 | SO4 | Adult Social Care | Disabled Facilities Grant |
284272 | SO5 | Building Safety | Technical Policy, Energy Safe Materials, Cladding Remediation, Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety |
284298 | SO5 | Grenfell Recovery | Grenfell Autumn Budget 2017 Commitments, Grenfell Tower Site Management |