Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that elected representatives, including local councillors, exercise public powers publicly to be accountable to the electorate for their decisions.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Local authorities are accountable to the public as they are democratically elected bodies. There are a range of measures in place to ensure authorities are transparent and accountable. These include the recordings of meetings under the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations, the publication of spending data mandated by the Transparency Code, the requirement for minutes, agenda and reports to be made available for public inspection as set out by the Local Government Act 1972, and the statutory requirement for authorities’ accounts and VFM arrangements to be externally audited.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many non-profitable organisations have been involved with the Homes for Ukraine scheme in Northern Ireland; and what is the total amount of funding that has been given to those organisations.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Northern Ireland Executive receives funding from DLUHC to administrate the Homes for Ukraine scheme in Northern Ireland. The tariff is unringfenced and the Devolved Administrations have the flexibility to exercise discretion in using the funding, including payments to non-profitable organisations. Further information in this regard is a matter for the Executive Office in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much they have paid to the charity Barnardo's in Northern Ireland for helping to administrate the Homes for Ukraine scheme there.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Northern Ireland Executive receives funding from DLUHC to administrate the Homes for Ukraine scheme in Northern Ireland. The tariff is unringfenced and the Devolved Administrations have the flexibility to exercise discretion in using the funding, including payments to non-profitable organisations. Further information in this regard is a matter for the Executive Office in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people are employed in Northern Ireland in administration of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Northern Ireland Executive receives funding from DLUHC to administrate the Homes for Ukraine scheme in Northern Ireland. The tariff is unringfenced and the Devolved Administrations have the flexibility to exercise discretion in using the funding, including payments to non-profitable organisations. Further information in this regard is a matter for the Executive Office in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Ukrainians have been hosted with families in Northern Ireland since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
Answered by Baroness Penn
As on 16th January 2024, 1,456 Homes for Ukraine guests have arrived in Northern Ireland. The most up to date data on arrivals through the Homes for Ukraine Scheme can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-visa-data-by-country-upper-and-lower-tier-local-authority.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government why is the absence of a working executive a reason for not including Northern Ireland in the third round of the Levelling Up Fund when in previous years the absence did not stop funding.
Answered by Baroness Penn
In Northern Ireland, the Government is not proceeding with this round of the Levelling Up Fund at this time. In the context of the growing pressure on Northern Ireland budgets it is right that UKG should consider its approach to funding available for Northern Ireland in the round. £30 million has been reserved for Northern Ireland from LUF 3. As part of our commitment to levelling up, we want to work with a restored Executive to find the best approach to supporting people in Northern Ireland, taking account of current budget pressures.
We will continue to work closely with projects and places in Northern Ireland that were awarded a total of £120 million in the first two rounds of the Fund and work with stakeholders on how best to level up communities in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government which departments have contributed to discussions of the options for reuse of the now empty building which previously housed London City Hall; and what proposals, if any, they have put forward in these discussions.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The former London City Hall building is a privately-owned building and the Government has not been present at discussions of the options for reuse of the building.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the reasons for the delay in establishing a freeport in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Freeport delivery in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland relies on a partnership between the UK Government and the devolved governments to maximise the incentives and benefits a Freeport can offer.
We continue to work stakeholders from sectors and places across Northern Ireland on how best to deliver the benefits associated with Freeports. We are also discussing the potential for Investment Zones.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria his Department uses to call in major planning applications in London.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The Secretary of State’s approach to calling in planning applications in England is set out in various Written Ministerial Statements to this House in particular on 26 October 2012 (column 72WS). The Written Ministerial Statement states that the “Secretary of State will, in general, only consider the use of his call in powers if planning issues of more than local importance are involved”. The Written Ministerial Statement sets out examples of reasons why applications could be called in such as the application may conflict with national policies on important matters or could have significant effects beyond their immediate locality. However, each case will continue to be considered on its individual merits.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assurances Lambeth Council gave to his Department on the timing of its decision on the future of Vauxhall Bus Station.
Answered by Rishi Sunak
Lambeth Council gave no assurances on the timing of its decision on the future of Vauxhall Bus Station. The Department had an informal arrangement in place with the Council whereby they agreed not to issue their decision whilst the Secretary of State was considering the issue of call-in.