Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his Department's policy is on establishing new city region mayors after May 2017.
Answered by Andrew Percy
Devolution Deals are, and will remain, a key part of our plan to support growth up and down the country as we build an economy that works for everyone. To date, the government has adopted a bottom-up and iterative approach to agreeing devolution – through a “deal-making” mechanism. This process allows local areas to develop devolution proposals through the basis of local consent and dialogue.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department takes to monitor use of the better care fund by local authorities.
Answered by Marcus Jones
Local authorities are required to develop Better Care Plans with Clinical Commissioning Group Partners. These are agreed by local Health and Wellbeing Boards and approved by NHS England. Plans must meet the national conditions set out in the Better Care Fund Policy Framework, published by Government; and take account of Planning Guidance issued jointly by NHS England and the Local Government Association. The Better Care Plan sets out how the Better Care Fund, the locally agreed single pooled budget, will be spent. Governance of the Better Care Fund; assurance of Better Care Plans and adherence to the national conditions, is provided through the NHS and government departments (Department of Health and the Department for Communities and Local Government).
The Policy Framework for 2016/17 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/490559/BCF_Policy_Framework_2016-17.pdf
The Planning Guidance can be found at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/annex4-bcf-planning-requirements-1617.pdf
The assurance guidance can be found at: http://www.local.gov.uk/documents/10180/12193/BCF+Guidance/4d976fb7-8a66-482b-b427-06e15b0c0d01
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what evidence his Department provides to local authorities on whether the better care fund can be used to establish changing places toilet facilities for the disabled.
Answered by Marcus Jones
Local authorities are required to develop Better Care Plans with Clinical Commissioning Group Partners. These are agreed by local Health and Wellbeing Boards and approved by NHS England. Plans must meet the national conditions set out in the Better Care Fund Policy Framework, published by government; and take account of Planning Guidance issued jointly by NHS England and the Local Government Association.
The Policy Framework for 2016/17 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/490559/BCF_Policy_Framework_2016-17.pdf
The Planning Guidance can be found at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/annex4-bcf-planning-requirements-1617.pdf
The Government does not provide specific guidance on the type of services or equipment that Better Care Plans should provide.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many changing places toilets for the disabled are located within 25 miles of Retford.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The location of Changing Places toilets, including those nearest to Retford, can be found using the Changing Places map at: http://changingplaces.uktoiletmap.org/
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many English councils do not have finalised local plans signed off by his Department.
Answered by Lord Barwell
Plan-making has significantly improved under this Government and the Coalition. 72% of local planning authorities have an adopted Local Plan in place compared to 17% in 2010. 87% of authorities have published Local Plans as at 31 October 2016 compared to only 32% by May 2010.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the proposed consultation timescale is for his Department's white paper on neighbourhood planning.
Answered by Lord Barwell
Building more homes is central to this Government’s vision of a country that works for everyone. We expect to publish a Housing White Paper later this year, setting out measures to help us deliver this ambition.
Two separate consultations relating to the Neighbourhood Planning Bill were launched on 7th September; one on neighbourhood planning, the other on planning conditions. Both have now closed and responses are being considered carefully.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what criteria are given to local authorities on the use of the better care fund.
Answered by Marcus Jones
Local Authorities are required to develop Better Care Plans with Clinical Commissioning Group Partners. These are agreed by local Health and Wellbeing Boards and approved by NHS England. Plans must meet the national conditions set out in the Better Care Fund Policy Framework, published by Government; and take account of Planning Guidance issued jointly by NHS England and the Local Government Association.
The Policy Framework for 2016/17 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/490559/BCF_Policy_Framework_2016-17.pdf
The Planning Guidance can be found at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/annex4-bcf-planning-requirements-1617.pdf
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what powers he intends to devolve to city regions; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Percy
It is for a city region or any other place to put forward proposals for any powers that it wishes to be devolved to it, together with its proposals for the necessary strong governance arrangements to support these.
The Government has already agreed devolution deals with nine areas which provide for the devolution of wide ranging powers and budgets on planning, transport and skills and the election of mayors in 2017.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what applications for unitary authority status his Department has received in the last year.
Answered by Marcus Jones
Whilst we understand a number of local areas are considering moving to unitary structures, we have over the last year received no applications for unitary status, which in future will be considered under the provisions of the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what projections his Department has made of the effect on business rates receipts of plans for devolved city region authorities.
Answered by Marcus Jones
The Government has announced that, by the end of the Parliament, we will give all local councils, including city regions, new responsibilities in return for keeping 100% of locally raised business rates. We will also give city regions powers over setting local business rates, strengthening their link with their local business communities and allowing them to tailor local taxes to the needs of their local economies. We will be working out the details of the reform in the coming months in consultation with local government.