Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the application by China to situate its embassy in a new site in London is expected to be determined; and whether they anticipate any delay to that process, and if so, why.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The planning application for a proposed new Chinese Embassy is currently with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The timing of determining the application is a matter for them as the local planning authority. No further comment can be made in respect of this, or any prospective scheme, as to do so may prejudice any future decision the Deputy Prime Minister in her role as Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government may need to make should this application come before her in the future.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they assess and measure the value to the UK economy of freight and logistics in the formulation of any new planning framework.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne
The Government has launched a call for evidence on the interaction between freight and logistics and the planning system in England. The evidence we receive will help underpin any new or amended planning policies that reflect the government’s vision and expectations for local planning authorities in planning for freight.
The call for evidence closes on 9 October 2023.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the criteria by which residents of EU member states will be enabled to vote in the next general election.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
EU citizens have never been able to vote in UK parliamentary elections and the Government has no plans to change that. The right to vote in Parliamentary elections and choose the next UK Government is rightly restricted to British citizens and those with the closest historical links to our country.
Resident citizens of Malta and Cyprus can vote in UK general elections as qualifying Commonwealth citizens. Citizens of the Republic of Ireland (ROI) can also vote in UK general elections based on historical ties and a long-standing reciprocal arrangement on voting rights between the two countries.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what measures are in place to encourage planning authorities to support planning applications for the UK’s logistics network, including (1) transport, (2) intermodal sites, (3) warehousing, and (4) other facilities.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should help create the conditions in which businesses can invest, expand and adapt. Significant weight should be placed on the need to support economic growth and productivity, taking into account both local business needs and wider opportunities for development.
The Framework also states that planning policies and decisions should recognise and address the specific locational requirements of different sectors. This includes making provision for clusters or networks for storage and distribution operations at a variety of scales and in suitably accessible locations.
In support of this the Planning Practice Guidance states that the logistics industry plays a critical role in enabling an efficient, sustainable and effective supply of goods for consumers and businesses, as well as contributing to local employment opportunities, and has distinct locational requirements that need to be considered in formulating planning policies.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comparative effectiveness of the planning systems in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The government has not made an assessment on the comparative effectiveness of the planning systems in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State recently made a statement on further changes to the planning system, which I repeated in this House. The statement is available (attached) here.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they have provided to local authorities to address any additional demand on domestic abuse services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Government provided £4.3 billion to local authorities to help them respond to coronavirus (COVID-19) spending pressures. This includes increasing support for services helping the most vulnerable, such as victims of domestic abuse.
We also put in place a system for local authorities that are struggling to meet additional demand due to COVID-19, enabling them to book rooms for domestic abuse victims.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Earl of Courtown on 4 November 2019 (HL380), whether they intend to instruct local authorities to maintain a public register of the disclosable pecuniary interests of officers to who delegated authority has been granted by elected members, to ensure that local government officials maintain transparency and compliance with the Nolan Principles.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
It is a matter for each council to put in place whatever arrangements it considers appropriate for the recording and disclosure of officers' interests. Many councils have a code of conduct which covers the handling of officer interests, or details are included in their contracts.
In addition, there is a statutory requirement under section 117 of the Local Government Act 1972 that officers should declare if they have any pecuniary interest in a contract awarded.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what initiatives they plan to implement to unite communities across the UK post-Brexit.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
In March 2018, the government published the Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper which set out our ambitious goal to build strong integrated communities where people - whatever their background - live, work, learn and socialise together, based on shared rights, responsibilities and opportunities. This is especially important as we leave the European Union and seize the opportunity to create the kind of country we want to be: a global, outward-looking, connected nation. On 9 February 2019, we published the Integrated Communities Action Plan alongside the government’s response to the consultation on the Green Paper. The Action Plan builds upon the proposals set out in the Green Paper and commits the government to deliver over 70 policy actions by the end of this Parliament.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plan they have to replace the EU Objective 1 funding programme, with particular regard to Cornwall.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government continues to develop the design and priorities of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The new Fund will seek to improve productivity and reduce economic inequalities. We will consult widely on the fund and the Government encourages all interested parties to take part in this process.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the regeneration of the economy of Cornwall; and whether they will list the specific projects they will undertake for that purpose.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government’s ambitious, modern Industrial Strategy sets out a long-term plan to boost the productivity and earning power of people throughout the UK.
We are working with areas across the UK who are developing Local Industrial Strategies, including Cornwall, and we hope to deliver these everywhere by 2020. These strategies will be developed locally through Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) and agreed with the Government.
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has been allocated £78.23 million as part of their growth deal to support economic growth in the area.
There are also two Enterprise Zones in Cornwall. Aerohub+, a split site covering Newquay airport and Goonhilly Earth Station with a focus on Aerospace and Space, and Marine Hub which has a focus on marine technology. They are both progressing well and the site at Newquay airport has attracted several companies including CIS UK Ltd and Apple Aviation.