Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to invite representatives of (a) Cornwall and (b) the Isles of Scilly to the Council of the Nations and Regions.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Council of Nations and Regions will bring together the Prime Minister, the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, the First and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and the Mayors of Combined Authorities. On 16 July 2024 the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all areas that do not have a devolution deal to invite them to come forward with a proposal. New Mayors established through this process would be eligible to sit on the Council of Nations and Regions. The Government is committed to working productively with local government in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, including as part of regular, sustained engagement with councils across England.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with (a) her Greek counterpart and (b) the Board of the British Museum on the potential merits of returning the portion of the Parthenon sculptures which are held by the Museum to Athens.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Decisions relating to the care and management of the museum's collections, including loaning objects from their collection, are a matter for the Trustees of the British Museum, in accordance with the British Museum Act 1963. The British Museum is operationally independent of the Government.
We are aware that the Chair of the Trustees, George Osborne, has had talks with Greek Ministers on the issue, seeking a constructive partnership. We value the work that the British Museum does internationally, and welcome the success of their partnerships, such as the recent collaboration between the British Museum, the V&A, and the Manhyia Palace Museum in Ghana.
With regards to the legal title for the Parthenon Sculptures, the removal of the sculptures was lawful and well-documented. They were transferred to the British Museum in 1816 and have been the legal property of the British Museum, not the UK Government, since then.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will review the Government's justification to legal title for the Parthenon Sculptures held by the British Museum.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Decisions relating to the care and management of the museum's collections, including loaning objects from their collection, are a matter for the Trustees of the British Museum, in accordance with the British Museum Act 1963. The British Museum is operationally independent of the Government.
We are aware that the Chair of the Trustees, George Osborne, has had talks with Greek Ministers on the issue, seeking a constructive partnership. We value the work that the British Museum does internationally, and welcome the success of their partnerships, such as the recent collaboration between the British Museum, the V&A, and the Manhyia Palace Museum in Ghana.
With regards to the legal title for the Parthenon Sculptures, the removal of the sculptures was lawful and well-documented. They were transferred to the British Museum in 1816 and have been the legal property of the British Museum, not the UK Government, since then.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the use of (a) rural exceptions planning policies and permissions and (b) S106 agreements on the successful delivery of (i) secure and (ii) affordable homes which meet a registered or demonstrable need.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Our manifesto committed to increasing the supply of affordable, including social rented, housing. It is up to local planning authorities to identify and evidence their affordable housing need at the plan-making stage. The Government publishes affordable housing statistics annually. In 2022/23, 30,048 affordable homes (completions) were delivered in England through section 106 (nil grant) agreements, which is 47% of the total affordable homes delivered, compared to 44% in the previous year.
Local authorities that receive developer contributions are required to publish Infrastructure Funding Statements annually. These report on what the authority has received and spent through developer contributions, including section 106 agreements. This provides transparency for communities and allows for scrutiny on how councils have chosen to spend funding.
The National Planning Policy Framework states that planning policies and decisions should be responsive to local circumstances in rural areas. This includes supporting housing developments that reflect local needs and going further with opportunities to bring forward small sites for affordable housing in rural areas, such as through rural exception sites. These sites should help meet the local housing needs of rural communities, enabling local people, those with a family connection or those with an employment connection, to live locally and help sustain thriving places.
We are working at pace on various revisions to the NPPF and will launch a public consultation on a new draft Framework, including those aspects that relate to rural housing.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much public funding has been granted to provide subsidies to holiday homes which have applied for small business rate relief in each year since 2012, broken down by local authority area.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The department does not hold data on the amount of small business rates relief that has been granted to businesses that operate as holiday homes.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what NHS services he plans to commission through private providers in the next 12 months.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Services are commissioned either by integrated care boards or by NHS England. Commissioners have always worked with private providers to deliver primary and secondary services for the National Health Service, and make decisions based on the specifics of their areas and populations.
This government is committed to driving down waiting times for patients and will use all levers, including spare capacity in the system whether that is in independent or NHS providers, to ensure patients are treated faster. Our first step will be the delivery of 40,000 more appointments per week, and we will support the system to deliver these in the most productive and cost-efficient way.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that public bodies sponsored by his Department will be free to fulfil their duties based on evidence and scientific fact.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Several of Defra’s public bodies are Public Sector Research Establishments and form an integral part of the Defra group science system. They share, as part of their remit, a role in providing quality scientific evidence and expert advice to Government in their respective disciplines.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reason he decided to amend section 106 agreements in respect of small and medium sized builders and rural areas not covered by section 157 of the Housing Act 1985.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer of 12 February 2015 to Question 223176.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the (a) social and (b) environmental impacts of the housing opportunities for inadequately housed people arising from his decision to change section 106 agreements for (i) builders and (ii) rural areas not covered by section 157 of the Housing Act 1985; and what further steps he will take to monitor such impacts and opportunities in the future.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 12 February 2015 to Questions 223173.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
Question
To ask the right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2015 to Question 222329, how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful claims have been made by parochial church councils in court against lay rectors for recovery of chancel repair liability from 1 January 1985; and what amount was recovered.
Answered by Tony Baldry
I refer to the answer I gave to Written Question 222328. Each Parochial Church Council is an independent legal entity and no central record is kept relating to the number of claims made against lay rectors for the recovery of chancel repair liability as this is dealt with at a local parish level. The Church Commissioners are only aware of the case where the Parochial Church Council of Aston Cantlow and Wilmcote with Billesley was awarded £187,000 plus VAT.