Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, what the evidential basis is that unitary councils save money.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Case For Local Government Reorganisation in the English Devolution White Paper, states “In 2020 a PwC report, “Evaluating the importance of scale in proposals for local government reorganisation”, for the County Councils Network, estimated that reorganisation of the then 25 two-tier areas to a single unitary structure would have a one-off cost of £400 million, with the potential to realise £2.9 billion over five years, with an annual post implementation net recurring saving of £700 million. The unitary proposals submitted in relation to the most recently established unitary councils identified a range of efficiencies that could be achieved where council services are brought together in one organisation. For North Yorkshire Council, established in April 2023, unitarisation has enabled the council to manage financial pressures through structural changes and service transformation which are expected to achieve more than £40 million in savings by March 2026.”
Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has received representations on the practice of house builders prohibiting in perpetuity new homeowners from installing solar panels on their homes.
Answered by Lee Rowley
I am grateful to my Hon Friend for bringing correspondence about housebuilders prohibiting the fitting of solar panels post-sale to my attention. Renewable energy, such as that generated from solar panels, will contribute to the objective of getting to net zero, so we are grateful for you flagging this concern. The Department will review this matter further.
Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many staff in his Department are working on matters related to (a) European policy, (b) the future of Europe, (c) reform of the EU, (d) the renegotiation of the UK's relationship with the EU, (e) the EU referendum and (f) the consequences of the EU referendum; how many full-time equivalent staff are working on such matters; what the (i) staff and (ii) other cost of such work is; what proportion of that work is undertaken by such staff on (A) communications, (B) strategy and (C) policy; whether his Department has established any specific unit or units to deal with those matters; to whom such (1) staff and (2) units report; whether his Department has issued guidelines to staff on those matters; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in Britain - so we get a better deal for Britain and secure our future. Departments are appropriately resourced to support the Government's priorities in Europe, including the renegotiation and referendum.