To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 25 Jul 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

Speech Link

View all Chris Heaton-Harris (Con - Daventry) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 12 Jul 2016
EU Referendum: Energy and Environment

Speech Link

View all Chris Heaton-Harris (Con - Daventry) contributions to the debate on: EU Referendum: Energy and Environment

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 17 Mar 2016
Oral Answers to Questions

Speech Link

View all Chris Heaton-Harris (Con - Daventry) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions

Written Question
New Covent Garden Market
Monday 14th September 2015

Asked by: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative - Daventry)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the Final Business Case, approved by the Government in March 2012, for the redevelopment of the New Covent Garden Market site.

Answered by Rory Stewart

The Final Business Case (FBC) for the development was approved by Treasury in March 2012. It includes commercially sensitive information that is unsuitable for release. A decision to withhold the entire document was taken due to concerns over potential harm to commercial interests and the interests of government internal policy formulation.


Written Question
Covent Garden Market Authority: Rents
Monday 7th September 2015

Asked by: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative - Daventry)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage rental increases tenants of New Covent Garden Market Authority have been subject to in the last five years; and what such increases that Authority has planned for future years.

Answered by Rory Stewart

The last rent review for the tenants of New Covent Garden Market was at the time of the renewal of the leases on the market as at 31st March 2010. At that time the rents across the market increased by 8.7%. There have been no increases since that date.

Under the terms of the tenants’ leases the Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA) is currently undertaking a rent review as at 31st March 2015. As negotiations with tenants on the level of increase continues, the proposals from CGMA are commercially confidential but the increases proposed are based on the increase in market rent for similar premises in the local area since the last rent review in 2010.


Written Question
New Covent Garden Market
Friday 24th July 2015

Asked by: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative - Daventry)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what options other than demolition and rebuilding her Department considered for the redevelopment of the car park in New Covent Garden Market; and what the estimated cost was of each such option.

Answered by Rory Stewart

It is not intended to demolish and rebuild the existing multi-storey car park at New Covent Garden Market. The existing car park has been assessed by structural engineers from both the Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA) and by CGMA’s Private Development Partner who consider the structure to be in a satisfactory condition to be retained and refurbished rather than demolished and rebuilt.

The option to demolish and rebuild was considered as was extension of the existing car park. Neither of these options was considered cost effective.

The contracts to undertake the work will be let by the Private Development Partner, VSM (NCGM) Limited. Some of these contracts have yet to be finalised and as such cost information generated in assessing the options is commercially confidential and cannot be disclosed at this time.


Written Question
Covent Garden Market Authority
Friday 24th July 2015

Asked by: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative - Daventry)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any members of staff involved in the sale of land by the New Covent Garden Market Authority have left that Authority and subsequently been employed by the land purchaser.

Answered by Rory Stewart

There have been no sales of land by the Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA) in the last five years. Covent House, CGMA’s former office building, will be sold to London Underground Limited (LUL), a subsidiary of Transport for London, on 31st July 2015, under a Land and Works Agreement dated 29th October 2014. This was in order to effect a Compulsory Purchase of the land, necessary for the Northern Line extension of London Underground. The current Project Director of Covent Garden Market Authority is due to join Transport for London later this year. The CGMA Board has been informed of the appointment and was given an opportunity to raise issues or concerns about his move from CGMA to Transport for London. The Board has not raised concerns.


Written Question
New Covent Garden Market
Thursday 23rd July 2015

Asked by: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative - Daventry)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the demolition and rebuilding of the car park in New Covent Garden Market is forecast to cost.

Answered by Rory Stewart

The existing Multi storey car park has been assessed by structural engineers from both the Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA) and by CGMA’s Private Development Partner who consider the structure to be in a satisfactory condition to be retained and refurbished rather than demolished and rebuilt. However, due to the age of the car park, additional works are required to bring the user environment and services up to current standards. As such, repairs are being carried out to the concrete decks and walls, all surfaces are being treated with specialist paint finishes, new handrails are being installed and all electrical and mechanical services including two passenger lifts are being replaced. Externally, as required by a planning condition, a green wall is being installed to half of the surface area.

The contracts to undertake the work will be let by the Private Development Partner, VSM (NCGM) Limited. Some of these contracts have yet to be finalised and as such cost information is commercially confidential and cannot be disclosed at this time.


Written Question
Covent Garden Market Authority
Thursday 23rd July 2015

Asked by: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative - Daventry)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what receipts the New Covent Garden Market Authority has received from the sale of land in the last five years; who bought the land in each such case; and for what purpose the land was sold in each such case.

Answered by Rory Stewart

There has been no sale of land by CGMA in the last five years.

However, as part of the development of the new Northern Line extension, London Underground Limited has occupied CGMA’s former office building, Covent House, under a Transport and Works order which allows them to do so on a temporary basis. CGMA has entered into a Transport and Works Agreement with London Underground Limited, conditional on the issue of a general vesting declaration to effect the sale of the land to London Underground Limited. It is anticipated this will complete in August 2015. CGMA will receive £10.4m for the sale of Covent House and the full amount will subsequently be transferred to Defra.


Written Question
Covent Garden Market Authority
Thursday 23rd July 2015

Asked by: Chris Heaton-Harris (Conservative - Daventry)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what expenses have been claimed by the directors of the New Covent Garden Market Authority in the last five years.

Answered by Rory Stewart

The total expenses claimed by the Board of the Covent Garden Market Authority for each of the last five years were:

2010/11 £9,394

2011/12 £11,139

2012/13 £9,791

2013/14 £5,345

2014/15 £6,451

The amounts predominantly relate to travel and accommodation expenses associated with attendance at Board and Committee meetings.