Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds who presented as homeless in 2017-18 (a) did not receive a formal assessment under the Housing Act 1996 or the Children Act 1989 and (b) received a joint assessment by children's services and housing services.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Department currently holds limited data on 16 and 17 year olds receiving support under housing legislation, including the numbers accepted for assistance and types of temporary accommodation provided to them. On the 31 December 2017, 20 households headed by 16-17 year olds were living in the accommodation listed in paragraph 5.10, that is (unsuitable) bed and breakfast or nightly paid accommodation with shared facilities. A further 40 households in hostel-type accommodation were reported by local authorities, but it is not possible to determine from the data whether or not these were or were not suitable placements as recommended in the guidance.
The Department is overhauling statutory homelessness data collection alongside the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act. This will give us case-level data and better insights into the causes of homelessness and the support homeless applicants need and receive, including accommodation provided under homelessness legislation. The new statutory homelessness data collection arrangements, known as H-CLIC, were implemented by local authorities in England from April 2018. We expect to see improved data relating to youth homelessness as a result of this change.
Additionally, many 16 and 17 year olds who are homeless or require accommodation will be provided with accommodation and support under the Children’s Act 1989.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the statutory guidance, Prevention of homelessness and provision of accommodation for 16 and 17 year old young people who may be homeless and/or require accommodation, how many children in need aged 16 and 17 were accommodated in the accommodation listed in paragraphs 5.10, 5.11, 5.12 and 5.13 of that guidance in the last year for which data is available.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Department currently holds limited data on 16 and 17 year olds receiving support under housing legislation, including the numbers accepted for assistance and types of temporary accommodation provided to them. On the 31 December 2017, 20 households headed by 16-17 year olds were living in the accommodation listed in paragraph 5.10, that is (unsuitable) bed and breakfast or nightly paid accommodation with shared facilities. A further 40 households in hostel-type accommodation were reported by local authorities, but it is not possible to determine from the data whether or not these were or were not suitable placements as recommended in the guidance.
The Department is overhauling statutory homelessness data collection alongside the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act. This will give us case-level data and better insights into the causes of homelessness and the support homeless applicants need and receive, including accommodation provided under homelessness legislation. The new statutory homelessness data collection arrangements, known as H-CLIC, were implemented by local authorities in England from April 2018. We expect to see improved data relating to youth homelessness as a result of this change.
Additionally, many 16 and 17 year olds who are homeless or require accommodation will be provided with accommodation and support under the Children’s Act 1989.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on which UK organisations are in receipt of funding from the EU Rights Equality and Citizenship Programme.
Answered by Jake Berry
The Department does not hold information about UK organisations which are in receipt of funding from the EU Rights Equality and Citizenship Programme. The programme is managed by the European Commission and information about the funding programme can be found on the European Union’s website at the following link:
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/grants1/closed-calls/index_en.htm.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has received representations from South Tyneside Council on devolving local health services to that local authority.
Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
The Department has not currently received any representations from South Tyneside Council about devolving local health services.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has received representations from South Tyneside Council on devolving local health services to that local authority.
Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
The Department has not currently received any representations from South Tyneside Council about devolving local health services.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of the spending data that local authorities report in relation to children's social work.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
The data collected from local authorities about expenditure on Children’s Social Care within the local government finance statistics is badged as a National Statistic by the UK Statistics Authority. The data published under the National Statistics label has been produced to the high professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. National Statistics products undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer demands.
Outturn data is provided by local authorities after being audited by independent external auditors of the accounts. Figures are subjected to rigorous pre-defined validation tests both within the form itself, while the form is being completed by the authority and also by Department for Communities and Local Government as the data are received and stored. These validation tests are reviewed regularly for their level of efficacy.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Health on transferring responsibility for attendance allowance to local authorities.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced to the House of Commons on 17 December 2015, Official Report, Column 1722, that the Government is considering giving more responsibility to support older people with care needs to local authorities in England and in Wales, including people who, under the current system, would be supported through Attendance Allowance. Officials have started to explore the potential options and will shortly begin working with stakeholders on a broad and open basis to understand how any devolution would best work.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the total annual costs to local authorities were for public health funerals in each year between 2010 and 2015.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect the information requested. Figures on local authority expenditure on, and income from, the provision of cemetery, cremation and mortuary services, including closed churchyards and post-mortem services within mortuaries, are collected on the Revenue Outturn form and are available at:
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with local government leaders on the provision of (a) housing and (b) other council assistance for refugees.
Answered by Greg Clark
My rt. hon. Friend, the Home Secretary and I are leading a Joint Committee – the Ministerial Group on Syrian Refugees – to put in place the necessary arrangements to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over the course of this Parliament. Representatives from the Local Government Association attended the first meeting of this Group on Friday. Other key partners such as charities and faith institutions will also have the opportunity to contribute.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the determination of 15 May 2015 of the Pensions Ombudsman with respect to the complaint by Mr W Milne against the Government Actuary's Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that other members of relevant pension schemes in the Fire and Rescue Service receive compensation awards consistent with that determination; and when he anticipates those awards will be made.
Answered by Mark Francois
The Government accepts the Ombudsman’s determination in full and recognises that there are other individuals, including retired fire fighters, who are affected by the principles set out in this determination. The Government is working with pension administrators to identify affected individuals and ensure that appropriate payments are made as quickly as possible. This will take time, with thousands of historic records to consider. Those affected will receive updates through their pensions administrators.