Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 26 July 2024, to Question 1315 on Environment Protection, when the new framework of Environmental Outcomes Reports will be introduced.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 1315 on 26 July 2024.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Pursuant to the answer of 25 July 2024, to Question 1007, on Planning Authorities: Staff, whether the 300 planning officers will be recruited in addition to the Planning Capability and Capacity programme.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department continues to assess options for delivering 300 additional planning officers to ensure their recruitment supports the quality of local planning services, proposed reforms to the system, housebuilding priorities and our manifesto commitments. The recruitment will be overseen by the Department’s dedicated Planning Capacity and Capability team under the Chief Planner in MHCLG, in addition to its wider work to support local planning authorities.
This work includes funding the recruitment of new graduates into local planning authorities across England, and their professional training, through Pathways to Planning; as well as the national roll out of the Public Practice associate programme, which brings mid-career professionals into local authority employment to fill skill gaps in areas such as urban design.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2024, to Question 1007 on Planning Authorities: Staff, what budget is being used to fund the additional 300 planning officers.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department continues to assess options for delivering 300 additional planning officers to ensure their recruitment supports the quality of local planning services, proposed reforms to the system, housebuilding priorities and our manifesto commitments. The recruitment will be overseen by the Department’s dedicated Planning Capacity and Capability team under the Chief Planner in MHCLG, in addition to its wider work to support local planning authorities.
This work includes funding the recruitment of new graduates into local planning authorities across England, and their professional training, through Pathways to Planning; as well as the national roll out of the Public Practice associate programme, which brings mid-career professionals into local authority employment to fill skill gaps in areas such as urban design.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2024 to Question 556 on Housing: Construction, when her Department plans to make changes to nutrient neutrality rules.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 556 on 26 July 2024.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
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 merits of giving prisoners the right to vote. .
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
There has been no change to the Government’s position on prisoner voting rights.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on (a) producing and (b) updating productivity plans since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Jim McMahon
I wrote to all councils on 13 September to thank them for producing a plan and detail the rich evidence base they have given us. I proposed that we work together to build on the work to get more out of existing resources. I was also clear that I am not interested in micromanaging councils, but helping the sector improve efficiency even further, including reducing the barriers to change.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 23 September 2024, to Question 2981, on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Civil Servants, if she will list the (a) Recruitment Principles exception and (b) job title of the position for each of the appointments made without open and fair competition from 4 July 2024 to date.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
MHCLG made 47 appointments by exception to fair, open and merit-based recruitment principles from 1 July to 31 September 2024.
All appointments were at grades below the Senior Civil Service. We are unable to break this down further (ie grade level) as the numbers are too small to disclose.
Exception | Description | Number of appointments between 1st July – 31st September 2024 |
Exception 1 | Temporary appointments | 40 |
Exception 2 | Government employment programmes | 5 |
Exception 3 | Secondments | 2 |
The department publishes a senior and junior organogram biannually setting out job titles and salaries – Organogram of Staff Roles & Salaries - data.gov.uk.
There are clear rules governing recruitment and appointment of civil service roles, which are regulated by the Civil Service Commission. It is the longstanding convention of government under successive administrations that we do not comment on matters relating to individual staff.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she is a member of the National Security Council.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Details of Cabinet Committees and their membership are published on gov.uk at the following link.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West 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 the guidance entitled Flying flags: a plain English guide, published on 20 July 2024, which flags related to sexual orientation and gender identity have deemed consent.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Flag advertisements which benefit from deemed consent are set out in Class 7 of Schedule 3 to The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement) (England) Regulations 2007.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2024 to Question 3903 on Political Parties: Finance, what her policy is on (a) the regulation of and (b) reporting thresholds for donations to unincorporated donations.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
As set out in our manifesto, the Government intends to strengthen the rules around donations to political parties to protect our democracy. The policy development work to give effect to this commitment is ongoing, and we will engage with key stakeholders over the course of this work.