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Written Question
Council Tax
Thursday 14th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on (1) local government finances in England, and (2) the equality of taxation of council tax bands in England being based on property valuations from April 1991.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Government has no plans to reform the council tax system in this Parliament. A council tax revaluation would be expensive to undertake and could result in increases in bills for many households as well as disrupting the operation of the local government funding system. Council Tax levels are set by local authorities who are required to put in place council tax reduction schemes to help those in financial hardship. When setting out the resources available to local authorities, the annual Local Government Finance Settlement takes account of their differing abilities to generate income through council tax.


Written Question
High Rise Flats: Electrical Safety
Thursday 28th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers from Baroness Scott of Bybrook on 26 June (HL8412, HL8413 and HL8414), when they expect the Building Safety Regulator will undertake the cost benefit analysis of making regular inspections and testing of electrical installations in relevant buildings.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

Under Section 21 of the Building Safety Act, the Building Safety Regulator must carry out a cost-benefit analysis of making regular inspections of, and testing and reporting on, the condition of electrical installations in relevant buildings. This report will be provided by 1 October 2026. The Regulator remains on track for completing this activity within the agreed timeframe.


Written Question
World War II: Alderney
Thursday 21st December 2023

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have received any representations from interested parties regarding restrictions for making submissions to the review into the number of prisoners who died on Alderney during the Nazi occupation, and what steps the review has taken to obtain relevant material from such parties.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

The UK’s Post Holocaust Issues Envoy, Lord Eric Pickles announced the review into the number of prisoners who died on Alderney during the Nazi occupation on July 27, 2023. He has appointed a team of eleven independent, experienced, and internationally recognised experts led by Dr Paul Sanders the renowned French academic. The review is also receiving expert assistance from the Archives at Yad Vashem, the world’s preeminent Holocaust Centre. Lord Pickles has publicly encouraged all interested parties to put forward their evidence and has met with several groups and individuals who have expressed their interest in the review.

The department works closely with the Channel Islands on Holocaust issues.


Written Question
High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention
Monday 26th June 2023

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether, for electrical testing in tower blocks where cladding needs to be replaced, they plan to institute a testing regime whereby an electrical engineer, rather than a competency body, is named and assessed as competent to supervise such work.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

All buildings should meet existing safety standards.

We do not hold records of voltage surges or numbers of extra electrical safety checks for these buildings. The Building Safety Regulator will be undertaking a cost benefit analysis of making regular inspections and testing of electrical installations in relevant buildings.


Written Question
High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention
Monday 26th June 2023

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether extra electrical safety checks have been carried out in residential tower blocks where cladding needs to be replaced.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

All buildings should meet existing safety standards.

We do not hold records of voltage surges or numbers of extra electrical safety checks for these buildings. The Building Safety Regulator will be undertaking a cost benefit analysis of making regular inspections and testing of electrical installations in relevant buildings.


Written Question
High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention
Monday 26th June 2023

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether there is any record of voltage surges in residential tower blocks where cladding needs to be replaced.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

All buildings should meet existing safety standards.

We do not hold records of voltage surges or numbers of extra electrical safety checks for these buildings. The Building Safety Regulator will be undertaking a cost benefit analysis of making regular inspections and testing of electrical installations in relevant buildings.


Written Question
Forests
Tuesday 15th May 2018

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to call-in the proposals from the Forestry Commission for private chalet parks in public forests.

Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

It would be inappropriate of me to comment on a specific planning application in case the application comes before the Secretary of State for Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for a decision. The Secretary of State is not currently considering any planning applications from the Forestry Commission for private chalet parks in public forests. If the Secretary of State were to receive such an application in the future, he would consider whether or not it should be called in in light of his published policy on call-ins. The Secretary of State is selective about calling in applications and, in general, will only do so if planning issues of more than local importance are involved.


Written Question
Local Government: Birmingham
Tuesday 14th March 2017

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will bring forward plans to divide Birmingham City Council into smaller authorities, with or without changing boundaries with existing local authorities.

Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The Government has no plans to divide Birmingham City Council into smaller authorities.


Written Question
Local Government: Birmingham
Tuesday 14th March 2017

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to appoint Commissioners to administer Birmingham City Council.

Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

In January 2015 the Department for Communities and Local Government, together with Birmingham City Council, established an Independent Improvement Panel to support and challenge the council in implementing the recommendations set out in Lord Kerslake’s review, which reported in December 2014.

The Panel have provided regular updates to the Secretary of State on the progress made by Birmingham City Council, and submitted their most recent update on 24 February. The letter is available (attached) at the following link: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/downloads/file/5971/letter_to_the_secretary_of_state_for_communities_and_local_government_24_february_2017

The Secretary of State is now considering the Panel’s letter, and will respond in due course.


Written Question
Local Government: Birmingham
Monday 13th March 2017

Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Government Commissioners have been appointed to supervise departments in Birmingham City Council in the past 10 years.

Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

The Department for Communities and Local Government has not appointed any Commissioners to supervise departments in Birmingham City Council in the past 10 years.

In January 2015 the Department, with Birmingham City Council, established an Independent Improvement Panel to support and challenge the council in implementing the recommendations set out in Lord Kerslake’s review which reported in December 2014.

The Department for Education appointed two Education Commissioners: Peter Clarke (2014) to investigate the allegations of extremism in Birmingham schools; and Sir Mike Tomlinson (2014-2016) to oversee improvements in Birmingham City Council’s education functions.

The Department for Education also appointed three Commissioners to oversee children’s social services: Lord Warner (2014-2015), Andrew Christie (2015-2016) and Dave Hill (2016-present).