Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial reserves of each of (1) Belfast, (2) Birmingham, (3) Bristol, (4) Cardiff, (5) Glasgow, (6) Leeds, (7) Liverpool, (8) Manchester, (9) Newcastle, (10) Nottingham, and (11) Sheffield, local authorities; and what information they hold on such reserves in each case.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Department collects and publishes reserves data as part of annual data returns from local authorities in England. These figures can be found (attached) in the individual local authority data at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing, in table RA of budget data, and in table RS of outturn data. The latest published reserves figures from these local authorities are shown in the table.
Non-ringfenced reserves at 31 March 2020 of requested local authorities
| Other earmarked reserves (£m) | Unallocated reserves (£m) |
Birmingham | 463.8 | 133.0 |
Bristol | 80.6 | 17.0 |
Leeds | 66.7 | 31.5 |
Liverpool | 96.8 | 5.7 |
Manchester | 348.7 | 21.4 |
Newcastle-upon-Tyne | 87.7 | 10.1 |
Nottingham | 153.7 | 2.2 |
Sheffield | 252.1 | 13.2 |
Source: Provisional Revenue Outturn 2019-20 returns from local authorities in England to MHCLG
We also collect information on use of reserves in our Local Authority COVID-19 financial monitoring survey. The eighth round of the survey was live between 4th and 11th December.
The financial position of councils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the relevant devolved administration.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the robustness of (1) checks and balances on, and (2) scrutiny of, directly-elected mayors in England.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
All principal and combined authorities that operate with a directly-elected mayor are required to have at least one overview and scrutiny committee to hold the executive to account. Combined authorities must also put in place an audit committee to provide additional challenge and, although it is not a statutory requirement, most principal authorities do the same. Overview and scrutiny committees have powers to investigate executives’ policies and their implementation, call in decisions that have been made but not yet implemented, issue reports and draw attention to shortcomings.
Overview and scrutiny arrangements are just one element of the wider accountability framework for local government. Other key elements include: independent audit, codes of conduct, complaints handling and whistleblowing procedures, statutory officers, and transparency of information and meetings. As with all government policy, we keep the accountability framework for local government under review.
Local authorities are independent of central government. Ministers have no remit to intervene in the day to day affairs of local authorities, except where specific provision has been made in legislation. However, this does not mean there is no accountability for local councils. Local authorities must act in accordance with legislation and are ultimately accountable through the ballot box for the decisions that they make.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many local authority planning applications have been called in by the Planning Inspectorate; (2) how many of these were overturned by the Planning Inspectorate; and (3) how many Planning Inspectorate decisions were overturned by Ministers in (a) 2016/17, (b) 2017/18, and (c) 2018/19.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Planning Inspectorate does not call in planning applications, this is done by Ministers. Ministers decide called in applications rather than the Planning Inspectorate, based on the recommendation of an independent Inspector.
The Planning Inspectorate publishes statistics on the number of cases called in by Ministers. Numbers of cases called in were as follows:
2016-17 - 17
2017-18 - 13
2018-19 - 8
The number of called in cases decided by Ministers where they disagreed with the planning Inspector's recommendation were
2016-17 - 3 (out of a total of 14 cases decided)
2017-18 - 2 (out of a total of 10 cases decided)
2018-19 - 1 (out of a total of 5 cases decided)
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what involvement, if any, the Metro Mayors of Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region had in decisions relating to the easing of lockdown measures for COVID-19; and when they were informed of these decisions.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
There has been regular engagement between Government and the Metro Mayors of Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region during the COVID-19 emergency. This includes Ministerial calls with the Metro Mayors of Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region, as well as a call between the Prime Minister and the M9 Metro Mayors, to help inform Government’s approach to restarting the economy
A Ministerial-led Economic Recovery Working Group has also been established to provide regular engagement on Government’s restart and recovery planning, chaired by the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government. This features four Metro Mayors including the Mayor of Greater Manchester.
Ministers are also holding a series of regional stocktakes as case-studies, including with Greater Manchester and Liverpool, to establish an understanding of local plans for restart and to enable collaboration across Government and local partners. The Mayors of Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region led the stocktakes with their respective areas.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to permit churches and other places of worship to reopen.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
On 11 May, the Government published the document (attached) “Our Plan to Rebuild”, which outlined the steps it would be taking to ease the lockdown restrictions.
The Government continues to consider how to allow places of worship to reopen for additional uses in Step 3 of its roadmap, which is expected to be no earlier 4 July, subject to further scientific advice. As part of the steps to ease the restrictions, the Government launched a Places of Worship Taskforce to look at how they can reopen and operate safely. Meetings are being led by the Secretary of State for Communities, or the Faith Minister, and comprise of representatives from the country’s major faiths. The Taskforce is working towards the safe reopening of places of worship as soon as possible. It also addresses the specific issues that places of worship will face as they prepare to reopen safely.
As of Saturday 13 June, places of worship are now permitted to open for individual prayer, in line with social distancing guidelines. We have published guidance (attached) to support places of worship to do this in a way that is safe and in line with social distancing. Communal prayers, worship or devotion will not be possible at this stage. The Government will continue to work with the Taskforce towards the full reopening of places of worship as soon as the scientific advice allows.
Places of worship play an important role in spiritual and mental health for many, and in bringing our communities together, which is why we want them to reopen them as soon as we can. However, no place of worship will be able to reopen for further activities before a final decision by the Government and the accompanying changes to the legal position in the published regulations. Even after we permit places of worship to reopen for further activities, some may choose to reopen in stages or at a slower pace depending on their local circumstances.
The current list of permitted activities that can take place within a place of worship can be found (attached) on gov.uk here, and the associated regulations can be found here. These documents will be updated as and when further changes come into effect.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to (1) enabling alternative arrangements for the collection of signatures, and (2) extending the permitted timescale, for a city mayor referendum petition.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
In response to the Coronavirus pandemic the Government has made the?Local Government?and Police?and Crime Commissioner (Coronavirus)?(Postponement?of Elections?and Referendums) (England And Wales) Regulations 2020 which provide in relation to a city mayor referendum petition that:
The Regulations also provide that any governance referendum, including a city mayor referendum, scheduled between 16 March 2020 and 5 May 2021 must be postponed to take place on 6 May 2021. The Regulations can be found (attached) at ? https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/395/regulation/12/made
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the consequences when auditors fail to sign off a district council's annual budget.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
A council's annual budget is signed off by a meeting of the full council as presented by its chief finance or Section 151 Officer. An auditor does not generally have a role to play in this process. However, the auditor issues an opinion on ie ‘signs off’ a council’s year-end financial statements. This opinion may be unmodified or, where an auditor has identified significant issues, they may give a modified opinion. Auditors also have powers to issue an advisory notice or a public interest report. Local authorities are accountable to their electorate.
It is a legal requirement for a council’s accounts to be signed off by the external auditor, however as the auditor must be satisfied with the accounts before doing so, there is not a specific timescale within which they must give their opinion or other specific consequences of a failure to sign off the accounts. Recently there has been a significant increase in the number of council accounts that remain outstanding. As at 31 May 2020, the 2018/19 accounts of 57 councils had not been signed off.
To help address the audit delay issue, we commissioned the independent Redmond review to review arrangements supporting the transparency and quality of local authority financial reporting and external audit within the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. The Review is due to report later this year. We also recognise the pressures councils - and auditors - are under in the context of Covid-19 and have therefore extended the deadlines for them to publish their draft and final accounts in 2019/20 to 1 September and 30 November 2020 respectively.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what planning requirements apply to the installation of telegraph poles outside homes.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Proposals for new telecommunications infrastructure require planning permission, either through nationally set permitted development rights or through a planning application to the local planning authority. In England, telecommunications operators are able to install new ground-based infrastructure such as telegraph poles and mobile masts under permitted development rights, subject to various size limits. These rights are subject to a prior approval process (except for infrastructure relating to fixed-line broadband) under which the local planning authority can consider the proposed siting and appearance of the infrastructure. Infrastructure not covered by permitted development rights will require full planning permission, and are assessed against a range of planning criteria as well as policies set out in an adopted development plan, such as a Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what requirements they place on local authorities when appointing the chairs of companies wholly owned by a local authority.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Department does not place any requirements on local authorities in the appointment of chairs of local housing companies. This includes consideration of the most appropriate structure and governance arrangements.
Asked by: Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what requirements they place on local councils setting up companies to take on the role of particular local services.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The general power of competence provisions set out in the Localism Act 2011 build on existing powers to charge and to trade. If a local authority wishes to trade for a commercial purpose, this must be carried out through a company to ensure that it does not have an unfair tax advantage over business. Local authorities can choose to deliver local services through companies provided that they assure themselves that doing so delivers best value to local residents. Local authorities, like other bodies, are subject to and must abide by competition law and it is their responsibility to ensure they comply with the requirements of state aid, competition and procurement law.