Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to remove barriers to small to medium-sized firms accessing developer finance in order to assist those firms in building new homes.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government fully recognises the key role small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play in building new homes in this country. My department has put in place a package of funding initiatives, including the £2.5 billion Home Building Fund, which received a £450 million boost in June, and the £1 billion ENABLE Build guarantee scheme.
This investment in the sector will help create skilled jobs and drive economic growth whilst our ongoing planning reforms will reduce burdens on SMEs.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities are required to comply with the Duty to Co-operate to fulfil unmet affordable housing needs.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local planning authorities are under a duty to cooperate with each other on strategic matters that cross administrative boundaries; and should collaborate to identify the relevant strategic matters which they need to address in their plans. Strategic policies should set out an overall strategy for the pattern, scale and quality of development, and make sufficient provision for housing (including affordable housing).
In July 2018 we introduced the statement of common ground to introduce much needed transparency over strategic planning issues, highlighting where effective cooperation is and is not happening ahead of plans being submitted for examination.
A local plan examination will first assess whether a local planning authority has complied with the duty to cooperate and other legal requirements. In considering whether the tests of soundness have been met, the examination Inspector will need to be satisfied that the Plan is consistent with national policy. We want authorities to work constructively together to ensure housing need is met and Inspectors are able to assess whether unmet need should be taken by other authorities through recommending modifications to a plan.
Some 16 Local Plans have been withdrawn from examination on Duty to Cooperate grounds since it was introduced by the Localism Act in 2011. These were often for a range of reasons, but on two occasions these included reference to affordable housing.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government takes to reconcile differences between local authorities under the Duty to Co-operate to fulfil unmet affordable housing need.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local planning authorities are under a duty to cooperate with each other on strategic matters that cross administrative boundaries; and should collaborate to identify the relevant strategic matters which they need to address in their plans. Strategic policies should set out an overall strategy for the pattern, scale and quality of development, and make sufficient provision for housing (including affordable housing).
In July 2018 we introduced the statement of common ground to introduce much needed transparency over strategic planning issues, highlighting where effective cooperation is and is not happening ahead of plans being submitted for examination.
A local plan examination will first assess whether a local planning authority has complied with the duty to cooperate and other legal requirements. In considering whether the tests of soundness have been met, the examination Inspector will need to be satisfied that the Plan is consistent with national policy. We want authorities to work constructively together to ensure housing need is met and Inspectors are able to assess whether unmet need should be taken by other authorities through recommending modifications to a plan.
Some 16 Local Plans have been withdrawn from examination on Duty to Cooperate grounds since it was introduced by the Localism Act in 2011. These were often for a range of reasons, but on two occasions these included reference to affordable housing.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of whether local authorities are co-operating effectively to fulfil unmet housing need.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local planning authorities are under a duty to cooperate with each other on strategic matters that cross administrative boundaries; and should collaborate to identify the relevant strategic matters which they need to address in their plans. Strategic policies should set out an overall strategy for the pattern, scale and quality of development, and make sufficient provision for housing (including affordable housing).
In July 2018 we introduced the statement of common ground to introduce much needed transparency over strategic planning issues, highlighting where effective cooperation is and is not happening ahead of plans being submitted for examination.
A local plan examination will first assess whether a local planning authority has complied with the duty to cooperate and other legal requirements. In considering whether the tests of soundness have been met, the examination Inspector will need to be satisfied that the Plan is consistent with national policy. We want authorities to work constructively together to ensure housing need is met and Inspectors are able to assess whether unmet need should be taken by other authorities through recommending modifications to a plan.
Some 16 Local Plans have been withdrawn from examination on Duty to Cooperate grounds since it was introduced by the Localism Act in 2011. These were often for a range of reasons, but on two occasions these included reference to affordable housing.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local plans have been rejected as a result of a failure of local authorities to co-operate to increase affordable housing, in England, since 2010.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local planning authorities are under a duty to cooperate with each other on strategic matters that cross administrative boundaries; and should collaborate to identify the relevant strategic matters which they need to address in their plans. Strategic policies should set out an overall strategy for the pattern, scale and quality of development, and make sufficient provision for housing (including affordable housing).
In July 2018 we introduced the statement of common ground to introduce much needed transparency over strategic planning issues, highlighting where effective cooperation is and is not happening ahead of plans being submitted for examination.
A local plan examination will first assess whether a local planning authority has complied with the duty to cooperate and other legal requirements. In considering whether the tests of soundness have been met, the examination Inspector will need to be satisfied that the Plan is consistent with national policy. We want authorities to work constructively together to ensure housing need is met and Inspectors are able to assess whether unmet need should be taken by other authorities through recommending modifications to a plan.
Some 16 Local Plans have been withdrawn from examination on Duty to Cooperate grounds since it was introduced by the Localism Act in 2011. These were often for a range of reasons, but on two occasions these included reference to affordable housing.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2020 to Question 63565 on Travel: Coronavirus, whether the Government plans to reimburse all costs incurred by local authorities in supporting incoming travellers without accommodation to meet quarantine regulations.
Answered by Simon Clarke
Most arrivals to the UK will have appropriate accommodation for when they arrive and should make such arrangements before they travel. For the small minority that do not, Border Force can help make suitable arrangements, at the traveller’s own expense, and anyone without the ability to self-isolate should approach Border Force upon arrival. The Government plans to discuss with local authorities how best to make arrangements to support incoming travellers who are without the means to self-isolate effectively. Furthermore, the re-opening of the hospitality sector provides new arrivals with even more options to make arrangements before they travel to the UK. Finally, the list of countries which are exempt from these requirements is growing and therefore new arrivals should check the rules which apply from 10 July to see if they need to self-isolate.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on how many occasions since the 18 November 2019 he has met with Richard Desmond in (a) a formal, and (b) an informal capacity.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how often training on understanding and applying the Nolan principles is delivered for staff in his Department.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The 7 principles of public life are referenced in Civil Service Learning’s online induction module, which all new civil servants, including those joining MHCLG, are encouraged to undertake.
In addition, new civil servants are familiarised with the Civil Service Code, which outlines that all Civil Servants are expected to commit to the Civil Service’s core values of Integrity, Honesty, Objectivity and Impartiality. Guidance on compliance and how to raise a concern if an individual feels they have been asked to act in a way that might contravene the code is provided on MHCLG’s intranet.
MHCLG also promotes awareness of the code through our induction checklist, relevant communications and has a senior level champion in place for the code and whistleblowing.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many of his Department’s (a) senior civil servants, (b) private office staff and (c) staff have received training on understanding and applying the Nolan principles in each of the last three years.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The 7 principles of public life are referenced in Civil Service Learning’s online induction module, which all new civil servants, including those joining MHCLG, are encouraged to undertake.
In addition, new civil servants are familiarised with the Civil Service Code, which outlines that all Civil Servants are expected to commit to the Civil Service’s core values of Integrity, Honesty, Objectivity and Impartiality. Guidance on compliance and how to raise a concern if an individual feels they have been asked to act in a way that might contravene the code is provided on MHCLG’s intranet.
MHCLG also promotes awareness of the code through our induction checklist, relevant communications and has a senior level champion in place for the code and whistleblowing.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department is providing local councils with direct funding to support incoming travellers without accommodation to meet the Government’s quarantine provisions.
Answered by Simon Clarke
All arrivals, bar a short list of exemptions, will be required to complete an online locator form to supply contact details, travel details and the address of where they will self-isolate for 14 days. Where international travellers are unable to safely self-isolate in their own accommodation, the Government will support them finding appropriate accommodation at their own expense.