Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the recommendations of the APPG on SME House Builders in its report on Access to Finance in the SME Housebuilding Sector, published in July 2023, if he will (a) encourage local authorities to grant permission in principle, (b) relax requirements for affordable housing, (c) target the Atlas planning squad at small sites and (d) take other steps to bring forward more small sites for housebuilding.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The National Planning Policy Framework includes policies to promote greater use of small sites. In our update to the Framework, published in December 2023, we strengthened our existing small sites policies to encourage local authorities to seek opportunities to support small sites to come forward for community-led housing and self-build and custom build housing. Our policy changes also encourage permission in principle alongside other routes to permission, to remove barriers for smaller and medium-sized builders in the planning system. We intend to undertake a further consultation on specific proposals to strengthen our small sites planning policy in due course.
The Framework is clear that local plans should set out the affordable housing contributions expected from development. Such policies should be informed by evidence of affordable housing need, and a proportionate assessment of viability. The Framework states that provision of affordable housing should not be sought for residential developments that are not major developments, other than in designated rural areas.
We have announced £13.5 million for a Planning Super Squad that will deploy teams of specialists into local planning authorities to accelerate the delivery of homes and development. Further details on the Planning Super Squad will follow in due course.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of new homes that were completed by small and medium-sized housebuilders in each year since 1997.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer my Hon Friend to the answer given to Question UIN on 9065 on 17 January 2024.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the grounds for appeal were of each of the asylum seekers due to be removed to Rwanda on 14 June 2022.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
We are unable to comment on the specifics of individual cases however, some of the individuals referred to did issue judicial review claims and the grounds of these claims can be found in the published court judgments.
The court judgments can be found at the following links:
Divisional Court (19 December 2022): AAA v SSHD Rwanda judgment.pdf (judiciary.uk)
Court of Appeal (29 June 2023): AAA-v-SSHD summary (judiciary.uk)
Supreme Court (15 November 2023): R (on the application of AAA (Syria) and others) (Respondents/Cross Appellants) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Appellant/Cross Respondent); (supremecourt.uk)
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the number of foreign students at universities on the (a) availability and (b) affordability of private rented sector accommodation in England.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to encourage people with (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety to self manage their conditions by engaging with work.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Good work is generally good for health. The Government therefore has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including depression, bad nerves and anxiety, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.
Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. Initiatives include:
Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the guidance his Department issues to local authorities on criteria for allocating social housing to people on the housing waiting list.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Local authorities allocate social housing in line with local housing need. This work is governed by a legal framework set by central government, which is provided to local authorities in statutory guidance. The department keeps this policy under review and any further announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of non-crime hate incidents recorded under the Additional Threshold Test against biological women have been reported by biological males under the gender reassignment protected characteristic as of 9 January 2023.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office’s Non-Crime Hate Incidents Code of Practice on the Recording and Retention of Personal Data came into effect in June 2023 and applies to police forces across England and Wales. The code includes safeguards better to protect the fundamental right to freedom of expression and stipulates that police should only record NCHIs when it is necessary and proportionate to do so, and not simply because someone is offended. Incidents that are irrational, malicious, or trivial should not be recorded as NCHIs.
To address concerns about the recording of personal data, the code introduced an additional threshold to ensure that personal data may only be included in an NCHI record if the event is motivated by intentional hostility or prejudice and where the police judge that there is a real risk of escalation causing significant harm or a criminal offence.
The College of Policing publishes operational guidance for the police, known as ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP), on how to deal with different types of crimes and incidents, including NCHIs. The College updated its APP so that it aligns with the Government’s code. The College is responsible for determining police training requirements, and has developed an e-briefing pack on NCHIs which is available to forces.
The code specifically covers characteristics that are protected under hate crime legislation in England and Wales – race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and disability. It defines transgender identity or perceived transgender identity by setting out that “references to being transgender include references to being transsexual, or undergoing, proposing to undergo or having undergone a process or part of a process of gender reassignment.” This aligns with the definition set out in section 66(6)(e) of the Sentencing Act 2020.
The Home Office does not collect data from forces on the number of NCHIs recorded by the police, nor do we collect data relating to the personal characteristics of those involved in incidents. We similarly do not collect information on police spending relating to the investigation of NCHIs. The data collected from the police balances policy needs and the burden on forces.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse has been to record and process non-crime hate incidents for each police force in England and Wales this Parliament.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office’s Non-Crime Hate Incidents Code of Practice on the Recording and Retention of Personal Data came into effect in June 2023 and applies to police forces across England and Wales. The code includes safeguards better to protect the fundamental right to freedom of expression and stipulates that police should only record NCHIs when it is necessary and proportionate to do so, and not simply because someone is offended. Incidents that are irrational, malicious, or trivial should not be recorded as NCHIs.
To address concerns about the recording of personal data, the code introduced an additional threshold to ensure that personal data may only be included in an NCHI record if the event is motivated by intentional hostility or prejudice and where the police judge that there is a real risk of escalation causing significant harm or a criminal offence.
The College of Policing publishes operational guidance for the police, known as ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP), on how to deal with different types of crimes and incidents, including NCHIs. The College updated its APP so that it aligns with the Government’s code. The College is responsible for determining police training requirements, and has developed an e-briefing pack on NCHIs which is available to forces.
The code specifically covers characteristics that are protected under hate crime legislation in England and Wales – race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and disability. It defines transgender identity or perceived transgender identity by setting out that “references to being transgender include references to being transsexual, or undergoing, proposing to undergo or having undergone a process or part of a process of gender reassignment.” This aligns with the definition set out in section 66(6)(e) of the Sentencing Act 2020.
The Home Office does not collect data from forces on the number of NCHIs recorded by the police, nor do we collect data relating to the personal characteristics of those involved in incidents. We similarly do not collect information on police spending relating to the investigation of NCHIs. The data collected from the police balances policy needs and the burden on forces.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports of non-crime hate incidents have led to (a) arrests, (b) charges and (c) prosecutions of biological females after a non-crime hate incident was recorded against them by a biological male that identifies as a trans woman under the gender reassignment protected characteristic in the last five years.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office’s Non-Crime Hate Incidents Code of Practice on the Recording and Retention of Personal Data came into effect in June 2023 and applies to police forces across England and Wales. The code includes safeguards better to protect the fundamental right to freedom of expression and stipulates that police should only record NCHIs when it is necessary and proportionate to do so, and not simply because someone is offended. Incidents that are irrational, malicious, or trivial should not be recorded as NCHIs.
To address concerns about the recording of personal data, the code introduced an additional threshold to ensure that personal data may only be included in an NCHI record if the event is motivated by intentional hostility or prejudice and where the police judge that there is a real risk of escalation causing significant harm or a criminal offence.
The College of Policing publishes operational guidance for the police, known as ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP), on how to deal with different types of crimes and incidents, including NCHIs. The College updated its APP so that it aligns with the Government’s code. The College is responsible for determining police training requirements, and has developed an e-briefing pack on NCHIs which is available to forces.
The code specifically covers characteristics that are protected under hate crime legislation in England and Wales – race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and disability. It defines transgender identity or perceived transgender identity by setting out that “references to being transgender include references to being transsexual, or undergoing, proposing to undergo or having undergone a process or part of a process of gender reassignment.” This aligns with the definition set out in section 66(6)(e) of the Sentencing Act 2020.
The Home Office does not collect data from forces on the number of NCHIs recorded by the police, nor do we collect data relating to the personal characteristics of those involved in incidents. We similarly do not collect information on police spending relating to the investigation of NCHIs. The data collected from the police balances policy needs and the burden on forces.
Asked by: Rachel Maclean (Conservative - Redditch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance his Department provides to police forces on the gender reassignment evidence required for people to be able to legitimately claim a non-crime hate incident due to the fact they have (a) undergone or (b) plan to undergo gender reassignment.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office’s Non-Crime Hate Incidents Code of Practice on the Recording and Retention of Personal Data came into effect in June 2023 and applies to police forces across England and Wales. The code includes safeguards better to protect the fundamental right to freedom of expression and stipulates that police should only record NCHIs when it is necessary and proportionate to do so, and not simply because someone is offended. Incidents that are irrational, malicious, or trivial should not be recorded as NCHIs.
To address concerns about the recording of personal data, the code introduced an additional threshold to ensure that personal data may only be included in an NCHI record if the event is motivated by intentional hostility or prejudice and where the police judge that there is a real risk of escalation causing significant harm or a criminal offence.
The College of Policing publishes operational guidance for the police, known as ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP), on how to deal with different types of crimes and incidents, including NCHIs. The College updated its APP so that it aligns with the Government’s code. The College is responsible for determining police training requirements, and has developed an e-briefing pack on NCHIs which is available to forces.
The code specifically covers characteristics that are protected under hate crime legislation in England and Wales – race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and disability. It defines transgender identity or perceived transgender identity by setting out that “references to being transgender include references to being transsexual, or undergoing, proposing to undergo or having undergone a process or part of a process of gender reassignment.” This aligns with the definition set out in section 66(6)(e) of the Sentencing Act 2020.
The Home Office does not collect data from forces on the number of NCHIs recorded by the police, nor do we collect data relating to the personal characteristics of those involved in incidents. We similarly do not collect information on police spending relating to the investigation of NCHIs. The data collected from the police balances policy needs and the burden on forces.