Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the scientific basis is for the decision to require face masks to be worn in places of worship.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Places of worship play an important role in providing spiritual leadership for many individuals, and in bringing communities and generations together. However, their communal nature also makes them places that are particularly vulnerable to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Guidance around using places of worship safely during the pandemic can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from-4-july/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from-4-july
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department is making on meeting the 2.3 per cent public sector apprenticeship target; and when his Department will meet that target.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
As of 31 March 2020, the Civil Service has achieved a total of 2.1 per cent of its total workforce as apprentices against the legislative target for the public sector of 2.3 per cent by March 2021. On 21 September 2020, the equivalent figure for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) was 1.7 per cent. Given this target is a percentage of the total workforce the percentage changes in line with workforce fluctuations over time therefore making it challenging to predict when a Department will meet it. Data for 2018/19 can be found here. The data for 2019/20 will be released on gov.uk by the end of September 2020.
Departments are committed to increasing the number of apprentices across the Civil Service and continue to work towards the 2.3 per cent target. The impact of the current pandemic has slowed recruitment due to priority work and logistics. With the current strategy and targets coming to an end in April 2021, the Civil Service is already focusing on how to continue to support the apprenticeship agenda and drive forward apprenticeship recruitment, pulling on the Plan for Jobs initiative and considering the current economic situation.
A multi-year approach on apprenticeships from FY 2021/22 will be developed by MHCLG’s Early Talent Team in the coming months, which will be aligned to the new apprenticeship strategy and any new targets included within.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on unauthorised encampments.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government is clear that unauthorised encampments cause harm to the local environment and that the rights of settled residents must be respected.
Local authorities are best-placed to determine when it is appropriate to use their powers to evict unauthorised encampments under Sections 77 and 78 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act (1994) during the Covid-19 pandemic, and should work with the police and magistrates’ courts in their local area.
On 5 November 2019, the Government launched a consultation seeking views on measures to strengthen police powers to tackle unauthorised encampments. The consultation closed on the 5 March. We will announce the outcome of this consultation in due course.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what powers are in place to prevent the development of unauthorised encampments.
Answered by Simon Clarke
The Government is clear that unauthorised encampments cause harm to the local environment and that the rights of settled residents must be respected. Local authorities have powers available to them to prevent the development of unauthorised encampments in their area.
Councils can apply to the Courts for pre-emptive injunctions which prevent unauthorised camping in a defined geographical area. Councils are also able to take early and decisive action by issuing Temporary Stop Notices against unauthorised development and encampments. Councils can issue such a notice on both private and public sector land.
On 5 November 2019, the Government launched a consultation seeking views on measures to strengthen police powers to tackle unauthorised encampments. The consultation closed on the 5 March. We will announce the outcome of this consultation in due course.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to reach the public sector apprenticeship target.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
Since the introduction of the public sector apprenticeship target in April 2017 my Department has offered a range of apprenticeships across 7 different standards and frameworks. We have participated in external recruitment campaigns to appoint apprentices, including the Civil Service Fast Track Apprenticeship Scheme and cross-government Policy Apprenticeship campaigns. We also hold an annual Apprenticeship Week each year within the Department to promote the benefits of apprenticeships and have converted a number of existing Civil Servants to become apprentices, including within our HR Profession.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the timeframe for people to be able to sing in churches as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The Government recognises that singing is a key part of our cultural and religious life. We have published Guidance for the Safe Use of Places of Worship during COVID-19 which provides advice on singing within places of worship: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from-4-july . The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has also published guidance for people who work in performing arts, including organisations, venue operators and participants: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/performing-arts . Singing?is a central element of many religious practices but poses a particular risk of spreading the virus. The Government and medical and scientific communities are urgently engaged in research around?transmission risk?and how activities such as?singing and chanting can be managed safely indoors, by congregations and by amateurs.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued on house movings in houses in multiple occupation during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
There is no prohibition on moving home and anyone in England who wishes to move home can do so, including into houses in multiple occupation. Guidance on moving home is available on the GOV.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-advice-on-home-moving-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.This guidance provides important public health information to ensure that the process of moving home and key activities around this, such as viewing property, can happen safely and the risk of spreading coronavirus is minimised.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to provide support to private renters for the payment of rent as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
On 18 March, we announced a radical package of measures to protect renters and landlords affected by coronavirus. Emergency legislation will be taken forward as an urgent priority so that landlords will not be able to start proceedings to evict tenants for at least a three-month period. As a result of these measures, no renters in private or social accommodation needs to be concerned about the threat of eviction.
More information on these plans can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/complete-ban-on-evictions-and-additional-protection-for-renters.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued to women's refuge centres and charities on the maintenance of services during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
My Department has been engaging with domestic abuse service providers on a daily basis to understand the additional challenges they are facing and the support needed to ensure essential provision is kept open and available to victims and their children.
Following these discussions, on 23 March we published guidance to assist domestic abuse service providers in service delivery at these unprecedented times. The guidance, in line with current Public Health England advice, sets out the advice for daily service operation within the context of domestic abuse safe accommodation provision
The guidance can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-domestic-abuse-safe-accommodation-provision/covid-19-guidance-on-isolation-for-domestic-abuse-safe-accommodation-settings
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding grants his Department is making available to women's refuge not-for-profit organisations during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
My Department will do everything we can to support domestic abuse service providers to keep these vital services up and running during the Coronavirus outbreak.
My officials are in daily contact with the domestic abuse sector to understand the additional challenges they are facing and how best to respond to help support services in these unprecedented times.