Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to carry out analysis into why local plans are being delayed.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
In 2015 the Government commissioned the Local Plans Expert Group to consider how local plan making could be made more efficient and effective. Their recommendations were reflected in the revised National Planning Policy Framework that was published in July 2018.
The Government wants to see all authorities produce up to date local plan policies that set a positive vision for the future of their area and has provided flexibility in the revised National Planning Policy Framework for how this is put in place.
In November 2017, the formal process of intervention commenced in fifteen areas that had failed to get a local plan in place for a more than a decade. We monitor plan progress to identify delays against authorities’ published timetables, and identify where additional support may be beneficial, as well as where intervention may be necessary as a last resort.
Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to set a deadline for local authorities to have a local plan.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
In 2015 the Government commissioned the Local Plans Expert Group to consider how local plan making could be made more efficient and effective. Their recommendations were reflected in the revised National Planning Policy Framework that was published in July 2018.
The Government wants to see all authorities produce up to date local plan policies that set a positive vision for the future of their area and has provided flexibility in the revised National Planning Policy Framework for how this is put in place.
In November 2017, the formal process of intervention commenced in fifteen areas that had failed to get a local plan in place for a more than a decade. We monitor plan progress to identify delays against authorities’ published timetables, and identify where additional support may be beneficial, as well as where intervention may be necessary as a last resort.
Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate the Government has made of the amount of Section 106 funding lost from local communities when new homes are created under permitted development rather than through granted planning permission.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
National permitted development rights for the change of use to residential are making an important contribution to housing delivery, bringing forward additional homes that may not otherwise have been developed. Nationally over 46,000 homes to rent or buy were delivered under the rights in the three years to March 2018. My department publishes Live tables on housing supply: net additional dwellings which includes information on the homes developed under permitted development rights in each local authority district.
In bringing forward permitted development rights we have recognised that the only additional funding to local planning authorities through planning obligations will be where additional floor space is created and there is a Community Infrastructure Levy charging schedule in place.
Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate the Government has made of the number of affordable homes lost to local communities under permitted development.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
National permitted development rights for the change of use to residential are making an important contribution to housing delivery, bringing forward additional homes that may not otherwise have been developed. Nationally over 46,000 homes to rent or buy were delivered under the rights in the three years to March 2018. My department publishes Live tables on housing supply: net additional dwellings which includes information on the homes developed under permitted development rights in each local authority district.
In bringing forward permitted development rights we have recognised that the only additional funding to local planning authorities through planning obligations will be where additional floor space is created and there is a Community Infrastructure Levy charging schedule in place.
Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)
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 plans to take to ensure that local authorities have a local plan in place.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
In 2015 the Government commissioned the Local Plans Expert Group to consider how local plan making could be made more efficient and effective. Their recommendations were reflected in the revised National Planning Policy Framework that was published in July 2018.
The Government wants to see all authorities produce up to date local plan policies that set a positive vision for the future of their area and has provided flexibility in the revised National Planning Policy Framework for how this is put in place.
In November 2017, the formal process of intervention commenced in fifteen areas that had failed to get a local plan in place for a more than a decade. We monitor plan progress to identify delays against authorities’ published timetables, and identify where additional support may be beneficial, as well as where intervention may be necessary as a last resort.
Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)
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 has made since 2017 in reviewing space standards of new homes.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government will be considering the Nationally Described Space Standard as part of its programme to review planning practice guidance and building regulations guidance.
Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Department has to carry out an assessment of the costs of providing infrastructure to deliver new homes.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
In general, it is for Local Planning Authorities to assess infrastructure needs and set out contributions required from developers to support new homes in their local plans. Where local authorities have bid to the Housing Infrastructure Fund to unlock homes, the Government is assessing these to ensure good value for money
Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the financial effect on universities of increased contributions to the Teachers' Pension Scheme.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is running a public consultation until 12 February 2019 to gather evidence on the impact of increased contributions to the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) for all TPS employers, including universities.
Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Department for Education on ensuring the review of post-18 education does not lead to an overall reduction in university funding.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
Treasury Ministers and officials have regular discussions with their counterparts at DfE on a wide range of issues. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.
Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to provide more information on the immigration system that will be in operation for EEA nationals after 29 March 2019 in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
In the event of the UK leaving the European Union without a deal, we will continue to run the EU Settlement Scheme for EEA nationals resident in the UK by 29 March 2019. This is consistent the policy paper “Citizens’ Rights – EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU” published by the Department for Exiting the European Union on 6 December 2018.
The Immigration Bill will end free movement of EEA nationals to the UK. In a ‘no deal’ scenario we have been clear that there will have to be a period of transition to the future skills-based immigration system. We will set out more information shortly on the arrangements for EEA nationals coming to the UK during this period.