Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2024 to Question 15100 on Rugby: Sixways Stadium, whether her Department has had discussions with Begbies Traynor on setting the criteria for which its decision on proposals from Bond Group Sixways for rugby to be resumed at Sixways Stadium will be made.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Throughout the pandemic the Government went above and beyond through the Sport Survival Package to provide a range of sports organisations across the country with generous financial support to ensure their survival throughout that difficult period. The Premiership Rugby club, Worcester Warriors, who played at Sixways Stadium were loaned money via the SSP.
In September 2022 Begbies Traynor were appointed as Administrators of Worcester Rugby Football Club (WRFC) Trading and Joint Receivers in relation to further companies within the structure of WRFC Trading. As Administrators, Begbies Traynor have a duty to act in the best interests of creditors and so the Department, as one of those creditors, has a limited role in those proceedings. It is for the Administrator to determine the best course of action to deliver on this objective in line with the Insolvency Act 1986 (as amended).
Bond Group should present their best offer to Begbies Traynors, who can evaluate the proposal and discuss with DCMS.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2024 to Question 15211 on Mortgages: Misrepresentation, what redress is available to people missold shared appreciation mortgages not covered by Financial Ombudsman Service rules.
Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent of Government, has responsibility for the conduct regulation of shared appreciation mortgages. The FCA sets the rules regarding the information that must be disclosed before, during and after sale of mortgages and, in addition, the jurisdiction of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
Products like shared appreciation mortgages have been regulated since 2004 when wider mortgage regulations were first introduced, however a consumer’s right to pursue redress through legal channels is unaffected by the jurisdiction of the FOS. Anyone considering this option should consider seeking independent legal advice.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has issued recent guidance on liability for the costs of preparing a building safety case on cladding remediation requirements.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
As part of the new building safety regime, all those accountable for higher-risk buildings are required to assess and manage building safety risks for their building, and prepare a safety case report which will be submitted to the Building Safety Regulator. The Building Safety Regulator produced guidance on developing a safety case and on preparing a safety case report which can be found at: Preparing a building assessment certificate application - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has issued guidance on liability for the costs of preparing a building safety case on cladding remediation requirements.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
As part of the new building safety regime, all those accountable for higher-risk buildings are required to assess and manage building safety risks for their building, and prepare a safety case report which will be submitted to the Building Safety Regulator. The Building Safety Regulator produced guidance on developing a safety case and on preparing a safety case report which can be found at: Preparing a building assessment certificate application - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of the public appointments for which her Department is responsible are (a) women and (b) people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As of 31 March 2023, 43% of DCMS regulated appointment roles were held by women and 12% were held by individuals from an ethnic minority background.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department's guidance entitled Installing chess tables in parks and public spaces: prospectus, published on 1 September 2023, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding to local authorities for chess pieces to accompany the chess tables.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
85 local authorities that received Levelling Up Parks Fund funding were invited to apply for the chess tables funding. In total, 55 local authorities applied for the funding. We have provided funding to those 55 local authorities to install 99 chess tables across England.
We have asked local authorities to consider how the location they choose creates new opportunities, helps to strengthen relationships, builds local social cohesion and provides opportunities for people to come together in a joint activity.
Prior to the announcement of funding, we engaged stakeholders across Government, as well as local authorities and the English Chess Federation.
Local authorities know their communities best and are best placed to manage the use and assess the effects of the chess tables locally, if they choose to do so.
Any decisions to provide chess sets are for local authorities to take.
Further announcements will be set out in the usual way.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to ensure that newly-installed chess tables funded by his Department are used for their intended purpose.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
85 local authorities that received Levelling Up Parks Fund funding were invited to apply for the chess tables funding. In total, 55 local authorities applied for the funding. We have provided funding to those 55 local authorities to install 99 chess tables across England.
We have asked local authorities to consider how the location they choose creates new opportunities, helps to strengthen relationships, builds local social cohesion and provides opportunities for people to come together in a joint activity.
Prior to the announcement of funding, we engaged stakeholders across Government, as well as local authorities and the English Chess Federation.
Local authorities know their communities best and are best placed to manage the use and assess the effects of the chess tables locally, if they choose to do so.
Any decisions to provide chess sets are for local authorities to take.
Further announcements will be set out in the usual way.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much and what proportion of Levelling Up funding was provided to cultural activities in the 2022-23 financial year; and how much and what proportion of planned funding for cultural activities was unallocated in the same period.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Culture Top Slice of the Levelling Up Fund has now been allocated. Details were set out at Budget. Further announcements will be set out in the usual way.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Major investment to transform future of English chess announced, published on 22 August 2023, whether he plans to assess the impact of funding chess tables on (a) levels of loneliness and (b) people's problem solving skills.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
85 local authorities that received Levelling Up Parks Fund funding were invited to apply for the chess tables funding. In total, 55 local authorities applied for the funding. We have provided funding to those 55 local authorities to install 99 chess tables across England.
We have asked local authorities to consider how the location they choose creates new opportunities, helps to strengthen relationships, builds local social cohesion and provides opportunities for people to come together in a joint activity.
Prior to the announcement of funding, we engaged stakeholders across Government, as well as local authorities and the English Chess Federation.
Local authorities know their communities best and are best placed to manage the use and assess the effects of the chess tables locally, if they choose to do so.
Any decisions to provide chess sets are for local authorities to take.
Further announcements will be set out in the usual way.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department held discussions with relevant stakeholders prior to the announcement of funding for local authorities to install chess tables in public spaces.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
85 local authorities that received Levelling Up Parks Fund funding were invited to apply for the chess tables funding. In total, 55 local authorities applied for the funding. We have provided funding to those 55 local authorities to install 99 chess tables across England.
We have asked local authorities to consider how the location they choose creates new opportunities, helps to strengthen relationships, builds local social cohesion and provides opportunities for people to come together in a joint activity.
Prior to the announcement of funding, we engaged stakeholders across Government, as well as local authorities and the English Chess Federation.
Local authorities know their communities best and are best placed to manage the use and assess the effects of the chess tables locally, if they choose to do so.
Any decisions to provide chess sets are for local authorities to take.
Further announcements will be set out in the usual way.