Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the report entitled Mission Green Growth: A Strategic Plan from the Environmental Horticulture Group, published in Autumn 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has made no assessment of the implications for the Department’s policies of the report entitled Mission Green Growth: A Strategic Plan from the Environmental Horticulture Group, published in Autumn 2024.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take through the proposed long-term housing strategy to help (a) improve social housing and (b) build new homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government intends to publish a long-term housing strategy later this year.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Building Regulations Act 2010 to introduce mandatory reporting on embodied carbon emissions for projects (a) with a gross internal area of 1000m2 or more and (b) that create more than 10 dwellings to help meet the UK's climate change commitments.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
Reducing embodied carbon emissions from the built environment is a key part of meeting the country’s net zero targets. These emissions predominantly come from the supply chains leading to new buildings, and there is work across government to decarbonise those supply chains. The Building Regulations are one of several mechanisms that could be used to encourage reporting of embodied carbon in construction, and my department is currently considering the role they might play.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the cost to her Department was of ministerial severance payments in each year from 19 December 2019 to 30 May 2024; which Ministers received a severance payment; and how much each Minister received.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Ministerial severance payments are reported annually in the Annual Report and Accounts produced by the department.
Any severance payments post 31 March 2024 will be reported in the Annual Report and Accounts for 2024-25 when it is laid in Parliament next year.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on incorporating connectivity measures into National Development Management Policies.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Work is underway to prepare National Development Management Policies, and officials will be working with their counterparts in other departments where they have an interest, including the Department for Transport. We are aware that access to services is an area that a number of departments have an interest in. We intend to consult fully on both the scope and content of the policies before any are put in place.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his Department's expected timeline is to publish its response to the consultation entitled Local Government Pension Scheme (England and Wales): Governance and reporting of climate change risks.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Government wrote to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Advisory Board on 15 June confirming the proposed requirements will not be implemented relating to the governance or disclosure of climate-related financial risks for the financial year 2023/24. The Government will respond to the consultation in due course.
As set out in The Local Government Pension Scheme (Management and Investment of Funds) Regulations 2016, the term “proper advice” means the advice of a person whom the authority reasonably considers to be qualified by their ability in and practical experience of financial matters.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what is meant by proper advice in the Local Government Pension Scheme’s proposed responsibilities on climate risk.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Government wrote to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Advisory Board on 15 June confirming the proposed requirements will not be implemented relating to the governance or disclosure of climate-related financial risks for the financial year 2023/24. The Government will respond to the consultation in due course.
As set out in The Local Government Pension Scheme (Management and Investment of Funds) Regulations 2016, the term “proper advice” means the advice of a person whom the authority reasonably considers to be qualified by their ability in and practical experience of financial matters.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to publish the technical consultation for the Future Homes Standard.
Answered by Lee Rowley
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 190088 on 22 June 2023