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Written Question
Tobacco: Northern Ireland
Tuesday 1st August 2023

Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have undertaken of the future implementation of the Tobacco and Related Products (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2023.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

A full Impact Assessment has not been prepared for this instrument because the amounts involved on business fall below the threshold for producing one. An internal assessment was made however by The Office for Health Improvements and Disparities (OHID) to help understand the impact.

Our internal assessment enabled us to conclude that the use of heated tobacco products is low at around 0.5% of adults in Northern Ireland. They are produced and manufactured outside the United Kingdom by the tobacco industry. The characterising flavour ban will limit the products that can be produced and supply on the Northern Ireland market which may limit the volume of sales.

Our assessment also judged that there will be no significant impact on the public sector. Each district council in Northern Ireland will enforce the new requirements. These new requirements are not expected to be a significant burden on district councils, given the low use of heated tobacco products in Northern Ireland.

OHID, working with the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, has communicated the proposed changes to the tobacco industry, the Northern Ireland retail representatives, and the relevant enforcement agencies.


Written Question
Household Support Fund
Tuesday 20th June 2023

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Household Support Fund Grant.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP requires that Local Authorities provide Management Information (MI) returns to the Department which demonstrate that they have met our guidance in delivering the scheme. Local Authorities are paid in arrears on the satisfactory completion of these MI returns.

Management Information for HSF1 can be found here.

Management Information for HSF2 can be found here.

Local Authorities have been asked in the scheme guidance to support households in the most need, and in particular, those who may not be eligible for the other support government has recently made available. Local Authorities have the local ties and knowledge, making them best placed to identify and help those most in need. County Councils are expected to work together with District Councils to provide support and to ensure the funding meets its objectives by identifying those most in need.

The Secretary of State confirmed at the Work and Pensions Select Committee on 29 March 2023 that there would be an evaluation of HSF4 to understand the overall effectiveness of the scheme and how funding was spent.


Written Question
Domestic Waste: Recycling
Friday 9th June 2023

Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on proposals to increase the number of domestic recycling bins.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We continue to engage with key stakeholders including the Local Government Association and District Councils Network.

Through powers in the Environment Act, local authorities will be required to collect the same set of recyclable waste streams for recycling, but they will be able to decide how they deliver these commitments, in line with the legislation and any guidance. This could mean applying an exception, as allowed within the legislation, to collect some, or all the dry recyclable waste streams together in the same bag or bin.


Written Question
Candidates: Elections
Thursday 8th June 2023

Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the commitment contained in the National Disability Strategy, published on 28 July 2021, to "support a new scheme from April 2022 to support those seeking to become candidates and once they have been elected to public office", (1) what support was provided, (2) how that new scheme was promoted, and (3) what was the total number of candidates who received support, to become (a) a parish or town councillor, and (b) a county, district, London Borough, Metropolitan Borough or unitary councillor; and what was the total number of candidates who received support once they were elected as (i) a parish or town councillor, and (ii) a county, district, London Borough, Metropolitan Borough or unitary councillor.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

In 2022/23, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) funded the Local Government Association (LGA) to run:

  • a campaign to attract more people with disabilities to stand for council elections;
  • a coaching programme for disabled councillors to support them as resilient and confident leaders of their communities; and
  • a bespoke leadership development programme for disabled councillors. This was created in collaboration with Disability Rights UK.

The LGA promoted the disability support work via media articles, social media, the LGA website, bulletins, newsletters, case studies, their own network of regional team networks, and disability charities.

35 disabled councillors received support – all were county, district, London Borough, Metropolitan Borough or unitary councillors. 13 people accessed the bespoke leadership development programme. 22 people accessed the coaching offer.

The campaign to attract more people to stand for election offered advice and support to encourage disabled members of the public to stand rather than working with specific candidates.

This work was one element of a wider sector support programme DLUHC funded the LGA to run: https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/sector-support-offer-2022-23. As the programme is aimed at principal authorities, NALC, who represent the interests of town and parish councils, were not directly involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of the disability support work.


Written Question
Candidates: Elections
Thursday 8th June 2023

Asked by: Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the commitment contained in the National Disability Strategy, published on 28 July 2021, to "support a new scheme from April 2022 to support those seeking to become candidates and once they have been elected to public office", what discussions they have had with the National Association of Local Councils on the (1) design, (2) delivery, and (3) evaluation, of the scheme.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

In 2022/23, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) funded the Local Government Association (LGA) to run:

  • a campaign to attract more people with disabilities to stand for council elections;
  • a coaching programme for disabled councillors to support them as resilient and confident leaders of their communities; and
  • a bespoke leadership development programme for disabled councillors. This was created in collaboration with Disability Rights UK.

The LGA promoted the disability support work via media articles, social media, the LGA website, bulletins, newsletters, case studies, their own network of regional team networks, and disability charities.

35 disabled councillors received support – all were county, district, London Borough, Metropolitan Borough or unitary councillors. 13 people accessed the bespoke leadership development programme. 22 people accessed the coaching offer.

The campaign to attract more people to stand for election offered advice and support to encourage disabled members of the public to stand rather than working with specific candidates.

This work was one element of a wider sector support programme DLUHC funded the LGA to run: https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/sector-support-offer-2022-23. As the programme is aimed at principal authorities, NALC, who represent the interests of town and parish councils, were not directly involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of the disability support work.


Written Question
Hong Kong: Elections
Thursday 8th June 2023

Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Johnson of Lainston on 18 May (HL 7382), whether Lord Johnson of Lainston raised any plans to end democratic elections for district councils with officials in Hong Kong; and whether they have made any assessment of whether any such plans are compliant with China’s obligations under the Sino–British Joint Declaration.

Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

During his visit, Lord Johnson raised the deterioration of civil and political rights in Hong Kong, along with trade and investment matters.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is responsible for monitoring compliance with the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, including its application to democratic elections for district councils in Hong Kong. The detail of these issues does not fall within Lord Johnson’s portfolio.


Written Question
Air Pollution
Thursday 25th May 2023

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to improve co-ordination between national, regional and local authorities on improving (a) indoor and (b) outdoor air quality.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has put in place a range of measures to improve coordination of actions to improve air quality, including creating Air Quality Partners, specific public bodies who are required to contribute solutions to air quality problems within their control. This includes neighbouring local authorities, upper tier authorities in areas with both district and county councils, the Environment Agency and National Highways. We have published a new Air Quality Strategy setting out our expectations of how local authorities should deliver air quality improvement, and issued extensive policy and technical guidance for local authority practitioners. This year we will continue to offer training and guidance to local authority officers, including workshops and template enforcement materials, in addition to providing funding through our Local Air Quality Grant programme, enabling high-quality locally-led air quality improvement schemes.

On indoor quality, we have set out ventilation requirements to maintain air quality as part of amendments to the Building Regulations. In our Air Quality Strategy, we highlighted guidance published by the UK Health Security Agency, in partnership with the National Institute of Clinical Excellence on indoor air quality and directed relevant local authority staff to this national guidance. We have also committed to reviewing our existing guidance on the health impacts of damp and mould in homes, and issuing new consolidated guidance tailored to the housing sector this year.


Written Question
Waste Disposal: Crime
Wednesday 17th May 2023

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to tackle waste crime in (a) Leicestershire, (b) Staffordshire and (c) Warwickshire.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to tackling waste crime, which is a blight on our local communities and the environment and damages legitimate businesses. We have strengthened regulators' powers, are tightening the law and have increased the Environment Agency's budget by £10 million per year to make it harder for rogue operators to find work in the sector and easier for regulators to take action against criminals. We are also providing grants to councils across the country to help them purchase equipment to tackle fly-tipping. Recipients include Tamworth Borough Council and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.

In Leicestershire, the Environment Agency has recently stopped three illegal waste sites, two in relation to burning and one in relation to the storage of liquids. All sites were visited by Environment Agency staff and provided with advice and guidance detailing the relevant legislation, their obligations, how to return to compliance and the consequences of not doing so. The Environment Agency also has ongoing investigations into organised crime groups and are progressing a major case through the court system which had operations within Leicestershire.

In Warwickshire, the Environment Agency currently has two active investigations in targeting priority offenders. In Staffordshire there two ongoing investigations relating to suspected serious environmental offending. These investigations are being undertaken with partner organisations such as the Police, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and other public bodies. Between April 2022 to March 2023 the Environment Agency closed 10 high risk illegal waste sites across Staffordshire and Warwickshire.

Additionally, the Environment Agency is a member of the newly formed Staffordshire Organised Crime Group. The group aims to target and stop organised crime in the area, working with partner organisations including the police, HMRC, HM Prison and Probation Service, local authorities and immigration services.


Written Question
Allotments
Monday 15th May 2023

Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what statutory duty local authorities have to provide additional allotments.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Government recognises through our National Planning Policy Framework the important role that allotments can provide in enabling and supporting healthy lifestyles within our communities. The Framework is clear that local planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space and opportunities for new provision, which can include allotments, and their plans should then seek to accommodate this.

Our National Model Design Code states that as part of open space design for large developments there should be the consideration of allotments and community growing projects for food production, learning and community engagement.

I refer the Hon Member to published guidance on the statutory and policy criteria councils must meet in order to obtain the Secretary of State's consent to dispose of allotment land.

Section 23 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 places a duty on district and parish councils to provide allotments where they perceive there is a demand for them.


Written Question
Allotments
Monday 15th May 2023

Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)

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 provided recent guidance to local authorities on (a) their responsibilities for and (b) best practice in assessing demand for allotments.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Government recognises through our National Planning Policy Framework the important role that allotments can provide in enabling and supporting healthy lifestyles within our communities. The Framework is clear that local planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space and opportunities for new provision, which can include allotments, and their plans should then seek to accommodate this.

Our National Model Design Code states that as part of open space design for large developments there should be the consideration of allotments and community growing projects for food production, learning and community engagement.

I refer the Hon Member to published guidance on the statutory and policy criteria councils must meet in order to obtain the Secretary of State's consent to dispose of allotment land.

Section 23 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 places a duty on district and parish councils to provide allotments where they perceive there is a demand for them.