The Westminster lensArchive · Written questions · 153 tabled · 153 answered

Written questions by Betts.

Every parliamentary written question tabled by Clive Betts this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.

Department:All (153)Department of Health and Social Care (51)Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (31)Department for Transport (21)Home Office (12)Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (10)Treasury (9)Department for Culture, Media and Sport (5)Department for Work and Pensions (4)Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (3)Department for Education (3)Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2)Department for Business and Trade (1)

Showing 121140 of 153 · this parliament

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19 Dec 2024·Department for Work and Pensions·Answered
Asked

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of transferring powers for (a) skills and (b) training for employment support from job centres to (i) mayors and (ii) unitary councils under devolu

Reply

As announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper, the Department for Work and Pensions will devolve funding for Connect to Work via grants to Strategic Authorities (including unitaries with a devolution agreement), and other agreed local authority clus...

19 Dec 2024·Department for Education·Answered
Asked

Whether she plans to give extra (a) powers and (b) responsibilities to (i) councils and (ii) mayors over (A) academies, (B) other schools and (C) further education.

Reply

All our schools are crucial partners in breaking down the barriers to opportunities for children and young people so they all receive a brilliant education which sets them up to achieve and thrive.Academies are directly accountable to my right hon. Friend...

19 Dec 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, what the responsibilities are of (a) unitary authorities and (b) mayoral combined authorities to deliver housing targets.

Reply

The government have implemented a new mandatory standard method for assessing housing needs which aligns with our ambition to build 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament. Delivering on that ambitious milestone requires local planning authorities to pla...

19 Dec 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, what extra (a) powers and (b) responsibilities she plans to give unitary councils.

Reply

As set out in the English Devolution White Paper, councils need to be empowered to take the right decisions to drive growth and improve services. This is an ongoing process but among our immediate steps to end micromanagement is working with the sector to...

17 Dec 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to allow elected Mayors outside London to appoint Deputies in the same way as the Mayor of London.

Reply

The English Devolution White Paper sets out that the government will legislate so that Mayors are able to appoint and remunerate ‘Commissioners’ who would be able to support the delivery of key functions with portfolios to be determined by Mayors.

17 Dec 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to provide (a) mayors and (b) councils with additional fundraising powers, in addition to the planned infrastructure levy.

Reply

The English Devolution White Paper has provided powers for local leaders to deliver for their places and support economic growth. The government keeps all taxes under review.

17 Dec 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, what the responsibilities of (a) unitary councils and (b) mayors will be for the delivery of the affordable homes programme.

Reply

The government will set out details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the multi-year Spending Review later this year. This will support local authorities as well as housing associations to build their capacity and make...

17 Dec 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, what differentiating powers she plans to provide to (a) unitary authorities and (b) mayors in (i) considering individual planning applications and (ii) developing local and spati

Reply

The English Devolution Bill will create in law the concept of a strategic authority, which will include all combined authorities and combined county authorities, both mayoral and non-mayoral, as well as the Greater London Authority.The Bill will place a d...

20 Nov 2024·Department for Energy Security and Net Zero·Answered
Asked

How the funding for the warm homes policy will be targeted; and what steps he plans to take to ensure the funding is distributed to those most in need.

Reply

As the first step towards the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency, with £1bn of this allocated to next year. Additional funding will be co...

19 Nov 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Pension megafunds could unlock £80 billion of investment as Chancellor takes radical action to drive economic growth, pu

Reply

The Government is consulting on proposals relating to asset pooling in the Local Government Pensions Scheme (LGPS) England and Wales, following extensive engagement with sector stakeholders including the LGA.The proposals in the consultation do not includ...

19 Nov 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Pension megafunds could unlock £80 billion of investment as Chancellor takes radical action to drive economic growth, pu

Reply

The Government is consulting on proposals relating to asset pooling in the Local Government Pensions Scheme (LGPS) England and Wales, following extensive engagement with sector stakeholders including the LGA.The proposals in the consultation do not includ...

19 Nov 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, whether the amalgamation of local government pension funds will be compulsory; whether pension funds will be able to choose which new fund to join; and whether she has had recent

Reply

The Government is consulting on proposals relating to asset pooling in the Local Government Pensions Scheme (LGPS) England and Wales, following extensive engagement with sector stakeholders including the LGA.The proposals in the consultation do not includ...

19 Nov 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Pension megafunds could unlock £80 billion of investment as Chancellor takes radical action to drive economic growth, pu

Reply

The Government is consulting on proposals relating to asset pooling in the Local Government Pensions Scheme (LGPS) England and Wales, following extensive engagement with sector stakeholders including the LGA.The proposals in the consultation do not includ...

11 Nov 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on embedding circular design principles in the construction of 1.5million homes.

Reply

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has written to the Deputy Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretaries of State for Business and Trade, Energy Security and Net Zero and Transport and invited them to join a S...

4 Nov 2024·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

With reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, what extra funding he plans to provide for public health.

Reply

We will confirm 2025/26 local authority public health funding at the earliest opportunity, and will confirm future years’ funding following the upcoming Spending Review next spring.The Autumn Budget sets out the Government’s commitment to strengthen the U...

22 Oct 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help ensure that people living in new homes have access to well-designed green spaces.

Reply

National planning policy and guidance recognise the importance of high quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity for the health and wellbeing of communities.Our proposals to release ‘grey belt’ land for development will depend ...

17 Oct 2024·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
Asked

What steps he is taking to increase the number of NHS (a) radiologists and (b) oncologists.

Reply

We are committed to training the staff we need, including radiologists and oncologists, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the d...

4 Oct 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) putting the New Homes Quality Board on a statutory footing, (b) requiring developers to be members of the Board and

Reply

The Government is committed to improving upon existing means of redress for purchasers of new build homes. We are currently considering the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recommendations in their recent Housebuilding Market Study, which included ...

4 Oct 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to prevent products manufactured by (a) Kingspan and (b) Celotex being used by public bodies.

Reply

The Prime Minister has been clear that the government will write to all companies found by the Inquiry to have been part of these horrific failings, as the first step to stopping them being awarded government contracts. This process is being led by the Mi...

4 Oct 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to prevent products manufactured by (a) Kingspan and (b) Celotex from being used in Government-funded contracts.

Reply

The Prime Minister has been clear that the government will write to all companies found by the Inquiry to have been part of these horrific failings, as the first step to stopping them being awarded government contracts. This process is being led by the Mi...

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Sources
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