In 2018, the Government released the The Clean Growth Strategy which set a target to upgrade all fuel poor homes to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) grade C by 2030 where practical, cost effective and affordable.

The Social Housing Green Paper consultation published this Summer asks what changes to the Decent Homes Standard we should consider, including changes arising from The Clean Growth Strategy.

The Regulator of Social Housing’s Home Standard sets out the required outcomes registered providers are expected to meet in terms of decent homes through the Decent Homes Standard.

Energy performance certificates (EPCs) include recommendations for improving the energy efficiency of dwellings and other relevant buildings and are regularly updated to include new energy saving technologies. EPCs are subject to regular auditing and a recently revised set of operating requirements designed to ensure appropriate standards. We have also recently published a joint call for evidence with BEIS, which invited views on several suggestions to improve and modernise the EPC system.

The Parks Action Group will bring together government officials from Departments with an interest in parks and green spaces alongside experts from across the parks, leisure, heritage and environmental sectors. The first meeting will take place on 23rd November and will be chaired by Marcus Jones (Minister for Parks and Green Spaces).

The Parks Action Group will convene thematic meetings as required to support delivery of the group’s collectively agreed actions. Marcus Jones will chair a further formal meeting of the Parks Action Group in 2018, to assess progress.

The members of the Parks Action Group (Sectoral Group) are:

• Drew Bennellick, Head of Landscape & Natural Heritage UK, Heritage Lottery Fund
• Matthew Bradbury, CEO, Parks Alliance
• Graham Duxbury, CEO, Groundwork
• Helen Griffiths, CEO, Fields In Trust
• Cllr Gerald Vernon Jackson, Chair of the Local Government Association
• Dave Morris, Chair, National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces
• Paul O’Brien, CEO, Association of Public Service Excellence
• Ellie Robinson, Assistant Director, National Trust
• Dave Solly, Natural England
• Keep Britain Tidy, CEO, Allison Ogden-Newton

The members of the Parks Action Group (Cross-Departmental Group) will be senior officials for the policy areas with an interest in Parks and Green Spaces from the following Departments:

• Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra)
• Department of Health (DH)
• Department for Education (DfE)
• Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)
• Home Office (HO)
• Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

My Lords, the Government recognise the value of parks in providing vibrant and inclusive locations for local communities to enjoy. We welcome the Select Committee’s inquiry on parks and have established a parks action group across Whitehall departments and with experts from across the parks sector. We have also committed £500,000 to support the group’s work on building the sustainability of parks.

The Government does not collect data on number of parks or their acreages but fully recognises the value of publicly accessible green spaces which allow communities to come together and contribute to their health and well being. The Communities and Local Government Select Committee published its report on Public Parks in January 2017 which looked at both the value and future sustainability of parks as well as some of the challenges the sector faces. We will shortly be publishing our response to the Committee’s recommendations. We will work closely with the parks sector and other Government Departments who have the expertise and knowledge of what works well to ensure that parks continue to play a vital role in communities.

The Government does not collect data on number of parks or their acreages but fully recognises the value of publicly accessible green spaces which allow communities to come together and contribute to their health and well being. The Communities and Local Government Select Committee published its report on Public Parks in January 2017 which looked at both the value and future sustainability of parks as well as some of the challenges the sector faces. We will shortly be publishing our response to the Committee’s recommendations. We will work closely with the parks sector and other Government Departments who have the expertise and knowledge of what works well to ensure that parks continue to play a vital role in communities.

Local authorities report their spend on flood recovery every fortnight. At the end of October, 40 per cent of grants available under the Communities and Business Recovery Scheme had been allocated to households and communities, and 60 per cent to businesses. This excludes grants of up to £5,000 being made available to both commercial and residential properties under the Property Level Resilience Scheme.

Funding is being allocated on a case-by-case basis to support evidenced local need.

The Government committed over £330 million to repair infrastructure help householders and businesses get back on their feet as swiftly as possible following Storms Desmond and Eva in December 2015. Almost 90 per cent of this total has been allocated so far to local authorities for this purpose. It is for local authorities to determine arrangements for further allocations to businesses and individuals who have made a claim.

The Government submitted its final application to the European Union Solidarity Fund in respect of the exceptional flooding in winter 2015-16 on 22 September 2016. The application is now being reviewed by the European Commission and if successful, will be subject to the usual budgetary process.

None.

The Government is strengthening environmental protection by developing a 25 year framework for a healthy, diverse and resilient natural environment. We are also supporting the delivery of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in the UK and will continue to take a leading role in championing the SDGs internationally.

We recognise the inter-dependent nature of our economy, environment and communities. Government Departments will continue to consider and seek to improve the impact on all three areas when developing their policies in line with HMT’s Green Book Guidance.