1-20 of 65 results for answeredby:"Robert Neill"
Librarians' tools
- Search time
- 0.365 seconds
- Solr query time
- 0.006 seconds
- Search query
- answeredby:"Robert Neill"
- We searched for
- answeringMember_ses:302615 OR answeringDept_ses:302615 OR askedToReplyAuthor_ses:302615
Type
House
Session
Year
Department
Member
Primary member
More
Answering member
Legislative stage
Legislation
Subject
More
Publisher
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has been asked to contribute any underspends to meet the costs of deferring the rise in fuel duty.
[115390]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has been asked to contribute any underspends to meet the costs of deferring the rise in fuel duty.
[115390]
All Whitehall Departments may routinely accumulate under-spends for a number of business reasons; this money may be subsequently redeployed towards other Government priorities. My Department has previously been a beneficiary of this cross-Whitehall process—for example, as illustrated by the extra funding for the Growing Places Fund announced in March 2012.
Consideration of these matters is decided later on in the financial year.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the level of year-end balances of local authorities was (a) in each authority and (b) in total in 2011-12.
[112455]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the level of year-end balances of local authorities was (a) in each authority and (b) in total in 2011-12.
[112455]
[holding answer 18 June 2012]: The estimated level of year-end balances across England was:
| 2011-121
(£
billion) | |
| As
at 31
March | |
| Estimated
schools reserves
level | 1.7 |
| Estimated
other earmarked financial reserves
level | 7.7 |
| Estimated
unallocated financial reserves
level | 3.1 |
| 1
Budget. |
A table has been placed in the Library of the House, showing the figures for 2011-12 end of year balances at individual local authority level.
I would note that these figures are from Revenue Account Budget returns for 2011-12 and are not necessarily directly comparative with Revenue Outturn returns. Typically, authorities record lower figures for end of year reserves in their budget returns (completed at the beginning of each financial year) than their outturn returns (completed at the end of each financial year).
As outlined in my Department's press notice of 30 November 2010, it is the view of Ministers that it is sensible, as part of wider financial planning, for councils to consider drawing on their reserves to address short-term costs and pressures, such as necessary restructuring, and to invest now in order to realise savings in the longer term. Low interest rates have significantly reduced the revenues from council reserves. Councils can then build up their reserves again in the sunnier days to come.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library any advice he has received from departmental statisticians relating to research by Opera Solutions on savings in council procurement.
[112139]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library any advice he has received from departmental statisticians relating to research by Opera Solutions on savings in council procurement.
[112139]
I assume the right hon. Member is referring to a DCLG press release of 16 June 2011 on savings in council procurement, which mentioned the
organisation Opera Solutions. This press release was cleared by Ministers and civil servants in line with standard procedures.
I would add that Local Government Association’s own findings from its Local Productivity Programme, which has assessed the experience of councils of making savings through collaborative procurement, has identified savings of up to 20% in some service areas. This is evidenced in the procurement, capital and shared assets productivity workstream’s document, entitled “Response to Spending Review, Quick Wins Strategy, October 2010”.
Moreover, the Department has been working with capital and asset pathfinder areas to manage their capital spend and assets more effectively through a bottom up commissioning approach across the public sector within an area. The projects have shown that adopting a cross-public sector approach can lead to substantial savings of up to 20%.
I also refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 23 February 2012, Official Report, column 893W, on the scope of major savings in the area of local authority procurement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria he is using to identify troubled families.
[111357]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria he is using to identify troubled families.
[111357]
I refer the right hon. Member to the Troubled Families Programme Financial Framework, a copy of which has been place in the Library of the House.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how much European regional development fund funding has been given to support flood defence schemes in (a) England and (b) Yorkshire and Humberside in each of the last five years;
[110699]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how much European regional development fund funding has been given to support flood defence schemes in (a) England and (b) Yorkshire and Humberside in each of the last five years;
[110699]
In the last five years, £1,571,212 of European regional development fund was given to one flood defence-related capital project in London. This was the only expenditure in the England fund programme on flood defence.
No European regional development fund funding from the Yorkshire and the Humber Fund Programme has been committed to, or spent on, flood defence schemes in the last five years.
Flood defences do not generally meet the criteria in the 2007-13 European regional development fund operational programmes although some applications have included aspects of flood defence.
The criteria for submissions of project proposals are defined in each of the nine European regional development fund operational programmes in England. An applicant would need to consider those set out in the relevant operational programme and determine whether their proposal meets them. However, it is unlikely that a flood defence-related project would meet the criteria in most of the operational programmes as the four priorities for the 2007-13 programme are:
Promoting innovation and knowledge transfer;
Stimulating enterprise and supporting successful business;
Ensuring sustainable development, production and consumption; and
Building sustainable communities.
(2) what the criteria are for submissions for European regional development fund funding for flood defences.
[110700]
Hilary Benn:
(2) what the criteria are for submissions for European regional development fund funding for flood defences.
[110700]
Hilary Benn:
In the last five years, £1,571,212 of European regional development fund was given to one flood defence-related capital project in London. This was the only expenditure in the England fund programme on flood defence.
No European regional development fund funding from the Yorkshire and the Humber Fund Programme has been committed to, or spent on, flood defence schemes in the last five years.
Flood defences do not generally meet the criteria in the 2007-13 European regional development fund operational programmes although some applications have included aspects of flood defence.
The criteria for submissions of project proposals are defined in each of the nine European regional development fund operational programmes in England. An applicant would need to consider those set out in the relevant operational programme and determine whether their proposal meets them. However, it is unlikely that a flood defence-related project would meet the criteria in most of the operational programmes as the four priorities for the 2007-13 programme are:
Promoting innovation and knowledge transfer;
Stimulating enterprise and supporting successful business;
Ensuring sustainable development, production and consumption; and
Building sustainable communities.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to his answer of 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1234, if he will provide a breakdown of the £650 million saving over five years expected from the planned abolition of the Audit Commission.
[108383]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to his answer of 30 April 2012, Official Report, column 1234, if he will provide a breakdown of the £650 million saving over five years expected from the planned abolition of the Audit Commission.
[108383]
Working estimates from the draft impact assessment of local audit reforms show that there will be a saving to the public purse of £650 million over the next five years as a result of the programme to disband the Audit Commission and reform local audit. This figure (which is net of transitional costs) comprises savings from the end of inspection and assessment work, a reduction in audit fees as a result of transferring the work to the private sector, and the slimming down and then closure of the Audit Commission. A full breakdown of the savings will be published in the impact assessment alongside the draft Local Audit Bill.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he has provided to local authorities on the application of business rate relief in respect of properties that are used wholly or mainly for charitable purposes.
[108370]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance he has provided to local authorities on the application of business rate relief in respect of properties that are used wholly or mainly for charitable purposes.
[108370]
None. The eligibility criteria for charity relief are set out in the Local Government Finance Act 1988. It is for individual authorities to decide whether the criteria has been met, taking into account relevant case law. Ultimately, interpretation of the law is a matter for the courts.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what savings he expects to arise under each budget heading from the abolition of the Audit Commission.
[106636]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what savings he expects to arise under each budget heading from the abolition of the Audit Commission.
[106636]
The details will be included in the Impact Assessment accompanying the draft legislation that we intend to publish in the summer.
As I outlined in my written statement of 25 April 2012, Official Report, column 37WS, abolition will save around £650 million over the next five years, net of transitional costs.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost was of the Audit Commission in each of the last 20 financial years.
[106770]
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost was of the Audit Commission in each of the last 20 financial years.
[106770]
This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the right hon. Member direct.
Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 14 May 2012:
Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
The costs of the Commission include the costs of auditing local public bodies including those audited by private firms under contract to the Commission, the Commission's central costs and from 1998/99 to 2010/11 the costs of carrying out inspections and assessments of local public services and registered social landlords.
The cost of the Audit Commission in each of the last 20 financial years (taken from the Commission's annual accounts which are laid before Parliament each year) was:
| Financial
year | £000 |
| 1992/93 | 74,221 |
| 1993/94 | 82,740 |
| 1994/95 | 88,960 |
| 1995/96 | 92,592 |
| 1996/97 | 93,381 |
| 7
months to October
1997 | 60,676 |
| 1997/98 | 105,703 |
| 1998/99 | 111,620 |
| 1999/2000 | 144,145 |
| 2000/01 | 178,755 |
| 2001/02 | 214,032 |
| 17
months to March
2004 | 325,789 |
| 2004/05 | 234,801 |
| 2005/06 | 196,537 |
| 2006/07 | 219,605 |
| 2007/08 | 202,900 |
| 2008/09 | 204,777 |
| 2009/101 | 222,520 |
| 2010/112 | 206,116 |
| 2011/123 | 162,457 |
| 1
Includes redundancy costs of £5.3
million. 2 Includes redundancy costs of £25.8 million. 3 Unaudited draft annual accounts, including estimated redundancy costs of £20.0 million. |
The Commission changed its financial year end in 1997 from March to October. So there are a set of accounts for the period 1 April to 31 October 1997 and a set from 1 November to 31 October 1998. Our financial year end was changed again in 2004, so the period 2002-2004 is for 17 months, from 1 November 2002 to 31 March 2004.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Ministers have the power to make payments to the National Association of Local Councils for the purposes of training and development of town and parish councillors.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Ministers have the power to make payments to the National Association of Local Councils for the purposes of training and development of town and parish councillors.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer question 97985, on training of town and parish councillors.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer question 97985, on training of town and parish councillors.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the responses received from local authorities replying to his consultation on localising support for council tax benefit in England.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the responses received from local authorities replying to his consultation on localising support for council tax benefit in England.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer question 93236, on localising support for council tax benefit.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer question 93236, on localising support for council tax benefit.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to update local authority population figures before the 2013-14 local government financial settlement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to update local authority population figures before the 2013-14 local government financial settlement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will use the Office for National Statistics provisional mid-year population estimates published in 2011 when assessing local authority baselines in respect of the 2013-14 local government settlement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will use the Office for National Statistics provisional mid-year population estimates published in 2011 when assessing local authority baselines in respect of the 2013-14 local government settlement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer Question 104978, on the Local Authority Pension Scheme.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer Question 104978, on the Local Authority Pension Scheme.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer Question 104663 on risk assessment.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to answer Question 104663 on risk assessment.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2012, Official Report, column 204W, on risk assessment, if he will list the risk registers maintained by (a) the Neighbourhoods Group, (b) the Finance and Corporate Services Group, (c) the Localism Group...
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2012, Official Report, column 204W, on risk assessment, if he will list the risk registers maintained by (a) the Neighbourhoods Group, (b) the Finance and Corporate Services Group, (c) the Localism Group...
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the eligible workforce for each local authority in England is enrolled in the Local Authority Pension Scheme.
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of the eligible workforce for each local authority in England is enrolled in the Local Authority Pension Scheme.