Contributions
1,571 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCovid-19: Planning SystemI am afraid that I cannot give the noble Lord a precise timetable, but we are well aware that many of the emergency measures that we need to reboot the economy, including making…08 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Planning SystemIt is important to keep the planning system moving so that it plays a full part in the coming economic recovery. We have already made significant temporary changes in response to…08 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Planning SystemThe noble Lord is absolutely right that construction is an important part of our economic recovery and that the delivery of new homes is vital. The Government have been made aware…08 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Planning SystemThe situation at the moment is that there is a planning commission that has started under my right honourable friend Chris Pincher, the planning Minister. I cannot make any…08 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Planning SystemCertainly there is no diminution in the standards required for accessibility in these temporary and pragmatic changes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.08 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Planning SystemI am not sure how this relates to the original Question. All the proposals from the Government around making the existing planning system work pragmatically are on a temporary…08 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Planning SystemI can absolutely make that guarantee. Our temporary changes to the planning system, including the use of virtual planning committees and more flexible publicity arrangements, are…08 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Planning SystemI am afraid that I did not capture all of that because of the quality of the transmission, but I can certainly say that we will be taking into consideration Oliver Letwin’s…08 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Planning SystemI thank my noble friend for raising this issue. It is important to recognise that over a period of just two months, £27 billion has been provided in funding for local authorities…08 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Planning SystemWe note the point that the noble Baroness makes about the importance of access to open spaces. I am sure that it will be taken up by my colleague the Housing and Planning Minister…08 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Local DemocracyI will write to the noble Baroness on the specific number of vacancies. However, I make the point that many people involved in by-elections, including one of my colleagues in…03 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Local DemocracyI note the noble Baroness’s comments about the functioning of local democracy. Certainly, in my 20 years, I always felt that we had one of the best examples of local democratic…03 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Local DemocracyThe noble Lord is right. The local government response to the pandemic has been exemplary. I agree that it would be sensible to review procedures so that there will be a proper…03 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Local DemocracyMy noble friend is right that remote working and videoconferencing have been broadly well accepted by local councils up and down the land. I will undertake that we conduct that…03 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Local DemocracyThe noble Baroness is right that access to broadband is one of the key parameters; it facilitates local democracy. I shall write to the noble Baroness on the specifics of what we…03 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Local DemocracyI first congratulate Westminster City Council, which my noble friend led with such distinction, in its response to getting rough sleepers off the street. Some 90% of rough…03 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Local DemocracyThe postponement of elections has enabled councils to focus on their role in response to the pandemic and to lead in the recovery phase. It should be noted that under the Civil…03 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Local DemocracyMeetings can be held remotely, including via telephone conferencing, videoconferencing, live web chat and live streaming. The noble Baroness is right in that there has been a…03 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Local DemocracyThe Government recognise the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic can have on the operation of local democracy. With the devolved Administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and…03 Jun 2020HANSARDUK Shared Prosperity FundI refer the noble Baroness to my previous answer. I cannot make a specific commitment on the timing but we obviously realise that, with the pandemic, it is important to proceed as…21 May 2020