Kelly Tolhurst: If Members have particular concerns about local authorities, such as the concern the hon. Lady has mentioned, I am more than happy to meet them and to take those concerns up personally. However, it is true that local authorities have the powers I set out, and we must all work together so that they are used on the ground. The Government have been clear that the long-term use of bed and...
Kelly Tolhurst: The hon. Gentleman makes an important point about social housing, but we must also accept that within the realm of affordable housing there are different categories: social rented, shared ownership and affordable rent. I know that he accepts that when we are talking about a national problem and challenge, there are different needs and drivers in different parts of the country. It is important...
Kelly Tolhurst: As I have outlined, we have a lot of opportunities to look at how much further we can go and for further intervention. As I have said many times since I have been in this role, I am open-minded and I will look at ways in which we can tackle the issue that we face. However, I must emphasise that I do not recognise the characterisation that this Government are not moving forward. We are taking...
Kelly Tolhurst: Thank you, Sir Edward. I recognise that this Government are responsible for ensuring that we are able to develop policies and tackle some of the challenges this country faces. However, I would like to talk about what we are doing, what we have done and what we will continue to focus on. We could talk about what successive Governments have and have not done. I am speaking as Minister today...
Kelly Tolhurst: I will not give way now. I take issue with the hon. Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi) when he says that the Everyone In campaign has stopped—I do not recognise that. The ongoing Everyone In campaign has been a huge success and we are determined to ensure that people supported during the pandemic do not return to the streets. The Next Steps accommodation programme provides vital funding to help...
Kelly Tolhurst: It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship for the first time, Ms McVey. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgwater and West Somerset (Mr Liddell-Grainger) on securing this debate. His passion for Somerset and its history is well known across the House. He often treats us to interesting snippets of historic fact. I understand his long-standing interest in this matter. The...
Kelly Tolhurst: Following the outcome of Spending Review, £125 million funding will be allocated to local authorities, to cover costs of the new duty to provide support in safe accommodation for 2021-22. MHCLG has also provided £6 million to support relevant local authorities to undertake early planning and preparation work so they are ready to implement the new duty.
Kelly Tolhurst: We are pleased that from 3 December, places of worship can open for communal worship in all tiers, including tier 3. They must ensure that they are Covid-secure, taking account of the social distancing guidance. Marriage and Civil Partnership ceremonies are also permitted in places of worship in all tiers, with up to 15 people in attendance, as are funerals, with up to 30 people in attendance.
Kelly Tolhurst: By September our ongoing ‘Everyone In’ campaign had supported over 29,000 vulnerable people, with over 10,000 in emergency accommodation and nearly 19,000 provided with settled accommodation or move on support. Launched in the summer, the Government’s Next Steps Accommodation Programme makes available the financial resources needed to support local authorities and their partners to...
Kelly Tolhurst: We worked closely with Public Health England (PHE) to provide Operating Principles for the sector, to help them open shelters as safely as possible where necessary, when self-contained accommodation cannot be made available and when local partners agree that it’s the right thing to do. Faith and community groups provide a range of services through winter months and the costs associated with...
Kelly Tolhurst: We worked closely with Public Health England (PHE) to provide Operating Principles for the sector, to help them open shelters as safely as possible where necessary, when self-contained accommodation cannot be made available and when local partners agree that it’s the right thing to do. The Night Shelter Working Group membership included representation from PHE, the Department of Health and...
Kelly Tolhurst: I refer the Hon. Member to my previous answer to question 105417 on 5 November 2020.
Kelly Tolhurst: The Government has put forward an unprecedented package of support for business in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19, including loans, tax relief and cash grants, as well as financial support for employers and self-employed people. In November, the Government announced plans to extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until March 2021, confirmed an extension to the existing...
Kelly Tolhurst: From 2 December, the Government will adopt a regionally-differentiated approach to controlling transmission of the Coronavirus, where different tiers of restrictions apply in different parts of the country. Communal worship will be permitted to restart under all local restriction tiers.
Kelly Tolhurst: As we move into the winter months, we recognise the upcoming challenges that local authorities are facing as a result of the pandemic. The ‘Protect Programme’, the next step in the ongoing targeted support to protect some of the most vulnerable people in our communities from COVID-19, was announced by the Prime Minister on Thursday 5 November. This scheme will provide a further £15...
Kelly Tolhurst: Over the course of the Covid-19 outbreak we have engaged faith groups through regular meetings of our Places of Worship Taskforce and faith roundtables. Among the subjects discussed has been the financial sustainability of places of worship. We are only too aware of the effect the reduction in income and donations has had on many of our places of worship as a result of the pandemic. During...
Kelly Tolhurst: Funding for next year is a matter for the Spending Review, which is due to be announced shortly. Further details will be published in due course after that.
Kelly Tolhurst: In January 2020, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government announced £263?million in funding to local authorities to support them to deliver services to tackle homelessness in 2020/21. At the time, this was is an increase in overall funding for homelessness of £23 million on the previous financial year. In total, following the onset of the pandemic, the Government is now spending over...
Kelly Tolhurst: The Everyone In campaign is ongoing and by September we had successfully supported over 29,000 vulnerable people; with over 10,000 in emergency accommodation and nearly 19,000 moved on into settled accommodation. The ‘Protect Programme’ was announced by the Prime Minister on Thursday 5 November. A further £15 million will be provided to support the ongoing efforts to provide...
Kelly Tolhurst: This information is not held by my Department.