Communities and Local Government Committee Formal minutes Tuesday 14 July 2015 Members present Mr Clive Betts, in the Chair1 Bob Blackman David Mackintosh Jo Cox Mr Mark Prisk Helen Hayes Angela Rayner Kevin Hollinrake Mary Robinson Julian Knight Alison Thewliss 1. Declaration of interests Members declared their interests, in accordance with the Resolution of the House of 13 July 1992 (see Appendix). 2. Committee working methods The Committee considered this matter. Ordered, That the public be admitted during the examination of witnesses unless the Committee orders otherwise. Resolved, That witnesses who submit written evidence to the Committee are authorised to publish it on their own account in accordance with Standing Order No. 135, subject always to the discretion of the Chair or where the Committee orders otherwise. Resolved, That the Committee shall not consider individual cases. Resolved, That the Committee approves the use of electronic equipment by Members and staff during public and private meetings, provided that they are used in accordance with the rules and customs of the House. 3. Future programme The Committee considered this matter. 1 Mr Clive Betts was elected as the Chair of the Committee on 17 June 2015, in accordance with Standing Order No. 122B (see House of Commons Votes and Proceedings, 17 June 2015). Resolved, That the Committee inquire into Local Councils and Lender Option, Borrower Option loans. Resolved, That the Committee inquire into Productivity. Resolved, That the Committee take evidence from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and other Ministers on their priorities for this Parliament. Ordered, That the Committee commission research into The Right to Buy. [Adjourned till Monday 20 July at 3.45p.m. Monday 20 July 2015 Members present Mr Clive Betts, in the Chair Bob Blackman David Mackintosh Jo Cox Mr Mark Prisk Helen Hayes Mary Robinson Julian Knight Alison Thewliss 1. Future programme The Committee considered this matter. Resolved, That the Committee inquire into Devolution. Resolved, That the Committee inquire into The Right to Buy Housing Association Properties. 2. Planning and Productivity Ordered, That correspondence with Brandon Lewis, Minister for Planning, Department of Communities and Local Government, be reported to the House for publication on the internet. 3. Local Councils and Lender Option, Borrower Option loans Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to Local Councils and Lender Option, Borrower Option loans (LOB) be reported to the House for publication on the internet: 01 London Borough of Newham Council 03 Local Government Association 04 Financial Conduct Authority Mr Antony Barnett, Reporter, Channel 4 News, News and Current Affairs, Mr Abhishek Sachdev, CEO, Vedanta Hedging Ltd, and Mr Rob Carver, former Derivatives Trader, Barclays Capital, gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Monday 7 September at 3.45p.m. Monday 7 September 2015 Members present Mr Clive Betts, in the Chair Bob Blackman David Mackintosh Jo Cox Mr Mark Prisk Helen Hayes Mary Robinson Kevin Hollingrake Alison Thewliss Julian Knight 1. Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham: Ofsted and further Government issues Draft Report (Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham: Ofsted and further Government issues: Ofsted Response to the Committee’s Ninth Report of Session 2014-15), proposed by the Chair, brought up and read. The Ofsted Response to the Ninth Report of the Committee in Session 2014-15 was appended to the Report. Resolved, That the Report be the First Special Report of the Committee to the House. Ordered, That the Chair make the Report to the House. 2. Private rented sector: the evidence from banning letting agents’ fees in Scotland Draft Report (Private rented sector: the evidence from banning letting agents’ fees in Scotland: Government Response to the Committee’s Eighth Report of Session 2014-15), proposed by the Chair, brought up and read. The Government Response to the Eighth Report of the Committee in Session 2014-15 was appended to the Report. Resolved, That the Report be the Second Special Report of the Committee to the House. Ordered, That the Chair make the Report to the House. 3. Future programme The Committee considered this matter. 4. The Government's Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to The Government’s Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill (DEV) be reported to the House for publication on the internet: 02 News Media Association 03 British Medical Association 04 Office of the South Yorkshire PCC 05 GLA Conservatives 06 Sarah Ayres 07 Futures Network West Midlands 09 Greater Manchester Combined Authority 10 Wakefield Council 11 Office of the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner 12 Police and Crime Commissioners of the Yorkshire and Humberside Region 13 CEDOS and ADEPT 14 Core Cities 15 London Chamber of Commerce and Industry 16 Ms Susan Hedley 17 Royal Town Planning Institute 18 Institute of Economic Development 19 Professor Colin Copus 20 Professor Francesca Gains and Professor Vivien Lowndes 21 Local Government Association 22 Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire 23 Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies, Newcastle University 24 Association of Colleges 25 Royal Institute of British Architects 26 South East England Councils 27 Department for Communities and Local Government 28 British Property Federation 29 IPPR North 30 NHS Providers 31 Centre for Cities 32 Electoral Reform Society 33 London Councils 34 Historic England 35 Essex County Council 36 Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers 37 England’s Economic Heartland 38 Shelter 39 Revolving Doors Agency 40 West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner 41 Centre for Public Scrutiny 42 Mayor of London 43 Association of Police and Crime Commissioners 44 Carillion 45 Committee on Standards in Public Life 5. Planning and Productivity Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to Planning and Productivity (PRO) be reported to the House for publication on the internet: 04 Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) 05 Surrey Planning Officers Association 06 Campaign for National Parks 07 Historic England 08 Rentplus 09 Bidwells 10 The Heritage Alliance 11 National Trust 12 British Chamber of Commerce 14 Royal Institute of British Architects 15 Wildlife and Countryside Link 16 Builders Merchants’ Federation 17 NECC 18 CIFA/CBA/ALGAO:England 19 Friends of the Earth 20 Local Government Association 21 London First 22 Woodland Trust 24 Westminster City Council 25 Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce 26 Glass and Glazing Federation 27 London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies 28 The Riverside Group 30 RES 31 RICS 32 CPRE 33 Daniel Watney LLP 34 Just Space Economy and Planning Group 35 Walsall Council 36 CLA 37 National Housing Federation 38 UK Green Building Council 40 Institute of Historic Building Conservation 41 Mid Sussex and Horsham District Councils 42 Futures Network West Midlands 44 Design Council 45 Department for Communities and Local Government Brandon Lewis MP, Minister of State for Housing, Department for Communities and Local Government, gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Tuesday 15 September at 3.45p.m. Tuesday 15 September 2015 Members present Mr Clive Betts, in the Chair Bob Blackman David Mackintosh Jo Cox Mr Mark Prisk Helen Hayes Mary Robinson Kevin Hollingrake Angela Rayner Julian Knight Alison Thewliss 1. Future programme The Committee considered this matter. 2. Local Councils and Lender Option, Borrower Option loans Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to Local Councils and Lender Option, Borrower Option loans (LOB) be reported to the House for publication on the internet: 05 Antony Barnett 06 Capita Asset Service 07 CIPFA 3. The Government's Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill Ordered, That Professor Alan Harding and Professor Tony Travers be appointed as Specialist Advisers to assist the Committee in its inquiry into The Government’s Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill. Resolved, that the Committee visit Manchester in connection with its inquiry into The Government’s Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill. Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to The Government’s Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill (DEV) be reported to the House for publication on the internet: 46 NHS Confederation 47 Industrial Communities Alliance 48 Optical Confederation and Local Optical Committee Support 49 Citizens Advice 50 London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies 51 EEF The Manufacturers’ Organisation 52 County Councils Network 4. Housing Associations and the Right to Buy Ordered, That the following written evidence relating to Housing Associations and the Right to Buy (RTB) be reported to the House for publication on the internet: 001 Mr Phillip Purves 002 Soha Housing 003 CESSA HA 004 Mr Karl Horrocks 005 Council of the Isles of Scilly 006 Mrs Joan Marshall 007 Cllr John Moss 008 Rural Housing Alliance 009 The Foyer Foundation 010 Broadland Housing Association 011 Totnes Town Council 013 Peak District Rural Housing Association 014 Intergenerational Foundation 015 Mr Peter Youle 016 Aspire Group 017 YMCA England 018 Gloucester City Homes 019 Radian 020 Ms Caroline Starkey 021 UCATT 022 Eleanor Togut 023 Yarlington Housing Group 024 Oldham Unison 025 Glendale Gateway Trust 026 Progress Housing Group 027 Coastline Housing 028 Disc Housing 029 Bournemouth Borough Council 030 Barlborough Hospital (Almshouses) 031