Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress in ensuring immigrants from Hong Kong achieve employment commensurate with their education and skills; and what steps they are taking to assist new and recent arrivals to achieve this.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Since April 2021, DLUHC's Hong Kong British National (Overseas) [BN(O)] Welcome Programme has provided universal and targeted support. For the financial year (FY) 23/24, this included funding for VCSE organisations at both a national and regional level to deliver employability support.
In 2024/25, we continue to fund local authorities across England to provide English language support, alongside a network of Welcome Hubs across the UK.
Recent research has shown that almost half of employed BN(O)s, of all levels of skill and qualifications, report that their job does not match their skills and experience. To address this need, further VCSE grant funding is being provided in FY 24/25, for targeted employability support in England only. The deadline for grant applications was the 28 April and the successful organisation will be announced shortly.
BN(O) visa holders can also contact their local Hong Kong BN(O) Welcome Hub (delivered by Strategic Migration Partnerships) which DLUHC funds for further information on employability support offered locally.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to set a cap on the maximum cost charged to leaseholders per year for building safety case reports for higher risk buildings.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer the Hon Member to the joint statement published here: Joint_Letter_-_Lee_Rowley_and_Philip_White.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk).
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has had with the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland on the number of people under the age of 21 who are living in temporary accommodation.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
DLUHC Ministers and officials engage regularly with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss a range of issues, including tackling homelessness and rough sleeping.
I have recently visited Northern Ireland and met the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on the number of buildings between 11 and 18 metres in height with aluminium composite material cladding that have not started remediation works.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
75 buildings between 11 and 18 metres have been identified as having ACM on the External Wall System and require remediation. 26 have started work and 49 have not. We will continue to push for further progress on this, and all remediation, at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department's Building Safety Remediation: monthly data release, updated on 18 April 2024, what data his Department holds on the number and proportion of buildings where remediation works have been completed through the Building Safety Fund where that building has subsequently achieved an EWS1 rating of B1 or above.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
As set out previously, the EWS1 form is not a Government process.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Building Safety of 22 April 2024, Official Report, column 636, what steps his Department is taking to help support people in low-rise homes with timber and UPVC cladding in the London Borough of Barnet.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 25644 on 15 May 2024. .
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2024 to Question 19958 on Flats: Fire Prevention, whether the concerns raised with the Department included difficulties with (a) remortgaging and (b) selling properties in buildings under 11 metres; and if he will provide a breakdown of the issues raised for each of the 160 properties.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
As my previous answers clearly stated, the department thoroughly reviews every building raised with us. To date only three buildings under 11 metres require remediation and we are in conversation with the relevant owners and developers.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department has issued for cladding remediation in Conservation Areas.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Local authorities are responsible for conservation areas. The Manual to the Building Regulations notes that where the functional requirement of Part B Fire Safety applies to buildings of special architectural or historic interest, local authority building control and conservation officers may be able to advise on how to comply appropriately, if guidance intended for common building situations might prove too restrictive.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on the number of buildings under 11 metres affected by safety issues in which (a) developer-funded remediation will be undertaken, (b) remediation works have started and (c) remediation works have been completed.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
As my previous answers clearly stated, the department thoroughly reviews every building raised with us. To date only three buildings under 11 metres require remediation and we are in conversation with the relevant owners and developers.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which Fires of Special Interest his Department commissioned investigations for in 2023.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The “Investigation of Real Fires” project has been undertaken on behalf of Government since 1988 and gathers information through the investigation of real fires. It ensures that research into fire safety related issues commissioned by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) and previously DLUHC adequately responds to emerging challenges, as well as keeping officials and Ministers suitably informed of high-profile incidents, both in England and beyond. This work includes those fires which would previously have been classified as “Fires of Special Interest”.
The most recent annual report covers the period 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023. During that period, 237 fires worldwide were recorded under the contract.