Submit Evidence (by 18 Apr 2024)

This cross-party inquiry will examine the transaction process, the information available to buyers, and the role of conveyancers and estate agents.

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 study entitled Stepping Off the Road to Nowhere, published by Create Streets and Sustrans on 19 December 2023, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of adapting the funding model for new homes to incorporate gentle density and sustainable transport principles.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government is committed to supporting the development of high quality, well designed and sustainable communities through the construction of new homes and, where appropriate, the regeneration of towns and cities across the country.

Homes England’s Strategic Plan has a Strategic Objective focused on promoting the creation of high-quality homes in well-designed places. The Agency uses Building for a Healthy Life, a design toolkit for neighbourhoods, streets, homes and public spaces, which covers twelve different considerations including density and sustainable transport.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will extend the right to enfranchisement under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill to leases which are in form agricultural but in essence residential.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

We are not currently proposing to do so but I would be happy to meet my Hon Friend to discuss his concern in more detail, should that be helpful.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many veterans are in temporary accommodation.

Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 15404 on 1 March 2024.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many homeless veterans there are in the UK.

Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 15404 on 1 March 2024.

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 23 January 2024 to Question 10238 on Islamophobia, whether his Department defines anti-Muslim hatred as a manifestation of (a) racial, (b) religious or (c) other discrimination as defined by the Equality Act 2010.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

I refer the Hon Member to the Secretary of State’s oral statement made on 14 March 2024 (Official Report, HC, Volume 747, Column 452).

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which (a) domestic and (b) international (i) leaders and (ii) experts his Department has sought views from on how religious hatred is experienced by British communities; and what views and perspectives they have shared.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

I refer the Hon Member to the Secretary of State’s oral statement made on 14 March 2024 (Official Report, HC, Volume 747, Column 452).

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 17 January 2024 to Question 10238 on Islamophobia, whether the Government has provided funding to organisations other than Tell MAMA to provide support to the victims of anti-Muslim hatred.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

I refer the Hon Member to the Secretary of State’s oral statement made on 14 March 2024 (Official Report, HC, Volume 747, Column 452).

Found: departments involved are the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP), the Department

Found: the Committee by the end of February 2024 to explain how it is engaging at a senior level with the Department

Found: PAC recommendation: Defra should urgently work with DLUHC to identify the skills and resources local

Found: and mental health needs. 117 Despite well-known issues with the supported housing sector, 118 the Department

Found: Letter from the Chair to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities in relation to

Found: The government, in particular the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, should engage

Found: electoral security and drives the government’s election preparedness.17 The JESP works between the Department

Found: Lee Rowley MP Minister of State for Housing , Planning and Building Safety Department for Levelling

Found: parliament.uk Lee Rowley Esq MP Minister of State for Housing, Planning and Building Safety Department

Found: We are at an advanced stage of our discussions with DLUHC colleagues on that, and it was in the “Plan

Found: In the spending plans looking forward to the next Parliament, the forecast is that DLUHC—the levelling-up

Found: -0.1 0.0 0.0 -0.1 BCT to the MoD for National Shipbuilding Office 0.0 -0.4 -0.4 0.0 0.0 -0.4 BCT to DLUHC

Found: -0.1 0.0 0.0 -0.1 BCT to the MoD for National Shipbuilding Office 0.0 -0.4 -0.4 0.0 0.0 -0.4 BCT to DLUHC

Found: The other most significant one, which is one for your colleagues in DLUHC, is planning.

Found: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) committed to announcing the results

Found: essentially move the thing further upstream or do more early intervention, we are doing quite a lot with DLUHC

Found: Financial Reporting Council (FRC), subject to primary legislation. 2.18 We published an update on the Department

Found: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has now confirmed eight pilot areas

Found: The issue is that it will need to go through two Departments, because DLUHC controls planning, but

Found: for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), former Commissioner for Countering Extremism.

Found: The issue is that it will need to go through two Departments, because DLUHC controls planning, but

Found: mindful of the funding implications of it, and that is something that we continue to engage with DLUHC

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the Euston ministerial task force was created; what are its terms of reference; who are its members; on what dates has it met; and whether it intends to publish minutes of its meetings or other relevant papers.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The establishment of the Euston Quarter Ministerial Task Force was announced at Spring Budget on 6 March 2024. It will oversee the next stages of delivery at Euston, set strategic direction and facilitate decision making. Membership of the Task Force will include Ministers from the Department for Transport, HM Treasury and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Officials from these Government Departments and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority will also attend. Further details will be confirmed in due course.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department will publish a response to the Technical consultation on a Community Wealth Fund in England, which closed on 19 October 2023.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The government is grateful to all those who took the time to respond to the technical consultation. Officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities are carefully considering all of the responses received. The government response will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle the risk of (a) drought and (b) water scarcity.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

(a) Defra published its Plan for Water 2023 which set out the importance of ensuring a clean and plentiful water supply in England. The Plan sets out our commitment to a twin track approach to improving water supply resilience, with action to reduce water company leaks and improve water efficiency, alongside investing in new supply infrastructure.

Last year, regional water resources groups and water companies consulted on their draft water resources plans. These statutory plans set out how each company will secure water supplies sustainably for at least the next 25 years and how drought resilience will be improved. The plans contain proposals for multiple new water resources schemes, including new reservoirs. Water companies also maintain statutory drought plans, which show the actions taken to maintain secure supplies during droughts.

(b) To address water scarcity, the Government has set a new legally binding target under the Environment Act 2021 to reduce the use of our public water supply in England by 20% per person by 2038.  To achieve this, we will reduce household water use to 122 litres per person per day, reduce leakage by 37%, and reduce non-household (for example, businesses) water use by 9% by 31 March 2038. This is part of the trajectory to achieving 110 litres per person per day household water use, a 50% reduction in leakage and a 15% reduction in non-household water use by 2050. Our Plan for Water and Environmental Improvement Plan have set out our roadmap to water efficiency in new developments and retrofits, to be delivered over the next decade. This includes developing clear guidance on ‘water positive’ or ‘net zero water’ developments and roles for developers and water companies, including water company incentives. We are also working closely with water companies to increase the supply of water.

In December 2023, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities issued a Written Ministerial Statement which set out that in areas of serious water stress, where water scarcity is inhibiting the adoption of Local Plans or the granting of planning permission for homes, we are encouraging local planning authorities to work with the Environment Agency and delivery partners to agree standards tighter than the 110 litres per day set out in current guidance. Defra will also be reviewing building regulations in spring 2024 to allow local planning authorities to introduce tighter water efficiency standards in new homes. Defra is also reviewing the evidence base for water reuse systems with a view to consulting on changes to the water supply regulations to enable greywater reuse and rainwater harvesting to be managed by water companies.

At Spring Budget 2024, the Government published a policy paper setting out its ambition to address water scarcity in Greater Cambridge and measures to achieve this. It builds on significant interventions and investment of nearly £9 million - including £5.8 million of new funding - announced last July and at Autumn Statement 2023.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to coordinate activity across Government in order to improve the UK’s preparedness for extreme wildfire events.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office are the lead Government Department for Wildfire Response and own the National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA) wildfire risk.

This Wildfire Framework outlines the work being undertaken to improve the UK’s preparedness for wildfires in England. The Home Office works closely with other departments and key stakeholders including Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities to mitigate the risk of wildfire.

The Home Office have committed to scoping a wildfire strategy and action plan by mid 2024, with support from Defra and its agencies. This commitment is outlined in the third National Adaptation Plan.

The Home Office maintains regular engagement with National Bodies including the National Fire Chiefs Council and England and Wales Wildfire Forum to monitor and review sector led improvements to wildfire response and mitigation.

Found: Development CorporationMiddletown Centre for AutismMinistry of DefenceDefence Equipment & SupportMinistry of Housing

Found: for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). 5 The FRF is currently under review, and the

Found: Office, The UK Governmen t Resilience Framework , 19 December 2022, (updated 4 December 2023). 112 DLUHC

Found: Memorandum from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities - 9 February 2024

Found: , Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) oversees the frameworks that can impact on local authorities

Found: • A series of fraud awareness training videos, sponsored by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing

Found: the Committee by the end of February 2024 to explain how it is engaging at a senior level with the Department

Found: the Committee by the end of February 2024 to explain how it is engaging at a senior level with the Department

Found: Felicity Buchan MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing

Found: From: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Department for Education Published

Found: government -licence/version/3/ This document/publication is also available on our website at www.gov.uk/dluhc

Found: These issues, and the actions being taken b y the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Found: TradeTrade Remedies AuthorityDepartment for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (formerly Ministry of Housing

Found: Central government, regulators and law enforcement •Home Office •Home Affairs Select Committee •Department

Found: , Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) , which subsequently became the Department for Levelling Up

Found: Acknowledgments This project was initiated by the Department

Found: The Planning Inspectorate is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing

Found: The Planning Inspectorate is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Levelling Up, Communities

Found: Separate guidance is being prepare d for local authorities by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and

Found: the Policy Statement on Rents for Social Housing1 (Policy Statement) which i s published on the Department

Found: Information about annual rent increases limit from April 2023 From: Regulator of Social Housing and Department

Found: exemption under the Rent Standard 2020 (the Rent Standard) From: Regulator of Social Housing and Department

Found: government rent policy Guidance for local authorities From: Regulator of Social Housing and Department

Found: in the Policy Statement on Rents for Social Housing (Policy Statement) which is published on the Department

Found: Information about annual rent increases limit from April 2024 From: Regulator of Social Housing and Department

Found: for Social Housing 2019 (hereafter Rent Policy Statement )2 which can be found on the Ministry of Housing

Found: rent standard applies from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 From: Regulator of Social Housing and Department

Found: standard 2020 Details of the current rent standard From: Regulator of Social Housing and Department

Found: Cathy Francis of DLUHC suggested, ‘Let’s start with the question: would I live here.

Found: Letter from DLUHC Secretary of State to the Oflog Chief Executive on managing without a Chair

Found: Letter from DLUHC Secretary of State to the Oflog Chief Executive on managing without a Chair

Found: It will thus complement and amplify the work of several departments: FCDO, MOD, HO, DfT, DBT, DLUHC,

Found: Development CorporationMiddletown Centre for AutismMinistry of DefenceDefence Equipment & SupportMinistry of Housing

Found: Between September and November, my officials worked with the UKG Department for Levelling Up, Housing

Found: Trish Connolly, Scottish Borders Council Andy Corletto, Glasgow City Council Andrew Docherty, Department

Found: political persecution to settle in the UK, a Welcome Hub32 has been developed with COSLA through DLUHC

Found: Sources : Scottish Government ; Department for Levelling Up , Housing and Communities ; Welsh Government

Found: Note 3Sources: Scotland, Affordable Housing Data England, Affordable housing supply – Ministry for Housing