Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many fires involving electric vehicles have been recorded by fire and rescue services in England in the last five years; and whether the Government has received assessments on the impact and risk of such fires from fire and rescue services.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) in England, including fires involving road vehicles. This data is published in the Department’s fire statistics releases. However, the data currently collected by Fire and Rescue Services does not identify whether a vehicle involved in a fire was an electric vehicle. The Department is therefore not able to provide data for the number of fires involving electric vehicles in England over the last five years.
Our new Fire and Rescue Data Analysis Platform (FaRDAP) is being rolled out and work is ongoing to update the data it will collect covering both the questions and answer categories to capture lithium-ion batteries, electric vehicles (including personal light electric vehicles such as e-scooters and e-bikes), and more.
In addition, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) publishes data using information available from Fire and Rescue Services on fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters. Updated data now including figures for 2017-2024 was published in June 2025 and can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of regulation of rented homes on landlords.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Impact Assessment for the Renters’ Rights Act can be found here.
The government’s policy statement, impact assessment, and response to the Decent Homes Standard consultation can be found on gov.uk here.
The government’s response to the 2025 consultation on Improving the Energy Performance of Privately Rented Homes in England and Wales, along with the accompanying impact assessment, can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will include reforms to the criteria for voting in the Private Retirement Housing Code of Practice to increase the representation of eligible leaseholders as part of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The current edition of the Association of Retirement Housing Managers Code of Practice on Private Retirement Housing, approved in 2016 using powers under Section 87 of the Leasehold Reform and Urban Development Act 1993, may be used as evidence by the First-tier Tribunal or County Court in any decisions they make.
It is for the Association to decide what changes to the Code are necessary, including the voting criteria on how services and facilities are provided, which will then be put to the Secretary of State for consideration.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will reform the Private Retirement Housing Code of Practice.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The current edition of the Association of Retirement Housing Managers Code of Practice on Private Retirement Housing, approved in 2016 using powers under Section 87 of the Leasehold Reform and Urban Development Act 1993, may be used as evidence by the First-tier Tribunal or County Court in any decisions they make.
It is for the Association to decide what changes to the Code are necessary, including the voting criteria on how services and facilities are provided, which will then be put to the Secretary of State for consideration.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make emergency financial assistance available through the Bellwin scheme to local authorities impacted by Storm Chandra.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I am always willing to consider local authority requests for financial assistance under the Bellwin Scheme.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps have been taken to help ensure value for money for leaseholders in relation to service charges imposed by management companies.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold data on average service charges in Slough and Berkshire.
On 4 July 2025, the government published a consultation, jointly with the Welsh Government, on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. The consultation included proposals to reform the section 20 ‘major works’ procedure, increase transparency over service charges and enhance access to redress through the relevant provisions in the Act. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. It closed on 26 September 2025, and we are analysing responses with a view to bringing the relevant measures into force as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the average service charges for leaseholders billed by management companies in (a) Slough and (b) Berkshire.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold data on average service charges in Slough and Berkshire.
On 4 July 2025, the government published a consultation, jointly with the Welsh Government, on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. The consultation included proposals to reform the section 20 ‘major works’ procedure, increase transparency over service charges and enhance access to redress through the relevant provisions in the Act. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. It closed on 26 September 2025, and we are analysing responses with a view to bringing the relevant measures into force as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Alex McIntyre (Labour - Gloucester)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to tackle damp and mould issues in housing association properties in Gloucester constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Housing association homes must be free from dangerous damp and mould.
The first phase of Awaab’s Law, which came into force on 27 October 2025, requires all social landlords to repair emergency hazards within 24 hours and fix dangerous damp and mould within fixed timescales.
My Department published a response to our consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes on 28 January 2026. It can be found on gov.uk here. As part of the new Decent Homes Standard, landlords will need to ensure that their homes are free from damp and mould.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department plans to publish its response to the consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department published a response to our consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes on 28 January 2026. It can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of Grey Belt policy on speculative development proposals on village edges in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 98288 on 5 January 2026, UIN 105177 on 20 January 2026, and UIN 106373 on 26 January 2026.