Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of creating a custom and self-build housing delivery unit within Homes England.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The promotion of further awareness of the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 (as amended), sometimes known colloquially as ‘the Right to Build’, and the creation of a custom and self-build housing delivery unit within Homes England, form part of the recommendations set out in Richard Bacon MP’s ‘Independent review into scaling up self-build and custom housebuilding’ commissioned by the Prime Minister and published on 21 August. The Government is currently considering the recommendations and will publish a response as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made with the development of the eight freeports designated in the March 2021 Budget.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is working closely with each prospective English Freeport to agree governance arrangements and complete outline business cases and therefore is unable to comment on progress at specific sites. However, it is anticipated that the first Freeports will be operational in late 2021.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will respond to the consultation on accessibility for new homes in England completed in December 2020.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
We are currently considering responses to the consultation and will set out plans to improve the framework to deliver accessible new homes in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what budget they are providing to the lasting memorial of the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire; and how that budget will be apportioned between (1) capital costs, and (2) the costs of maintaining the memorial.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government is supporting the independent Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission and has committed to funding its work. Once the Memorial Commission has established its vision for a memorial on the Grenfell Tower site, my Department will work to establish and agree an appropriate budget.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government who will make the decision on a lasting memorial to those who (1) suffered, and (2) lost their lives, at Grenfell Tower; and when the decision will be announced.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
In March 2018, a set of Principles that underpin the decision-making process in relation to the future of the Grenfell Tower site were agreed and published, (attached) which led to the establishment of the independent Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission. The terms of reference for the Memorial Commission are to establish a proposal for:
The Memorial Commission is made up of representatives of the bereaved, survivors and local residents, and will work with the local community to agree a consensus on the most fitting and appropriate way to remember those who lost their lives in the Grenfell tragedy. The Memorial Commission is continuing to work with the local community to establish its proposal.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what mayoral deals in urban areas are currently being discussed.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government remains committed to levelling up through further devolution deals. We are continuing discussions with the North East and Hull and East Yorkshire to create new Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCA), and all areas in England are invited to apply to form an MCA if there is local support.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the working party considering mandatory electrical safety checks in social housing will report.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
In the Charter for Social Housing Residents – Social Housing White Paper, we committed to consult on measures to ensure that social housing residents are protected from harm caused by poor electrical safety. Subsequently, we committed to form an official-led stakeholder working group to inform the content of that consultation.
The Electrical Safety Working Group is underway and will report in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when those people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower fire will be permanently rehoused.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
All 201 households from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk have accepted an offer of accommodation, and over 95% (195 households) have moved into a new permanent home
Currently 6 households are not yet in permanent homes. These households are currently living in high quality temporary accommodation. The Council is working with these households at a pace that suits them.