Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to improve electrical safety in the private rented sector.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Local authorities have strong powers to crack down on rogue landlords, drive up standards and help ensure properties are free of potentially dangerous hazards to tenants’ health and safety.
The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires landlords to keep electrical installations in repair and proper working order. Mandatory five yearly electrical installation checks are required for Houses in Multiple Occupation.
An enabling power was included in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 allowing requirements for electrical safety standards in the private rented sector, and their enforcement, to be set through secondary legislation at a later date. Following Royal Assent of the Act, a Working Group of relevant experts was established to provide recommendations to ministers on what, if any, legislative requirements should be introduced. The Working Group report has been published online at:
The working group has recommended introducing five yearly mandatory electrical installation checks for private rented property and that other safety measures be encouraged as good practice and set out in guidance.
The Government will consult in the new year to test the recommendations of the working group to ensure that any regulation introduced is balanced and works for landlords and tenants. We also want to take account of the conclusions of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety led by Dame Judith Hackitt before making policy decisions.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to make an announcement on mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
All homes should be decent and safe. Following Royal Assent of the Housing and Planning Act 2016, a Working Group of relevant experts was established to provide recommendations to ministers on what, if any, legislative requirements for electrical safety in the private rented sector should be introduced. The Working Group has concluded and their report and recommendations are currently being considered.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many businesses have received assistance through the small business rate relief scheme.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Approximately 600,000 businesses are benefitting from Small Business Rate Relief with approximately 400,000 paying no rates at all.
Measures in the Localism Act made it easier for small firms to claim the business rate relief to which they are entitled. We announced at the 2014 Autumn Statement an extra £650 million of support for 2015-16 business rates bills in England, bringing the total support from 2013 and 2014 Autumn Statement measures to £1.4 billion in 2015-16. That includes amongst other things:
· the doubling Small Business Rate Relief for a further year (2015-16);
We have also given authorities powers to grant their own local discounts and we now fund 50% of any local discount granted.
We also announced at Autumn Statement that we will review the future structure of business rates. The review will report by Budget 2016.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they expect to make betting shops and payday loan shops into a separate planning use class; and if so, when.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have consulted on a range of planning measures to support our high streets, including requiring a planning application for the change of use to a betting shop or pay day loan shop. An announcement on the outcome of the Technical consultation on planning will be made in due course.