Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many applications to the Homes for Ukraine scheme from people in Birmingham her Department has (a) received and (b) approved as of 6 April 2022.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department has taken to ensure appropriate vetting and safeguarding measures are in place during the matching process of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme to protect lone female refugees from exploitation.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential capacity of a (a) landlord or (b) letting agent to increase a tenant's utility bill mid-way through an Assured Shorthold Tenancy contract.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Many private tenants are responsible for choosing their provider for energy, broadband and other services and therefore for paying their own utility bills. An all-inclusive tenancy is where the tenant is charged rent and other bills such as utilities as one payment. In addition to rent this may include utility bills, phone / broadband bills, Council tax, TV licence, and other services.
Where the landlord is responsible for paying the energy supplier and bills the tenant separately to rent, the landlord can only charge for the ‘maximum resale price’ which includes the energy the tenant has used, the tenant’s share of the standing charge, and the VAT owed.
In February 2022 the Government announced a £9.1 billion energy bills rebate package, worth up to £350 each for around 28 million households. Domestic energy customers in Great Britain will receive a £200 reduction in energy bills this Autumn, which will be paid back automatically over the next 5 years.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Levelling UP, Housing and Communities, how people who have applied for the Homes for Ukraine scheme can monitor the progress of that process.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
I refer the Hon Member to the answers given to PQ UIN 145857 on 28 March 2022 and PQ UIN 144955 on 29 March 2022, which include links to published guidance and information at Gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure Homes for Ukraine Visa applications are not adversely affected by delays in DBS checking.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
I refer the Hon Member to the answers given to PQ UIN 145857 on 28 March 2022 and PQ UIN 144955 on 29 March 2022, which include links to published guidance and information at Gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether an enhanced DBS check is required prior to paperwork being issued for a Homes for Ukraine Visa application.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
I refer the Hon Member to the answers given to PQ UIN 145857 on 28 March 2022 and PQ UIN 144955 on 29 March 2022, which include links to published guidance and information at Gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will make provisions to enable Homes for Ukraine applications to be made by (a) post or (b) by phone to allow those people to register who do not have access to the internet.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Department will consider whether to enable sponsors for Homes for Ukraine applications to be made by post or phone for those who do not have access to the internet.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what support his Department has made available to local authorities in connection with the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
I refer the Hon Member to the guidance for local authorities available online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-councils.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much of the levelling up fund is specifically earmarked for improving Birmingham’s bus network.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
The £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund invests in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets.
Successful applicants to the first round of the Levelling Up Fund were announced alongside the 2021 Spending Review. Birmingham City Council was awarded over £52 million in funding across three projects, including £19.94 million for the ‘Dudley Road’ project.
This bid focuses on major highways improvements around Birmingham City Centre to improve transport accessibility into the city. This includes the provision of bus priority measures, which will improve bus journey times into and out of the city.
Further funding opportunities will be available through a second round of the Levelling Up Fund, which will open in spring 2022. More information on this will be available in due course
The West Midlands Combined Authority also received £1 billion in funding from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement to improve the regions tram, train, bus and cycle networks.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he will take to prevent leasehold homeowners from being overcharged for the maintenance of their property.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government believes very strongly that service charges should be transparent and communicated effectively. The law is clear that service charges and any increase in costs must be reasonable and, where costs relate to work or services, the work or services must be of a reasonable standard. The Government believes that there should be a clear route to challenge or redress if things go wrong.
Leaseholders may make an application to the First-tier Tribunal for it to make a determination on the reasonableness of their service charges, and may continue to do so even if the freeholder is in administration. Leaseholders may also apply for an Order to the First-tier Tribunal under Section 24 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 if they consider that there are significant management failures.
We established an independent working group chaired by Lord Best to raise standards across the property sector, which also considered improvements to the transparency of service charges. The working group published its final report to Government (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulation-of-property-agents-working-group-report and we are considering the report’s recommendations.