Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he has estimated how much of insulation used in high-rise and low-rise buildings is (a) polyisocyanurate foam, (b) phenolic foam and (c) mineral wool insulation.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We have asked all owners of buildings over 18 metres with Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding to submit samples to the BRE for screening to establish whether the materials submitted are of limited combustibility. Where samples that are sent in do not meet the limited combustibility test we are also collecting information on what insulation materials have been used.
Summary advice published on 5 September (available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-programme-update-and-consolidated-advice-for-building-owners-following-large-scale-testing) sets out the results of screening tests and the seven large-scale system tests conducted over the summer, and includes the numbers of these buildings which have the type of insulation used.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 March 2017 to Question 69065, on sleeping rough, in what areas the Government plans to spend the £550 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
We are spending over £550 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in England by 2020 following the 2015 Spending Review. This includes protecting £315 million homelessness prevention funding that goes to local authorities.
We also increased central government funding for homelessness programmes to £149 million, which includes £50 million for the Homelessness Prevention Programme to deliver an end-to-end approach to prevention and £61 million to implement the Homelessness Reduction Bill and support local authorities with new burdens.
In addition, we are spending £100 million to deliver at least 2,000 low-cost move-on accommodation places, to enable people leaving hostels and refuges to make a sustainable recovery from a homelessness crisis.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies findings in the Homelessness Monitor 2017, published by Crisis in March 2017, that (a) rough sleeping has increased by 132 per cent and (b) homeless placements in temporary accommodation have increased by 52 per cent since 2010.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
The Crisis Homelessness Monitor 2017 presents the challenges of homelessness in the country and is informed in part by data which is collected and published regularly by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
The Government is committed to tackling homelessness and rough sleeping. As the Crisis report acknowledges we are taking action by supporting the Homelessness Reduction Bill which will significantly reform England's homelessness legislation, ensuring that more people get the help they need earlier to prevent them from becoming homeless in the first place.
We are also spending £550 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in England by 2020. This includes our £50 million Homelessness Prevention Programme which will deliver an end-to-end approach to prevention, supporting 84 projects across England, including £30 million to help those who are sleeping rough or new to the streets, or those with the most complex needs, recover from their homelessness.
Time spent in temporary accommodation means people are getting help and it ensures no family is without a roof over their head. Households now spend on average less time in temporary accommodation than at the start of 2010. We have recently announced the allocations for the DCLG’s new Flexible Homelessness Support Grant which will replace the Department for Work and Pensions Temporary Accommodation Management fee from April this year. This will provide local authorities with greater control and flexibility over homelessness budgets.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect on local businesses of an increase of 36 per cent of the rateable value of business properties in Hammersmith; and if he will increase the threshold of small business rate relief in London in his next Budget.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
For the minority of businesses facing an increase as a result of the revaluation, the Government is putting in place a £3.6 billion in transitional relief that caps and phases any rises in their bills. At Budget 2016, the Government announced a £6.7 billion package of cuts in business rates. This included the permanent doubling of small business rate relief to 100 per cent, and an increase in the threshold for 100 per cent relief from £6,000 to £12,000 rateable value. As a result of these changes, 600,000 businesses will pay no rates at all.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 17 January 2017, Homelessness Reduction Bill, HCWS 418, if he will place in the Library the evidential basis used to determine the level of funding to local government to meet the new burden costs associated with the Homelessness Reduction Bill.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
A note explaining the methodology and the key assumptions that sit behind the estimate of the new burdens costs of the Homelessness Reduction Bill was sent to local authorities and members of the Bill Committee on 17 January. The same methodology underpins the revised new burdens estimate of £61 million I set out at the Report stage of the Homelessness Reduction Bill on 27 January. A copy of the note will be placed in the Library of the House. The Department will continue to work with the Local Government Association and local authorities on the development of the distribution model for the funding to determine the amount to be received by each area. The full new burdens assessment will be published once this is complete and the Bill is in its final form.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 17 January 2017, HCWS 418, if he will publish the evidential basis used to determine the level of funding to local government to meet the new burden costs associated with the Homelessness Reduction Bill.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
The Written Ministerial Statement of 17 January 2017, HCWS 418 confirmed that the Government will provide £48 million to local government to meet the new burdens costs associated with the Homelessness Reduction Bill over the course of the Spending Review. This reflects the cost of the Bill in its current form. The Department will continue to work with the Local Government Association and local authorities on the development of the distribution model for the funding to determine the amount to be received by each area. The full new burdens assessment will be published once this is complete and the Bill is in its final form.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 17 January 2017, HCWS 418, if he will publish the evidential basis for the estimate that savings made by local authorities as a result of the Homelessness Reduction Bill will fully offset any additional costs to local authorities by 2019-20.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
The Written Ministerial Statement of 17 January 2017, HCWS 418 confirmed that the Government will provide £48 million to local government to meet the new burdens costs associated with the Homelessness Reduction Bill over the course of the Spending Review. This reflects the cost of the Bill in its current form. The Department will continue to work with the Local Government Association and local authorities on the development of the distribution model for the funding to determine the amount to be received by each area. The full new burdens assessment will be published once this is complete and the Bill is in its final form.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the full impact assessment used to determine funding for the Homelessness Reduction Bill.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
The Written Ministerial Statement of 17 January 2017, HCWS 418 confirmed that the Government will provide £48 million to local government to meet the new burdens costs associated with the Homelessness Reduction Bill over the course of the Spending Review. This reflects the cost of the Bill in its current form. The Department will continue to work with the Local Government Association and local authorities on the development of the distribution model for the funding to determine the amount to be received by each area. The full new burdens assessment will be published once this is complete and the Bill is in its final form.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect on the amount of office floor space in London of the relaxation of permitted development rights.
Answered by Lord Barwell
From April 2016 applications for prior approval are required to note how many homes will be permitted. There is no requirement to note how much office space is to change to residential use. The net additional dwellings data shows that the right has made a valuable contribution to housing supply, delivering over 12,800 homes in the year to March 2016.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect on the amount of office floor space in London of the relaxation of permitted development rights.
Answered by Lord Barwell
From April 2016 applications for prior approval are required to note how many homes will be permitted. There is no requirement to note how much office space is to change to residential use. The net additional dwellings data shows that the right has made a valuable contribution to housing supply, delivering over 12,800 homes in the year to March 2016.