Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the Government's policy is on the role of housing-with-care in future housing market provision.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 49106 on 22 September.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to promote housing-with-care.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 49106 on 22 September.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The Government has allocated over £8 billion directly to councils since the start of the pandemic.
In addition, local authorities are expected to receive over £3 billion of support in 2021-22, for both additional expenditure pressures and loss of income.
This takes the total support committed to councils in England to tackle the impacts of COVID-19 to over £11 billion.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2020 to Question 982 on Park Homes: Fees and Charges, what progress has been made on the introduction of primary legislation to change the pitch fee review inflationary index from the Retail Prices Index (RPI) to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) .
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government remains committed to improving protections for park home residents and this includes changing the pitch fee review inflationary index from the Retail Prices Index (RPI) to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).
We are carefully considering the detailed policy of this and other commitments, to ensure they can be delivered effectively and will introduce the required legislation when the parliamentary timetable allows.
Last year we delivered on our commitment to make Regulations introducing a fit and proper test for park home site owners or their manager.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made in the review of the 10 per cent commission of the price of a mobile home upon sale.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
We undertook an initial scoping study last year to identify gaps in the existing evidence base to ensure the research is thorough and comprehensive. The tendering process for the research will be concluded shortly.
We will make residents and site owners aware of the timetable for the research before it commences to ensure they are able to fully participate and contribute to this important work.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support coastal communities.
Answered by Jake Berry
We are committed to supporting coastal communities to unlock barriers to their development and growth, and to strengthen their appeal as places to live, work and visit.
On 23 March, we announced a £36 million funding boost for coastal communities supporting 70 projects around the English coastline. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/james-brokenshire-announces-over-36-million-for-the-great-british-coast.
This included a £663,000 Coastal Communities Fund Round 5 grant towards a £925,000 project (“Unlocking the Essex Coast Path”) to promote the Essex coast as a high quality visitor destination with a diverse tourism offer. Resorts along the Essex coast, including Clacton, will benefit from the project.
The Government will have invested over £200 million in the Great British Coast by 2020 through dedicated programmes like the Coastal Communities Fund and the Coastal Revival Fund, to help generate jobs and boost businesses and bring iconic or at-risk heritage and community assets back into economic use. This investment is having tangible results in our coastal towns. The Coastal Communities Fund alone has invested over £218 million in 354 projects across the UK since 2012. The Fund is helping to create or safeguard over 18,000 UK jobs and generate £363 million in new visitor spend.
Since 2015 we have provided £1.46 million to help establish 146 Coastal Community Teams around the English coastline. These Teams ensure the local community works together with the local authority, businesses, and local stakeholders to agree priorities for economic development in their area. Jaywick Sands Coastal Community Team was established in 2015 and is working to create a “new coastal village”, seeking to improve housing and social conditions for local residents, and stimulate a change in market conditions.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to maintain the relaxation of permitted development rights for private dwelling extensions beyond 30 May 2019; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 13 March 2018, HCWS1408, we will make permanent the time-limited right to build larger single storey rear extensions to dwellinghouses, and will introduce a proportionate fee.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to introduce additional forms of tenure for older people in specialist housing-with-care settings.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Government currently does not have any plans to introduce other forms of tenure.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities have a statutory obligation to put in place detailed planning guidance on the provision of specialist housing for older people.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
In the revised National Planning Policy Framework, published in July 2018, we strengthened policy to create a clear expectation that all local authorities have policies in place for addressing the housing needs of older people. The number of authorities with detailed planning guidance on the provision of specialist housing for older people is not recorded.
We will publish further planning guidance, to assist councils to put these policies in place, in accordance with the Neighbourhood Planning Act commitment. We have undertaken extensive engagement in relation to the guidance, including discussions with a range of local authorities, charities and house builder representatives to identify and discuss the key issues. We will publish the guidance in due course.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of UK provision of housing-with-care for older people compared with that of other countries; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
MHCLG has not carried out such an assessment. Housing-with-care is able to react flexibly to fluctuating, or increasing, care and support needs. There is evidence to suggest that living in a housing-with-care setting can reduce the overall amount of care older people might need, whilst also having the potential to reduce loneliness levels.
In the UK only 0.7 per cent of over-65s live in a housing-with-care setting. This figure stands at more than 5 per cent in countries such as the United States, New Zealand or Australia.