Asked by: Mary Robinson (Conservative - Cheadle)
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 has taken to help ensure that private renters are provided an adequate standard of housing.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
All tenants should have access to a good quality and safe home, which is why we have for the private rented sector strengthened councils’ enforcement powers, introducing penalties of up to £30,000, extending rent repayment orders and introduced banning orders for the most serious and prolific offenders.
We published our white paper in June setting out plans to deliver a Fairer Private Rented Sector, raising the bar on quality. In September we consulted on the introduction of a Decent Home Standard in the private rented sector. The consultation closed on 14 October, and we are considering responses.
Asked by: Mary Robinson (Conservative - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the impact of the Community Ownership Fund on community cohesion.
Answered by Michael Gove - Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
Each application we receive to the fund is assessed against its potential for community benefit and how this will be sustained through community ownership.
Each of the 22 bids funded so far will be closely monitored to assess their impact on community cohesion. My department will run a full evaluation of the four-year programme.
Asked by: Mary Robinson (Conservative - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that people benefit from the economic growth delivered through the Northern Powerhouse.
Answered by Jake Berry
People who, like me, live in the North are seeing record investment in transport already, releasing the potential of our economy to be more than the sum of its parts. The Northern Powerhouse economy is larger than Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland’s combined: on its own, it would be the 8th largest economy in Europe.
Asked by: Mary Robinson (Conservative - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to increase the engagement of community organisations in decision making on Neighbourhood Plans.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Over 2,100 groups have started the neighbourhood planning process in areas covering nearly 12 million people. Over 360 plans have successfully passed referendum.
The Neighbourhood Planning Act will further boost community engagement, providing a powerful set of tools for local people to get the development that their communities need.