Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) support available to fire service staff who attend traumatic callouts and (b) suicide prevention training requirements for fire service managers in North East Hampshire constituency.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The health and wellbeing of firefighters is of the utmost importance. The Government recognises the risks firefighters face and is grateful to them for their bravery.
As the employer of fire and rescue service personnel, Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) are ultimately responsible for the health and wellbeing of firefighters. The Government-issued National Framework directs that all FRAs should have a people strategy which sets out the mental and physical health and wellbeing support available to firefighters.
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) supports good mental health in fire and rescue services as one aspect of its Health and Wellbeing Framework.
National organisations such as the Fire Fighters Charity and Mind also offer valuable support to individuals and services. Their resources can assist FRAs in developing local approaches to managing mental health risks and promoting the wellbeing of their workforce.
The health and wellbeing support provided by Fire and Rescue Services is considered by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services in the course of their work.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of housebuilding targets on the availability of school places in North East Hampshire constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner.
Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period.
The government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through Land and Infrastructure funding programmes, such as the Housing Infrastructure Fund.
The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 will also support the increased provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure.
The government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.
Our Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes various provisions designed to streamline the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure.
My Department engages on a regular and ongoing basis with other government departments to ensure that the planning system supports the provision of necessary infrastructure, including in respect of healthcare and education, alongside new housing development.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward regulations for estate agents to help improve accountability for people who breach ethical standards.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN PQ 49125 on 7 May 2025
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Building Safety Act on the (a) qualified and non-qualified status of flats, (b) the length of remediation projects and (c) the level of cost associated with the need to apply for deeds of certificates.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Building Safety Act 2022 (the Act) provided protections for certain leaseholders from the costs of remedying certain historical safety defects which might otherwise be recovered from leaseholders via the service charge. The definition of “qualifying lease” is in Section 119 of the Act and defined protection from 14 February 2022. The department keeps under review the impact of the Act on leaseholders, regardless of the status of their leases (qualifying or non-qualifying).
The Act put in place a statutory framework to protect residents and ensure buildings were remediated. Where remediation is needed and not progressing, remediation orders, defined in Section 123 of the Act, can be applied for. They provide a route against a relevant landlord for interested persons (e.g. leaseholders) to obtain remediation of a building with a relevant defect. The leaseholder protections under the Act prevent internal defect remediation costs from falling disproportionately on leaseholders, which might otherwise slow remediation. We are confident that the Act is not delaying progress with regards to the length of time remediation takes to be completed.
Under regulations following the Act, the leaseholder deed of certificate (LDC) is used to confirm whether a leaseholder qualifies for protections under the Act. Leaseholders cannot be charged to complete the deed of certificate by the landlord. A deed of certificate can be completed by the leaseholder without professional support. There might be, however, a small charge to access the necessary HM Land Registry documents that may be required as evidence.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to expedite the removal and remediation of dangerous cladding on properties; and what steps she plans to take to ensure that properties that previously qualified for the Building Safety Fund are remediated in a timely way.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Remediation Acceleration Plan (RAP) sets out key measures to fix buildings faster, identify remaining buildings still at risk and ensure that residents are supported through the remediation process.
No leaseholder in a high-rise residential building should wait a day longer for remediation than necessary, and under our plan by the end of 2029 all 18m+ (high-rise) buildings with unsafe cladding in a government funded scheme will have been remediated. In addition, every building of 11m+ with unsafe cladding will either have been remediated, have a completion date, or the landlord will be liable for severe penalties. Our plan will drive the pace of remediation through new proposed legal duties and powers, new funding, new resources and new partnerships.
By July 2024, we had moved 124 buildings (18m+) from the Building Safety Fund to the Cladding Safety Scheme. All 124 buildings now have a signed Grant Funding Agreement.