Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to reclassify retail as legitimate employment land use as part of the Accelerated Planning Service Consultation.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Our proposals for the Accelerated Planning Service do not include the reclassification of any land uses. The Accelerated Planning Service on which the Government is currently consulting is for planning applications for major commercial development which create 1,000 sqm or more of new or additional employment space as defined in planning legislation. This could include retail development. The consultation closes on 1 May 2024 and we will analyse responses and announce our decision in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to compensate (a) institutional investors and (b) pension-holders for loss of income as a result of his Department’s proposed cap on ground rents.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government recently consulted on a range of options to restrict ground rents for existing leases. Alongside the consultation we published a consultation impact assessment, assessing the expected costs and benefits of each of the policy options. This can be found here: Consultation impact assessment - modern leasehold: restricting ground rent for existing leases - GOV.UK.
We are carefully considering the responses we have received and will set out next steps due course.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of capping ground rents on the public purse.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Government has consulted on a range of options to restrict ground rent in existing leases and asked questions about the effects of these proposals. We received a significant number of responses from a variety of sources. A consultation impact assessment has been published and can be found at Consultation impact assessment - modern leasehold: restricting ground rent for existing leases.
That consultation closed on 17 January, and Government is currently analysing the responses before taking a decision on how to restrict ground rents through the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what (a) policy and (b) regulatory steps his Department is taking to enable greater competition amongst utility providers to ensure the speedy delivery of green homes.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The department is working towards delivering the greener homes of the future and in doing so the department will collaborate with key partners across government. I would be happy to meet my Hon Friend to discuss further, should that be helpful.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of water efficiency technologies for developments with (a) water scarcity and (b) nutrient concerns.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The department does not assess individual technologies, but the Government recognises the role water efficiency technologies can play in our efforts to address water scarcity and in supporting the delivery of homes affected by nutrient neutrality.
As set out in the Secretary of State’s written Ministerial Statement of 19 December 2023 (HCWS161), the Government is committed to reviewing building regulations to allow local planning authorities to introduce tighter water efficiency standards in new homes.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his written statement of 24 October 2023 on Building Safety Update, HCWS1090, when he plans to publish guidance on second staircase design; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to bring forward this guidance on levels of new housing supply.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer my Hon Friend to my answer to Question UIN 909 on 13 November 2023. The Government recognises that further detail is needed on staircase design to allow the construction and property development sector to understand how policy changes might affect project viability, further information will be made available by the end of the year.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department consulted letting agencies on the Renters (Reform) Bill during the development of proposals for that Bill; and whether his Department has received representations from those agencies since the introduction of that Bill.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government worked with a broad range of stakeholders to develop the measures in the Renters (Reform) Bill and has continued to engage with stakeholders since the Bill was introduced. This includes groups who represent and work with letting agents.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Written Statement of 24 October 2023 on Building Safety Update, UIN HCWS1090, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to Approved Document B on second staircase design on the delivery of new homes.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Written Statement confirms the government’s intended transitional arrangements as we make a gradual evolution of safety standards in the built environment. These arrangements will ensure there is minimal impact on housing supply; should help secure the viability of projects that are already underway and avoid delays. They have been designed with engagement from the construction industry and other stakeholders. Policy implementation will continue to follow due process with design details and impact analysis published as soon as possible.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the speech of 20 September 2023 by the Prime Minister on Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) tackle damp and mould in rented properties and (b) ensure the long-term availability of (i) high quality and (ii) energy-efficient social rented housing.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Government is committed to tackling damp and mould in rented homes. The government is reviewing the Decent Homes Standard and introducing it to the private rented sector for the first. We have introduced Awaab's Law into the Social Housing (Regulation) Act, committing to set strict time limits for social landlords to investigate and repair significant hazards in their homes, including damp and mould
We committed to increasing the supply of social rented homes in the Levelling Up white paper, the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes for both rent and to buy, and a large number of the new homes delivered through our Affordable Homes Programme will be for social rent.
We have committed to consult on energy efficiency in the social rented sector. The Social Housing (Regulation) Act has made energy efficiency a core objective of the Regulator of Social Housing and over £1 billion of Social Housing Decarbonisation funding has already been allocated to social housing landlords, with £3.8 billion by 2030 committed in our 2019 manifesto.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report by the Law Commission entitled Leasehold home ownership: buying your freehold or extending your lease published in July 2020.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
In 2017, the Government asked the Law Commission to review the legislation on leasehold enfranchisement. Following extensive consultation, the Commission reported back to Government in July 2020.
On 7 Jan 2021, Government announced measures that will make it easier for leaseholders to buy their freehold or extend their lease, with significant discounts for those trapped with onerous ground rents.
On 11 January 2022, the Government launched a consultation on a number of recommendations made by the Law Commission aimed at broadening the rights of leaseholders, and reinvigorating commonhold. The consultation closed on 22 February 2022 and we received over 2000 responses. We are currently analysing the feedback and we will provide a response in due course.
As part of our programme of reform for the leasehold system, my ministerial colleagues and I have met with a range of parliamentarians from both Houses as well as representatives of both leaseholders and freeholders, and we will continue to do so.
We are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this Parliament.