Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in housing costs on tenants in the private rented sector.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
We recognise the current context of higher interest rates and cost of living pressures is concerning for mortgage holders. Decisive action has been taken to support households across the UK through cost of living challenges, and the Government will continue to provide cost of living support in 2023-24, designed to target the most vulnerable households. That is why the new Mortgage Charter of June 2023 sets out commitments by the Government, lenders and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to support existing borrowers who are struggling with their mortgage payments.
We recognise the cost of living pressures that tenants are facing and that paying rent is likely to be the biggest monthly expense.
Affordable Rent was introduced in 2011 to make it possible to deliver a larger number of affordable homes for a given amount of public investment. This has helped to support the delivery of over 659,500 affordable homes since 2010. Of that total, more than 468,700 were homes for rent - and of these, more than 166,300 were Social Rent homes.
The Government is committed to delivering more Social Rent homes, and a large number of the homes to be delivered through our Affordable Homes Programme will be for Social Rent. In addition, we recently consulted on a proposal to amend national planning policy to make clear that local planning authorities should give greater importance in planning for Social Rent homes. We will publish a response to that consultation in due course.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the technical consultation referred to in Written Statement HCWS172 of 9 November 2022, what progress has been made in technical consultations regarding the potential merits of requiring local authorities and private workplaces to ensure equal access to hygiene bins in public and workplace toilets.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Government has carried out a call for evidence and research to help inform and consider changes to statutory guidance which includes consideration of sanitary bins. Further details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress his Department has made on drafting legislation to fulfil the Government's commitment of abolishing no fault evictions in this Parliament.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
Everyone deserves to live in a safe and secure home and ensuring a fair deal for renters remains a priority for this government. The Queen's Speech committed to introducing a Renters Reform Bill that would repeal section 21 'no fault' evictions and we will do so as soon as time allows in this Parliament
As set out in the Government's White Paper, 'A fairer private rented sector' last summer, the market has begun to develop innovative solutions to the specific affordability issues posed in the gap between deposits and several providers are now offering lifetime deposit solutions for tenants. Government announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress his Department has made on drafting legislation to fulfil the Government's commitment of only requiring one lifetime deposit in this Parliament.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
Everyone deserves to live in a safe and secure home and ensuring a fair deal for renters remains a priority for this government. The Queen's Speech committed to introducing a Renters Reform Bill that would repeal section 21 'no fault' evictions and we will do so as soon as time allows in this Parliament
As set out in the Government's White Paper, 'A fairer private rented sector' last summer, the market has begun to develop innovative solutions to the specific affordability issues posed in the gap between deposits and several providers are now offering lifetime deposit solutions for tenants. Government announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will hold discussions with relevant stakeholders on the potential merits of introducing a policy of limiting in-tenancy rent increases in the private rented sector.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
This department engages regularly with stakeholders on a wide range of issues and we published our White Paper, 'A Fairer Private Rented Sector' in June. However, the Government does not support the introduction of rent controls.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will make an assessment of the feasibility of introducing a policy of limiting in-tenancy rent increases in the private rented sector.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
This department engages regularly with stakeholders on a wide range of issues and we published our White Paper, 'A Fairer Private Rented Sector' in June. However, the Government does not support the introduction of rent controls.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether additional financial support (a) is and (b) will be made available to local authorities to fund the provision of warm banks (i) outside office working hours and (ii) overnight.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Further to my answer to Question UIN 107098, answered on 14 December, the department does not hold data on cold weather shelters.
Local authorities in Wales are in the first instance a matter for the Welsh Government. The devolved administrations are funded to deliver their devolved responsibilities, including local government.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether additional financial support (a) is and (b) will be made available to local authorities to fund the provision of (i) warm banks and (ii) cold weather shelters during cold weather alerts.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Further to my answer to Question UIN 107098, answered on 14 December, the department does not hold data on cold weather shelters.
Local authorities in Wales are in the first instance a matter for the Welsh Government. The devolved administrations are funded to deliver their devolved responsibilities, including local government.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will take steps to (a) establish a register of warm banks provided by local authorities and (b) record the number of people who use warm banks.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Further to my answer to Question UIN 107098, answered on 14 December, the department does not hold data on cold weather shelters.
Local authorities in Wales are in the first instance a matter for the Welsh Government. The devolved administrations are funded to deliver their devolved responsibilities, including local government.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what data he holds on the number of cold weather shelters to be opened in each (a) region and (b) local authority area during a cold weather alert.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Further to my answer to Question UIN 107098, answered on 14 December, the department does not hold data on cold weather shelters.
Local authorities in Wales are in the first instance a matter for the Welsh Government. The devolved administrations are funded to deliver their devolved responsibilities, including local government.