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 rate of success of applications for funding from (a) the Dormant Asset Fund, (b) the Community Ownership Fund and (c) other sources for the development of community assets and services in coalfield communities.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The government is committed to levelling up the UK by spreading opportunity more equally across the country, investing in places that need it most, including coalfield communities.
Multiple former coalfield communities are benefiting from the Community Ownership Fund including the CANA resource and training centre in Rhondda Cynon Taf which received funding in round one. Dormant assets funding has no central bidding process for accessing it. In Wales, £39.2 million of dormant assets funding has supported a variety of projects, including investing £16.3 million in young people, learning, education and employment, whilst £4.7 million has been spent on climate change action.
In addition to this, former coalfield communities are also benefitting from the first round of the Levelling Up Fund, from the Towns Fund, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and our Freeports programme.
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 Answer by the Leader of the House to the Question from the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston, 30 June 2022, Official Report, column 460, what plans his Department has to bring forward further legislative proposals on ground rent.
Answered by Lee Rowley
We are due to bring forward further Leasehold reforms later in this parliament.
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, when his Department held discussions with Welsh Government on a joint approach to legislation enacting the Law Commission’s recommendations for leasehold reform in England and Wales.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Law Commission published their recommendations for reform of leasehold and commonhold legislation in England and Wales in 2020. Officials from the UK Government and Welsh Government meet regularly on an ongoing basis to discuss the Law Commission’s recommendations and will respond to the remaining recommendations 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 assessment he has made of the potential merits of transferring responsibility for payment of council tax from tenants to owners.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
Council tax is a tax on the occupiers of homes to help fund local services. The Government has no plans to transfer liability from tenants to owners.
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 assessment he has made of the potential merits of conducting a revaluation of existing residential property for council tax purposes.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The Government has no plans to carry out a council tax revaluation in England. A revaluation would be expensive to undertake and could result in increases in bills for many households. The council tax revaluation in Wales resulted in 33% of homes being placed in a higher band compared to 8% of homes that were placed in a lower band. A revaluation would risk penalising those on lower incomes, including pensioners, who might have seen their homes appreciate in value, but not be able to afford higher council tax.
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 his Department is taking steps to monitor the (a) economic and (b) social impact of changes to council tax which may be levied on second homes in Wales from April 2023.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
Council tax is a devolved matter and it will be for the Welsh Government to decide whether to carry out any monitoring of any legislation introduced in Wales.
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 assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing powers to local authorities to levy increased council tax premiums on second homes.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The Government keeps all tax policy under review. It has already removed the requirement for local authorities to offer a discount on second homes enabling them to charge the full rate of council tax and, in April 2016, introduced a 3 per cent higher rate of Stamp Duty Land Tax for those purchasing additional properties.