Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to tackle (a) Islamophobia and (b) the number of Islamophobic incidents.
Answered by Luke Hall
This Government remains committed to stamping out anti-Muslim hatred and all forms of hate crime. It is unacceptable for anyone to feel unsafe while practising their religion and we continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to Islamophobia.
We have continued to work closely with Muslim communities, to tackle hate against them, including underlying issues and trends, and continue supporting the work of the cross-Government Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group which provides valuable advice to Government on challenges faced by Britain’s Muslim communities and how to address those challenges. We have also supported Tell MAMA?(Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks)?with?just over £2.8 million between 2016 and 2020 to monitor and combat anti-Muslim hatred.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of children in temporary accommodation in the last three years.
Answered by Luke Hall
Local authorities seek to place families into settled accommodation at the soonest possible opportunity. However, where this is not possible, temporary accommodation plays an important role in ensuring that no child is ever without a roof over their head, and this is particularly important when we are dealing with the impacts of Covid-19.
Reducing the number of households in temporary accommodation has been a priority for this Government and, a result, the numbers of households in temporary accommodation, 87,410 (as of?September 2019), remains below the September 2004 peak, when they hit 101,300. The number of children living in?temporary accommodation?is down from its peak in June 2006 at?134,470, with?127,890?in?September 2019.
The Chancellor recently announced that for 2020/21, we will increase the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants so that they are set at the 30th percentile of local rents. This will mean that many people renting in the Private Rented Sector see an increase in their housing support from April 2020, providing extra security during these uncertain times. The average claimant will gain an additional £600 per year in increased housing support.
The Homelessness Reduction Act, the most ambitious reform to homelessness legislation in decades, came into force on 3 April 2018. The Act requires local authorities and other public bodies to work together to actively prevent homelessness for people at risk. This is backed by the £63 million Homelessness Reduction Grant in 2020/21 which provides an uplift on previous years’ new burdens funding to implement the Homelessness Reduction Act and will enable local authorities to do more to prevent and relieve homelessness in their areas.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to make it an objective of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to (a) reduce the level of and (b) alleviate child poverty.
Answered by Jake Berry
The government will create the UK Shared Prosperity Fund following our departure from the European Union.
We will consult in due course.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the amount of funding that will be allocated to local welfare assistance provision in the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2020-21.
Answered by Rishi Sunak
Proposals for the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2020/21, including provision for local welfare assistance, will be finalised following the outcome of the planned Spending Review.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to protect women's eligibility for the right to buy discount in situations when they are not entitled to that discount due to their previous tenancy being entirely in their ex-husband or partner’s name.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Where a married couple live together under a public sector tenancy, they individually accrue tenancy periods which count towards eligibility for the Right to Buy. This applies whether the tenancy is in both names; or if the tenancy is only in a single name. The accrued periods still apply individually if the couple separate or divorce. This is set out in Schedule 4 of the Housing Act 1985; and in the department's booklet for tenants: Your Right to Buy Your Home ; and in the guidance for landlords: Right to Buy - A Guide for Local Authorities.