Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of rising house prices on the (a) ability of first-time buyers to get on the property ladder and (b) levels of home ownership among first-time buyers in (i) Coventry North East constituency, (ii) Coventry, (iii) the West Midlands and (iv) England; and what steps his Department is taking to support homeownership among first-time buyers in those areas.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government is committed to supporting first-time buyers. Over 717,000 households have been helped to purchase a home since Spring 2010 through Government-backed schemes such as Help to Buy: Equity Loan and Right to Buy. New initiatives including First Homes, the new model of Shared Ownership and the £11.5 billion affordable homes programme will bring more affordable housing to those who need it.
Data on the number of first-time buyers in the West Midlands, the Coventry North East constituency and across Coventry is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-data-to-31-december-2020.
The English Housing Survey homeownership rates 2019-20 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/english-housing-survey. Data for 2020-21 will be published shortly.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of completed house sales involving first-time buyers in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England during each month of the covid-19 outbreak; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the level of home ownership among first-time buyers in those areas.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
We have taken steps to keep the housing market open during the Covid-19 pandemic and allow people to buy, sell and view properties during periods of national restrictions. This is supported by the temporary cut to Stamp Duty Land Tax for home buyers and underpinned by our guidance for consumers and industry on how the process can operate while minimising the risks presented by the virus.
Over 708,000 households have been helped to purchase a home since Spring 2010 through Government-backed schemes such as Help to Buy: Equity Loan and Right to Buy. New initiatives including First Homes, the new model of Shared Ownership and the £11.5 billion affordable homes programme will bring more affordable housing to those who need it.
Data on the number of first-time buyers using Help to Buy: Equity Loans indicates that, despite a drop in the earlier stages of the pandemic, the number of first-time buyers who bought a home in England in Q4 2020 using a Help to Buy equity loan exceeds the number in Q4 2019, before the pandemic, with 17,348 and 12,262 first-time buyers respectively. A recovery can be seen in the number of first-time buyers in the West Midlands, the Coventry North East constituency and across Coventry. This data is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-data-to-31-december-2020.
The English Housing Survey is published annually and reports on housing trends in England, including homeownership rates. Data for 2019-20 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/english-housing-survey. Data for 2020-21 will be published at the end of this year.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
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 number of local authorities that have had to use reserves to balance their budgets as a result of the covid-19 outbreak; and what steps his Department is taking to help those local authorities replenish their reserves.
Answered by Luke Hall
The Government allocated over £9 billion directly to councils in 2020-21 for COVID-19-related expenditure and income pressures. At the Spending Review the Chancellor announced that local authorities will receive over £3 billion of additional support for COVID-19 in 2021-22. This includes a further £1.55 billion of grant funding to meet additional service pressures which has now been paid to authorities. This takes the total support committed to councils in England to tackle the impacts of COVID-19 to over £12 billion.
As part of our support package, councils also have access to a compensation scheme for lost income from sales, fees and charges, which has been extended to June 2021, through which the Government will support local councils with 75% of losses beyond the first 5% of losses.
We are aware that a number of local authorities have used reserves to balance their budgets as a result of the emergency circumstances of the COVID-19 outbreak. Official statistics on reserves used during the pandemic are not yet available, though will be published in due course. We would ask that any local authority that is faced with an unmanageable pressure or is concerned about its future financial position should approach MHCLG for discussion.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimates his Department has made of the funding gaps between (a) what each local authority has spent in responding to the covid-19 outbreak and (b) the central Government covid-19 funding allocated to each of those local authorities; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Luke Hall
The Government allocated over £9 billion directly to councils in 2020-21 for COVID-19-related expenditure and income pressures and at the Spending Review the Chancellor announced that local authorities will receive over £3 billion of additional support for COVID-19 in 2021-22. This includes a further £1.55 billion of grant funding to meet additional service pressures which has now been paid to authorities. This takes the total support committed to councils in England to tackle the impacts of COVID-19 to over £12 billion.
We have now carried out 11 rounds of COVID-19 sector monitoring with the outcome of round 12 due to be published shortly. As at round 11, the estimated expenditure pressures in 2020-21 were £7.2 billion. Now the financial year has ended, we aim to publish more detailed monitoring data in due course.
We continue to keep the situation under review through our monthly financial monitoring returns and will respond to the impacts of COVID-19 appropriately as our understanding develops.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
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 number of families with children living in temporary accommodation in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midland and (d) England in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Temporary Accommodation is providing vital support to ensure that those who are vulnerable are getting the necessary help and ensuring that no family is without a roof over their head.
Our most recent data shows that the number of households with children in B&Bs is at its lowest level since 2011. The data is broken down by local authority. On 31 December 2020 there were 255 households with children living in temporary accommodation in Coventry, 3,780 households with children living in temporary accommodation in the West Midlands and 59,670 households with children living in temporary accommodation in England.
The latest homelessness data for England, including historic data, can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on levels of home ownership among first-time buyers in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
We have taken steps to keep the housing market open during the Covid-19 and allow people to buy, sell and view properties during periods of national restrictions. This is supported by the temporary cut to Stamp Duty Land Tax for home buyers and underpinned by our guidance for consumers and industry on how the process can operate while minimising the risks presented by the virus.
This Government is committed to helping people get on the housing ladder across the country. Over 687,000 households have been helped to purchase a home since spring 2010 through government-backed schemes such as Help to Buy: Equity Loan and Right to Buy. New initiatives including First Homes, improving shared ownership and a new £11.5 billion affordable homes programme will bring more affordable housing to those who need it.
In addition, the Government has announced a new mortgage guarantee scheme to support a new generation in realising the dream of home ownership. This will increase the availability of 95% loan-to-value mortgage products, enabling more households to access mortgages without the need for prohibitively large deposits.
The English Housing Survey is published annually and reports on housing trends in England, including homeownership rates. Data for 2019-20 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/english-housing-survey. Data for 2020-21 will be published at the end of this year.
Data on the number of first-time buyers using Help to Buy: Equity Loans is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-data-to-30-september-2020. This data indicates that, despite a drop in the earlier stages of the pandemic, the number of first-time buyers who bought a home in England in Q3 2020 using a Help to Buy equity loan, exceeds the number in Q3 2019 before the pandemic, with 11,150 and 9,774 first-time buyers respectively. A similar rate of recovery can be seen in the number of first-time buyers in the West Midlands, the Coventry North East constituency and across Coventry.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of completed house sales involving first-time buyers in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England in each month since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
We have taken steps to keep the housing market open during the Covid-19 and allow people to buy, sell and view properties during periods of national restrictions. This is supported by the temporary cut to Stamp Duty Land Tax for home buyers and underpinned by our guidance for consumers and industry on how the process can operate while minimising the risks presented by the virus.
This Government is committed to helping people get on the housing ladder across the country. Over 687,000 households have been helped to purchase a home since spring 2010 through government-backed schemes such as Help to Buy: Equity Loan and Right to Buy. New initiatives including First Homes, improving shared ownership and a new £11.5 billion affordable homes programme will bring more affordable housing to those who need it.
In addition, the Government has announced a new mortgage guarantee scheme to support a new generation in realising the dream of home ownership. This will increase the availability of 95% loan-to-value mortgage products, enabling more households to access mortgages without the need for prohibitively large deposits.
The English Housing Survey is published annually and reports on housing trends in England, including homeownership rates. Data for 2019-20 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/english-housing-survey. Data for 2020-21 will be published at the end of this year.
Data on the number of first-time buyers using Help to Buy: Equity Loans is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-data-to-30-september-2020. This data indicates that, despite a drop in the earlier stages of the pandemic, the number of first-time buyers who bought a home in England in Q3 2020 using a Help to Buy equity loan, exceeds the number in Q3 2019 before the pandemic, with 11,150 and 9,774 first-time buyers respectively. A similar rate of recovery can be seen in the number of first-time buyers in the West Midlands, the Coventry North East constituency and across Coventry.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the rate of house building in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Estimates of building control reported new build dwellings starts and completions for Coventry, the West Midlands and England in each quarter to December 2020 are shown in Live Tables 253a and 217 at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building.
These cover new build dwellings only and should be regarded as a leading indicator of overall housing supply. An assessment of recent trends is published in the latest release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/housing-supply-indicators-of-new-supply-england-october-to-december-2020.
The Department also publishes an annual release entitled ‘Housing supply: net additional dwellings, England’, which is the primary and most comprehensive measure of housing supply. This is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/net-supply-of-housing.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) financial and (b) other steps his Department is taking to support local authorities to increase (i) access to and (ii) the number of public green spaces in urban areas.
Answered by Luke Hall
The Government recognises the value of parks and green spaces in providing vibrant and inclusive locations for communities to socialise, volunteer, work, and exercise. We have seen during the Covid-19 pandemic how important access to parks and green spaces are to local communities. MHCLG is aiming to explore how it can best support all urban parks and green spaces, taking into account the Government’s environmental, social, and health priorities.
Depending on local decisions, Core Spending Power in England may rise from £49 billion in 2020-21 to up to £51.3 billion in 2021-22, a 4.6% increase in cash terms. If councils do decide to take up the entirety of the increase on offer, they will see an increase in line with last years. This recognises the resources councils need to meet their pressures and maintain current service levels.
DEFRA are responsible for accessibility to green spaces and recognises the crucial importance they have for people’s health and well-being. The 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our comprehensive and long-term approach to protecting and enhancing our natural landscapes in England for the next generation, and to helping people improve their health and wellbeing by using green spaces.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) financial and (b) other steps his Department is taking to help high streets in (i) Coventry, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) England recover from the effect of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Luke Hall
The Government recognises that this is a challenging time and COVID-19 is having a significant impact on our communities, businesses and town centres.
In December we announced that up to £830 million has been allocated from the Future High Streets Fund. 15 areas have been awarded £255 million, with a further 57 areas to receive provisional funding of £576 million. This investment will support areas to recover from the pandemic and help transform underused town centres into vibrant places to live, work and shop. 10 high streets from the West Midlands will receive funding of up to £146 million from the Future High Streets Fund.
In September 2019, we announced the initial 101 places invited to develop Town Deal proposals as part of the £3.6 billion Towns Fund.
The objective of Town Deals is to drive the economic regeneration of towns to deliver long-term economic and productivity growth through land use, economic assets including cultural assets, skills and enterprise infrastructure, and connectivity.
Through the Towns Fund we will invest up to £25 million in each town, or more in exceptional cases, to drive the economic regeneration of towns to deliver long-term economic and productivity growth.
There are 15 towns in the West Midlands which have submitted Town Investment Plan proposals to MHCLG to secure a Town Deal.
On 3 March at Budget, the Chancellor announced 7 Town Deals for places in the West Midlands.
o Burton-upon-Trent - £22.8 million
o Kidsgrove - £16.9 million
o Nuneaton - £23.2 million
o Rowley Regis - £19 million
o Smethwick - £23.5 million
o West Bromwich - £25 million
o Wolverhampton - £25 million
We will make further announcements on the remaining Town Deals in due course.
Government is also providing support to local leadership through the High Streets Task Force, giving places expert advice to support their high streets and town centres to adapt and thrive. Coventry has been able to benefit from this as one of the pilot areas that have been leading the way in benefiting from expert and tailored support from the High Streets Task Force. More widely in the West Midlands, Stirchley and West Bromwich were also part of the 14-town pilot alongside Coventry. On 20 March we announced the next 70 Local Authorities to receive support from the Task Force, which included Stoke, Walsall and Wolverhampton from the West Midlands area.
In March we also announced the £56 million Welcome Back Fund to further support local authorities and their business communities as we begin to return to the high street. This builds on the £50 million Re-opening High Streets Safely Fund (RHSSF) announced in May 2020 to include an additional £5.6 million for the West Midlands and a further £335,000 for Coventry.
More widely, the Levelling Up Fund will directly support communities across the UK. It will make available up to £4.8 billion over four years from 2021-22 to 2024-25. The Fund will invest in local infrastructure that has a visible impact on people and their communities - including regenerating town centres and high streets, investing in local transport schemes, and upgrading local culture and heritage assets. The prospectus published at Budget sets out how local areas can access the first round of funding.