Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
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 written evidence submitted by the Information Commissioner’s Office to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee for its inquiry into the Regulation of Social Housing, RSH103, HC 18, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recommendation that registered social landlords be made subject to Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
Through the proposed Access to Information Scheme, private registered providers of social housing will have similar obligations as they would under FOIA (Freedom of Information Act 2000), enabling tenants to access information about their landlords.
The department has had discussions with the Scottish Information Commissioner's Office over on the impact that extending Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act (FOISA) has had on Scottish private registered providers.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Scottish Government on its rent cap; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending this policy to other parts of the UK.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
The department continues to engage regularly with the Scottish Government.
Whilst we recognise the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen this year, evidence from countries such as Sweden and Germany, and from cities such as San Francisco, suggests rent controls in the private rented sector have unwelcome consequences.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
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 Citizen's Advice report entitled Damp, cold and full of mould: the reality of housing in the private rented sector, published in February 2023, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his Department’s policies of that report's recommendations.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
We share the concerns of Citizens Advice. That is why we wrote to local authorities last year regarding improving conditions for private tenants, particularly around dangerous damp and mould.
We published our white paper 'A fairer private rented sector' in June 2022, setting out our plans to drive up quality in privately rented homes.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
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 Written Statement of 17 March 2022, HCWS696, on Housing Update, when the Government plans to bring forward legislation on regulation of supported exempt housing.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
As I noted on the floor of the House on 18 November 2022, the Government is supporting the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill which is currently progressing through Parliament.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
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 make an assessment of the impact of local authority environmental health teams on ensuring good environmental health conditions for local communities; and what steps he is taking to ensure the adequacy of funding for environmental health teams within local authorities.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Defra provides a large amount of funding and guidance through different routes to support local authorities.
The Secretary of State for Levelling Up wrote to all local authorities on 19 November 2022, asking them to provide the Department with information on their assessment of damp and mould hazards in privately rented properties in their areas, and the action they are taking to remediate them.
The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2023/24 makes available an additional £3 billion of taxpayer subsidy to councils in England, before local decisions about council tax changes are made. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced in recognition of councils being best placed to understand local priorities.”
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, for what reasons his Department will not introduce the Renters Reform Bill in this parliamentary session.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
The government remains committed to introducing a Renters Reform Bill within this Parliament, and we will do so as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
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 given on 14 December 2022 to Question 87813, on Gazumping, whether the evaluation of the effectiveness of voluntary reservation agreements mentioned in that Answer has been completed; and what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing voluntary reservation agreements in the home buying and selling process.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
Announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
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 bring forward urgently legislative proposals on renters reform.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
We will do so in this Parliament as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
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 protect private renters from rent increases.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living. That is why the government has previously taken action to support those who need it most worth over £37 billion in 2022-23.
The White Paper 'A Fairer Private Rented Sector' outlines our proposed reforms.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
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 make an assessment of the potential impact of the Growth Plan 2022, published on 23 September 2022, CP 743, on rent increases in the private rented sector.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
The Department continues to monitor private rented sector market data, including the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Index of Private Housing Rental Prices.