Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has considered Palantir for any contracts involving a data-driven approach to levelling up.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
As a regulated contracting Authority, all contracting decisions are made in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 or other relevant regulations where applicable. Contracting opportunities are advertised for competition or competed through previously advertised routes, including Framework agreements unless award without competition is permissible under those Regulations.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when the next round of Levelling Up funding will be announced.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Government will announce results of the second round of the Levelling Up Fund by the end of January 2023.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of having a Council Tax exemption for flats or accommodation above public houses when the public house is empty and the building is due undergo refurbishment.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government has no plans to introduce a mandatory council tax exemption for accommodation above a public house undergoing renovation. Councils have discretion, under section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, to provide their own council tax discounts and exemptions where they consider it appropriate.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential (a) direct and (b) indirect financial benefits to Shropshire of Shropshire Council's bid for £18 million from the Levelling Up fund.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
Following the bid deadline on 2nd August 2022, all bids to the second round of the Levelling Up Fund, including Shropshire Council's bid, are being assessed, following the robust process set out in published guidance.
I hope my Hon. Friend will understand that, for reasons of fairness, I cannot discuss our assessment of individual bids during this period of competition, whilst bids are being evaluated.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to take steps to extend the deadline to submit new applications for the Help to Buy Scheme.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Help to buy has helped over 361,000 households to own their own home and will continue to help thousands of people until March 2023. The deadline for applications for the Help to Buy scheme is Monday 31 October 2022, ahead of the final legal completion deadline of 31 March 2023. No extensions to these dates are planned.
The scheme is just one of the ways the Government has made homeownership more achievable and affordable. Shared Ownership, First Homes and the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme continue to support many more people into homes of their own.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact on homelessness of building more modular homes.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
DLUHC shares the cross-government objective of increasing the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). MMC provides an important opportunity to improve the quality of new homes, deliver more energy efficient homes, reduce construction waste, improve productivity and address the shortage in construction skills.
It is for local authorities to identify the size, type and tenure of housing needed in their community and reflect this in planning, housing and homelessness strategy
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of awarding levelling up funding to Shrewsbury.
Answered by Lia Nici
Shrewsbury will benefit from over £12 million of funding that was allocated to Shropshire from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund supports the UK Government's wider commitment to level up all parts of the UK.
The second round of the Levelling Up Fund is now open for applications and will look to build on the success of round one, which saw £1.7 billion awarded to 105 successful projects across the UK. I would encourage Shropshire Council to bring forward any projects they feel may be suitable for the Fund prior to the application deadline of midday on 2 August.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what support the Government is providing for Section 106 scheme potential home owners to obtain a mortgage.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
In many cases, developers provide affordable homes through section 106 agreements associated with housing developments. The homeowners would apply for mortgages in the same way as other buyers, by applying to mortgage lenders such as banks and societies. Some providers of affordable housing may refer buyers to mortgage brokers for support with finding a lender.
There are a wide variety of mortgage products available in the UK and borrowers may therefore find it useful to speak to a broker who can advise on the products and lenders best suited to their circumstances.
On 9 June the Prime Minister announced a review of the mortgage market to boost access to finance for first-time buyers.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of Levelling Up funding on stimulating economic activity in Shrewsbury town centre.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
I welcome Shropshire Council's ambitious plans to regenerate Shrewsbury town centre. Shropshire's first round Levelling Up Fund bid, which focused on regenerating Shrewsbury town centre, was assessed by DLUHC officials impartially and robustly against four key criteria, including an assessment of the economic case. While Shropshire Council's bid was not successful in what was a highly competitive national competition, I would strongly encourage the local authority to bid again in the second round of the Levelling Up Fund, further details of which will be announced in the spring. Shropshire will also receive an allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, when it launches later this Spring, to invest in local priority projects in the area.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Levelling Up White Paper, published on 2 February 2022, whether the Government has plans to establish a single unitary authority to deliver services across the county of Shropshire.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The UK Government will not impose top-down restructuring of local government. Reorganisation remains a locally-led avenue available where there is broad local support.