Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
What steps he is taking to help ensure the adequacy of future funding for local authorities whose student populations will be reduced for Census 2021 during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Luke Hall
We are working closely with the Cabinet Office on the delivery of the elections and the census. We have provided extra funds to make sure they can be delivered safely, and we have published guidance alongside that as well. We have also committed, for the coming year, £11 billion directly to councils since the start of the pandemic, of which Cambridge City Council has so far received more than £5.4 million. On top of that, it will have the additional funding to help it deliver elections, and its share of the £1.55 billion that we have announced to help with covid-related pressures next year, including election pressures.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many airport radar towers have been built using permitted development rights.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
We do not hold information on the use of permitted development rights by airport operators.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the remaining £45 million of the £100 million in Affordable Housing Programme funding allocated to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority will be made available by the Government.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The 2017 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Devolution Deal provided the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority with £170 million to support delivery of at least 2,500 additional affordable housing starts across the area, of which £70 million was ringfenced for Cambridge City. The release of the remaining £100 million is subject to annual review by MHCLG to assess delivery progress and value for money. Ministers will communicate the outcome of this year's review to local partners once it has been finalised.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, by what date he plans for the New Homes Ombudsman to be appointed.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The New Homes Ombudsman scheme will enhance consumer protection for new build homebuyers. Published on 20 July 2020, the draft Building Safety Bill includes provision for the New Homes Ombudsman scheme to resolve disputes between developers and consumers. The legislation is currently undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny. Alongside introducing legislation, we continue to work with the industry-led New Homes Quality Board to consider the appointment of a voluntary New Homes Ombudsman scheme.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
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 provide financial support to district councils for the provision of covid-secure marshals.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government has provided local authorities with an unprecedented £3.7 billion in?unringfenced?funding to support them in responding to the pandemic, as well as further funding for adult social care and to support local outbreak planning. We will provide further details on marshals in due course.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will issue guidance on the use of EWS1 forms so that mortgage lenders cannot insist on them for buildings under 18m.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The EWS1 was developed by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in response to mortgage lender concerns about cladding on high-rise residential buildings, although the Government is aware that some lenders are requesting the assessment for lower-rise blocks. Property valuation arrangements are commercial decisions for individual lenders, but Government is supporting lenders as they review their approach to risk. The Minister for Building Safety will follow up his June lender roundtable at the end of this month to ensure that progress has been made.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, when the telephone line for IPSA will be re-opened.
Answered by Charles Walker
On 17 March, IPSA moved all of its staff to homeworking, in line with Government guidance. Members were asked to communicate any queries by email, and IPSA staff then called or emailed them back to provide advice or resolve any issues.
Phone lines reopened on 21 April, when IPSA adopted the common retail approach of a call booking system. This was trialled with around 70 MPs’ offices on their User Group in order to ensure the system worked effectively. Following a successful trial, on 4 May the approach was implemented for all Members of Parliament and their staff who are now able to book phone calls with IPSA payroll and support staff at a convenient time. IPSA has received 286 call bookings so far.
IPSA will keep these arrangements under review to ensure effective support to Members and their staff at this time.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what data (a) Local Resilience Forums and (b) local authorities are being asked to (i) record and (ii) report on during the covid-19 outbreak, and whether that data includes economic vulnerability and its effect on household food security.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) regularly report situational awareness of the local area effects. This includes a daily?self-assessment report,?information on PPE stocks and?information on the number of non-shielded vulnerable people within the local area.
Current data collection from local authorities includes monthly financial management information on the impact of COVID-19.
MHCLG does not collect data on economic vulnerability and its effect on household food security.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will publish regional or aggregated data from Local Resilience Forum Situation Reports on the number of non-shielded people using Local Resilience Forum helplines to (a) signal difficulty in accessing food or other basic necessities and (b) who are struggling due to financial vulnerability during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
We do not collect this data.