Written Question
Thursday 4th March 2021
Asked by:
Felicity Buchan (Conservative - Kensington)
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 potential merits of allocating funding to specialist retirement housing to tackle the housing shortage; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The growth of this sector is important for meeting the needs of the ageing population and supporting our housing supply objectives. We are investing over £12 billion in affordable housing over 5 years, the largest investment in affordable housing in a decade. This includes the new £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, where 10 per cent of delivery over the course of the programme will be used to increase the supply of much needed specialist or supported housing, including retirement housing.
We are continuing to work closely with the sector to look at how we can further support its growth.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 10 Feb 2021
Building Safety
"I thank the Secretary of State for working so closely with me on cladding issues over the past 15 months. I have been calling for a substantial and comprehensive package for cladding remediation, so I warmly welcome this announcement, which, importantly, allows funds to be deployed very quickly and does …..."Felicity Buchan - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 01 Feb 2021
Unsafe Cladding: Protecting Tenants and Leaseholders
"I pay tribute to my constituents—the Grenfell bereaved, the survivors and the wider community. I was shocked by several of the recommendations that came out of the Grenfell inquiry in November and December, especially those relating to building products, their testing and their marketing. It is clear that there have …..."Felicity Buchan - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 25 Jan 2021
Council Tax: Government’s Proposed Increase
"Will the hon. Gentleman please explain, if he does not think that councils should be increasing taxes, why the Mayor of London is proposing to increase his precept by 10%?..."Felicity Buchan - View Speech
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Written Question
Tuesday 19th January 2021
Asked by:
Felicity Buchan (Conservative - Kensington)
Question
to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether it is his policy that English Language Schools that have been forced to close under the covid-19 restrictions announced in January 2021 are eligible for grant funding coordinated by local authorities.
Answered by Luke Hall
We have made an additional £500 million available via the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) announced by the Chancellor on 5 January. This builds on the £1.1 billion already allocated following the second lockdown in November 2020.
This further grant funding is designed to support businesses that are severely impacted by the new Covid-19 restrictions. Local authorities have discretion to use this funding to support businesses in the way they see fit, and to determine which businesses are.
Local authorities must be assured that businesses applying for grants: a) have been mandated to close as a result of national restrictions, b) are solvent, c) are is eligible to pay business rates, and d) that the business in question is able to meet any other criteria laid out in the guidance. Where businesses do not meet this criteria, local authorities have the ability to provide discretionary grant funding via the Additional Restrictions Grant.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 17 Dec 2020
Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement
"I thank my right hon. Friend for all the support that my council has received during coronavirus. One issue that my council faces is that we raise an awful lot in business rates, given the high property values in Kensington. We get very little of that back, yet our high …..."Felicity Buchan - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 15 Dec 2020
Planning for the Future
"Thank you, Sir Charles. I congratulate the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Sarah Olney) on securing the debate. I think all Members present agree that we need more homes, and more affordable homes. Picking up the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington South (Andy Carter), however, …..."Felicity Buchan - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 15 Dec 2020
Planning for the Future
"I agree with the hon. Lady that we need more socially rented homes. As my right hon. Friend the Member for East Hampshire (Damian Hinds) said, we need a wide range of tenures across the spectrum. In my local authority, we are building 600 new homes this year. Of that, …..."Felicity Buchan - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 15 Dec 2020
Planning for the Future
"That is an exceptionally good point. The other point I want to make about local plans being decided up front, with no subsequent planning permission, is that they cover a period of three years, and we all know how volatile the housing market has been over the course of the …..."Felicity Buchan - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 15 Dec 2020
Planning for the Future
"Yes.
I welcome those proposals, but can we review the White Paper? I have fed into the consultation, but we need much more focus on local decision making...."Felicity Buchan - View Speech
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