Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment the Government has made of the impact of HMO licensing requirements on compliance with (a) fire, (b) carbon monoxide and (c) gas safety requirements in homes in which asylum seekers are tenants; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of those licensing requirements on such tenants' (i) wellbeing, (ii) physical health and (iii) mental health.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
All licensed houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) are required to comply with mandatory conditions which include a gas safety certificate being presented annually to the local authority; ensuring that a carbon monoxide alarm is installed in any room in the house which is used wholly or partly as living accommodation and contains a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker; and ensuring that a smoke alarm is installed on each storey on which there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation.
All asylum accommodation used by the Home Office will remain subject to the Home Office accommodation contracts which set out clear minimum standards for asylum accommodation including fire, carbon-monoxide and gas safety. The Home Office Contracts Assurance team will inspect each HMO property benefitting from licensing exemption at least once in the two-year exemption period to ensure that Service Providers are adhering to the housing quality standards set out in the contracts. All local authorities will retain powers to enforce wider private rented sector standards.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment his Department has made of the importance of Local Government’s role in the (a) development of local plans and (b) determination of planning applications; and what assessment he has made of the impact of that role on the (i) strength of local democracy (ii) strength of local communities and (iii) planning outcomes.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
Local government plays a pivotal role in the operation of the planning system, through the preparation of local plans and the decisions taken on planning applications. In both cases, it is essential to involve communities to ensure that development is brought forward in a way that works best for them. Recognising this, the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill strengthens the role of democratically produced plans when making decisions on planning applications, so that applicants will need to give strong reasons to go against the local plan.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to minimise light pollution in (a) existing street lighting, (b) new housing and (c) new commercial developments.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities.
Our planning policy is clear that by encouraging good design, planning policies and decisions should limit the impact of light pollution from artificial light.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on how much money was paid for councils to support domestic violence refuge shelters for domestic abuse victims (a) employed but not in receipt of benefits, (b) unemployed and not in receipt of benefits and (c) with no access to funds in each of the last five years.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
As set out previously, since 2020 the Department has provided £393.9 million in funding to local councils for the provision of support in domestic abuse safe accommodation - £16.6 million in 2020/21, £125 million in both 2021/22 and 2022/23 and £127.3 million for 2023/24. The links can be found here.
In addition, we have committed to a further £129.7 million for the delivery of these duties in 2024/25. The link can be found here.
This funding is for support which is available to all domestic abuse victims who are residing in refuges and other types of safe accommodation regardless of their employment status.
The Department does not hold employment and benefits data on individuals in domestic abuse safe accommodation services.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many domestic abuse survivors who (a) were employed and not in receipt of benefits, (b) were unemployed and not in receipt of benefits, (c) had no recourse to public funds, (d) were unemployed and in receipt of benefits and (e) were employed and in receipt of benefits have been admitted to domestic violence refuge shelters in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
As set out previously, since 2020 the Department has provided £393.9 million in funding to local councils for the provision of support in domestic abuse safe accommodation - £16.6 million in 2020/21, £125 million in both 2021/22 and 2022/23 and £127.3 million for 2023/24. The links can be found here.
In addition, we have committed to a further £129.7 million for the delivery of these duties in 2024/25. The link can be found here.
This funding is for support which is available to all domestic abuse victims who are residing in refuges and other types of safe accommodation regardless of their employment status.
The Department does not hold employment and benefits data on individuals in domestic abuse safe accommodation services.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 a comparative assessment of the number of domestic abuse survivors who were (a) not in receipt of benefits, (b) employed and (c) both employed and not in receipt of benefits who were admitted to a domestic violence refuge shelter in each of the last five years.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
As set out previously, since 2020 the Department has provided £393.9 million in funding to local councils for the provision of support in domestic abuse safe accommodation - £16.6 million in 2020/21, £125 million in both 2021/22 and 2022/23 and £127.3 million for 2023/24. The links can be found here.
In addition, we have committed to a further £129.7 million for the delivery of these duties in 2024/25. The link can be found here.
This funding is for support which is available to all domestic abuse victims who are residing in refuges and other types of safe accommodation regardless of their employment status.
The Department does not hold employment and benefits data on individuals in domestic abuse safe accommodation services.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) capping service charge rises at the rate of CPI inflation, (b) requiring housing association landlords to publish an annual independent audit of service charges, (c) implementing a requirement for housing associations to fully itemise bills and accompany them with validated receipts and (d) requiring the boards of housing associations to improve monitoring of (i) service charges and (ii) complaints systems.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
Variable service charges must be reasonable and, where costs relate to works or services, the works or services must be of a reasonable standard.
We believe that charges to leaseholders and social housing tenants should be transparent and communicated effectively, and there should be a clear route to challenge them if things go wrong.
With regard specifically to social housing tenants I refer the Hon. Member to the oral answers given on 27 March 2023 (Official Report, HC, Volume 730, Column 644) and to the answers given to Question UIN 114788 on 13 January 2023 and Question UIN 86547 on 23 November 2022.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps the Government has taken to improve the transparency of service charges.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
Variable service charges must be reasonable and, where costs relate to works or services, the works or services must be of a reasonable standard.
We believe that charges to leaseholders and social housing tenants should be transparent and communicated effectively, and there should be a clear route to challenge them if things go wrong.
With regard specifically to social housing tenants I refer the Hon. Member to the oral answers given on 27 March 2023 (Official Report, HC, Volume 730, Column 644) and to the answers given to Question UIN 114788 on 13 January 2023 and Question UIN 86547 on 23 November 2022.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps the Government has taken to help first-time buyers purchase a home.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
This Government is committed to helping to make the dream of homeownership a reality, and operates a range of relevant schemes which aim to make home ownership more affordable. Since spring 2010, over 829,000 households have been helped to purchase a home through Government-backed schemes including Help to Buy and Right to Buy. Current government schemes include First Homes, Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, Shared Ownership and Lifetime ISA. We have also expanded First-Time Buyers Relief on stamp duty, raising the threshold at which it becomes payable from £300,000 to £425,000 - this will apply until 31 March 2025.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that immunocompromised people at polling stations can still vote if they do not take off their face masks inside to verify identification; and whether people will be offered the option to remove face masks outside of polling stations for verification purposes.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 180947 on 20 April 2023.
Regarding the review of the introduction of voter identification, I refer to the answer I gave to Question UIN 162192 on 14 March 2023.
It is for Returning Officers and Presiding Officers to ensure that suitable arrangements are in place for checking the identity of disabled and immunocompromised people who are vulnerable to COVID-19. This may include checking identification outside the polling place where appropriate.