Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department has taken to communicate changes to voter eligibility to EU voters resident in the UK.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
The Electoral Commission, as the independent electoral regulator, holds responsibility for issuance of guidance for local authorities on electoral registration and voting.
This can be found at - Our guidance | Electoral Commission.
The Electoral Commission also worked (and has continued to work) with voter groups and civil society organisations by providing information and raising awareness on changes to voter registration and eligibility requirements following the passage of the Elections Act 2022.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on voter eligibility changes in the Elections Act 2022.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
The Electoral Commission, as the independent electoral regulator, holds responsibility for issuance of guidance for local authorities on electoral registration and voting.
This can be found at - Our guidance | Electoral Commission.
The Electoral Commission also worked (and has continued to work) with voter groups and civil society organisations by providing information and raising awareness on changes to voter registration and eligibility requirements following the passage of the Elections Act 2022.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department has taken to provide clarity to local planning authorities on the classification of dog grooming parlours.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 groups together uses which have similar land use impacts into classes, allowing flexibility to change between uses within each class.
It is for the local planning authority to consider the use of a particular property based on the specific details of the individual case.
We have not issued guidance on dog grooming parlours.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to provide updated guidance on the classification of dog grooming parlours in the Use Classes Order.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 groups together uses which have similar land use impacts into classes, allowing flexibility to change between uses within each class.
It is for the local planning authority to consider the use of a particular property based on the specific details of the individual case.
We have not issued guidance on dog grooming parlours.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has issued recent guidance to housing associations on the level of contribution they should make to estate service management fees.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department has not issued recent guidance around the level of contribution Housing Associations make to estate management fees.
Housing Associations may be responsible for managing communal areas on estates that they own, and the extent to which they can pass on the costs of such maintenance to leaseholders and tenants will depend on the terms of the lease and tenancy agreements.
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes measures designed to drive up the transparency of service charges to make them more easily challengeable if leaseholders consider them to be unreasonable.
The government is committed to acting quickly to implement the provisions of the Act. Further detail can be found in the written ministerial statement published on Thursday 21 November (HCWS244).
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending council tax legislation so new owners bringing previously empty properties back into use are not required to pay a council tax premium while renovating the property for a period of time.
Answered by Jim McMahon
The government recognises there may be circumstances where it would not be appropriate for a council tax premium to apply. That is why this government introduced a number of exceptions to council tax premiums which came into effect from 1 April 2025. This includes an exception for up to 12-months for empty dwellings undergoing major repairs. The government has published guidance setting out when premiums and exceptions may apply. This is available here - Guidance on the implementation of the council tax premiums on long-term empty homes and second homes - GOV.UK.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of standardising the contribution that Housing Associations make to estate service management fees.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department has not made a specific assessment of the implications of standardising the contribution that Housing Associations make to estate management fees.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to (a) limit and (b) prohibit the use of joint and several liability contracts in student housing.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government does not intend to restrict or prohibit the use of joint and several liability contracts in the student housing market. This is a well-established practice in the sector, allowing groups of students to choose to live together with their friends.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to update the Disabled Facilities Grant allocations formula; whether the large and growing older persons populations in rural areas will be carefully considered as part of this; when she expects any update to take place; and whether a consultation will be completed as part of this process.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
The government recognises how important home adaptations are in enabling disabled people to live as independently as possible in a safe and suitable environment. This is why the government has awarded an £86 million in-year uplift to the DFG for 2024-25, bringing the total funding for 2024-25 to £711 million.
The government has also confirmed £711 million for 2025-26. As set out in the Better Care Fund Policy Framework published on 30th January, government is reviewing the allocations formula for the Disabled Facilities Grant. The review is taking into account demographic and economic changes since the current approach was established in 2011. We will consult on a new formula during 2025 with the aim to adopt a new approach as soon as possible.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on the implementation of the recommendations of the report by British Future entitled Working it Out: Hong Kongers, Employment and the Cost of Living, published on 29 October 2024, that fall within the remit of the Department for Education.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government has noted the report. We continue to support Hong Kong British National (Overseas) on these issues through our Welcome Programme, including through specific English language provision, the network of Welcome Hubs and online resources that provide advice on employment, childcare and accessing public services.