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Written Question
Housing: Solar Power
Wednesday 6th September 2023

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to CPRE, the countryside charity’s report entitled Shout from the rooftops: delivering a common sense solar revolution, published in May 2023, whether he plans to ensure that the Future Homes Standard requires roof space-mounted solar arrays to be installed on new homes.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Renewable energy, such as that generated from solar panels, is a key part of our strategy to get to net zero.

Not all homes are suitable for solar panels. For instance, some homes are heavily shaded due to nearby buildings or trees.

Under the Future Homes Standard, the Building Regulations will continue to set performance-based standards. Our approach to achieving higher standards will remain technology-neutral, to provide flexibility to choose the most appropriate and cost-effective solutions.


Written Question
Buildings: Safety
Monday 24th April 2023

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

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 Building Safety Act 2022, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of capping the cost that construction companies can charge for building work.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The department has a robust cost framework in place using earlier tender price data, industry benchmarks and modelling to drive best value for grant funded remediations. It would be difficult in practice to establish price caps given the wide range of building types and materials. Price ceilings also risk distorting the market and industry practice, as well as reducing the appetite of suppliers to participate in remediation projects.


Written Question
Business: Finance
Wednesday 1st December 2021

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

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 £1.5 billion fund announced in March 2021 to support businesses that were not able to benefit from business rates relief during the covid-19 outbreak, when he plans to publish indicative criteria as to which businesses are eligible to receive assistance via that fund.

Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade

The £1.5 billion fund will be allocated to local authorities based on the stock of properties in the area whose sectors have been affected by COVID-19 and are ineligible for existing support linked to business rates


My Department will publish guidance to help local authorities set up their local schemes once the legislation relating to COVID-19 Material Change of Circumstances provisions has passed. This will include the eligibility criteria for the scheme and individual local authority allocations. Decisions on the award of relief will ultimately be for local authorities, having regard to the guidance.


Written Question
Business: Finance
Wednesday 1st December 2021

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

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 £1.5 billion fund announced in March 2021 to support businesses that were not able to benefit from business rates relief during the covid-19 outbreak, whether he plans to give local authorities information on the amounts that they are likely to receive for the purposes of assisting with their financial planning.

Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade

The £1.5 billion fund will be allocated to local authorities based on the stock of properties in the area whose sectors have been affected by COVID-19 and are ineligible for existing support linked to business rates


My Department will publish guidance to help local authorities set up their local schemes once the legislation relating to COVID-19 Material Change of Circumstances provisions has passed. This will include the eligibility criteria for the scheme and individual local authority allocations. Decisions on the award of relief will ultimately be for local authorities, having regard to the guidance.


Written Question
Civic Dignitaries: Safety
Tuesday 2nd November 2021

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with local government leaders on the safety of elected representatives when carrying out their democratic duties.

Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade

The Secretary of State recently attended a Local Government Forum where this issue was raised.

To protect elected members' safety, the Government is reviewing proposals to remove the requirement to publish home addresses on registers of interests and has already changed the law to remove the requirement for people standing as local councillors to have their home addresses published on ballot papers.

The LGA provides comprehensive guidance and advice for councillors on personal safety on their website and is considering developing a further training offer and bespoke advice.


Written Question
Landlords: Licensing
Tuesday 20th July 2021

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13th July 2021 to Question 29072 on Landlords: Licensing, which three local authorities currently have schemes under consideration.

Answered by Eddie Hughes

Due to potential commercial and political sensitivities, we are unable to provide the names of councils with schemes under consideration.


Written Question
Landlords: Licensing
Tuesday 13th July 2021

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which local authorities have requested approval from his Department for the (a) extension and (b) creation of a landlord licensing scheme and are yet to receive a decision.

Answered by Eddie Hughes

The Department does not make a distinction between renewals and new schemes when processing selective licensing applications.

There are three schemes currently under consideration.


Written Question

Question Link

Monday 24th February 2020

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of Government funding for local authorities in England.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

The Government has responded to the pressures councils are facing. The settlement provides access to an estimated 4.4 per cent increase in core spending power; the largest year on year increase in a decade, with a further £1.5 billion to fund adult and children’s social care.


Written Question
Leasehold: Reform
Monday 10th February 2020

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department plans to respond to the proposals for leasehold reform published by the Law Commission on 9 January 2020.

Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The Government is looking to standardise the enfranchisement process and asked the Law Commission to review current arrangements to make them easier, faster, fairer and cheaper. The Law Commission has now published its first report to Government, on the valuation aspects of enfranchisement. The report, which follows a consultation by the Law Commission, sets out a number of options relating to valuation, including purchasing a freehold and extending the lease of a house or flat. The Law Commission will report on the remaining aspects of enfranchisement later in the spring.??The Government will carefully consider the?proposals outlined in the Law Commission’s report and set out?its?preferred way forward in due course.


Written Question
Social Rented Housing: Mental Illness
Monday 15th October 2018

Asked by: Jeff Smith (Labour - Manchester, Withington)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government plans to take to ensure the social housing system supports people with mental health problems.

Answered by Heather Wheeler

I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 176245 on 11 October 2018.