Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reductions in local authority funding on Sunderland City Council's delivery of essential services.
Answered by Marcus Jones
Sunderland’s Core Spending Power was £232 million in 2015-16 and will be £231 million in 2019-20. The 4 year settlement means councils can plan ahead with confidence.
Local authorities are independent of central government and are responsible for managing their budgets in line with local priorities. Local spending decisions are better made by people who understand their communities and who are best placed to make the right call.
Sunderland City Council, like other councils, have continued to balance their budget while reducing council tax in real terms and maintaining public satisfaction with services.
The Spending Review took account of the costs of delivery of essential services and set out a sustainable basis for local authorities to discharge their functions. In addition, Spring Budget 2017 announced a further £2 billion funding in England to spend on adult social care over the next 3 years, of which Sunderland was allocated over £14 million over the next 3 years.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to monitor (a) letting agent fees, (b) lease terms and (c) safety standards in rented properties.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The Government is committed to building a strong and safe private rented sector, which provides security and stability for both tenants and landlords. We announced at the 2016 Autumn Statement a ban on letting agent fees paid by tenants, to improve competition in the private rental market and give renters greater clarity and control over what they will pay. The Government will consult in the Spring on the detail of implementation.
The Housing White Paper outlines the Government’s intention to promote fairness and transparency for the growing number of leaseholders. We will consult on a range of measures to tackle all unfair and unreasonable abuses of leasehold and consider further reforms through the consultation to improve consumer choice and fairness for leaseholders.
An increasing number of private tenants are happy with their tenure and standards are improving. We are determined to ensure all sectors of the housing market provide decent homes.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people's views are taken into account on those proposals in the chapters of the White Paper, Fixing Our Broken Housing Market, published on 7 February 2017, which are not subject to public consultation.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The Government's Housing White Paper should be read as a comprehensive package of reforms to fix the broken housing market which the Government will implement. On specific policy areas where we require detailed advice on policy proposals, we have set out clear deadlines for consultation and welcome feedback. Full information can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fixing-our-broken-housing-market
In addition, our Housing White Paper roadshow has involved visits to nine locations across the country, setting out the ambitious government reforms and listening to the opinions of local housing and planning professionals and the wider public .
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to consult on Chapters 3 and 4 of his Department's White Paper, entitled Fixing our broken housing market, Cm 9352, published in February 2017.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The Government will be consulting on a range of measures in the Housing White Paper. On Chapters 3 and 4, these include:
A consultation seeking views on planning measures to support an increase in Build to Rent schemes across England. Further details on the consultation and how to respond can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-and-affordable-housing-for-build-to-rent
A consultation on the definition of affordable housing for planning purposes and amendments to Starter Homes policy. Further details on the consultation and how to respond can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fixing-our-broken-housing-market-consultation
A commitment to consult on banning lettings agents fees to tenants ahead of legislation.
A commitment to consult on a range of measures to tackle unfair and unreasonable abuses of leasehold.
A commitment to bring forward a Green Paper on implementing the new funding model for Supported Housing and the approach to short term accommodation.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the potential effect on (a) funding for and (b) services provided by local authorities is of the repeal of EU laws and directives.
Answered by Marcus Jones
The Prime Minister has said that she intends to trigger Article 50 by the end of March next year. Negotiations between the UK and the European Union cannot start before then. The Government will not be giving a running commentary on the negotiations. However, we are working closely with the Local Government Association and councils across the country to ensure local government takes advantage of the opportunities that exit from the European Union will bring.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that local government representatives are included in the negotiations on the UK's exit from the EU.
Answered by Marcus Jones
DCLG is determined that the voice of local government is heard in negotiations, and both Ministers and officials have an ongoing dialogue with local government on this issue. For instance, David Davis will have monthly meetings with the Mayor of London, and local government representatives are members of the DCLG Exiting the EU Programme Board which oversees the department’s work.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on their future access to European structural funding.
Answered by Andrew Percy
I have regular meetings with local authorities to discuss their access to European Structural Funding.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with local authorities about their future access to European Structural Funding.
Answered by Andrew Percy
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has confirmed to local authority representatives the government's commitment to continued access to the European Structural and Investment Funds up to the point the United Kingdom leaves the European Union. There is regular discussion about using these Funds to support projects that deliver growth and jobs at national and local partnership meetings, which local authority members participate fully in.
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the change in the number of affordable homes to (a) rent and (b) buy since 2010.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The numbers of social rent dwellings recorded as started by the Homes and Communities Agency and the Greater London Authority are published in Live Table 1012:
www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply
The numbers of private registered provider and local authority dwellings for the period are available in Live Table 100:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants
Notes:
The numbers of affordable homes to buy provided by private registered providers and local authorities in each year are available in live table 1000:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply
Asked by: Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of trends in the number of statutory homeless households between 2009-10 and 2015-16.
Answered by Marcus Jones
Homelessness acceptances remain less than half the 2003-4 peak, but one person without a home is still one too many. That is why we have protected £315 million for local authority homelessness prevention funding, and secured £139 million central government funding in this Parliament.
We have a strong homelessness safety net, but we want to go further by putting prevention at the heart of our approach to tackling homelessness. We are therefore supporting Bob Blackman MP’s Private Members’ Bill. The Homelessness Reduction Bill will significantly reform England’s homelessness legislation, ensuring that more people get the help they need earlier to prevent them from becoming homelessness in the first place.
The statutory homelessness statistics are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness