Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 03 July to Question 191183 on Local Government: Cheshire, if he will meet with the Hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston to discuss Cheshire Devolution, as requested.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
My office will be in touch to arrange a meeting.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
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 Westminster Hall debate on Future of the UK Constitution and Devolution on 8 March 2023, Official Report columns 131WH and 141WH, when he plans to respond to the request for a meeting to discuss Cheshire devolution.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Government is committed to extending devolution across England and seeing more empowered and accountable local leaders who can drive growth, innovate, and respond to the specific challenges and needs of their areas. I met with local leaders from across Cheshire and Warrington to discuss their devolution ambitions for the region. Details of ministerial meetings are published on gov.uk.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what meetings he has held with representatives of (a) leaseholders and (b) freeholders in the last three months.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Details of ministerial meetings are published on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many and what proportion of people on the Homes for Ukraine scheme are being housed in temporary accommodation.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
As we set out previously, we always knew that a proportion of our arrivals on the Homes for Ukraine scheme would end up relying on LA temporary accommodation services and that’s why we provided councils with a tariff for each arrival to allow them to plan appropriately.
Data on the number of Ukrainians, including those on the Homes for Ukraine scheme, in temporary accommodation is available here.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the costs incurred to leaseholders who must now seek legal advice and include the protections afforded Building Safety Act 2022 into contractual agreements for those wishing to extent or vary their lease.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We are aware of the issue concerning leaseholder protections where leases are extended or varied, and are looking to legislate to resolve this issue as soon as Parliamentary time allows. In the meantime, before pursuing a new lease to extend or vary an existing lease, leaseholders should seek legal advice and to come to an agreement with their landlord to apply the same protections as their existing contractual terms.
The department does not hold information on the costs likely to be incurred by leaseholders who must now seek legal advice, although many lease extensions will, in any event, involve leaseholders seeking such advice. We do expect landlords to make sure that lease extensions, and variations, reflect a qualifying leaseholder's current protections; where landlords are avoiding applying the protections as contractual terms, we are encouraging leaseholders to write to us so that we can follow this up.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he will take legislative steps to reapply the statutory leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act 2022 to leaseholders wishing to extend or vary their lease.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We are aware of the issue concerning leaseholder protections where leases are extended or varied, and are looking to legislate to resolve this issue as soon as Parliamentary time allows. In the meantime, before pursuing a new lease to extend or vary an existing lease, leaseholders should seek legal advice and to come to an agreement with their landlord to apply the same protections as their existing contractual terms.
The department does not hold information on the costs likely to be incurred by leaseholders who must now seek legal advice, although many lease extensions will, in any event, involve leaseholders seeking such advice. We do expect landlords to make sure that lease extensions, and variations, reflect a qualifying leaseholder's current protections; where landlords are avoiding applying the protections as contractual terms, we are encouraging leaseholders to write to us so that we can follow this up.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the number of leases that have been (a) varied and (b) extended since 14 February 2022.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The information requested is not held by DLUHC.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 182140 on 26th April 2023.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish the timetable for the extension of the Right to Buy scheme.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
I refer the Hon. Member to my answer to Question UIN 139221 on 13 February 2023.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had recent discussions with social landlords on the cost of rectifying damp and mould in their properties.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
We regularly engage with social landlords - as well as residents, experts and other sector representatives - about all aspects of our reform agenda, including our review of the Decent Homes Standard.