Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
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 collects on levels of home ownership.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The department’s main source of information on home ownership is the English Housing Survey. The full report with data tables is published here.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many Homes England Investment Partners for the Affordable Homes Programme have filed for insolvency.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The department has not been made aware of any Investment Partners in the Affordable Homes Programme that have become insolvent.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Social Housing regulator on the timetable for setting the regulatory standards relating to (a) competence and conduct and (b) information and transparency; and whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of providing assistance to (i) local authorities and (ii) social housing providers to meet those standards.
Answered by Jacob Young
In the coming months, the Government intends to consult on directions to the Regulator of Social Housing to set standards relating to the competence and conduct of social housing staff and information and transparency. Following this, Government will direct the Regulator, who will conduct their own consultations before the standards come into force.
We will carry out full impact assessments on implementing the standards. Social landlords are responsible for providing safe and decent homes for their tenants and meeting the regulatory standards. Landlords should not be looking to Government to fund meeting these requirements.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Answer of 25 October 2023 to Question 203012 on Social Rented Housing: Mould, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the funds raised from rent settlement to cover damp and mould repairs.
Answered by Jacob Young
Registered providers are spending record amounts on improving their tenants’ homes. This is funded primarily by rental income, alongside capital funding from government to help meet the costs of building safety remediation and improved energy efficiency.
If a Registered Provider is no longer able to do this without jeopardising its financial viability, it has the option of applying for an exemption from (or disapplication of) the Regulator of Social Housing’s Rent Standard. The Registered Provider will be expected to have considered all possible options to ensure its continued viability before such an exemption or disapplication is granted.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his Department's timetable is for extending the voluntary Right to Buy scheme.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Government remains committed to the Right to Buy, which since 1980 has enabled over two million social housing tenants to become homeowners.
Any future announcements will be set out in the usual way.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Answer of 8 March 2023 to Question 155257 on Parking: Fines, what the result is of the review on the levels of private parking charges and additional fees set out in the temporarily withdrawn Private Parking Code of Practice
Answered by Jacob Young
Further to the answer given to Question UIN 155257, a consultation on private parking charges and debt recovery fees is expected to take place in 2024. Government continues to work with the industry and consumer groups to reissue the Code as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will produce guidance for local authorities on spending on emergency homeless dispersal accommodation.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
We are providing in excess of £1 billion over three years through the Homelessness Prevention Grant to support local authorities to deliver their statutory homelessness duties. There is guidance on what local authorities are required to do in relation to their statutory homelessness duties in the Homelessness Code of Guidance.
.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
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 adequacy of the capacity of delivery agencies for delivering the aims of the Affordable Homes Programme.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
We regularly review resourcing requirements with our delivery partners - Homes England and the Greater London Authority - on the Affordable Homes Programme.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the impact of energy costs on the purchase of shared ownership extra care schemes.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
All shared ownership applicants must complete an affordability assessment with an independent, accredited financial adviser before completing their purchase. This assessment is designed to establish the size of share that the applicant should purchase and to ensure that they have the financial resources necessary to meet their ongoing housing costs over the long term.
Energy prices have come down 23% since their peak and the Government spent around £40 billion to cover around half a household's typical bill last winter, plus extra targeted support for older and disabled people. We are still providing extra support for those who need it most.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many Homes England Investment Partners for the Affordable Homes Programme have filed for insolvency.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The department expects Homes England to respond to all enquiries in good time, in keeping with the targets they set for their performance. While we oversee Homes England's performance overall, it is for the Homes England executive team and Board to manage operational performance including the timeframes for responding to enquiries and requests.