Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department issues on the financial support available to (a) councils and (b) private tenants whose buildings were built with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete and now need remedial work.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Building standards are a devolved matter, it is for the Scottish Government to determine the action that should be taken on affected buildings in Scotland. In England, building owners are responsible for ensuring their buildings are safe and should act quickly to fix any dangerous defects.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to provide financial support for (a) councils and (b) private tenants whose buildings were built with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete and now need remedial work.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Building standards are a devolved matter, it is for the Scottish Government to determine the action that should be taken on affected buildings in Scotland. In England, building owners are responsible for ensuring their buildings are safe and should act quickly to fix any dangerous defects.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to encourage the prioritisation of retrofitting over demolition and rebuilding for (a) public buildings, (b) high-rise flats and (c) other public housing.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
It is important to find the right balance between demolition and retrofitting of buildings to enable sustainable development.
We believe that consideration of the prioritisation allotted to retrofit compared to demolition is best addressed through a holistic review of national planning policy as part of our programme of changes to the planning system. We have also committed to consulting this year on our approach to measurement and reduction of embodied carbon in new buildings.
Planning is a devolved power, so it is up to each individual Administration to decide how they wish to develop policy in these areas.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many times the (a) webpage hosting the Model Tenancy Agreement has been visited and (b) Model Tenancy Agreement has been downloaded since 28 January 2021.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Since 28 January 2021, The Model Tenancy Agreement webpage has received 169,679 page views. In the same timeframe, there have been 92,108 downloads of the online version of the document, and 61,390 downloads of the print version.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has had with representatives of local authorities to help ensure that pets are not a barrier to domestic abuse survivors accessing temporary accommodation.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
It is absolutely critical that victims of domestic abuse get support and especially when they are in housing need. That is why we legislated through the Domestic Abuse Act to give people who are homeless as a result of being a victim of domestic abuse priority need for accommodation. Housing authorities should be sensitive to the importance of pets to applicants, particularly rough sleepers and domestic abuse survivors who may rely on pets for companionship. Although it will not always be possible to make provision for pets in temporary accommodation, housing authorities should give careful consideration to this aspect when making provision for applicants who wish to retain their pet.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that people fleeing domestic abuse with a pet are given the support they need to find suitable and safe accommodation.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Victims of domestic abuse with pets can face additional barriers to leaving an abusive relationship. Under the new statutory duties in the Domestic Abuse Act which came into force on 1 October 2021, local authorities must provide support for all victims of domestic abuse within safe accommodation when they need it. This includes victims who have a pet.
Associated regulations provide clear definitions of safe accommodation under the duty. This includes dispersed, self-contained accommodation, and sanctuary schemes in which the victim’s own home is made safe. Local authorities can refer to the regulations to help them provide support in safe accommodation suitable for victims with pets fleeing domestic abuse.