Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure there is a sufficient supply of accessible and adaptable homes for older and disabled people who require such housing.
Answered by Lee Rowley
I refer the Hon. Member to the answers give to Question UIN 183870 on 11 May 2023, to Question UIN 187138 on 12 June 2023 and to Question UIN HL8422 on 26 June 2023.
Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his timetable is for (a) the second consultation on the decision to make the design standard for all new homes accessible and adaptable and (b) the implementation for that decision.
Answered by Lee Rowley
I refer the Hon. Member to the answers give to Question UIN 183870 on 11 May 2023, to Question UIN 187138 on 12 June 2023 and to Question UIN HL8422 on 26 June 2023.
Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
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 mental health and therapeutic support available for (a) Ukrainian child refugees and (b) other Ukrainian refugees.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
Ukrainians fleeing their home and arriving in the UK under Homes for Ukraine are guaranteed free access to NHS healthcare, including mental health care services and registration with a GP.
Asked by: Lilian Greenwood (Labour - Nottingham South)
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 has made an assessment of the potential merits of reinstating measures previously introduced during the covid-19 outbreak to (a) have court eviction proceedings stayed and (b) extend the minimum notice period for section 21 evictions from two to four months during the period in which tenants and advice services are affected by the spread of the omicron variant.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The action we took at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic helped keep renters in their homes- through banning bailiff evictions, extending notice periods and unprecedented financial support
These measures worked - fewer households have been assessed as homeless, there are fewer rough sleepers and fewer possession claims are now being made to court. There was a reduction of 34% of those at risk of homelessness due to service of a Section 21 notice between April and June 2021 compared to the same quarter in 2019.
Most measures that were put in place to support renters during the pandemic have now lifted. We continue to monitor the situation using the public health data, homelessness data, English Housing Resilience Survey data and repossession statistics. There are no current plans to reintroduce the emergency measures to delay evictions given the wider lifting of national restrictions, the success of the vaccination roll-out and the impact that these measures have on landlords. .
Bailiffs must, however, provide at least 14 days' notice of an eviction and will not carry out an eviction if they are made aware that anyone living in the property has COVID-19 symptoms or is self-isolating.
We have also retained the power to reintroduce longer notice periods until 25 March 2022 if needed and significant support is available to renters through the welfare system.