Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the joint Maritime UK and Local Government Association Coastal Special Interest Group's Coastal Powerhouse Manifesto, published in September 2021.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
We appreciate Maritime UK and the Local Government Association Coastal Special Interest Group's detailed and insightful Coastal Powerhouse manifesto and we recognise the value of the recommendations made. We welcome the continuous engagement of the sector as we are progressing with our levelling up agenda. In this respect, we share the view expressed on the need to continue the strong partnership that exists between Government and key stakeholder groups.
Britain's maritime sector is inextricably linked to our island's rich history - to the exploration, free trade and global exchange which laid the foundations for modern Britain. Our maritime sector, our ports, harbours and coastal towns are extremely important to recovery from the pandemic.
As the Coastal Powerhouse Manifesto has highlighted, there are a number of areas where action must be taken to catalyse investment, level-up coastal communities and capitalise on the potential of the UK's coastal regions. That is why we are working with local leaders to ensure every region including coastal areas, cities and towns will recover from COVID-19 and ultimately level-up. The Levelling Up White Paper will set out ambitious policies to improve living standards, increase opportunity, and grow the private sector in every part of the United Kingdom, from Aberdeen to Aylesbury, Belfast to Brecon.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the number of ivory items owned by or collated by his Department.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
We have not made any estimates of the number of ivory items owned by or collated in this Department or institutions owned or managed by the Government.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if local authorities will provide housing assistance to leaseholders at risk of (a) bankruptcy or (b) homelessness as a result of capital costs of removing and replacing unsafe non-ACM cladding systems not met by the Building Safety Fund.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
This Government has committed £5.1 billion of grant funding through the Building Safety Fund for the removal and replacement of unsafe cladding on residential buildings over 18 metres. The Secretary of State is looking closely at this issue to make sure everything is being done to support leaseholders. Further detail on the support for leaseholders with unsafe cladding in residential buildings of 11 - 18 metres will be released when all options have been fully considered. We continue to examine what more can be done to protect and support leaseholders.
Government funding does not absolve building owners of their responsibility to ensure that buildings are safe. All routes to meet costs, for example through warranties and recovering costs from contractors for incorrect or poor work should be explored. The Building Safety Bill also contains measures to protect leaseholders by providing a legal requirement for building owners to prove they have tried all routes to cover the cost of essential safety works, along with evidence that this has been done. If this does not happen, leaseholders will be able to challenge these costs in the courts.
The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 places duties on local housing authorities to take reasonable steps to try to prevent and relieve a person's homelessness. Local authorities must work with people at risk of losing their homes to develop personalised housing plans, tailored to focus on the needs and circumstances of the household.
We have provided local authorities with £310 million through the Homelessness Prevention Grant this year to support those at risk of homelessness. Local authorities may use homelessness funding flexibly in line with local need.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
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 provide any financial support to leaseholders who own properties in buildings which are under the 18 metre threshold with unsafe cladding.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 56598 on 25 October 2021.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what support he is giving to leaseholders who are unable to sell their properties without a valid EWS1 form, despite that form not being legally required for the sale of the property.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
An independent expert statement in July this year was clear that there is no systemic risk of fire in residential buildings under 18 metres and that EWS1s should not be required by lenders on buildings under 18 metres. The Government strongly supports this position and made this clear in its written statement of 21 July.
In the small minority of cases under 18 metres where concerns are identified via an up to date statutory fire risk assessment, and risk management and mitigation is not an option, leaseholders will be able to access a financing scheme, where costs will not exceed £50 a month. This commitment offers assurance to lenders concerned about financial risk.
Government remains committed to working with lenders to support a more proportionate approach to mortgage lending on blocks of flats.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what support he is giving to leaseholders who own properties in buildings which are under the 18m threshold for financial support from the Building Safety Fund.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Building owners and industry should make buildings safe without passing on costs to leaseholders and we are introducing new measures that will legally require building owners to prove they have tried all routes to cover costs. The fire risk is lower in buildings under 18 metres and costly remediation work is usually not needed. Where fire risks are identified, they should always be managed proportionately. The Secretary of State is looking closely at this issue to make sure everything is being done to support leaseholders. Further detail on the support offer for leaseholders in residential buildings of 11-18 metres will be released when all options have been fully considered.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
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 expediency of funds disbursed under the Building Safety Fund.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
We have already allocated £734 million of funding from the original £1 billion first announced for Building Safety Fund, but it is important to remember that we are reliant on building owners providing the necessary basic information for us to assess their registrations to the fund and we continue to encourage these building owners who are yet to provide the information to do so. As more building owners are completing their applications and giving us the information we need, so too is the pace of allocation of funding increasing.