Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how the combustibility testing regime being used to test samples of building materials as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire was chosen.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
On 30 June, we published a note at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/explanatory-note-on-safety-checks-and-testing
This note sets out how the screening methodology for testing of cladding was chosen. On 6 July we then published details of further tests to be carried out as the next step in helping landlords to ensure the safety of their buildings. These large scale tests will help establish how different types of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) panels, in combination with different types of insulation, behave in a fire. Further detail about the next testing stage can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/expert-panel-recommends-further-tests-on-cladding-and-insulation
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 85 of the report, UK Poverty: Causes and Solutions, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on 6 September 2016, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the recommendation to devolve decisions about the implementation of selective licensing to local or combined authorities.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
Since April 2015, government approval is required for selective licensing schemes that encompass more than:
At the same time measures were introduced to make targeted licensing schemes easier to introduce by widening the licensing criteria of low housing demand or anti-social behaviour to include: migration, crime, poor property condition and deprivation.
These changes were introduced to ensure that local authorities apply selective licensing in a targeted way to help address specific problems in the areas concerned.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 79 of the report, UK Poverty: Causes and Solutions, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on 6 September 2016, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the recommendation to build all new homes to Lifetime Homes Standard, and to ensure that up-to-date registers are kept of accessible and suitable social housing.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
The Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 introduced a duty on the Secretary of State to issue further guidance on the provision of accessible housing to meet the needs of older and disabled people. This will help local authorities to determine when to apply the higher access standards available in Building Regulations optional requirements for accessible and adaptable homes, which is based on Lifetime Homes. This will help meet the needs of those groups identified in the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report.
Accessible housing registers can be useful and we are aware that some councils and social landlords have incorporated such an approach within their lettings scheme.
The Government believes it is important that people who require accessible housing are given the right level of priority and that councils and social landlords are able to make the best use of affordable housing in their area.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local authority licencing schemes in improving safety and living standards in the private rented housing sector.
Answered by Lord Barwell
Licensing is effective in delivering improved standards in the private sector when applied as necessary, for example, to target high risk houses in multiple occupation, or in specific areas that are suffering from problems, such as those associated with low demand for housing or anti-social behaviour.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to strengthen local authority powers to deal with rogue landlords.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The Government is committed to providing a strong professional private rented sector with decent standards and good service. An existing framework provides local authorities with strong powers to require that landlords make necessary improvements to a property. Through the Housing and Planning Act 2016 the Government introduced a range of new measures to crack down further on rogue landlords. Local authorities can now impose civil penalties of up to £30,000 as an alternative to prosecution and we have extended rent repayment orders to allow tenants and local authorities to reclaim rent paid for a wider range of housing offences. They can access information held by tenancy deposit schemes to help identify privately rented housing and to further crack down on rogue landlords in their area through targeted enforcement and prevention work. Other measures include:
The Government has also:
We have consulted on extending mandatory licensing of HMOs and are currently consulting of banning letting agent fees for tenants.
In addition the Government made £12 million available to a range of local authorities with acute problems with rogue landlords, resulting in the inspection of over 70,000 properties and more than 5,000 landlords facing further action or prosecution for breaking the law.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Landlord Licensing Scheme introduced by the London Borough of Newham on improving the (a) detection of housing benefit fraud and (b) reclamation of funds fraudulently obtained.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The Department will assess the effectiveness of the current licensing scheme adopted by the London Borough of Newham in delivering its objectives under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004 if and when an application is made to the Secretary of State by the borough for confirmation of any further licensing designation under the provisions of the Act.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Landlord Licensing Scheme introduced by the London Borough of Newham on regulation of rogue landlords.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The effectiveness of the current Scheme in delivering its objectives will be assessed under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004, if and when an application is made for any further selective licensing scheme designation under the provisions of the Act.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 78 of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, entitled UK Poverty: Causes and Solutions, if he will make it his policy to replace all homes sold under right to buy with low cost rented properties ensuring that there is a local discretion over size of discount and eligibility for all types of right to buy.
Answered by Lord Barwell
The 2012 reinvigorated Right to Buy scheme increased maximum discounts to realistic levels and, for the first time ever, introduced a requirement that for every additional sale, a new affordable home would be provided. There is a rolling 3 year deadline for local authorities to deliver additional affordable homes under the reinvigorated Right to Buy, and so far they have delivered within profile.
Under the terms of the voluntary Right to Buy agreement, housing associations have also committed to provide an additional home for each property sold on a one-for-one basis – increasing overall housing supply. Housing associations know their customers’ needs best and we envisage that new build would reflect the local market conditions.
Right to Buy discounts are set nationally, which provides an equal, easy to understand offer to tenants. The maximum discounts are higher in London as London is a unique market, where property prices are generally significantly above those in other areas, which makes it more difficult for tenants to take up their Right to Buy.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Government's response to the Casey report includes providing extra resources to councils to fund ESOL provision.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
Dame Louise Casey's report is comprehensive and covers a wide range of important issues, including the need for every community in Britain to speak English.
It is right that Government should take the time necessary to consider her findings.
In the spring, we will come forward with our plans for tackling the issues raised by Dame Louise, so that we can continue to build a country that works for everyone.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate the Government made of how much each local authority spent on physical activity services per capita in the last 12 months.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
Local government spending on physical activity has not been formally analysed by the department. Local authorities receive a ring-fenced public health grant from the Department for Health but physical activity is a non-prescribed public health function. Local authorities are best placed to assess and deliver the services their communities need and are locally accountable for those decisions.