Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will reinstate the Rural Services Delivery Grant in the next local government financial settlement for Shropshire.
Answered by Jim McMahon
The government is absolutely committed to tackling the issues that matter to rural communities. However, the Rural Services Delivery Grant did not properly account for need and a large number of predominantly rural councils receive nothing from it – that’s clearly not right and a sign we need to allocate funding more effectively.
The 25-26 Settlement will deliver on our commitment by ensuring that places with a significant rural population will on average receive around a 5% increase in their Core Spending Power next year, which is a real terms increase.
The government is keen to hear from councils about how best to consider the impact of rurality on the costs of service delivery, and demand, as part of our longer term consultations on local authority funding reform.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of allowing tenants in rented properties on working farms to have pets on (a) farm safety and (b) biosecurity.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Renters' Rights Bill requires landlords not to unreasonably withhold consent when a tenant requests to have a pet in their home, with the tenant able to challenge a decision. The government will issue detailed guidance in due course to help landlords and tenants understand the new rules.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he expects the next Community Ownership Fund bidding round will open.
Answered by Jacob Young
We will announce the timings of the next bidding window in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 introduce a low interest deposit scheme for people seeking entry-level rental accommodation in the private sector.
Answered by Jacob Young
The Government does not have plans to introduce a low interest deposit scheme for the private rented sector. Local authorities may offer deposit guarantee or bond schemes to people on low incomes or at risk of homelessness.
Councils can choose to use Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) or Homelessness Prevention Grant funding to provide rent deposits for people in financial difficulties.
Since 2011 the government has provided almost £1.7 billion in DHP funding to local authorities and is investing over £1 billion in the Homelessness Prevention Grant over three years (2023-2025) including a £109 million top up for 2023/2024.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 issue guidance to local authorities on the potential fire risks of battery energy storage sites in close proximity to (a) residential and (b) commercial buildings.
Answered by Lee Rowley
In August of this year the Government updated its Planning Practice Guidance to encourage battery storage developers to engage with Local Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) before submitting a planning application, so that issues of the siting and location of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are dealt with before the application is made.
The guidance also encourages local planning authorities to refer to the guidance on BESS published by the National Fire Chiefs Council for consideration when determining applications and to consult with FRSs before issuing decisions.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 make an assessment of the potential impact of GDPR rules for sharing data between local authorities on the (a) services provided to and (b) risks faced by vulnerable people (i) during and (ii) since the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Simon Hoare
Authorities are responsible for managing their own data and taking the relevant actions to protect information securely. The Information Commissioner provides guidance for public bodies.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 hold discussions with housing developers on the potential impact of the inclusion of balconies in new apartment blocks on residents' mental health.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Government recognises through our national planning policy the importance that new development provides well-designed, healthy and inclusive new homes for all residents.
In support of this, our National Design Guide, which informs the preparation of local planning policies and guidance, emphasises the benefits that access to external private space, including balconies on new apartments, can bring in supporting the health and wellbeing of residents.
In addition, the National Model Design Code highlights how local councils can use design codes to consider the provision and size of balconies on new apartments in urban areas, where appropriate in the local context. Design codes can give developers greater certainty on design expectations at an early stage in the planning process.
Our national design guidance has been developed in consultation with built environment professionals, including housing developers, with the feedback collated and reviewed prior to publication.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 with housing developers to deliver an increase in the proportion of new apartments in urban areas which are built with balconies.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Government recognises through our national planning policy the importance that new development provides well-designed, healthy and inclusive new homes for all residents.
In support of this, our National Design Guide, which informs the preparation of local planning policies and guidance, emphasises the benefits that access to external private space, including balconies on new apartments, can bring in supporting the health and wellbeing of residents.
In addition, the National Model Design Code highlights how local councils can use design codes to consider the provision and size of balconies on new apartments in urban areas, where appropriate in the local context. Design codes can give developers greater certainty on design expectations at an early stage in the planning process.
Our national design guidance has been developed in consultation with built environment professionals, including housing developers, with the feedback collated and reviewed prior to publication.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 publish his plans for extending or replacing the Homes for Ukraine scheme; and what additional support he is providing to local authorities and housing associations to help house Ukrainian refugees.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer I gave to Question UIN 131373 on the 31 January 2023.