Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department supports animal welfare charities with increased handovers of pets caused by the level of available pet-friendly housing.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Further to the answer given in response to Question UIN 174324 on 3 April 2023, the Government will legislate to give tenants in the private rented sector (PRS) a legal 'right to request a pet' that the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse. Officials have discussed these proposals with animal welfare organisations.
The department does not collect data on the average rental costs for properties accepting or refusing pets in the PRS.
The Government understands the pressures that people are facing with the cost of living and has taken decisive action to support households. We are providing support for worth over £26 billion in 2023/24, in addition to the benefits uprating, which is worth £11 billion to working age households and disabled people. Cost of Living payments will be available in 2023/24 including £900 for households on means-tested benefits, £300 for pensioner households, and £150 for individuals on disability benefits.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to issue an equivalent to the developer remediation contract to companies involved in the development of buildings that are between 11 and 18 metres in height in Battersea.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We have launched a new scheme to provide funding for the remediation or mitigation of life safety fire risks related to external wall system defects. This is for medium-rise buildings (11-18 metres) where the developer of a building cannot be identified, traced, or held responsible. This scheme opened in November via an initial pilot, targeting an initial number of buildings that have interim measures or simultaneous evacuation measures in place. The wider rollout of the scheme to other buildings will commence in 2023. Further details on eligibility and the application process will be announced as soon as possible.
The developer remediation contract applies to buildings of 11 metres and over in height, so buildings between 11 and 18 metres in height are already in scope.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when his Department plans to bring forward a fund to mitigate against life safety fire risks associated with cladding on buildings that are between 11 and 18 metres in height.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We have launched a new scheme to provide funding for the remediation or mitigation of life safety fire risks related to external wall system defects. This is for medium-rise buildings (11-18 metres) where the developer of a building cannot be identified, traced, or held responsible. This scheme opened in November via an initial pilot, targeting an initial number of buildings that have interim measures or simultaneous evacuation measures in place. The wider rollout of the scheme to other buildings will commence in 2023. Further details on eligibility and the application process will be announced as soon as possible.
The developer remediation contract applies to buildings of 11 metres and over in height, so buildings between 11 and 18 metres in height are already in scope.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on whether a contract has been signed to start fire safety remediation work at Time House in Battersea.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Time House in Battersea is below the height eligibility threshold for the Building Safety Fund and so we do not hold information on whether the housing association has signed contracts to commence remediation of the building.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether a contract has been signed with contractors to start remediation work on unsafe cladding at 6 Hester House in Battersea constituency.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
A registration to the Building Safety Fund was made for Albion Riverside Building, 6 Hester Road, Battersea but in December 2020 it was assessed as ineligible for funding as it was below the height threshold. As it is ineligible for the Building Safety Fund, we do not hold information on works to the building.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that voting is more accessible for blind and partially sighted people before the local elections in May 2023.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave to Questions UIN 119056 and 121031 on the 16 and 20 January 2023.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans his Department has to help ensure voting is accessible for blind and partially sighted people before the next the General Election.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave to Questions UIN 119056 and 121031 on the 16 and 20 January 2023.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether any residential buildings between 11 and 18 metres in height in Battersea constituency have been identified as having unsafe Aluminium Composite Material cladding systems.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The department does not hold information on buildings under 18 metres which have unsafe Aluminium Composite Material cladding systems. The department has not been made aware of any such blocks in Battersea.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether any residential buildings under 11 metres in height in Battersea constituency have been identified as having unsafe Aluminium Composite Material cladding systems.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The department does not hold information on buildings under 18 metres which have unsafe Aluminium Composite Material cladding systems. The department has not been made aware of any such blocks in Battersea.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2023 to Question 127898 on Buildings: Battersea, if he will list the names of the nine residential buildings where remediation work has not started or been completed.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government does not publish a list naming individual high-rise residential buildings in Battersea or elsewhere that have been identified as having unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding, or have been deemed eligible for the Building Safety Fund due to the presence of unsafe non-ACM cladding.
This reflects the position of the Government not to reveal the identity of high-rise residential buildings with unsafe cladding systems on public safety grounds.