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 steps he is taking to help support leaseholders in low-rise blocks facing uncapped costs to fix cladding and other building safety defects.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government has implemented a risk-based and proportionate approach to regulating safety in residential buildings and in remediating cladding and other building safety defects. We have introduced a new regulatory regime for residential buildings over 18 metres tall and extensive protections for leaseholders in buildings over 11 metres or five storeys, ensuring that those who built defective buildings take responsibility for remedying them and leaseholders are protected from the unfair burden of remediation costs to make their home safe.
The Government has retrospectively extended the limitation period under Section 1 of the Defective Premises Act 1972 enabling legal action against developers and contractors where works completed in the last 30 years made a dwelling not 'fit for habitation'.
In general, the risk in lower-rise buildings is low and can be mitigated, for example, by installing fire alarms. We are aware of a very small number of buildings below 11 metres in height where remediation of unsafe cladding and other building safety defects is being proposed.
On 20 April 2022, the Department for Levelling up Housing and Communities committed to examine cases where costly fire safety remediation works have been proposed in buildings below 11 metres, asking leaseholders and Members of Parliament to write to the department.
We have written to freeholders and managing agents in affected buildings to make sure that any proposed works are necessary and proportionate and the rights to redress are being fully utilised.
Leaseholders can also seek free information and advice from The Leasehold Advisory Service, funded by the Department.
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 he has to bring forward further leasehold reform to simplify the process for buying and extending lease agreements.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this parliament.
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, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the provisions of the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 which prevent landlords charging ground rents for new, qualifying long residential leasehold properties in England and Wales in order to prevent landlords from requiring existing leaseholders to pay ground rent.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government has already legislated via the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 to protect future leaseholders and we are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this Parliament.
We understand the difficulties some existing leaseholders face with high and escalating ground rents. This is why we asked the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate potential mis-selling of homes and unfair terms in the leasehold sector, which has resulted in commitments benefitting over 20,000 leaseholders.
The CMA continue to engage with a number of firms and we urge other developers to follow suit.
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 steps his Department is taking to help (a) prevent, and (b) provide support for annual rent increases for shared ownership leaseholders, in the context of the cost of living crisis.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government is aware of the potential for large nominal-terms rent increases for Shared Ownership leaseholders in 2023-24. Shared Ownership rents are permitted to increase by a maximum of the Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 0.5% per year, using the RPI figure for a specified month. As RPI plus 0.5% is the permitted maximum Shared Ownership rents can increase by per year, social housing providers have the flexibility to set increases below this level. The Government strongly encourages social housing providers to make use of this flexibility, and we know that many are carefully considering their options in response to cost-of-living concerns.
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 proportion of the businesses rates bill is paid by (a) retailers and (b) non retailers.
Answered by Paul Scully
The department does not collect data on business rates bills by sector. Business rates bills are however determined by the rateable value of a property.
Published Valuation Office Agency statistics set out that, as of 31 March 2022, retail properties in England accounted for over £16 billion in rateable value out of a total rateable value for all properties in England of over £64 billion. Further information is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/valuation-office-agency-non-domestic-rating-statistics.
The Government has, for 2022-23, provided significant support for retailers in England through a 50% business rates relief for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, worth up to £110,000 per business. This relief is worth an estimated £1.7 billion.
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, with reference to the task force on housing for older people announced in the Levelling Up White Paper published in February 2022, what plans he has to reform the planning system to more clearly define different kinds of housing for older people.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As part of the Levelling Up White Paper, we announced a new taskforce to look at ways we can provide more choice, better quality and greater security of housing for older people, and support the growth of a thriving older people's housing sector. This includes considering how to increase the supply of a range of specialist housing, including housing with care, across the country.
This work will be taken forward in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, building on the commitments set out in their recent white paper on adult social care reform.
The taskforce will examine barriers to increasing the supply of older peoples housing, as well as the issues older people face when it comes to considering their housing options in later life. This includes the role of the planning system in ensuring new development caters for a diverse range of housing needs. Further information on the taskforce will be announced soon.
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 the task force on older people’s housing announced in the Levelling Up White Paper will focus on expanding the provision of housing-with-care and Integrated Retirement Communities.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As part of the Levelling Up White Paper, we announced a new taskforce to look at ways we can provide more choice, better quality and greater security of housing for older people, and support the growth of a thriving older people's housing sector. This includes considering how to increase the supply of a range of specialist housing, including housing with care, across the country.
This work will be taken forward in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, building on the commitments set out in their recent white paper on adult social care reform.
The taskforce will examine barriers to increasing the supply of older peoples housing, as well as the issues older people face when it comes to considering their housing options in later life. This includes the role of the planning system in ensuring new development caters for a diverse range of housing needs. Further information on the taskforce will be announced soon.
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 has plans, through the task force on older people’s housing announced in the Levelling Up in the United Kingdom White Paper, to reform the planning system to define different kinds of housing for older people.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As part of the Levelling Up White Paper, we announced a new taskforce to look at ways we can provide more choice, better quality and greater security of housing for older people, and support the growth of a thriving older people's housing sector. This includes considering how to increase the supply of a range of specialist housing, including housing with care, across the country.
This work will be taken forward in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, building on the commitments set out in their recent white paper on adult social care reform.
The taskforce will examine barriers to increasing the supply of older peoples housing, as well as the issues older people face when it comes to considering their housing options in later life. This includes the role of the planning system in ensuring new development caters for a diverse range of housing needs. Further information on the taskforce will be announced soon.
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 the task force on older people’s housing announced in the Levelling Up in the United Kingdom White Paper plans to consider expanding the provision of housing-with-care and integrated retirement communities.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As part of the Levelling Up White Paper, we announced a new taskforce to look at ways we can provide more choice, better quality and greater security of housing for older people, and support the growth of a thriving older people's housing sector. This includes considering how to increase the supply of a range of specialist housing, including housing with care, across the country.
This work will be taken forward in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, building on the commitments set out in their recent white paper on adult social care reform.
The taskforce will examine barriers to increasing the supply of older peoples housing, as well as the issues older people face when it comes to considering their housing options in later life. This includes the role of the planning system in ensuring new development caters for a diverse range of housing needs. Further information on the taskforce will be announced soon.
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 the Levelling Up white paper will include (a) improving life expectancy and (b) healthy life expectancy among its core aims.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Levelling up means empowering local leaders and communities to seize their own destiny; boosting living standards, particularly where they are lower; spreading opportunity and improving public services, particularly where they are weak; and restoring local pride across the UK.
More details are set out in the White Paper which was published today.