To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Members: Correspondence
Thursday 19th January 2023

Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 7 November 2022 from the Hon. Member for North Tyneside.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

I apologise for the delay in responding to the Hon Member’s correspondence. The Department attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of correspondence from Honourable Members. A response was issued on 19 January 2023.


Written Question
Housing: Construction
Thursday 25th June 2020

Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make the accessible and adaptable standard M4(2) Category 2 the mandatory baseline for all new homes.

Answered by Christopher Pincher

Government will consult shortly on accessibility of new homes. The consultation will consider making higher accessibility standards mandatory, recognising the importance of suitable homes for older and disabled people.


Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit
Tuesday 5th November 2019

Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many staff at which grades his Department requires to undertake work on leaving the EU without an agreement in the Departmental Operations Centre during standard daytime working hours.

Answered by Jake Berry

A dedicated Departmental Operations Centre (DOC) will manage and lead preparations in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Staff working in the DOC will also manage work associated with the UK's exit from the EU in any other scenario. We do not routinely separately record no-deal work from other Brexit work. MHCLG’s normal operations include some out of hours working alongside standard daytime working hours.

To support this pattern, we currently estimate the Department will require approximately 200 FTE, using a mix of grades but coming mainly from HEO and Grade 7 staff. This estimate will be subject to on-going review to ensure it reflects any change in circumstances or requirements



Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit
Wednesday 30th October 2019

Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what equality impact assessment his Department has undertaken on the selection of staff for normal hours day time working in the Departmental Operations Centre on the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Answered by Jake Berry

Working in our DOC under a normal hours day time arrangement is no different to other such arrangements for roles elsewhere in the Department and does not require a specific or separate equality impact assessment. All staff deployed in our DOC will be assigned to roles commensurate with their grade and will be provided with appropriate training and support. Our existing policies and proactive diversity and inclusion agenda ensures all staff are treated fairly including those with protected characteristics.


Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit
Tuesday 29th October 2019

Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many staff, by grade, have volunteered for shift working in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Answered by Jake Berry

A total of 178 MHCLG staff have currently volunteered for shift working in the DOC. The grade breakdown is as follows: 20 Senior Civil Servants, 16 Grade 6, 67 Grade 7, 19 Senior Executive Officer, 38 Higher Executive Officers and 18 Executive Officers.


Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit
Tuesday 29th October 2019

Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many of his staff, by grade, who volunteered for shift working at the Departmental Operations Centre have been rejected because the Department needs to retain them in their current roles.

Answered by Jake Berry

No member of staff who has volunteered to work shifts has been rejected because the Department needs to retain them in their current role. Volunteers for shift working were sought from those individuals either already working in the DOC or already assigned to a DOC team and therefore the possibility of rejecting volunteers because they need to be retained in their current role did not arise.


Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit
Tuesday 29th October 2019

Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many of his staff, by grade, that have not volunteered for shift working in the Departmental Operations Centre in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal have (a) been transferred and (b) informed that they may be transferred to normal, daytime hours roles working on preparations in that centre.

Answered by Jake Berry

Staff working in our Departmental Operations Centre (DOC) include a combination of staff who have been recruited through open and fair competition, volunteers who have come forward as our preparations for a no deal exit scenario have increased and other staff who have been asked to work in the DOC as part of those preparations. We have not maintained a central breakdown of those working in the DOC against these different circumstances. Shift working is voluntary and if an individual does not wish to work shifts they will be deployed within their normal working pattern.


Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit
Tuesday 29th October 2019

Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance the Department has issued to managers to ensure that selection of staff for normal hours day time working in the Departmental Operations Centre is conducted fairly and without discriminating against staff with protected characteristics.

Answered by Jake Berry

Our existing policies for the recruitment, selection or deployment of staff within the Department ensure that we act fairly and without discriminating against staff with protected characteristics and we have continued to apply those policies.


Written Question
Housing: Ombudsman
Thursday 23rd February 2017

Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a new homes ombudsman.

Answered by Lord Barwell

A new home is not just the largest monetary purchase most people ever make, it is also the largest emotional commitment as people look to provide a safe, good quality home for them and their families. It is therefore vital that as housing supply increases, the quality of new build homes continues to improve so as to avoid some of the issues highlighted in the APPG for Excellence in the Built Environment report.

I am aware of the report’s recommendations, and will consider them, including that for a new homes ombudsman.


Written Question
Housing: Disability
Friday 13th January 2017

Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - North Tyneside)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to increase the number of wheelchair-accessible properties.

Answered by Lord Barwell

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that local planning authorities should consider the current and future needs of disabled people in setting their housing policies. In October 2015, new Building Regulations came into force which include an Optional Requirement for new homes to be wheelchair accessible or adaptable. This requirement can be applied by local authorities where justified by need and provided that the viability of new development is not compromised. Compliance with the requirement will be checked by a building control body.