Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many members of staff in his Department have equality, diversity or inclusion in their job title.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The data requested is not held centrally and to gather the data for the whole department would exceed the time cost limit.
We can however confirm that there is a diversity and inclusion team that is based within the Department, this team contains 4 members of staff. The team leads on the Department’s aims to bring in and bring on diverse talent and to foster an inclusive culture. This involves working with staff across the department including staff network committees who are given time through the business deal to allocate to the work of their network with the aim of improving equality, diversity and inclusion for all in MHCLG.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many staff in his Department have undertaken unconscious bias training in each of the last five years.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The data provided below is for MHCLG central department staff only. It does not include staff from executive agencies and arms' length bodies. It covers the period from 1 April 2018 to 18 August 2020. All data has been extracted from the Civil Service Learning (CSL) website and the Learning Platform for Government (LPG), which do not allow for the extraction of data from before 1 April 2018. Learning completion data covering the period 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2018 is not held internally by MHCLG.
The figures outlined below are inclusive of any staff who have undertaken training on unconscious bias in the relevant period. Where staff have completed two or more courses on unconscious bias, they have only been included in the overall figure once. Please note that due to the way in which data is collated by the CSL website, the data below is inclusive of staff currently employed by MHCLG, but who completed training whilst employed by another government department
1 st April 2018 – 31 st March 2019
573 Staff
1 st April 2019 – 31 st March 2020
542 Staff
1 st April 2020 – 18 th August 2020
78 staff
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding has been allocated under the (a) Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme (SOAHP) 2016 to 2021 and (b) addendum to the SOAHP published in June 2018 to each region (a) in total and (b) per capita.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government is committed to increasing the supply of social housing and has made £9 billion available through the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2022 to deliver approximately 250,000 new affordable homes in a wide range of tenures.
The Mayor has overall responsibility for affordable housing policy and programme delivery in London. Government has agreed a £4.8 billion deal with the GLA.
Homes England is responsible for the delivery of the Affordable Homes Programme for the rest of England and have been allocated £4.9 billion.
The Department publishes spend information on spend in its yearly accounts which are available on gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mhclg-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-2019
We do not publish annualised data on capital spend by local areas.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much and what proportion of affordable homes programme funding was spent in settlements with a population of less than 3,000 in each of the last five years.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Department does not publish annualised data on capital spend by local areas.
This Government believes that meeting the housing needs of rural communities is important. Since 2015, over 10 per cent of additional Affordable Homes have been delivered in villages with a population of fewer than 3000 and we recognise the importance of these settlements for both economic and housing growth.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many homes for (a) affordable rent (b) social rent and (c) other affordable tenures were (i) started and (ii) completed in settlements with a population of less than 3,000 in the most recent year for which data is available.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
In 2017-18, there were 4,595 additional new build affordable housing completed in populations of less than 3,000 people.
The Department does not collect a detailed breakdown of affordable housing by tenure specifically for populations of less than 3,000 people.
The Department does not collect centrally information on affordable housing starts in populations of less than 3,000 people.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many (a) private and (b) social sector buildings have not started work on removing and replacing ACM cladding.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
As of 31 May 2019, a total of 146 private sector residential buildings, and 21 social sector residential buildings with Aluminium Composite Material cladding are yet to begin remediation. This information can be found as part of the latest Building Safety Programme Monthly Data Release at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/807417/Building_Safety_Data_Release_-_May_2019.pdf
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of fire doors in high-rise social housing blocks provide 30 minutes protection in accordance with building requirements.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Department does not hold data on the characteristics of fire doors in situ in high rise social housing blocks.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress the pilots of Housing First approaches to reducing rough sleeping have made; and how many people have been helped by those pilots.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
In May 2018 we allocated £28 million to pilot Housing First at scale in Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and West Midlands Combined Authorities. Since then our expert Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) advisers have been working closely with each of the three pilot regions to monitor and support progress. The pilots are still at an early stage; however, people have been housed in both the West Midlands and, more recently, in the Greater Manchester pilot. We expect Liverpool to follow suit shortly and we are looking forward to seeing increasing numbers of very complex and vulnerable people moving into safe and secure homes as the pilot progresses.
The pilots will support around 1000 rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping with the most complex needs to help them to end their homelessness. Individuals will be provided with stable, affordable accommodation and intensive wrap-around support. This will help them to recover from complex issues, such as substance abuse and mental health difficulties, and sustain their tenancies.
An extensive and robust evaluation of Housing First headed up by our independent contractors, ICF is underway and will ensure that all learning from these pilots will be used to inform decisions on roll-out.
The Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy. This sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.
In its first year, our Rough Sleeping Initiative provided over 1,750 new bed spaces and 500 staff. This year we have expanded the RSI with investment of £46 million for 246 areas – providing funding for an estimated 2,600 bed spaces and 750 staff.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the value was of Community Infrastructure Levy planning obligations agreed to in each year since 2010-11.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The Government does not hold data for every year since 2010-11. In March this year we published a study on “The Incidence, Value and Delivery of Planning Obligations and Community Infrastructure Levy in England 2016-17”. This found that last year Section 106 planning obligations with an estimated value of £5.1 billion had been agreed, including an estimated £4 billion in affordable housing contributions, and that the value of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) levied by local authorities was £0.9 billion.
Of the £4 billion agreed through Section 106 affordable housing contributions, it is estimated that £75 million was agreed to be delivered through commuted sums towards off-site provision, and the remainder through on-site provision. For other Section 106 planning obligations excluding land contribution, it is estimated that obligations to the value of £613.1 million were agreed in direct contributions, and £72.1 million in payment in-kind contributions.
Local authorities received £286 million in CIL revenue during 2016/17, £135 million was received in 2015/16, £49 million in 2014/15, £10 million in in 2013/14, £1 million in 2012/13 and £15,000 in 2011/12. There were no CIL charging authorities in 2010/11. In addition, The Mayor of London’s CIL, which is charged to help fund Crossrail, raised £137 million in 2016/17, £119 million in 2015/16, £73 million in 2014/15, £47 million in 2013/14 and £6 million in 2012/13.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the value was of Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy planning obligations agreed to in each year since 2010-11; and what proportion of that value was attributed to (a) direct payments, (b) affordable housing and (c) other types of contributions.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The Government does not hold data for every year since 2010-11. In March this year we published a study on “The Incidence, Value and Delivery of Planning Obligations and Community Infrastructure Levy in England 2016-17”. This found that last year Section 106 planning obligations with an estimated value of £5.1 billion had been agreed, including an estimated £4 billion in affordable housing contributions, and that the value of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) levied by local authorities was £0.9 billion.
Of the £4 billion agreed through Section 106 affordable housing contributions, it is estimated that £75 million was agreed to be delivered through commuted sums towards off-site provision, and the remainder through on-site provision. For other Section 106 planning obligations excluding land contribution, it is estimated that obligations to the value of £613.1 million were agreed in direct contributions, and £72.1 million in payment in-kind contributions.
Local authorities received £286 million in CIL revenue during 2016/17, £135 million was received in 2015/16, £49 million in 2014/15, £10 million in in 2013/14, £1 million in 2012/13 and £15,000 in 2011/12. There were no CIL charging authorities in 2010/11. In addition, The Mayor of London’s CIL, which is charged to help fund Crossrail, raised £137 million in 2016/17, £119 million in 2015/16, £73 million in 2014/15, £47 million in 2013/14 and £6 million in 2012/13.