Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the (a) credit rating of renters and (b) rental market.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government has established an unprecedented package of support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic which is supporting the rental market by enabling renters to sustain tenancies and continue paying rent.
Our comprehensive support package includes a range of support for businesses to pay staff salaries, including through the furlough scheme which has now been extended to March 2021. We have also strengthened the welfare safety-net with billions of additional pounds, including increasing Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates so that they cover the lowest 30 per cent of market rents.
For those renters who require additional support, there is an existing £180 million of Government funding for Discretionary Housing Payments made available this year, an increase of £40 million from last year and which is for councils to distribute to support renters with housing costs.
Our approach continues to be informed by a range of data sources and the Government continues to keep this matter under review.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what reports he has received on mortgage providers routinely requesting ESW1 forms for flats in buildings under 18 metres in height; and if the Government will publish guidance on when an ESW1 form (a) is and (b) is not required.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
To support the valuation process for high-rise residential buildings with cladding, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) designed the EWS1 process. RICS have issued guidance on its use. The Department is aware that mortgage lenders have requested EWS1 forms for a greater range of buildings than the process was designed for.
The EWS1 process is not a Government or regulatory requirement and the Department does not support a blanket approach to EWS1. The Department is working with mortgage lenders to support a more pragmatic approach in their valuation of homes within multi occupancy, multi storey residential buildings and encouraging lenders to accept a broader range of evidence to assure themselves of a building’s safety.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the situation of (a) buyers and (b) leaseholders of low-level flats who are unable to obtain mortgages or re-mortgage their properties because they do not possess an External Wall System 1 form; and whether the Government will take that matter into account in deciding whether to extend the cut to Stamp Duty Land Tax beyond 31 March 2021.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The External Wall System form (EWS1) and process was designed by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) with mortgage lenders to assist with valuation of high-rise residential buildings. It is not a Government policy or regulatory requirement and the Government does not support a blanket approach in EWS1 use for lower risk properties. Some lenders do not require an EWS1 form, and others seek them for a greater range of buildings than the process was designed for. It is not a Government policy or regulatory requirement and the department does not hold data on its use.
The temporary increase in the Stamp Duty Land Tax nil rate band was designed to provide an immediate stimulus to the property market, where property transactions fell during the COVID-19 lockdown. The Government does not plan to extend this relief and will continue to monitor the property market.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of potential merits of accounting for the unique circumstances of unitary authorities when allocating financial support in response to the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Simon Clarke
In allocating resources to councils to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has treated all classes of local authority on an equivalent basis. The funding allocation for each local authority depends on their local circumstances and reflects the pressures they are experiencing as a result of the pandemic.
We will continue to work with?local government?over the coming weeks to ensure they are managing as the pandemic progresses?and?we have a collective understanding of the costs they are facing.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the sectors of the economy from which newly homeless or rough-sleeping people originate.
Answered by Luke Hall
MHCLG does not currently hold information on from which sectors of the economy newly homeless or people who are newly rough sleeping originate.
The Government has taken wider steps to help protect jobs and incomes. This includes the Coronavirus Job Retention scheme to protect workers and to support those on low incomes, as well as announcing a package of temporary welfare measures. Taken together, measures, including those announced at Budget, provide over £6.5 billion of additional support through the welfare system for people affected by COVID-19.
This includes increasing the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants so that they are set at the 30th percentile of market rents. The Government has taken unprecedented action to support renters during the pandemic. On 5 June we announced that the suspension of evictions from social or private rented accommodation had been extended by a further two months.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the application of business rates to domestic childcare settings on those childcare providers.
Answered by Luke Hall
Businesses which use a small part of a home for their trade will not usually have to pay business rates. However, the Valuation Office Agency is responsible for determining whether premises are rateable and, in the case of childcare providers, might consider factors such as the extent to which the home has been modified and whether the part of the property used is still suitable for domestic occupation. The Government has doubled the threshold for small business rate relief, meaning that 675,000 businesses with rateable values under £12,000 now pay no business rates at all.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress the Government has made in ensuring that non-compliant fire doors in housing are replaced.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We have been clear that the Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) composite fire door industry must take responsibility for replacing their defective fire doors. The Association of Composite Fire Door Manufacturers has committed to producing an industry led action plan to ensure that doors are replaced where this is required.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what financial support the Government is making available to the housing industry to ensure that non-compliant fire doors are replaced.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We have been clear that the Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) composite fire door industry must take responsibility for replacing their defective fire doors. The Association of Composite Fire Door Manufacturers has committed to producing an industry led action plan to ensure that doors are replaced where this is required.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove and Portslade)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance the Government has issued to the housing industry on the replacement of non-compliant fire doors.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Expert Panel has issued guidance for building owners on assurance and the replacing of flat entrance fire doors. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-for-building-owners-on-assurance-and-replacing-of-flat-entrance-fire-doors