Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential reasons for housing associations selling homes previously let out for social rent.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) publishes annual statistics relating to the social housing stock owned and managed by Private Registered Providers in England, including information on stock lost from the sector. Sales for non-social use in 2023/24 were recorded as 4,341 homes. Further information can be found on gov.uk here.
RSH’s analysis suggests that providers are undertaking fixed asset sales for a variety of reasons. These include stock rationalisation and disposal of uneconomic properties, as well as generating receipts to support reinvestment in new and existing stock.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to accept the recommendations on hidden event fees in retirement properties in the report by the Law Commission entitled Event Fees in Retirement Properties, published on 31 March 2017.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market and we will continue to consider this issue as we develop our long-term housing strategy, which will be published later this year.
We are giving careful consideration to the recommendations in the final report of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce, including its recommendation that government should implement the Law Commission’s 2017 recommendations to regulate event fees.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2024 to Question 15319 on Holiday Accommodation: Registration, what additional powers her Department plans to give to local authorities to respond to pressures of short-term lets.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Members to the answer to Question UIN 13348 on 18 November 2024.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2024 to Question 12343 on Foreign Companies: Property, when she plans to publish his response to the consultation.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government will publish a response to the public consultation on the Transparency of Land Ownership Involving Trusts in due course.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of when the Building Safety Regulator will be determining 50% of its judgments within its statutory 12-week target.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are aware of the delays for applicants in Gateway two. The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is an independent regulator in its infancy and operational functions are still bedding in. BSR report to MHCLG that Gateway processing times continue to improve and the BSR has recruited additional personnel who are starting to process applications.
We also understand that it currently takes longer than expected to stand up specialist multidisciplinary teams to assess Gateway applications and this is a major contributing factor to delays. To support the BSR with this process the government has provided funding to support additional Fire and Rescue (FRS) staff and funding for new local authority building control inspectors. The recruitment and training of these additional staff is well underway. MHCLG continue to review how multidisciplinary teams are resourced through our internal channels.
However, it is also clear that the sector must take responsibility for the projects they deliver. We understand the BSR have rejected a significant number of Gateway Two applications for failing to meet the building safety regulatory standards. Sub-standard rejected applications contribute to the time taken to process compliant applications and the BSR continue to support industry to ensure they are meeting the functional requirements of the building regulations. Guidance is available to support applicants in understanding their duties.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the efficacy of the multi-disciplinary team system within the Building Safety Regulator.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are aware of the delays for applicants in Gateway two. The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is an independent regulator in its infancy and operational functions are still bedding in. BSR report to MHCLG that Gateway processing times continue to improve and the BSR has recruited additional personnel who are starting to process applications.
We also understand that it currently takes longer than expected to stand up specialist multidisciplinary teams to assess Gateway applications and this is a major contributing factor to delays. To support the BSR with this process the government has provided funding to support additional Fire and Rescue (FRS) staff and funding for new local authority building control inspectors. The recruitment and training of these additional staff is well underway. MHCLG continue to review how multidisciplinary teams are resourced through our internal channels.
However, it is also clear that the sector must take responsibility for the projects they deliver. We understand the BSR have rejected a significant number of Gateway Two applications for failing to meet the building safety regulatory standards. Sub-standard rejected applications contribute to the time taken to process compliant applications and the BSR continue to support industry to ensure they are meeting the functional requirements of the building regulations. Guidance is available to support applicants in understanding their duties.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress her Department has made on setting out a timeline for the commencement of the repeal of the Vagrancy Act 1824.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
We are carefully considering the Vagrancy Act and other relevant legislation in developing our new cross-government strategy.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to remove the requirement for a local connection for (a) homeless veterans, (b) survivors of domestic abuse and (c) care leavers.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On the 24 September the Prime Minister announced an ambition to improve access to social housing for veterans, survivors of domestic abuse and young care leavers.
Statutory guidance recommends that local authorities exempt victims of domestic abuse and care leavers from local connection and residency tests, and we know that most local authorities already do this. We are clear that a victim of domestic abuse, a care leaver or a veteran should not be disqualified from social housing on the grounds of having no local connection.
The Department laid regulations on 27 November which will require local authorities to exempt all veterans from local connection requirements for social housing allocations.
We will bring forward similar regulations covering survivors of domestic abuse and care leavers when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
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 her Department has made of the adequacy of rules on local connection for housing allocations.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On the 24 September the Prime Minister announced an ambition to improve access to social housing for veterans, survivors of domestic abuse and young care leavers.
Statutory guidance recommends that local authorities exempt victims of domestic abuse and care leavers from local connection and residency tests, and we know that most local authorities already do this. We are clear that a victim of domestic abuse, a care leaver or a veteran should not be disqualified from social housing on the grounds of having no local connection.
The Department laid regulations on 27 November which will require local authorities to exempt all veterans from local connection requirements for social housing allocations.
We will bring forward similar regulations covering survivors of domestic abuse and care leavers when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to consult on the draft of the Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer my hon Friend to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).