Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the timeframe for people to be able to sing in churches as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Luke Hall
The Government recognises that singing is a key part of our cultural and religious life. We have published Guidance for the Safe Use of Places of Worship during COVID-19 which provides advice on singing within places of worship: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-places-of-worship-during-the-pandemic-from-4-july . The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has also published guidance for people who work in performing arts, including organisations, venue operators and participants: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/performing-arts . Singing?is a central element of many religious practices but poses a particular risk of spreading the virus. The Government and medical and scientific communities are urgently engaged in research around?transmission risk?and how activities such as?singing and chanting can be managed safely indoors, by congregations and by amateurs.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued on house movings in houses in multiple occupation during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
There is no prohibition on moving home and anyone in England who wishes to move home can do so, including into houses in multiple occupation. Guidance on moving home is available on the GOV.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-advice-on-home-moving-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.This guidance provides important public health information to ensure that the process of moving home and key activities around this, such as viewing property, can happen safely and the risk of spreading coronavirus is minimised.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to provide support to private renters for the payment of rent as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
On 18 March, we announced a radical package of measures to protect renters and landlords affected by coronavirus. Emergency legislation will be taken forward as an urgent priority so that landlords will not be able to start proceedings to evict tenants for at least a three-month period. As a result of these measures, no renters in private or social accommodation needs to be concerned about the threat of eviction.
More information on these plans can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/complete-ban-on-evictions-and-additional-protection-for-renters.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued to women's refuge centres and charities on the maintenance of services during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Luke Hall
My Department has been engaging with domestic abuse service providers on a daily basis to understand the additional challenges they are facing and the support needed to ensure essential provision is kept open and available to victims and their children.
Following these discussions, on 23 March we published guidance to assist domestic abuse service providers in service delivery at these unprecedented times. The guidance, in line with current Public Health England advice, sets out the advice for daily service operation within the context of domestic abuse safe accommodation provision
The guidance can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-domestic-abuse-safe-accommodation-provision/covid-19-guidance-on-isolation-for-domestic-abuse-safe-accommodation-settings
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding grants his Department is making available to women's refuge not-for-profit organisations during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Luke Hall
My Department will do everything we can to support domestic abuse service providers to keep these vital services up and running during the Coronavirus outbreak.
My officials are in daily contact with the domestic abuse sector to understand the additional challenges they are facing and how best to respond to help support services in these unprecedented times.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding he has allocated to civil society and campaigning bodies in each of the last three years.
Answered by Luke Hall
Civil Society forms an essential part of our communities up and down the country. It includes large, national charities, social enterprises, volunteers and small grassroots organisations but what joins them all is the idea of creating social value to help build a better society.
Government funding to civil society is ring-fenced for particular projects or programmes. Grant agreement terms and conditions prohibit grant funding being used for paid for lobbying and political campaigning
Each of the Department’s (MHCLG/DCLG) published Annual Report and Financial Accounts lists the charitable bodies and the amounts (Section 70 payments) that were funded by the Department. The Department does not record whether the body is a ‘campaigning body’. All grant payments over £25,000 are published as part of the Government Transparency routine.
Our published Annual Report and Financial Accounts (and lists the charitable body payments) can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dclg-annual-reports-and-accounts.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he will take to reduce the number of out-of-area placements in permitted development rights buildings in Harlow.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government is clear that as far as possible local authorities should avoid placing households outside of their borough. However, where there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation, on occasion, it is necessary to place households outside of the local area. This should always be a last resort. Where it does happen, the council should place the household as near as possible to the original local authority. They also have a legal duty to notify the receiving local authority of any households placed into their area.
Collaboration between local authorities is key. The Government welcomes the initiative taken by the Local Government Association to bring together local authorities from London and around the country to try to address concerns about unsuitable out of area placements, including the use of blocks converted under permitted development rights.
I also recognise the particular challenges that London boroughs face in securing suitable temporary accommodation, which can affect surrounding areas such as Harlow. To tackle these issues, we have invested £37.8 million into a partnership of local authorities across London who have set up Capital Letters – a not-for-profit company which will support councils to reduce the use of expensive nightly-paid temporary accommodation and help to ensure properties are allocated more locally than they are currently. In total, in 2020/2021 the Government is providing £437 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. This marks a £69 million increase in funding from the previous year.