Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to take steps to support low-income single parent families to find housing in cases where a rent guarantor cannot be found.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government wants everyone to have access to secure, safe and affordable housing. The Government continues to strongly encourage private rented sector landlords and agents to assess the suitability of potential and existing tenants on an individual basis.
Landlords and letting agents are free to carry out any referencing checks within the law before accepting a new tenant, this may include income checks or setting a requirement for a guarantor, depending upon the decision of the individual landlord.
Significant support remains in place through the welfare system, including LHA rates maintained at their increased cash level for 2021/22 and 2022/23. For those who need it most, support is available through Discretionary Housing Payments and the £500 million Household Support Fund, of which £421 million will go to help vulnerable people in England.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking through the Help to Buy scheme to ensure that more new-build properties within the maximum threshold for London properties have three or more bedrooms.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
In 2021 the new Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme introduced regional property price caps which set the maximum purchase price in each region. They are all set at 1.5 times the forecast regional average first-time buyer price, in line with the Office of Budget Responsibility's house price inflation forecast for 2021/22, up to a maximum of £600,000 in London.
The caps were designed to support the purchase of properties that are more consistent with the wider first-time buyer market. The Government has reviewed the caps and continue to be satisfied they allow good availability of first-time buyer type properties in each region. For customers who are not able to utilise the Help to Buy scheme, the Government has a range of other housing products. For more information see: https://www.ownyourhome.gov.uk/
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the number of applications to the Building Safety Fund that remain outstanding in Ealing Central and Acton constituency (a) six months and (b) more than six months since they were submitted.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
As of 31 December 2021, there are 13 outstanding applications in Ealing Central and Action. Outstanding applications are defined as registrations where eligibility is yet to be determined. Applicants should provide any information requested by the Department promptly to make sure that their registration is processed without delay.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to speed up the processing of Building Safety Fund applications in response to reports that some housing associations have been waiting more than six months for the outcome of their Building Safety Fund application.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Government is continuing to deliver the Building Safety Fund. £976 million has already been allocated from the non-ACM Building Safety Fund so far, with 108 social sector registrations to the Fund (covering an estimated 119 buildings) proceeding with a full application. It remains the responsibility of applicants to submit information and plan their projects promptly so the Department can process their application as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing people who have made representations on development plans to participate in examination hearings.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Section 19 (6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 states that any person who makes representations seeking to change a development plan document must (if they so request) be given the opportunity to appear before and be heard by the person carrying out the examination. Further details of the Government’s planning reforms will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to (a) ensure that communities are involved in development in their area and (b) reduce the length of planning permission.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Local planning authorities are required to undertake a formal period of public consultation of no less than 21 days, prior to deciding a planning application. Effective consultation allows local planning authorities to identify and consider all relevant planning issues associated with a proposed development. Where relevant considerations are raised by local residents, these must be taken into account by the local authority before a decision is made.