Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that increased charges by utility providers are put towards maintaining (a) clean and (b) safe infrastructure for consumer services.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Ofgem review the price cap level every three months and ensure that it reflects wholesale prices as well as other costs incurred by suppliers. This includes network costs, for example the building, fixing and repair of pipes and wires to transport energy.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to take steps to allow consumers to challenge the charges of a privately owned utility when no other utility services operate in their area.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Energy suppliers are bound by a universal service obligation under standard condition 22 of the gas and electricity Standard Licence Conditions. This means they are required to offer terms to any domestic consumer who asks, ensuring consumers have access to energy.
For customers on a domestic contract, the mechanism for ensuring fair pricing is Ofgem’s Price Cap, which allows suppliers to recoup genuine costs with a small allowance for profits.
For domestic customers who receive energy via non-domestic contracts, there is legislation which sets a maximum price that can be charged for electricity and gas which has already been bought from a licensed supplier.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to use the newly applied Vehicle Excise Duty on Electric Vehicles to improve (a) road maintenance and (b) vehicle infrastructure.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
As announced by the Government at Autumn Statement 2022, from 1 April 2025 zero emission cars, vans, and motorcycles have started to pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) in a similar way to petrol and diesel vehicles.
The Consolidated Fund receives the proceeds of VED along with most other tax revenues to support public services and investment in infrastructure, including vehicle infrastructure and road maintenance.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to increase the powers of mortgage holders to hold developers to account in relation to inadequate construction.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is aware of the challenges faced by mortgage holders and all other purchasers of new build properties with building safety and other defects.
Presently, most new home warranties are 10 years in length and are regularly a requirement placed on potential borrowers by mortgage providers.
The developer is often held accountable for the first two years of this period, with the rest of the period covered by the warranty provider.
Where issues arise with a new home, the government would urge new build homeowners to check the terms of any warranty their home may be under to see if the developer can be held accountable for rectifying any issues before referring back to the warranty provider. Where a homeowner is dissatisfied with the service given, warranty providers should have a clear complaints procedure for warranty holders to follow. If this still does not resolve the issue, the next step would be to refer the case to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) for a decision.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department plans to take to improve road (a) services and (b) networks.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has set the budgets for the financial year 2025/26 as part of the Autumn Budget 2024. This allocated £4.842 billion as part of an interim settlement for National Highways for the operation, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the strategic road network. Funding beyond this for a future Road Investment Strategy will be confirmed through the ongoing Spending Review which is due to complete in late Spring 2025.
The Government recognises the important role that motorway service areas and rest areas on the trunk A road network play in providing a safe place for road users to stop and take a short break from driving. It is for the private sector to promote and operate service areas that meet the needs of the travelling public.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of maintaining the level of Housing Benefit until 2026 on the affordability of housing for people on Housing Benefit.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Both Housing Benefit and the housing element of Universal Credit provide support for renters in the private and social rented sectors.
The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum housing support for households claiming either benefit can receive if they are privately renting.
Ahead of Autumn Budget 2024, DWP Ministers looked at a range of factors when considering the LHA rates for 2025/26. This included rental data, the impacts of LHA rates, rate increases in April 2024, and the wider fiscal context. The April 2024 one-year LHA increase cost an additional £1.2bn in 2024/25 and approximately £7bn over 5 years.
We have also invested £1bn in funding for both the Household Support Fund (HSF) and Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) (including Barnett impacts) for 2025/26 and the level of DHP funding has been maintained at current levels. DHPs are available from local authorities for those unable to meet a shortfall in their rent.
Any future decisions on LHA policy will be taken in the context of the Government’s missions, goals on housing and the challenging fiscal context.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to include improvements to connecting commuter roads in villages and towns in the road investment strategy.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Road Investment Strategy is a long-term government plan that sets out what the Department for Transport expects National Highways to deliver on England’s strategic road network of motorways and major A roads in England over a five-year period. As part of National Highways Licence, the company is expected to consider how its network integrates effectively with the local road network, that is the responsibility of the relevant local highways authority, to provide a seamless experience for road users.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of homeowners required to underpin their property due to construction faults within ten years after the date of completion of the purchase of a new home.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department does not hold information on the number of new-build homes that suffer structural collapse or require underpinning as a result of construction faults or malpractice by the developer.
Most new build warranties cover damages caused by structural defects for a 10-year term. The terms of warranty should give more detail on what developers would be expected to cover in this timeframe.
Where a homeowner is dissatisfied with the service given, warranty providers should have a clear complaints procedure for warranty holders to follow. This procedure should be followed in the first instance. If the complaint is about a developer in the first two years of warranty cover, providers may offer an alternate dispute resolution service. This may need to be followed as part of the complaints process. If this still does not resolve the issue, the next step would be to refer the case to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) for a decision.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of homeowners who have been required to underpin new properties within 10 years of completion due to construction faults in each of the last five years.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department does not hold information on the number of new-build homes that suffer structural collapse or require underpinning as a result of construction faults or malpractice by the developer.
Most new build warranties cover damages caused by structural defects for a 10-year term. The terms of warranty should give more detail on what developers would be expected to cover in this timeframe.
Where a homeowner is dissatisfied with the service given, warranty providers should have a clear complaints procedure for warranty holders to follow. This procedure should be followed in the first instance. If the complaint is about a developer in the first two years of warranty cover, providers may offer an alternate dispute resolution service. This may need to be followed as part of the complaints process. If this still does not resolve the issue, the next step would be to refer the case to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) for a decision.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the number of new-build homes that suffer structural collapse as a result of malpractice by the developer.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department does not hold information on the number of new-build homes that suffer structural collapse or require underpinning as a result of construction faults or malpractice by the developer.
Most new build warranties cover damages caused by structural defects for a 10-year term. The terms of warranty should give more detail on what developers would be expected to cover in this timeframe.
Where a homeowner is dissatisfied with the service given, warranty providers should have a clear complaints procedure for warranty holders to follow. This procedure should be followed in the first instance. If the complaint is about a developer in the first two years of warranty cover, providers may offer an alternate dispute resolution service. This may need to be followed as part of the complaints process. If this still does not resolve the issue, the next step would be to refer the case to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) for a decision.