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Written Question
Refugees: Afghanistan
Wednesday 19th October 2022

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help Afghan refugees living in hotels following Operation Pitting to access the private rental sector.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson

The Find Your Own Accommodation pathway was launched in June 2022 following engagement with Afghans and local authorities, who both were generally in favour of this added housing option. This pathway enables Afghans to find their own accommodation, whilst still receiving financial and non-financial integration support from the Government. For example, a local authority may use some of the £20,520 per person spread over three years from the Government to provide the deposit, first month’s rent, and furniture to help Afghans into the private rental sector. The Government is not prescriptive with the precise support provided, so this may vary from council to council.

This new process is in addition to Home Office's matching system, where Home Office engage with local authorities to source accommodation in the social and private rental sectors, and then match properties to individual households.

Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 18 Oct 2022
Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Fourth sitting)

"It is a continuing pleasure to serve under your guidance this morning, Mr Hollobone.

The amendment moved by the official Opposition gives us something to consider. For someone who represents an area such as Cumbria, where it is always sunny and al fresco dining can therefore happen at any time …..."
Tim Farron - View Speech

View all Tim Farron (LD - Westmorland and Lonsdale) contributions to the debate on: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Fourth sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 18 Oct 2022
Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Fourth sitting)

"Likewise, I am appalled and deeply troubled by this provision. Clause 187 feels gratuitous—unnecessary. As we have heard, plenty of provisions already exist to allow the police to deal with antisocial behaviour that could be associated with rough sleeping and people who are begging. This clause feels unnecessary and counterproductive. …..."
Tim Farron - View Speech

View all Tim Farron (LD - Westmorland and Lonsdale) contributions to the debate on: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Fourth sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 18 Oct 2022
Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Fifth sitting)

"It is an honour to serve under your guidance, Sir Mark. I am in full agreement with the hon. Member for South Shields, and I am pleased to be a signatory to the new clause, which gives the Government the opportunity to place real, measurable metrics at the heart of …..."
Tim Farron - View Speech

View all Tim Farron (LD - Westmorland and Lonsdale) contributions to the debate on: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Fifth sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 18 Oct 2022
Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Fifth sitting)

"I congratulate the hon. Member for Buckingham on bringing forward these important new clauses. I agree with an awful lot of what he said. Undoubtably, food security is something that our country has overlooked hugely in recent decades, to our great cost. By some metrics, we produce only about 55% …..."
Tim Farron - View Speech

View all Tim Farron (LD - Westmorland and Lonsdale) contributions to the debate on: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Fifth sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 18 Oct 2022
Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Fifth sitting)

"This important new clause gets to the heart of a historical imbalance, injustice and inequity in the planning system. Developers, who tend to have significantly more resources than those who question or oppose a development, have the right to appeal against the local authority or national park that turned down …..."
Tim Farron - View Speech

View all Tim Farron (LD - Westmorland and Lonsdale) contributions to the debate on: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Fifth sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 18 Oct 2022
Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Fifth sitting)

"These interesting new clauses highlight two issues about which I am particularly concerned—issues to which the hon. Gentleman alluded. They are very helpful new clauses, and I am grateful to him for tabling them. He is right that, over the past decade, roughly a million properties granted planning permission have …..."
Tim Farron - View Speech

View all Tim Farron (LD - Westmorland and Lonsdale) contributions to the debate on: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Fifth sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 18 Oct 2022
Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Fifth sitting)

"The two new clauses are about trusting local communities. We are not saying that every meeting must be held virtually, but that local authorities—in this case, planning authorities—should have the power to do so, and for good reason. My preference is for in-person meetings, but for the reasons that have …..."
Tim Farron - View Speech

View all Tim Farron (LD - Westmorland and Lonsdale) contributions to the debate on: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Fifth sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Thu 13 Oct 2022
Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Third sitting)

"It is a pleasure to serve under your watchful gaze, Mr Hollobone. I do not want to add much, and I will not repeat what was said by the Minister and the shadow spokesperson, the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich. This is an important part of the Bill. We …..."
Tim Farron - View Speech

View all Tim Farron (LD - Westmorland and Lonsdale) contributions to the debate on: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Third sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Thu 13 Oct 2022
Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Second sitting)

"Mrs Murray, it is a genuine pleasure to serve under your guidance today. I offer a huge welcome to the two new Ministers. I am very pleased to see them in their places, and they have made a good start so far.

Just a quick word from me on this: …..."
Tim Farron - View Speech

View all Tim Farron (LD - Westmorland and Lonsdale) contributions to the debate on: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill (Twenty Second sitting)