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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the statutory overcrowding standards set out in the Housing Act 1985.

The government has no current plans to review or amend the overcrowding provisions as set out in Part X of the Housing Act 1985.

Crowding and space are assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and enforced under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004.

The government has committed to bring forward new regulations to bring the conclusions of the HHSRS review into force. The HHSRS is the cornerstone of housing standards, and the forthcoming regulations will make it more efficient and accessible for experts to use, and easier to understand for landlords and tenants.