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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of HMOs in Grantham on levels of social cohesion.

Responsibility for assessing and managing the local impacts of HMOs sits primarily with local authorities. Councils are responsible for HMO licensing, regulation and oversight, and for understanding how housing pressures affect local communities, including impacts on cohesion. They are best placed to monitor community tensions and to respond through local housing, planning, community safety and partnership arrangements.

The Department works closely with local authorities, such as Grantham, to provide advice and offer support where issues arise.