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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what measures are in place for enabling external inspection of homeless facilities by bodies outside of the local authority.

Housing authorities must, as a minimum, ensure that all temporary accommodation used for homeless households is free of Category 1 hazards as identified by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).

Officers qualified in HHSRS inspections and assessments carry out property inspections. Commonly these officers are employed by the local authority, but inspections may also be undertaken by third party providers.