Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local authority enforcement of electrical safety standards in houses in multiple occupation in (a) County Durham and (b) England since 2021.

All house in multiple occupation (HMO) licences in England require the landlord to ensure that every electrical installation in the house is in proper working order and safe for use. Landlords are also required to supply their local authority with a declaration as to the safety of such installations when requested. Where a landlord fails to comply, local authorities have power to take enforcement action, including prosecution or issuing fines of up to £30,000.