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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help tackle the substandard temporary accommodation.

This Government is committed to improving standards across all types of housing, including temporary accommodation, to ensure that it is safe, decent, and stable. Councils must already ensure that temporary accommodation is suitable for the needs of the household and should keep the suitability of accommodation under review.

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

To increase protections against poor quality, this government has committed to introducing the reformed Decent Homes Standard (DHS) and to consulting on introducing Awaab’s Law across temporary accommodation.