Found: Neighbourhoods programme effectively - initiall y comprising the retrofit of five clusters of social housing

Found: Installations (Safety Zones) Order 2024 Appendix 2: Memorandum from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing

Found: units of alcohol (2.5 times more likely) oAged between 35-44 (1.7 times more likely) oLive in social housing

Found: The Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities plans to pilot ways to strengthen their leadership

Found: Minister of State for the Department for Work and Pensions Department for Levelling Up, Housing

Found: DPH0046 - Disabled people in the housing sector Hannah Langford Written Evidence

Found: DPH0047 - Disabled people in the housing sector Ipswich Disabled Advice Bureau Written Evidence

Found: of where people live, including parks and other safe, green spaces to play.2.5.Too frequently, housing

Found: children and a diverse ethnic community primarily resident in the neighbouring five large Lambeth housing

Found: technology to help them run their services, but also for members of their community to apply for jobs, housing

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions officials in her Department have had with the Royal Mail Group PLC on installing post boxes on new housing estates.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The installation of post boxes on housing estates is an operational matter for Royal Mail as an independent business. The Government does not have a role in Royal Mail’s operational decisions.

Ofcom, as the independent regulator for the postal sector, requires Royal Mail to ensure there is a post box within half a mile of the premises of at least 98% of users of postal services. Royal Mail is also required to report annually to Ofcom the number of customer complaints received about the provision and/or location of post boxes.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Further agreement with telecoms firms to protect vulnerable customers, published on 11 March 2024, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the definition of vulnerable.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT is working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) regarding the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) migration.

On 29 January, DSIT Ministers met with Ministerial counterparts from DHSC and the, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to discuss Departmental responsibilities during the migration. The Departments have collectively agreed a Telecare National Action Plan (TNAP) outlining each Department’s role during the migration to ensure that telecare users and other vulnerable customers are protected. As set out in this action plan, DSIT has agreed to lead on defining vulnerability with support from DHSC and DLUHC.

For more information regarding the work to define vulnerability, I refer the Hon Member to the answers given to Question UIN 21918 and 21919 on 19^th April 2024.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what criteria local authorities will be required to use in decision-making processes for granting planning permissions for short-term lets; whether these criteria will include an assessment of the potential impact of a proposal on (a) local housing need and (b) the community; and whether his Department plans to issue guidance to councils on adapting criteria to the unique circumstances of their localities.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

We set out our intention to take action on the issue of short-term lets in the Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS264) published on 19 February 2024. As stated, further details of the planning changes, including the timeline for implementation, will be set out when the Government formally responds to the consultation on these proposals.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to require planning permission for properties rented out as short-term lets for more than 90 days per year; and if he will publish guidance on (a) how long properties should operate as short-term lets, (b) whether a minimum time limit will apply and (c) whether there will be any exemptions to these regulations.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

We set out our intention to take action on the issue of short-term lets in the Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS264) published on 19 February 2024. As stated, further details of the planning changes, including the timeline for implementation, will be set out when the Government formally responds to the consultation on these proposals.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his Department’s policy to reintroduce Lord Lieutenancies of the historic counties abolished upon the creation of Greater London in 1965.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The allocation of Lieutenancies to counties was set out in the 1997 Lieutenancies Act and there are currently no plans to amend it.

The Government attaches great importance to the history and traditions of this country and recognises that the tapestry of our historic counties is one of the bonds that draws the nation together. Whilst the Government shares your enthusiasm for promoting historic counties, it has no plans for any legislation on historic counties.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) units have been rented privately in each year since 2019; what the (a) average, (b) longest and (c) shortest timeframe for renters having been given notice to quit has been since 2019; and how many of his Department's sites on which SFA is located have had 10 or more notices to quit served in the same calendar month since 2019.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The number and percentage of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties that have been rented privately in each year since 2019 is shown in the table below:

Sites where ten or more Notices to Quit (NTQ) have been served at the same time are:

In line with standard procedure, occupants who have been served a NTQ are provided with 65 days’ notice as specified within the tenancy agreement. However, individual specific circumstances will be taken into account where there are extenuating circumstances, as is the case at RAF Henlow, where one year’s notice has been given.

The average timeframe for a NTQ could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of available shared houses that are affordable for people who are (i) under the age of 35 and (ii) in receipt of the lowers level of housing support.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The information requested is not held centrally.

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 adequacy of the restraint of council tax precepts set by (a) town and (b) parish councils.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Precept levels are decided by individual town and parish councils and the Government has been clear that proposed increases should be well evidenced and justified. The Government expects the sector to take all available steps to mitigate the need for council tax increases and will take into account councils’ decisions when considering future action.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether people registered as a proxy voter for someone who resides permanently abroad are eligible for single person discount on their council tax.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The legislation does not provide for proxy voting status to be taken into account when determining whether a single person discount should be applied to a council tax bill. The 25% single person discount applies where there is only one liable adult living in a property. Individual councils are responsible for determining whether the discount should be applied to a bill.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate she has made of the average cost per household of replacing a telecare system to accommodate the BT Digital Voice migration in (a) a private residence, (b) a retirement housing community and (c) a care home; and whether these costs include the provision of (i) battery backup systems and (ii) replacement of associated systems such as (A) lift alarms, (B) fire safety alarms and (C) intercom equipment.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Given the range of telecare systems, lifeline alarm systems or remote ringers available on the market, we cannot definitively provide cost estimates for replacing a device. Telecare devices can come with a range of potential add-ons that may increase costs, including but not limited to additional power resilience (such as multi-SIM connectivity solutions); personalised support (such as a dedicated helpline); and/or additional monitoring (such as tracking health data like heart rate or blood pressure).

It should be noted that the migration from analogue to digital landlines (also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) migration) is not specific to BT; other telecoms providers are also upgrading their analogue lines. Furthermore, the telecoms industry is not responsible for the provision or maintenance of telecare devices.

The government is working closely with telecoms companies, Local Authorities and telecare services providers to understand how the migration may impact telecare users and what more can be done to mitigate risks associated with the migration. For example, all major communications providers (including BT and Virgin Media O2) have signed up to a PSTN Charter where they commit not to migrate telecare users without a full confirmation that they have a compatible and functioning telecare solution in place.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when property owners will need to comply with regulations requiring planning permission for short-term lets exceeding 90 days per year; and whether his Department plans to introduce interim measures in advance of that date.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

We set out our intention to take action on the issue of short-term lets in the Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS264) published on 19 February 2024. As stated, further details of the planning changes, including the timeline for implementation, will be set out when the Government formally responds to the consultation on these proposals.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle anti-democratic extremism.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

On 14^th March Government published its new definition of extremism, which identifies behaviour that seek to “to… undermine, overturn or replace the UK’s system of parliamentary democracy” as extremist.

The Government is undergoing a formal process of identifying and naming extremists. Before elections, the Government stands up the election cell, which works with the Police and Home Office to monitor threats to our democratic systems or institutions.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of awarding the full Carer's Allowance to unpaid carers that are in receipt of the state pension.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Although there is no upper age limit to claiming Carer’s Allowance, it cannot normally be paid with the State Pension. It has been a long held feature of the UK’s benefit system, under successive Governments, that where someone is entitled to two benefits for the same contingency, then whilst there may be entitlement to both benefits, only one will be paid to avoid duplication for the same need. Although entitlement to State Pension and Carer’s Allowance arise in different circumstances they are nevertheless designed for the same contingency – as an income replacement. Carer’s Allowance replaces income where the carer has given up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to care for a severely disabled person, while State Pension replaces income in retirement. For this reason, social security rules operate to prevent them being paid together, to avoid duplicate provision for the same need.

However, if a carer’s State Pension is less than Carer's Allowance, State Pension is paid and topped up with Carer's Allowance to the basic weekly rate of Carer's Allowance which is currently £81.90.

Where Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit. This gives access to the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit of £45.60 a week and potentially other means-tested support. Around 100,000 people are receiving the Carer Premium with their Pension Credit. And even if a pensioner’s income is above the limit for Pension Credit, they may still be able to receive Housing Benefit.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what consultation his Department undertook with (a) faith groups (b) civil society and (c) local councils on the new definition of extremism; and whether the findings will be published.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Further to the Secretary of State’s oral statement on Extremism Definition and Community Engagement of 14 March 2024 (Official Report HC, Volume 747, Column 452), details of ministerial meetings and engagement are published on gov.uk. Further details relating to the Government’s work in this area, including in relation to naming individuals and organisations, will be set out in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his oral statement on Extremism Definition and Community Engagement of 14 March 2024, Official Report, column 452, whether his Department informed the organisations referred to in that statement that they would be referred to in advance of making that statement.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Further to the Secretary of State’s oral statement on Extremism Definition and Community Engagement of 14 March 2024 (Official Report HC, Volume 747, Column 452), details of ministerial meetings and engagement are published on gov.uk. Further details relating to the Government’s work in this area, including in relation to naming individuals and organisations, will be set out in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure organisations listed under the new definition of extremism are (a) subject to an impartial review process and (b) able to appeal being listed under the new definition.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Further to the Secretary of State’s oral statement on Extremism Definition and Community Engagement of 14 March 2024 (Official Report HC, Volume 747, Column 452), details of ministerial meetings and engagement are published on gov.uk. Further details relating to the Government’s work in this area, including in relation to naming individuals and organisations, will be set out in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps the counter-extremism centre of excellence will take to assess organisations under the new definition of extremism.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Further to the Secretary of State’s oral statement on Extremism Definition and Community Engagement of 14 March 2024 (Official Report HC, Volume 747, Column 452), details of ministerial meetings and engagement are published on gov.uk. Further details relating to the Government’s work in this area, including in relation to naming individuals and organisations, will be set out in due course.

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 impact of the new definition of extremism on public bodies.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Further to the Secretary of State’s oral statement on Extremism Definition and Community Engagement of 14 March 2024 (Official Report HC, Volume 747, Column 452), details of ministerial meetings and engagement are published on gov.uk. Further details relating to the Government’s work in this area, including in relation to naming individuals and organisations, will be set out in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much levelling up funding his Department has allocated to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

BCP Council have received a variety of levelling up support since 2019, including through some specific awards such as:

• £20 million of Levelling Up Fund investment;
• £4.2 million in Core UK Shared Prosperity Funding and £1.7 million in Multiply for BCP investing in communities focused on building pride in place, supporting high quality skills training, employment and productivity growth, and increasing life chances;
• £1 million in Towns Accelerator Funding, designed to kick start local projects: driving growth and improving prospects for communities; and
• £21.7 million Town Deal for Bournemouth to regenerate the town and deliver long-term economic and productivity growth. This is through investments in urban regeneration, digital and physical connectivity, skills, heritage and enterprise infrastructure.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2024 to Question 19178 on Armed Forces: Housing, if he will provide a breakdown of this figure for Scotland.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

For the period 1 April 2023 to 29 February 2024, the Department spent £21,004 on housing Service personnel and their families in emergency accommodation in Scotland due to major repairs needed at their military accommodation.

Information for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 is not separately identifiable due to the way in which data was held at the time.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to bring together islands from across the UK to discuss shared challenges.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Islands are distinct and vital parts of the United Kingdom. The Islands Forum was established to empower island communities to communicate with government, inform future policy, and work together. I am delighted the fourth forum will be meeting on Ynys Môn next month and I’m looking forward to joining her there.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress his Department has made on delivering Levelling Up funding to local authorities.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Across the three major Levelling Up funds, the Department has allocated £10.4 billion and released over £4 billion to local authorities.

The Funds are multi-year programmes that local authorities will continue to spend over the lifetime of the Funds. As is typical with capital programmes, spending will peak in the later years.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will undertake a review of the rules on voting eligibility to equalise voting rights between refugees from Commonwealth countries and those from other countries.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The entitlement of resident Commonwealth citizens to vote reflects our close historical ties with Commonwealth countries. The right to reside, whether under refugee status or any other status, does not confer the right to participate in democratic processes in the UK.

Accordingly, the Government has no plans to review such voting rights.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many and what proportion of businesses that were eligible for business rates relief in the 2023-24 financial year are no longer eligible in the 2024-25 financial year.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The department does not hold the data required to answer this question. Information on the number of hereditaments eligible for business rates relief is available here.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what data his Department holds on the number of compensation payments awarded to families living in service family accommodation in Scotland since April 2022.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Since 1 April 2022 1,724 compensation claims have been paid to Service personnel living in Service Family Accommodation (SFA) in Scotland.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of voting rights on the integration of refugees; and if he will publish any such assessment.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The entitlement of resident Commonwealth citizens to vote reflects our close historical ties with Commonwealth countries. The right to reside, whether under refugee status or any other status, does not confer the right to participate in democratic processes in the UK.

Accordingly, the Government has no plans to review such voting rights.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he has taken to communicate information on voting rights to eligible commonwealth citizens resident in the United Kingdom.

Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The entitlement of resident Commonwealth citizens to vote reflects our close historical ties with Commonwealth countries. The right to reside, whether under refugee status or any other status, does not confer the right to participate in democratic processes in the UK.

Accordingly, the Government has no plans to review such voting rights.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to work with local authorities to increase access to support services for people with autism.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

Our national autism strategy, published in July 2021, acknowledges the importance of autistic people being able to access community support, including social care, and that this support should be available at the right time, and tailored to autistic people’s needs. We are currently updating the Autism Act Statutory Guidance to support the National Health Service and local authorities in delivering improved outcomes for autistic people. This will include setting out what local authorities must and should be doing to support autistic adults.

Under the Care Act 2014, it is the responsibility of local authorities to assess individuals’ care and support needs, including those of autistic adults, and, where eligible, to meet those needs. A new duty for the Care Quality Commission (CQC), to assess local authorities’ delivery of their Care Act 2014 duties, went live on 1 April 2023, and the formal assessment period has started. The CQC will examine how well local authorities deliver their Care Act duties, including those that apply to autistic people with care and support needs. This will increase transparency and accountability and, most importantly, drive improved outcomes for people who draw on care and support.

Each integrated care board (ICB) must have an Executive Lead for learning disability and autism, to support them in delivering care and support for autistic people in their area. NHS England has published statutory guidance on these Executive Lead roles. Key areas of the Executive Lead role include, but are not limited to: supporting the board in developing a strategic plan for people with a learning disability and autistic people, with local authorities and wider partners; using joint commissioning principles to work together to facilitate appropriate community support, care, and housing; and enabling people to live well at home. It also includes working with local authorities, primary care networks, place-based partnerships, provider collaboratives, health care providers, and wider partners to address inequalities in health outcomes for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

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 strength of the Union.

Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Union is strong. The United Kingdom is one of the world’s most successful political and economic unions. When we work together as one United Kingdom, we are safer, stronger and more prosperous.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on incorporating connectivity measures into National Development Management Policies.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Work is underway to prepare National Development Management Policies, and officials will be working with their counterparts in other departments where they have an interest, including the Department for Transport. We are aware that access to services is an area that a number of departments have an interest in. We intend to consult fully on both the scope and content of the policies before any are put in place.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to increase levels of home ownership.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government has a range of schemes available to help improve access to home ownership, including First Homes, Shared Ownership, Right to Buy, the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme and the Lifetime ISA. We have also doubled the threshold for Stamp Duty and expanded First Time Buyers Relief.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to encourage property developers to incorporate net zero measures in planning applications.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

I refer the Honourable Member to paragraph 157 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many homes were built in Suffolk Coastal constituency in the last 12 months.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

We are taking significant steps to address the challenges to increasing housing supply around the country, including in Suffolk. We recognise the scale of challenges facing the housebuilding sector in the current macro-economic climate. Against this challenging backdrop, we have invested billions in housing since the start of this Parliament. This investment will support bringing forward land for development, enabling the market to deliver the homes and infrastructure that communities need, and support increasing local authority planning capacity.

We have also taken significant measures through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act, and National Planning Policy Framework, to reform the planning system. These measures aim to reduce planning delays, bureaucracy, slow build-out rates, and wider barriers to growth and development.

We want decisions about homes to be driven locally and we want to get more local plans in place to deliver the homes we need. This is why we have revised the National Planning Policy Framework (published 19 December 2023) to be clearer about the importance of planning for homes and other development that our communities need.

The Department publishes an annual release entitled ‘Housing supply: net additional dwellings, England’, which is the primary and most comprehensive measure of housing supply, with estimates of new homes delivered in each local authority, including East Suffolk, in each financial year since 2001-02, shown in Live Table 122 at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-net-supply-of-housing.

Figures at parliamentary constituency level are not centrally collected.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the availability of homes in Suffolk.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

We are taking significant steps to address the challenges to increasing housing supply around the country, including in Suffolk. We recognise the scale of challenges facing the housebuilding sector in the current macro-economic climate. Against this challenging backdrop, we have invested billions in housing since the start of this Parliament. This investment will support bringing forward land for development, enabling the market to deliver the homes and infrastructure that communities need, and support increasing local authority planning capacity.

We have also taken significant measures through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act, and National Planning Policy Framework, to reform the planning system. These measures aim to reduce planning delays, bureaucracy, slow build-out rates, and wider barriers to growth and development.

We want decisions about homes to be driven locally and we want to get more local plans in place to deliver the homes we need. This is why we have revised the National Planning Policy Framework (published 19 December 2023) to be clearer about the importance of planning for homes and other development that our communities need.

The Department publishes an annual release entitled ‘Housing supply: net additional dwellings, England’, which is the primary and most comprehensive measure of housing supply, with estimates of new homes delivered in each local authority, including East Suffolk, in each financial year since 2001-02, shown in Live Table 122 at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-net-supply-of-housing.

Figures at parliamentary constituency level are not centrally collected.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken to receive a Building Assessment Certificate.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

At the beginning of April, the Building Safety Regulator started directing Principal Accountable Persons to apply for their Building Safety Assessment Certificate. We will monitor this process carefully. The Department is happy to receive further information about specific cases.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to secure contributions towards the costs of building safety remediation from (a) cladding manufacturers, (b) insulation manufacturers, (c) fire door manufacturers, (d) architects, (e) building contractors, (f) building control organisations and (g) warranty providers.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

I refer my Hon Gentleman to the oral statement made in the House of Commons on 26th March 2024 (Official Report HC, Volume 747, Column 1414).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Second Report of the House of Lords Conduct Committee of Session 2023-2024 on The conduct of Lord Mann, HL95, published on 27 March 2024, what discussions he has had with the Antisemitism Policy Trust on the use of staff funded by his Department for non-Departmental work.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Government regularly engages with the Trust among a range of other stakeholders to understand and respond to antisemitism.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the number of developers in the Responsible Actors Scheme complying with the Code of Practice for the remediation of residential buildings.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

We have been clear that all remediation projects should comply with the Code. We will take appropriate action where there is a failure to comply, including legislating if necessary.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an audit programme to ensure compliance with the Code of Practice for the remediation of residential buildings.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

We have been clear that all remediation projects should comply with the Code. We will take appropriate action where there is a failure to comply, including legislating if necessary.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making the Code of Practice for the remediation of residential buildings legally binding.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

We have been clear that all remediation projects should comply with the Code. We will take appropriate action where there is a failure to comply, including legislating if necessary.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to appoint an independent adviser on tackling anti-Muslim hatred.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

I refer the Hon Member to the oral answer given by my Hon Friend, the Member for Kensington, on 4 March 2024 (Official Report, HC Volume 746, Column 628).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to end gazundering.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government’s future legislative agenda will be set out in the usual way.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the average time taken for his Department to respond to leaseholder correspondence sent to the Under11mBuildings@LevellingUp.gov.uk email address in 2023.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) places great importance on the effective and timely handling of correspondence. Although given the volume and complexity of some of the cases being received it does often take time to work through those cases.

As per the Cabinet Office’s Guide to Handling Correspondence on GOV.UK, response times are measured against a 20-working day target deadline. We, therefore, do not collect data on the average length of time to respond to correspondence on specific policy issues.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the average time taken for his Department to respond to leaseholder correspondence on building safety matters in 2023.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) places great importance on the effective and timely handling of correspondence. Although given the volume and complexity of some of the cases being received it does often take time to work through those cases.

As per the Cabinet Office’s Guide to Handling Correspondence on GOV.UK, response times are measured against a 20-working day target deadline. We, therefore, do not collect data on the average length of time to respond to correspondence on specific policy issues.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to clause 18.2(B) of the Developer self-remediation contract, published on 30 January 2023, what the maximum time permitted is for a developer to delay commencement of works while they use reasonable endeavours to recover costs from other joint venture partners.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

No developer has provided the evidence required by the joint venture clause to show that they are less than 50% responsible for any of their listed buildings, so all developers are liable for 100% of the costs of remediating the relevant buildings. Developers are obligated to remediate buildings covered by the contract as soon as they are able.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to reclassify retail as legitimate employment land use as part of the Accelerated Planning Service Consultation.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Our proposals for the Accelerated Planning Service do not include the reclassification of any land uses. The Accelerated Planning Service on which the Government is currently consulting is for planning applications for major commercial development which create 1,000 sqm or more of new or additional employment space as defined in planning legislation. This could include retail development. The consultation closes on 1 May 2024 and we will analyse responses and announce our decision in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to reclassify retail as legitimate employment land use as part of the Accelerated Planning Service Consultation.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Our proposals for the Accelerated Planning Service do not include the reclassification of any land uses. The Accelerated Planning Service on which the Government is currently consulting is for planning applications for major commercial development which create 1,000 sqm or more of new or additional employment space as defined in planning legislation. This could include retail development. The consultation closes on 1 May 2024 and we will analyse responses and announce our decision in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many buildings with life-critical fire-safety defects are excluded from the developer self-remediation terms because a signatory to the developer contract is a joint venture partner who is entitled to less than 50% of the economic return from a building.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

No developer has provided the evidence required by the joint venture clause to show that they are less than 50% responsible for any of their listed buildings, so all developers are liable for 100% of the costs of remediating the relevant buildings. Developers are obligated to remediate buildings covered by the contract as soon as they are able.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department's Building Safety Remediation: monthly data release, updated on 26 March 2024, for how many and what proportion of social housing buildings where works have (a) started and (b) completed, the source of remediation funding is (i) the Registered Provider, (ii) Government funding and (iii) developer funding.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The data we published in March identified 1,952 buildings in the social sector requiring cladding remediation. Of those, 204 buildings (10%) were reported to have completed works and 525 buildings (27%) were reported to have started works.

Government has funded works in 144 social housing buildings through the Social Sector Cladding Remediation Fund (135 completed and nine underway), 167 buildings through the Building Safety Fund (50 completed and 56 underway), and 36 buildings in the recently launched Cladding Safety Scheme. Buildings may appear in more than one fund.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2023 to Question 3014 on Building Regulations: Fire Prevention, what recent progress his Department has made on the property protection workstream.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Technical Review of Approved Document B was published on 6 June 2022. Research on the property protection workstream has completed. Government will consider findings, then publish the research and an update on the workstream in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had recent discussions with housing associations on taking steps to maintain low levels of rent.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Government regulates the maximum social housing rents that Registered Providers of social housing, including housing associations, can charge their tenants (subject to certain exceptions).

Social housing rents are permitted to increase rents by up to CPI+1% per annum. Registered Providers of social housing are expected carefully to consider the effect on their tenants when making decisions about rent increases. The CPI+1% limit is a ceiling, and Government urges landlords to consider lower increases where possible.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the number of veterans sleeping rough on 28 March 2024.

Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

On 29 February 2024, we published management information which showed that over the month in December 2023, four people sleeping rough in England had left the UK armed forces within the last 85 days. This data is available at Ending Rough Sleeping Data Framework, December 2023 - GOV.UK.

The next quarterly publication of monthly data up to March will be published in June 2024.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many Section 21 notices have been issued in (a) Lancashire and (b) Preston in each of the last five years; and what steps his Department is taking to support tenants facing eviction under a Section 21 notice.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN HL2677 on 6 March 2024. We are abolishing Section 21 evictions as part of the Renters (Reform) Bill.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing developers participating in the self-remediation scheme with a list of firms from which the Cladding Safety Scheme will accept Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls assessments.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The developer remediation contract requires that relevant assessors are suitably experienced, qualified, independent and competent. The department also requires the developer and the assessor to sign statements confirming that they are separate financial entities, in line with guidance issued by authorities including RICS, the International Arbitration Board, the International Bar Association and ISO/IEC 17020:2012 Conformity assessment.

The department does not recommend a list of assessors to developers. The British Standards Institution’s PAS 9980 standard and the developer remediation contract make clear that relevant assessors must meet the required standard, and the department regularly commissions independent audits of assessments obtained by developers to make sure that those standards have been met.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that risk assessors commissioned by participant developers in the self-remediation scheme are (a) independent and (b) not reliant on one developer for their entire income.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The developer remediation contract requires that relevant assessors are suitably experienced, qualified, independent and competent. The department also requires the developer and the assessor to sign statements confirming that they are separate financial entities, in line with guidance issued by authorities including RICS, the International Arbitration Board, the International Bar Association and ISO/IEC 17020:2012 Conformity assessment.

The department does not recommend a list of assessors to developers. The British Standards Institution’s PAS 9980 standard and the developer remediation contract make clear that relevant assessors must meet the required standard, and the department regularly commissions independent audits of assessments obtained by developers to make sure that those standards have been met.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has issued recent guidance on liability for the costs of preparing a building safety case on cladding remediation requirements.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

As part of the new building safety regime, all those accountable for higher-risk buildings are required to assess and manage building safety risks for their building, and prepare a safety case report which will be submitted to the Building Safety Regulator. The Building Safety Regulator produced guidance on developing a safety case and on preparing a safety case report which can be found at: Preparing a building assessment certificate application - GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has issued guidance on liability for the costs of preparing a building safety case on cladding remediation requirements.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

As part of the new building safety regime, all those accountable for higher-risk buildings are required to assess and manage building safety risks for their building, and prepare a safety case report which will be submitted to the Building Safety Regulator. The Building Safety Regulator produced guidance on developing a safety case and on preparing a safety case report which can be found at: Preparing a building assessment certificate application - GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the answers to Question 101 to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee on 21 September 2020 on Pre-legislative scrutiny of the Building Safety Bill on 21 September 2020, HC 466, what data his Department holds on the number of buildings where the NHBC validated the claims for major fire safety remediation works.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Data on Building Safety Remediation progress is published on gov.uk. The department does not hold data on the number of buildings requiring remediation for life-critical fire-safety defects that were approved by building control provided by NHBC, other private Approved Inspectors and Local Authority Building Control, or on the number of buildings where the NHBC validated the claims for major fire safety remediation works.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on the number of buildings requiring remediation for life-critical fire-safety defects that were approved by building control provided by (a) NHBC, (b) other private Approved Inspectors and (c) Local Authority Building Control.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Data on Building Safety Remediation progress is published on gov.uk. The department does not hold data on the number of buildings requiring remediation for life-critical fire-safety defects that were approved by building control provided by NHBC, other private Approved Inspectors and Local Authority Building Control, or on the number of buildings where the NHBC validated the claims for major fire safety remediation works.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with local authorities on the switching off of the public switched telephone network.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT is coordinating the cross-government response to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) switchover. Government is taking the risks associated with this switchover very seriously and our primary objective is to ensure vulnerable people are protected throughout this necessary transition. DSIT is engaging closely with counterparts in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and the Local Government Association (LGA). DSIT is a member of the LGA’s working group which focuses on the switchover. DSIT will be submitting specific guidance to Local Authorities on matters related to the migration and is working to assess the impact that the PSTN switchover may have on Local Authorities.

BT Group announced its plans to switch off the PSTN in 2017, and many affected organisations, including some Local Authorities, have taken the opportunity to prepare for the transition since then. Upgrading devices to digitally compatible products will ensure they are compatible with a superior and more secure underlying infrastructure, future-proofing them for years ahead.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will provide additional resources to local authorities to effectively manage the switching off of the public switched telephone network.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT is coordinating the cross-government response to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) switchover. Government is taking the risks associated with this switchover very seriously and our primary objective is to ensure vulnerable people are protected throughout this necessary transition. DSIT is engaging closely with counterparts in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and the Local Government Association (LGA). DSIT is a member of the LGA’s working group which focuses on the switchover. DSIT will be submitting specific guidance to Local Authorities on matters related to the migration and is working to assess the impact that the PSTN switchover may have on Local Authorities.

BT Group announced its plans to switch off the PSTN in 2017, and many affected organisations, including some Local Authorities, have taken the opportunity to prepare for the transition since then. Upgrading devices to digitally compatible products will ensure they are compatible with a superior and more secure underlying infrastructure, future-proofing them for years ahead.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on taking steps to help protect vulnerable people from crime during the digital switchover of telephony services.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT is coordinating the cross-government response to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) switchover. DSIT is engaging closely with counterparts in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) as well as the Local Government Association (LGA). DSIT is a member of the LGA’s working group which focuses on supporting local authorities with the PSTN migration, as well as the 2G/3G switch-off.

DSIT supported the LGA in publishing a guidance note for councils on how to raise awareness among residents, and seek to prevent and disrupt anyone from using the digital switchover as a means to advance criminal activity. The guidance can be found at the following address: https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/cyber-digital-and-technology/digital-switchover/digital-phone-switchover/digital-phone

DSIT also works closely with the Home Office, as the department responsible for crime policy, as well as Ofcom - the independent telecoms regulator - on a range of issues to tackle telephone enabled fraud and bring criminals to justice.

DLUHC’s Local Digital team is dedicated to helping councils digitise and transform their services so that they are modern and resilient. DLUHC’s “Future Councils” pilot programme has recently published a report identifying the most common challenges to digital transformation and is building on its findings.

Ofcom wrote to local government organisations on 17 January 2024 to reiterate the importance of ensuring that councils are prepared for any changes that may impact on the delivery of services when 3G and then 2G is switched off. The letter can be found via the following link:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/275521/letter-local-gov-3g-switch-off.pdf

The Government has published information on the role of Digital Champions within the Digital Connectivity Portal. The Portal is an extensive online resource providing best practice guidance helping local authorities to facilitate digital infrastructure deployment.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/digital-strategy-and-leadership#digital-champion

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, is she will hold discussions with the Local Government Association to help define the role of a digital champion in supporting (a) the digitisation of council services, (b) the digital switchover and (c) the 2G/3G switch off.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT is coordinating the cross-government response to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) switchover. DSIT is engaging closely with counterparts in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) as well as the Local Government Association (LGA). DSIT is a member of the LGA’s working group which focuses on supporting local authorities with the PSTN migration, as well as the 2G/3G switch-off.

DSIT supported the LGA in publishing a guidance note for councils on how to raise awareness among residents, and seek to prevent and disrupt anyone from using the digital switchover as a means to advance criminal activity. The guidance can be found at the following address: https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/cyber-digital-and-technology/digital-switchover/digital-phone-switchover/digital-phone

DSIT also works closely with the Home Office, as the department responsible for crime policy, as well as Ofcom - the independent telecoms regulator - on a range of issues to tackle telephone enabled fraud and bring criminals to justice.

DLUHC’s Local Digital team is dedicated to helping councils digitise and transform their services so that they are modern and resilient. DLUHC’s “Future Councils” pilot programme has recently published a report identifying the most common challenges to digital transformation and is building on its findings.

Ofcom wrote to local government organisations on 17 January 2024 to reiterate the importance of ensuring that councils are prepared for any changes that may impact on the delivery of services when 3G and then 2G is switched off. The letter can be found via the following link:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/275521/letter-local-gov-3g-switch-off.pdf

The Government has published information on the role of Digital Champions within the Digital Connectivity Portal. The Portal is an extensive online resource providing best practice guidance helping local authorities to facilitate digital infrastructure deployment.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/digital-strategy-and-leadership#digital-champion

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many properties in Lincolnshire other than hotels Serco have operated for housing asylum seekers since 2020.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation (including in contingency hotels and other contingency accommodation) is published in table Asy_D11 here: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

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 levels of mortgage lenders compliance with the latest RICS guidance.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The External Wall System Review form (EWS1) is not a statutory requirement or government process. It is an industry tool to inform mortgage valuation. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) have issued guidance on the use and application of EWS1 forms.

Following the Department’s work in this area, a number of mortgage lenders have joined a voluntary commitment to offer mortgages on properties affected by building safety issues. This means that around three quarters of mortgage lending is now covered by this commitment, which commits lenders to consider mortgage applications for properties in buildings that are yet to be remediated, or where leaseholders are protected from remediation costs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the number of (a) social and (b) affordable housing properties built by developers; and what steps his Department is taking to encourage more affordable housing to be built.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes, both for rent and to buy, right across the country.

The Levelling Up White Paper committed to increasing the supply of social rented homes, and a large number of the new homes delivered through our Affordable Homes Programme will be for social rent.

The government is on track to deliver its target of building around 250,000 affordable homes through the Affordable Homes Programme.

Local planning authorities can secure addition contributions towards affordable housing through section 106 planning obligations.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act contains powers for the Government to create a new mandatory, non-negotiable Infrastructure Levy which will aim to generate more funding for affordable housing and infra-structure to support sustainable development.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department has issued to mortgage lenders to help ensure their compliance with RICS guidance on the requirement for EWS1 certificates.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The External Wall System Review form (EWS1) is not a statutory requirement or government process. It is an industry tool to inform mortgage valuation. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) have issued guidance on the use and application of EWS1 forms.

Following the Department’s work in this area, a number of mortgage lenders have joined a voluntary commitment to offer mortgages on properties affected by building safety issues. This means that around three quarters of mortgage lending is now covered by this commitment, which commits lenders to consider mortgage applications for properties in buildings that are yet to be remediated, or where leaseholders are protected from remediation costs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to tackle high services charges for leaseholders in Battersea.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government has set out its position on leasehold reform as part of the progress of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to bring forward an amendment to the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill to ban forfeiture.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government has set out its position on leasehold reform as part of the progress of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what support his Department is providing to leaseholders in Battersea who are facing service charges increases.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government has set out its position on leasehold reform as part of the progress of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to introduce legislation to create a regulator for service charges.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government has set out its position on leasehold reform as part of the progress of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to compensate (a) institutional investors and (b) pension-holders for loss of income as a result of his Department’s proposed cap on ground rents.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government recently consulted on a range of options to restrict ground rents for existing leases. Alongside the consultation we published a consultation impact assessment, assessing the expected costs and benefits of each of the policy options. This can be found here: Consultation impact assessment - modern leasehold: restricting ground rent for existing leases - GOV.UK.

We are carefully considering the responses we have received and will set out next steps due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of capping ground rents on leasehold homes at nominal rates.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government recently consulted on a range of options to restrict ground rents for existing leases. Alongside the consultation we published a consultation impact assessment, assessing the expected costs and benefits of each of the policy options. This can be found here: Consultation impact assessment - modern leasehold: restricting ground rent for existing leases - GOV.UK.

We are carefully considering the responses we have received and will set out next steps due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether it remains his policy to introduce a cap on ground rents to a peppercorn value.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government recently consulted on a range of options to restrict ground rents for existing leases. Alongside the consultation we published a consultation impact assessment, assessing the expected costs and benefits of each of the policy options. This can be found here: Consultation impact assessment - modern leasehold: restricting ground rent for existing leases - GOV.UK.

We are carefully considering the responses we have received and will set out next steps due course.

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Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the proposals for minimum energy efficiency standards and deadlines to be imposed from 2028 under the forthcoming Heat in Buildings Bill, what its response is to reports that the proposals could have the effect of forcing existing landlords to withdraw properties from the private rental market, and whether it has carried out any study or research into whether the proposals could have the potential impact of reducing the number of properties available for private let.

Answered by Harvie, Patrick - Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights

We are aware of the important role privately rented homes play as part of Scotland’s housing stock, and the wider pressures on this sector. We will continue to engage with the sector on our proposals, taking account of the wider environment in which it operates.

The recent consultation on a Heat in Buildings Bill included a proposal that a minimum energy efficiency standard could be met by installing a straightforward list of energy efficiency measures. Any homeowner who had installed these measures – or as many of them as are feasible for the type of home they live in – would be considered to meet the new standard. This final list of measures will be developed to prioritise those that have most impact for homes with the lowest amount of cost and disruption. This will provide a simple approach for landlords and other homeowners to follow, and to comply with the standard.

The Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange to investigate the potential impact of the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on the Scottish Housing Market. The scope of this project includes an investigation into the impact on the private rental market. As part of this project, researchers are conducting interviews with stakeholders from the property market, including from the rental sector. This research is currently being carried out, and findings will be published later this year.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its response to the Stage 1 Report on Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill, whether it will provide a list of developers that are engaging with homeowners on cladding assessment and remediation, and how many assessments those developers have begun.

Answered by McLennan, Paul - Minister for Housing

We are working collaboratively with Homes for Scotland and developers. Nine of the largest UK and Scottish developers have committed in principle to identify, assess and remediate buildings that they have played a role in developing. We have agreed the principle of developer led Single Building Assessments (SBAs) and will continue working collaboratively with developers to take forward assessment and remediation in line with the SBA specification that will be finalised at the end of May.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-safer-buildings-accord-developer-commitment-letter/pages/list-of-developers/

Question

Answered by Harvie, Patrick - Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights

The Scottish Government recently consulted on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, this consultation closed on 8 March 2024. We are currently analysing all responses received. This analysis will inform the further design of policy provisions together with any feedback gathered during wider consultation engagement events and workshops. All responses will be published in full, in accordance with Scottish Government guidance.

Ahead of the launch of the consultation and in preparing the proposals, I met with several retail banks to discuss their role in supporting consumers in meeting the costs of the proposed standards. In addition, I attended a Scottish Financial Enterprise hosted roundtable to discuss lenders' role and the potential impacts that the proposals may have on the housing market. As we finalise our proposals we will take this feedback into account.

In addition, the Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange to investigate the potential impact of the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on the Scottish Housing Market. The scope of this project includes an investigation into the impact on the mortgage market. This research is currently being carried out, and findings will be published later this year.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commission independent advice regarding whether the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill could adversely impact upon the mortgage market.

Answered by Harvie, Patrick - Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights

The Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange to investigate the potential impact of the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on the Scottish Housing Market. The scope of this project includes an investigation into the impact on the mortgage market. As part of this research, researchers are conducting interviews with stakeholders from the property market, including the finance sector. This research is currently being carried out, and findings will be published later this year.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that its new Renters' Rights Campaign reaches older private renters, in light of the recently published report, Homing in: How to improve the lives of older renters in Scotland, by Independent Age, which found that only 30% of older renters feel fully informed of their housing rights.

Answered by Harvie, Patrick - Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights

The Scottish Government's Renters' Rights campaign ran from 27 February to 26 March 2024, aiming to increase awareness of both new and existing rights for all private tenants in Scotland.

We worked collaboratively with public and third sector partners to disseminate the campaign information, enabling them to reach minority audiences, specialist groups and those who are less likely to be online. This included the Older People’s Strategic Advisory Forum (OPSAF), who represent the following organisations: Age Scotland, Generations Working Together, LGBT Age Project, Outside the Box, We are Hourglass, Independent Age, Scottish Trades Union Congress, The Scottish Older People’s Assembly, Faith in Older People, LGBT Health and Wellbeing, Glasgow Disability Alliance and Minority Ethnic Carers of People Programme.

Renters’ Rights information was also directly provided to Citizens Advice Bureaux, Crisis, Living Rent, Property Mark, Scottish Landlords, Scottish Land and Estates, UK Finance, Poverty Alliance, Generation Rent, the Scottish Property Federation, the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland, Local Authorities, NHS Health Boards, Social Security Scotland and third sector equality partners such as BEMIS and CEMVO.

It is vitally important that all tenants, including older renters, are aware of the strong rights and protections available to them and we will continue to identify opportunities and work with a range of key partners in order to continue to raise awareness.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many suitably qualified people it estimates will be available to carry out single building assessments in Scotland once any Act resulting from the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill comes into force.

Answered by McLennan, Paul - Minister for Housing

The number of suitably qualified people required will be proportionate to the number of SBAs required across Scotland. As the total number of SBAs is still to be determined we do not hold information about the number of assessors required.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20984 by Paul McLennan on 15 September 2023, whether it will provide details of the evidence that indicates that the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 is working as intended.

Answered by McLennan, Paul - Minister for Housing

The Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 (the Act) requires the Scottish Ministers to prepare and maintain a public register of all property factors and to consider whether a property factor is a fit and proper person to be registered as a property factor.

Under the Act, Scottish Ministers must prepare a property factor code of conduct setting out the minimum standards of practice expected of registered property factors. A Code of Conduct was introduced on 1 October 2012. We revised the Code in August 2021 to make it clearer, to drive up standards and to improve consistency, without placing an undue burden on companies that might result in significant additional costs being passed on to homeowners. The changes ensured the Code remained up to date and responded to concerns raised by homeowners as well as supporting important wider policy objectives around tenement maintenance.

A dispute resolution mechanism is provided for the resolution of disputes between homeowners and property factors through the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) (the First-tier Tribunal). This provides free access to justice for homeowners and there is evidence provided in the First-tier Tribunal's published Annual Reports noting the number of applications it has received. The most recent report demonstrates that homeowners are taking action against their Property Factor where they believe their Property Factor has not met the requirements of the Code of Conduct, or carried out their duties under the Act.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government how its coordinates homelessness prevention across government for (a) care experienced young people and (b) veterans. 

Answered by McLennan, Paul - Minister for Housing

The Minister for Housing has convened a Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness which brings together ten ministers from across the Scottish Government to identify the actions required across portfolios to prevent and end homelessness.

The group provides a space for shared political leadership and enhanced policy links with a view to ensuring everyone has a safe, warm place to call home. The last meeting was held on 20 March 2024 and had a focus on young people, including care experienced young people.

Membership, terms of reference, minutes and actions from the meetings can be found here – Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Outwith this group, policy officials across government work together on policy development and implementation with the aim of preventing homelessness for care experienced young people and veterans. This includes participating in A way Home Scotland Coalition meetings and Veterans Scotland Housing Group meetings as appropriate.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing targets to ensure that an adequate proportion of new housing developments is accessible and adaptable to meet the housing needs of an ageing population.

Answered by McLennan, Paul - Minister for Housing

As set out within Housing to 2040, we recognise the importance that good quality, accessible and adaptable housing has in allowing people to live independently with no barriers to participation in daily life, work and their community.

To make sure that we build in accessibility and adaptability to new homes and future proof them, we are carefully considering the public response to our recent consultation on proposals for enhancing the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland’s homes.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Scotland’s ageing population and reported projections by the Office for National Statistics that one quarter of Scotland’s population will be aged 65 or over by 2040, what consideration it has given to any changes that are required to the provision of housing to meet Scotland’s needs.

Answered by McLennan, Paul - Minister for Housing

We want older people to have choice, dignity and freedom to access suitable homes, built or adapted to enable them to participate as full and equal citizens. Our Housing to 2040 strategy sets out a vision for housing in Scotland. This includes all aspects of housing, including independent living for older people.

As set out within Housing to 2040, we understand that accessible and adaptable housing is important in allowing people to live independently with no barriers to participation in daily life, work and community as well as future-proofing new homes to help avoid costly adaptations in future when needs may change.

This is why our aim is that all new homes should be accessible and adaptable to suit the lifelong and varying needs of Scotland’s people.

The Scottish Government works closely with local authorities in their role as strategic housing authorities. Local Councils are best placed to make decisions which reflect the particular nature and characteristics of their local area.

On 29 June 2023 we launched a consultation on proposals for enhancing the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland’s homes. The consultation closed on 21 December 2023. We are carefully considering the feedback received.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to further support local authorities to address any antisocial behaviour in social housing.

Answered by McLennan, Paul - Minister for Housing

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling the problem of antisocial behaviour in our communities. Local authorities (as landlords) and Registered Social Landlords have a wide range of powers to deal with antisocial behaviour by their tenants that occurs in, or in the vicinity of the tenancy. A breach of tenancy conditions could ultimately lead to eviction as a last resort where the circumstances are sufficiently serious.

Social landlords as part of their requirement to meet the estate management and antisocial behaviour related outcome in the Scottish Social Housing Charter work in partnership with other agencies, to help to ensure as far as reasonably possible that tenants and other customers live in well-maintained neighbourhoods where they feel safe.

We recognise that no single approach will tackle all antisocial behaviour. Our national strategy is based on prevention, early intervention and positive diversionary activities. Police Scotland and local authorities lead on responses, using powers and options available to them to prevent and tackle antisocial behaviour. We are committed to ensuring all agencies have the powers and resources needed to tackle antisocial behaviour and crime.

Open Consultation: Call for evidence: phasing out the use of cages in the gamebird and quail sectors

Found: include quail egg and meat production in Scotland, especially the extent to which cages are used for housing