Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) heating and (b) hot water issues were reported in service family accommodation properties in each month in 2023.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The number of heating and hot water issues reported in Service Family Accommodation in each month since the new Future Defence Infrastructure Services Accommodation contracts came into service in April 2022 can be found in the table below. Information prior to April 2022 is not held:
Month | Heating | Hot Water |
Apr-22 | 1,463 | 251 |
May-22 | 1,147 | 397 |
Jun-22 | 848 | 397 |
Jul-22 | 752 | 470 |
Aug-22 | 644 | 551 |
Sep-22 | 1,354 | 622 |
Oct-22 | 1,793 | 517 |
Nov-22 | 2,957 | 332 |
Dec-22 | 3,690 | 247 |
Jan-23 | 3,148 | 235 |
Feb-23 | 2,098 | 208 |
Mar-23 | 2,026 | 231 |
Apr-23 | 1,500 | 272 |
May-23 | 951 | 366 |
Jun-23 | 720 | 401 |
Jul-23 | 724 | 503 |
Aug-23 | 792 | 568 |
Sep-23 | 1,038 | 626 |
Oct-23 | 2,548 | 795 |
Nov-23 | 3,316 | 285 |
Dec-23 | 2,516 | 407 |
The work orders listed in the table above include all repairs associated with heating such as condensate pipes freezing in extremely cold weather or a faulty single radiator valve and are not limited to total loss of heating. Similarly, those listed which relate to hot water include all associated repairs such as a lack of hot water to individual taps and are not limited to total hot water loss.
It remains the Department’s position that no home should be left without any form of heating or hot water for more than 24 hours. Where a fault with the permanent heating system cannot be rectified within this timeframe, alternative forms of heating and sources of hot water, or alternative accommodation, should be provided.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) heating and (b) hot water issues were reported in service family accommodation properties in each month in 2022.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The number of heating and hot water issues reported in Service Family Accommodation in each month since the new Future Defence Infrastructure Services Accommodation contracts came into service in April 2022 can be found in the table below. Information prior to April 2022 is not held:
Month | Heating | Hot Water |
Apr-22 | 1,463 | 251 |
May-22 | 1,147 | 397 |
Jun-22 | 848 | 397 |
Jul-22 | 752 | 470 |
Aug-22 | 644 | 551 |
Sep-22 | 1,354 | 622 |
Oct-22 | 1,793 | 517 |
Nov-22 | 2,957 | 332 |
Dec-22 | 3,690 | 247 |
Jan-23 | 3,148 | 235 |
Feb-23 | 2,098 | 208 |
Mar-23 | 2,026 | 231 |
Apr-23 | 1,500 | 272 |
May-23 | 951 | 366 |
Jun-23 | 720 | 401 |
Jul-23 | 724 | 503 |
Aug-23 | 792 | 568 |
Sep-23 | 1,038 | 626 |
Oct-23 | 2,548 | 795 |
Nov-23 | 3,316 | 285 |
Dec-23 | 2,516 | 407 |
The work orders listed in the table above include all repairs associated with heating such as condensate pipes freezing in extremely cold weather or a faulty single radiator valve and are not limited to total loss of heating. Similarly, those listed which relate to hot water include all associated repairs such as a lack of hot water to individual taps and are not limited to total hot water loss.
It remains the Department’s position that no home should be left without any form of heating or hot water for more than 24 hours. Where a fault with the permanent heating system cannot be rectified within this timeframe, alternative forms of heating and sources of hot water, or alternative accommodation, should be provided.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
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 provided recent guidance to local authorities on encouraging homeowners in conservation areas to (a) improve the energy-efficiency of their homes through retrofitting and (b) maintain the character of their properties.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government is fully committed to encouraging homeowners to incorporate energy efficiency measures in their properties in order to tackle climate change. Historic England, the Government’s adviser on heritage matters, publishes a range of advice on installing energy efficiency measures in historic buildings.
The Government has also recently undertaken a review of the practical planning barriers that households can face when installing energy efficiency measures such as improved glazing, including in conservation areas and listed buildings. An announcement on the outcome of the review will be made in due course.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the House of Commons Report, MOD Disposal Database, published on 7 March 2023, if he will provide a list of all military sites in the City of York Authority.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Military sites in the City of York Authority are listed below:
Government Pipeline Storage System Elvington
Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall
Strensall Training Area
Imphal Barracks, Fulford Road
Towthorpe Lines, Strensall, part of the former RAF Elvington
The following sites are Reserve Forces and Cadet Association (RFCA) sites:
Duncombe Barracks
Worsley Barracks
Yeomanry Barracks
Strensall Army Cadet Force Head Quarters
RFCA Head Quarters
There are 310 Service Family Accommodation properties in the City of York.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that children’s hospice and palliative services, including those provided by the voluntary sector, are on the Protected Sites List as part of the Electricity Emergency Supply Code.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Children’s hospice and palliative services are not listed as ‘Approved Designated Services’ as set out in section 5.2 of the Electricity Supply Emergency Code, and therefore do not qualify for Protected Site status unless they are located within a hospital.
The restrictive Protected Site criteria is essential as there are technical requirements under the Electricity Supply Emergency Code that limit the Protected Sites List to 10% of total demand. To keep many children’s hospice and palliative services connected would involve keeping all other properties in the area also connected and therefore the majority do not meet the criteria.
Sites are ultimately responsible for their own business continuity and should not rely on being on the Protected Sites List as their power resilience. The Electricity Supply Emergency Code only applies to certain scenarios and does not give sites complete coverage for all possible power disruption events.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help the owners of listed buildings improve home energy efficiency.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Making historic buildings more energy efficient is an important part of meeting Government ambitions with regard to Net Zero and energy efficiency. There are approximately 350,000 listed domestic properties, which make up 2% of our housing stock.
In the Government’s British Energy Security Strategy, published earlier this year, we committed to reviewing the practical planning barriers which households can face when installing energy efficiency measures, including in conservation areas and listed buildings. My Department has been working on the review jointly with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and will make an announcement on the outcomes in due course.
Historic England has recently updated its guidance for homeowners of historic buildings on how to adapt older buildings sympathetically to be more energy efficient. Historic England are making changes to their website that will make it easier for people to find detailed advice on how best to retro-fit their older homes.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help owners of listed homes improve energy efficiency.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Making historic buildings more energy efficient is an important part of meeting Government ambitions with regard to Net Zero and energy efficiency. There are approximately 350,000 listed domestic properties, which make up 2% of our housing stock.
In the Government’s British Energy Security Strategy, published earlier this year, we committed to reviewing the practical planning barriers which households can face when installing energy efficiency measures, including in conservation areas and listed buildings. My Department has been working on the review jointly with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and will make an announcement on the outcomes in due course.
Historic England has recently updated its guidance for homeowners of historic buildings on how to adapt older buildings sympathetically to be more energy efficient. Historic England are making changes to their website that will make it easier for people to find detailed advice on how best to retro-fit their older homes.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government in which circumstances, and under what conditions, listed properties will be exempt from Energy Performance Certificates requirements; and whether they will issue guidelines to that effect.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
In setting the regulations that mandate Energy Performance Certificates, the government recognised that not all owners of listed buildings should be required to obtain an Energy Performance Certificates and an exemption is available where compliance with minimum energy performance requirements would unacceptably alter their character or appearance.
The government has issued guidelines to that effect in the published guidance, 'A guide to Energy Performance Certificates for the marketing, sale and let of dwellings
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 implementing exceptions in planning laws in conservation areas for planning applications for (a) external insultation and (b) other measures to reduce the energy usage of properties.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
In the Government's British Energy Security Strategy , published earlier this year, we committed to reviewing the practical planning barriers that households can face when installing energy efficiency measures, including in conservation areas and listed buildings. Work on the review is currently underway and we will make an announcement on the outcome in due course.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
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 ensure that opportunities to install energy efficiency measures through Government schemes are compatible with regulations regarding (a) listed buildings and (b) buildings situated in conservation areas.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is fully committed to encouraging homeowners to incorporate energy efficiency measures in their properties in order to tackle climate change. As part of this, we recognise the need to ensure that more historic buildings have the right energy efficiency measures to support our zero carbon objectives. In our recently published British Energy Security Strategy, we have committed to reviewing the practical planning barriers that households can face when installing energy efficiency measures such as improved glazing, including in conservation areas and listed buildings. This review will be completed by the end of 2022 and ensure protection of local amenity and heritage, whilst making it easier to improve energy efficiency.