Asked by: Richard Tice (Reform UK - Boston and Skegness)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the annual cost of providing (a) housing and (b) welfare support for people residing in the UK illegally; and what steps she is taking to reduce these costs.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The department has made no such estimate. Persons residing in the UK illegally who have no recourse to public funds are not eligible for an allocation of social housing or statutory homelessness assistance.
More broadly, the Home Office is responsible for tackling illegal immigration.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution of 4 September 2024 by the Prime Minister, Official Report, column 326, if she will take steps to require housing associations to publish fire risk assessments for their properties.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Building Safety Act 2022 and associated regulations set out requirements for information that must be provided to residents in Higher-Risk Buildings - buildings which contain at least two residential units and are at least 18 metres in height, or have at least seven stories. Whilst not published, the Principal Accountable Person for these buildings must provide information to residents that will enable them to understand the safety of their building, including information on what they can do to make the building safer. This information includes the residents engagement plan, a summary of the safety case report, and a summary of the fire risk assessment for the building.
The government has also committed to introducing new access to information requirements for housing associations so tenants can access the information they need about the management of their homes, including on matters relating to safety, to hold their landlords to account. Further details on the requirements will be set out in due course.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her Department's policy is on gas boilers being (a) installed in new homes and (b) re-installed or replaced in existing homes.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Future standards next year will set our new homes and buildings on a path that moves away from relying on volatile fossil fuels and ensures they are fit for a net zero future. These homes will be future proofed with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency. No further energy efficiency retrofit work will be necessary to enable them to become zero-carbon over time as the electricity grid continues to decarbonise.
For existing homes, the Government’s position is not to force anyone to rip out a working boiler and will incentivise moves to cleaner, affordable heating. The Government has started delivery of the Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in heat pumps and other home improvements to cut bills. More detail will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes in the Autumn Budget 2024 to the level of funding for cultural regeneration through levelling up projects on (a) local economic regeneration and (b) the maintenance of cultural assets.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed that the government is minded to cancel unfunded Levelling Up Culture and Capital Projects, and the West Midlands culture and inward investment funding, that were announced at Spring Budget 2024, but will consult with potential funding recipients before making a final decision. This consultation is now underway.
Potential recipients have been given the opportunity until mid-December to set out the financial, strategic and community impacts which withdrawing this funding would have. Ministers will then take these into consideration and will confirm the outcome of this process as soon as possible.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with stakeholders on levelling up funding decisions for previously announced (a) culture and (b) regeneration projects, in the context of the Autumn Budget 2024.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed that the government is minded to cancel unfunded Levelling Up Culture and Capital Projects, and the West Midlands culture and inward investment funding, that were announced at Spring Budget 2024, but will consult with potential funding recipients before making a final decision. This consultation is now underway.
Potential recipients have been given the opportunity until mid-December to set out the financial, strategic and community impacts which withdrawing this funding would have. Ministers will then take these into consideration and will confirm the outcome of this process as soon as possible.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the Greater London Authority precept on Band D council tax, (a) including and (b) excluding the Transport for London element, was in each year since 2016-17; and how much was allocated in monetary terms to Transport for London funding in each year.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The average Band D council tax set by the Greater London Authority over time can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/662a4c28690acb1c0ba7e617/Live_Table_-_Band_D_2024-25__revised_.ods.
There is no separate council tax precept for Transport for London. The Government does not collect information on how much council tax was allocated by Greater London Authority to Transport for London.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had recent discussions with representatives of the West Midlands Pension Fund on (a) delays in payments and (b) planned resolutions.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Members of the local government pension scheme should be able to expect that their pensions are paid in a timely manner. I am aware of some delays to the pension payments at the West Midlands Penson Fund, which is responsible for the administration of the scheme in the area. I have written to the Fund and met with them to ask for a thorough explanation, and to understand the steps are being taken to resolve the unacceptable delays. We will continue to engage with the Fund as they work to improve the service to Members.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she is taking steps to ensure her Department's policies are trauma-informed; and what guidance her Department issues women fleeing domestic abuse.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Government is committed to tackling the horrendous crime of domestic abuse, in line with our manifesto commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, with improved support for victims.
Since 2021, councils in England have a duty to ensure that all victims, including their children, have access to support within safe accommodation when they need it.
This is a locally led duty. Each council must work closely with their Local Partnership Board to assess the needs of victims locally and commission the right safe accommodation support services needed to meet the identified need. MHCLG statutory guidance makes clear that all support provided under the duty should meet appropriate quality standards, such as the MHCLG Quality Standards, which state that victims should be assessed and offered trauma informed services on the basis of their individual need for safety and support.
MHCLG also leads the cross-government Changing Futures programme which works with 15 local partnerships in England to improve outcomes for people facing multiple disadvantages, including domestic abuse, using trauma informed approaches.
Government guidance is available here on help available to domestic abuse victims.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2024 to Question 11925 on Council tax: Greater London, what are the assumed council tax requirement excluding parish precepts figures for the local government core spending power figures of (a) £64,786 million in 2024-25 and (b) £68,459 million in 2025-26.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has confirmed that it will not increase council tax referendum principles above the current 3% core council tax principle and the 2% principle for the adult social care precept, in line with the OBR forecasting. This is a continuation of the previous government’s policy, and informs the Core Spending Power figures for both 2024-25 and 2025-26. Further details will be set out at the Local Government Finance settlement.
The Government has published an explanatory note on the methodology used to calculate Core Spending Power for the 2024-25 Local Government Finance Settlement. The note is available on the Gov.UK website here.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what methodology was used to calculate the council tax requirement, excluding parish precepts, in (a) Core spending power table: final local government finance settlement 2024 to 2025, published on 5 February 2024, and (b) Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2024 to 2025, published on 8 May 2024.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has confirmed that it will not increase council tax referendum principles above the current 3% core council tax principle and the 2% principle for the adult social care precept, in line with the OBR forecasting. This is a continuation of the previous government’s policy, and informs the Core Spending Power figures for both 2024-25 and 2025-26. Further details will be set out at the Local Government Finance settlement.
The Government has published an explanatory note on the methodology used to calculate Core Spending Power for the 2024-25 Local Government Finance Settlement. The note is available on the Gov.UK website here.