Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Sunderland West)
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 reduce the number of non-decent homes in the (a) private rented and (b) social rented sector.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Everyone deserves to live in a safe and decent home. This is why we are introducing a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector for the first time through the Renters (Reform) Bill.
We are also reviewing the Decent Homes Standard, which sets out the minimum requirements for all social housing.
Data on housing decency is published regularly via the English Housing Survey at local authority level.
Asked by: Earl of Lytton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was their rationale for the short duration of the call for evidence in relation to jointly owned leasehold properties, from Thursday 21 March to Friday 5 April.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government has discretion about the length of calls for evidence.
In this instance, the call ran from Thursday 21 March to Friday 5 April 2024 and as a result this was a short duration.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria and safeguards are in place to ensure that assets deemed essential to the well-being and cohesion of communities are adequately protected, while providing local councils with the necessary flexibility to manage their finances responsibly.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The department already has mechanisms in place to help with the safeguarding of local assets. A public or privately owned asset can be nominated as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) if its principal use furthers the community’s social well-being. When a listed asset comes to be sold, a moratorium on the sale (of up to six months) may be invoked, providing local community groups with a better chance to raise finance, develop a business and bid to buy the asset on the open market.
The decision of whether an ACV nomination meets the statutory test set out in the Localism Act 2011 is a decision for the local authority and they must publish a list of their decisions. The Government does not hold a central list of this information or become involved in local decisions, as it is appropriate these issues are dealt with at a local level and local authorities are accountable to local people for the decisions they take.
Local groups can also apply to the £150 million Community Ownership Fund to protect treasured local assets which make the biggest difference to their community. We have already invested £103.2 million to support 333 projects across the UK.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of reports that some English councils will sell assets to fund services, what specific safeguards or criteria they plan to put in place to ensure that such sales do not compromise the protection of community cultural assets.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The department already has mechanisms in place to help with the safeguarding of local assets. A public or privately owned asset can be nominated as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) if its principal use furthers the community’s social well-being. When a listed asset comes to be sold, a moratorium on the sale (of up to six months) may be invoked, providing local community groups with a better chance to raise finance, develop a business and bid to buy the asset on the open market.
The decision of whether an ACV nomination meets the statutory test set out in the Localism Act 2011 is a decision for the local authority and they must publish a list of their decisions. The Government does not hold a central list of this information or become involved in local decisions, as it is appropriate these issues are dealt with at a local level and local authorities are accountable to local people for the decisions they take.
Local groups can also apply to the £150 million Community Ownership Fund to protect treasured local assets which make the biggest difference to their community. We have already invested £103.2 million to support 333 projects across the UK.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a national register of community assets as a measure to safeguard against the inappropriate sale or disposal of such assets by local councils.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The department already has mechanisms in place to help with the safeguarding of local assets. A public or privately owned asset can be nominated as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) if its principal use furthers the community’s social well-being. When a listed asset comes to be sold, a moratorium on the sale (of up to six months) may be invoked, providing local community groups with a better chance to raise finance, develop a business and bid to buy the asset on the open market.
The decision of whether an ACV nomination meets the statutory test set out in the Localism Act 2011 is a decision for the local authority and they must publish a list of their decisions. The Government does not hold a central list of this information or become involved in local decisions, as it is appropriate these issues are dealt with at a local level and local authorities are accountable to local people for the decisions they take.
Local groups can also apply to the £150 million Community Ownership Fund to protect treasured local assets which make the biggest difference to their community. We have already invested £103.2 million to support 333 projects across the UK.
Asked by: Kit Malthouse (Conservative - North West Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his Department's policy is on mandating the use of swift bricks in (a) new housing developments and (b) renovation work.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I am grateful to my Rt Hon Friend, and others, for meeting me on this matter earlier this year. The Department will set out its position at the earliest opportunity, following the review of the information provided during the meeting.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether there is any evidence of voltage surges causing damage to domestic appliances in Grenfell Tower in the days prior to the fire on 14 June 2017.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The issue of electrical surges was considered in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 report, which focused on the causes of the fire. There were longstanding concerns raised by residents about electrical “surges” affecting appliances within the Tower. As stated in the report, RINA Consulting (RINA) were retained by the Metropolitan Police to assess the electrical supply and distribution infrastructure. RINA found no damage or significant degradation (other than that caused by the fire) nor any major defects in the electrical supply system. RINA found no evidence to suggest that the electrical infrastructure of the Tower was in any way responsible for the fire.
Asked by: Lord Boswell of Aynho (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will introduce secondary legislation to bring section 102 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 into force.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Section 102 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 will expand the special regard duties on decision makers for designated heritage assets. We intend to commence this section at the same time as the new decision-making test under section 93 which involves the introduction of National Development Management Policies. We will consult on draft National Development Management Policies in due course.
Asked by: Lord Young of Cookham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Swinburne on 3 April (HL3354), what infrastructure categories apply to Housing Infrastructure Fund allocations.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) programme has not adopted a prescriptive definition of physical infrastructure. HIF projects cover a range of infrastructure such as transport and travel, utilities, schools, community and healthcare facilities, land assembly and site remediation, heritage infrastructure, digital communications, green infrastructure (such as parks) and blue infrastructure (such as flood defences and sustainable drainage systems).
HIF is a closed programme. Bids were assessed against criteria that can be found in the HIF prospectus.
Introduction to Housing Infrastructure (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Asked by: Lord Young of Cookham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria are applied when deciding on Housing Infrastructure Fund allocations.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) programme has not adopted a prescriptive definition of physical infrastructure. HIF projects cover a range of infrastructure such as transport and travel, utilities, schools, community and healthcare facilities, land assembly and site remediation, heritage infrastructure, digital communications, green infrastructure (such as parks) and blue infrastructure (such as flood defences and sustainable drainage systems).
HIF is a closed programme. Bids were assessed against criteria that can be found in the HIF prospectus.
Introduction to Housing Infrastructure (publishing.service.gov.uk)