Asked by: Baroness King of Bow (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government on which occasions (1) ministers, and (2) officials, have met members of (a) the Management Board, and (b) the Senior Management Team, of Circle Housing Group since May 2010.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
Ministers and officials of the Department for Communities and Local Government have regular meetings with senior figures in the housing sector; Circle Housing Group included, and have done so since May 2010 in order to collaborate effectively with the sector.
Asked by: Baroness King of Bow (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 December 2015 (HL4001), how much funding has been awarded to each of the successful applications to regenerate local authority housing estates.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
Four schemes were shortlisted to receive loan funding. One scheme withdrew and became self financing. We are in contract with Genesis Housing Association providing £56 million recoverable loan for the redevelopment of the Grahame Park Estate. We expect to be in contract with Swan New Homes, in relation to the Blackwall Reach redevelopment in Tower Hamlets shortly. The due diligence process with Notting Hill Homes is underway with regard to the Aylesbury Estate redevelopment.
Asked by: Baroness King of Bow (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government on which occasions the Chair of the Regulatory Committee of the Homes and Communities Agency and his staff have met members of (1) the Management Board, and (2) the Senior Management Team, of Circle Housing Group since May 2010.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
The social housing regulator is an independent regulator and as such it is not appropriate for DCLG to comment on their operational work. However, we understand that they have met with Circle Housing Group as part of their ongoing regulatory engagement with this provider.
Asked by: Baroness King of Bow (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to ask the Social Housing Regulator to request data from the Circle Housing Group about the performance of Kier Gas in repairing or replacing faulty boilers in each week since the Group downgraded Kier Gas's governance rating.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
I refer the Noble Lady to my previous answer to her on 8 December (HL4002). The Social Housing Regulator is statutorily independent. The Department for Communities and Local Government cannot therefore direct the Regulator on this matter.
Asked by: Baroness King of Bow (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 25 February (HL6212), how many organisations and individuals submitted responses to their review of local council tax support schemes, and whether they will place a list of those submissions in the Library of the House.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
Appendix six of the final report of the independent review of Local Council Tax Support schemes (attached) contains details of the numbers of responses received to its public call for evidence. Appendices two, four and seven provide further information on which stakeholders were consulted by the Chair. A copy of the report, including this information, has been placed in the House Library, and the report is also available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Baroness King of Bow (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to publish the outcome of their review of local council tax support schemes.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
The independent review of Local Council Tax Support schemes has now concluded and its final report was published on GOV.UK on 8 April. The report is available (attached) here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-council-tax-support-schemes-an-independent-review.
A copy of the report has been placed in the House Library
Asked by: Baroness King of Bow (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 1 February (HL5321), what statutory powers the Secretary of State has to intervene if the Homes and Communities Agency regulator is found to be failing in its responsibility to ensure that Circle Housing Group is properly managing its gas safety and repairs contractor.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
I refer the noble Lady to my answer to her on 26 November 2015, PQ HL4002. The Social Housing Regulator is statutorily independent. The Secretary of State cannot, therefore, intervene in this matter. Details of the Social Housing Regulator's complaints procedure can be found (attached) at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-appeal-against-our-decisions. As with all public bodies, if there are grounds the Regulator can be challenged through the courts.
Asked by: Baroness King of Bow (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will place in the Library of the House the submissions to their review of local Council Tax Support, and the data they collected from local authorities to help inform that review.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
The Independent Review of Local Council Tax Support schemes will report by 31 March and will reflect the views and data submitted to the Chair. The Department does not currently intend to publish individual submissions to protect the confidentiality of those who submitted evidence.
Asked by: Baroness King of Bow (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that individuals affected by the abolition of Council Tax Benefit are made aware of their review of that policy and encouraged to participate in it.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
The independent review of Local Council Tax Support Schemes commenced on the 2 December 2015. The chair, Eric Ollerenshaw OBE, put out a public call for evidence which was announced and promoted in our press release of the same date. The public call for evidence ran from the 2 December 2015 to 12 January 2016.
Asked by: Baroness King of Bow (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total value of redundancy payments made to former employees of the Tenant Services Authority as a result of the decision to abolish that organisation.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford
The Office for Tenants and Social Landlords (known as The Tenant Services Authority) ceased to exist from 31 March 2012. All staff were transferred under TUPE regulations to the Homes and Communities Agency from 1 April 2012, with the exception of the Managing Director. It was agreed that the post of Managing Director would not transfer and that the post should be deleted from the establishment from that date. A redundancy payment of £47,675 was made, together with enhanced pension contributions of £148,568.