Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) one, and (2) two, bedroom homes have been built in (a) urban, and (b) rural, areas in each of the last three years in England.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) publishes annual statistics on the stock of domestic properties in the council taxbase in England which does contain information on the number of bedrooms. These statistics can be found here. This information covers all housing stock, not just newly built properties.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made using building regulations to improve the energy resilience of properties.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
In December 2021, the Government amended Building Regulations to require new buildings, as of June 2022, to meet higher energy efficiency standards. This means that new homes will produce 30% less Carbon Dioxide emissions compared to previous 2013 standards with new non-domestic properties producing 27% less Carbon Dioxide emissions. The amendment also included improvements in the energy efficiency standards required of new and replacement thermal elements, replacement building services, and controlled fittings when undertaking a renovation or extension of an existing building.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase (1) energy, and (2) water, efficiency in new housing.
Answered by Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist
From 2025, the Future Homes Standard will ensure that new homes produce at least 75% fewer CO2 emissions compared to those built to the 2013 standards.
In December 2021 the Government introduced an uplift in energy efficiency standards, which came into force in June 2022. The uplift delivers a meaningful reduction in carbon emissions and provides a stepping-stone to the Future Homes Standard. New homes are now expected to produce around 30% fewer CO2 emissions compared to the previous 2013 standards.
With regard to water, the Government continues to review options regarding improving efficiency and will come forward with further information in due course.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their Levelling Up white paper.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Levelling up is a transformative agenda and the Department’s priority is to produce a White Paper which matches our ambition, building on existing action we are already taking across Government and setting out a new policy regime that will drive change for years to come.
Work is progressing well and we plan to publish the White Paper in due course.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what provision is currently in place for local councils to meet virtually.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Department has been considering the responses to the call for evidence on local authority remote meetings and the Government will respond shortly.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Town and Country Planning Association, Planning 2020: Raynsford Review of Planning in England, published in November 2018; and what steps they intend to take in response.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government believes that further reform of the planning system is necessary. We will be publishing a planning White Paper in due course, which will aim to make the planning system clearer, more accessible and more certain for all users, including home owners and small businesses. It will also address resourcing and performance in local planning departments and ensure timely decisions are made. It will seek to improve the ways communities can get involved in the planning process, including through the opportunities afforded by new digital methods of engagement.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the recent business rates revaluation, what are the average changes affecting (1) rural businesses, and (2) urban businesses.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Revaluation will mean that nearly three quarters of business will see their bills stay the same or fall, and from April 2017, 600,000 small businesses will pay no business rates at all. The Government introduced a £3.6 billion package of transitional relief to support businesses affected by revaluation. To support businesses in rural areas, the Government is doubling rural rate relief from 50 per cent to 100 per cent from 1st April 2017. The Department does not hold information on whether a particular business is rural or urban.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government during the recent business rates revaluation, what regard was given to the impact on the turnover and profitability of businesses of seasonality in produce such as livestock, and of currency movements.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Business rates are based on valuations from the Valuation Office Agency and we do not intervene in their independent assessments. Rateable values are assessed to consistent standards and generally reflect the open market rental value of the property. And it is for the Valuation Office Agency to decide how to apply these standards to the circumstances of each property. A £3.6 billion transitional relief scheme will provide support for the minority who do face an increase.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government over how long a period the recent rateable revaluation in respect of business rates was estimated.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Business rates are based on valuations from the Valuation Office Agency and we do not intervene in their independent assessments. Rateable values are assessed to consistent standards and generally reflect the open market rental value of the property. And it is for the Valuation Office Agency to decide how to apply these standards to the circumstances of each property. A £3.6 billion transitional relief scheme will provide support for the minority who do face an increase.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on rural businesses that are operating at narrow margins of the impact of increases in rateable values.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Business rates are based on valuations from the Valuation Office Agency and we do not intervene in their independent assessments. Rateable values are assessed to consistent standards and generally reflect the open market rental value of the property. And it is for the Valuation Office Agency to decide how to apply these standards to the circumstances of each property. A £3.6 billion transitional relief scheme will provide support for the minority who do face an increase.