Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action, if any, they will take to prevent social landlords, including local authorities, from evicting tenants from their homes to enable the auctioning off of properties in lot sales.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Social landlords exist to provide homes to those whose needs cannot be met by the market. They play a vital role in helping to fix the broken housing market and increasing supply of new homes. Housing associations build the vast majority of new social homes in England each year.
It is for Local Authorities and housing associations to make effective management decisions that are in the best interests of their residents, whilst also delivering the new homes the country desperately needs. As part of this, social landlords may choose to sell some of their older, more expensive to maintain homes, helping to free up resources which could be used to invest in new, modern homes or in existing stock for their tenants.
Social landlords should provide their tenants with a written tenancy agreement at the start of their tenancy, detailing both the tenant's and the landlord’s legal rights. Social housing tenants cannot be evicted unless a court grants possession to a landlord. The court has discretion to do this if a landlord intends to carry out redevelopment or major works that could not be completed otherwise and it is satisfied that suitable alternative accommodation will be available for the tenant. Social landlords are also required by the Regulator of Social Housing to consult fully with residents who would be affected by a change in landlord or a significant change in management arrangements due to the sale of properties. Some landlords choose to offer to pay residents’ home removals costs and offer a guaranteed right of return with an equivalent tenancy once the redevelopment or major works are complete.
In the exceptional circumstances where a local authority wishes to sell tenanted homes, it must first seek permission to do so from the Secretary of State under the Housing Act 1985. Similarly, a housing association may choose to sell tenanted homes and on these occasions, sales are usually within the housing association sector with existing tenant’s rights continuing. Housing associations must notify the Regulator of Social Housing if they sell or transfer the ownership of homes and any government grant that was initially invested in the properties must be reinvested in new affordable housing.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action, if any, they will take to prevent the auctioning off of social housing.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Social landlords exist to provide homes to those whose needs cannot be met by the market. They play a vital role in helping to fix the broken housing market and increasing supply of new homes. Housing associations build the vast majority of new social homes in England each year.
It is for Local Authorities and housing associations to make effective management decisions that are in the best interests of their residents, whilst also delivering the new homes the country desperately needs. As part of this, social landlords may choose to sell some of their older, more expensive to maintain homes, helping to free up resources which could be used to invest in new, modern homes or in existing stock for their tenants.
Social landlords should provide their tenants with a written tenancy agreement at the start of their tenancy, detailing both the tenant's and the landlord’s legal rights. Social housing tenants cannot be evicted unless a court grants possession to a landlord. The court has discretion to do this if a landlord intends to carry out redevelopment or major works that could not be completed otherwise and it is satisfied that suitable alternative accommodation will be available for the tenant. Social landlords are also required by the Regulator of Social Housing to consult fully with residents who would be affected by a change in landlord or a significant change in management arrangements due to the sale of properties. Some landlords choose to offer to pay residents’ home removals costs and offer a guaranteed right of return with an equivalent tenancy once the redevelopment or major works are complete.
In the exceptional circumstances where a local authority wishes to sell tenanted homes, it must first seek permission to do so from the Secretary of State under the Housing Act 1985. Similarly, a housing association may choose to sell tenanted homes and on these occasions, sales are usually within the housing association sector with existing tenant’s rights continuing. Housing associations must notify the Regulator of Social Housing if they sell or transfer the ownership of homes and any government grant that was initially invested in the properties must be reinvested in new affordable housing.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure that there is sufficient funding for local government children’s services.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Over the Spending Review period, councils will have access to more than £200 billion for local services, including children’s services. The 2018/19 Local Government Finance Settlement confirmed a real terms increase in resources available to local government over the next two years - £44.3 billion in 2017-18 to £45.6 billion in 2019-20. Core Spending Power is largely unringfenced so that local authorities can decide how to direct their funding.
In addition, my Department and the Department for Education are working together on the fair funding review of relative needs and resources. This aims to address concerns about the current funding distributions. The Government is committed to working with partners to understand how the Department for Education might further support improvement across the system.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to identify and publish (1) the type of fire doors installed at Grenfell Tower in 2013, and (2) the manufacturer that supplied those doors; whether they have established which public bodies, local authorities, housing associations, and other volume users have used and fitted the same fire door type in the last 10 years; and if so, whether they will publish a list of those bodies.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The doors identified by the police investigation into the fire at Grenfell Tower were produced by Manse Masterdor. This company is no longer trading.
As the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government set out in his statement on 15 March, we have begun the process of conducting further tests, and we will continue to consult our expert panel to identify the implications of those further tests. The Secretary of State committed to updating the House when further information is available, and no later than the end of April.
The Expert Panel has advised that the risk to public safety remains low. There is no change to the fire safety advice that the public should follow.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Kensington and Chelsea Council regarding (1) whether the type of fire doors installed at Grenfell Tower in 2013 were fire and safety tested prior to installation, (2) whether the contract for the supply of the fire doors was subjected to competitive tender, (3) who undertook the installation of the fire doors, (4) what checks were undertaken following installation to ensure that the doors were fit for purpose, (5) which fire door options were considered for installation, and (6) on what basis the decision to install those particular fire doors was made.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government is carrying out investigations, including testing in relation to public and product safety. This work is being taken forward at pace. The Independent Inquiry into Grenfell, led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, is examining the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire at Grenfell and a criminal investigation is being led by the Metropolitan Police into the fire at Grenfell Tower. Both these must be allowed to complete and establish the facts behind the fire.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to undertake further tests to determine whether the type of fire doors installed at Grenfell Tower in 2013 conformed to the appropriate fire standard.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government is carrying out investigations, including testing in relation to public and product safety. This work is being taken forward at pace. The Independent Inquiry into Grenfell, led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, is examining the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire at Grenfell and a criminal investigation is being led by the Metropolitan Police into the fire at Grenfell Tower. Both these must be allowed to complete and establish the facts behind the fire.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the advice they have provided to public bodies, local authorities and housing associations following the fire and safety test failure of the type of fire door used at Grenfell Tower.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Independent experts have advised that the risk to public safety is low, and that evidence from the test and investigation to date does not change this assessment. The Fire safety advice, which remains unchanged, is that:
Smoke alarms save lives but only if they’re working and in the right place. Ensure you have at least one on every level of your home and test them regularly – monthly is best.
Keep fire doors shut to help prevent the spread of fire and smoke.
Understand and follow the fire safety advice for your building. If in doubt, discuss with the landlord or building owner.
Following independent expert advice, the Government is acting at pace to carry out further investigations to establish the full circumstances.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the levels of capital receipts available for building new council housing in each year since 2010, broken down by local authority.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
(a) Only since 01 April 2012 has a portion of Right to Buy receipts been calculated as being retainable by the local authority if a sufficient level of expenditure on replacement social housing is incurred.
(b) Table includes the 167 local housing authorities which on 01 April 2013 owned a substantial amount of housing stock.
(c) All figures in the Table are provisional and are subject to change as a result of assurance and reconciliation exercises.
(d) All local housing authorities may also, subject to conditions, fund new council housing from: (i) other portions of their Right to Buy receipts which they may retain, (ii) other housing capital receipts, and (iii) capital receipts arising from the disposal of other assets.
(e) Where an authority’s portion is indicated as zero, it means that there are no Right to Buy receipts remaining after other costs have been met.
The attached table shows the portion of receipts arising from Right to Buy sales received by each local authority in each full financial year since 2012-2013 which is retainable for the purposes of providing replacement social housing.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the percentage of former council housing now owned by private landlords, for each local housing authority in England.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
These figures are not held by the department.
There are restrictions on selling on a property bought under Right to Buy within five years and under our reinvigorated scheme every additional home sold off must be replaced by an additional one, nationally. Local authorities should deliver these additional affordable homes within three years.
Asked by: Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, for each local housing authority area, how many (1) council sales under the Right to Buy Scheme there were, (2) council houses were constructed, (3) affordable homes were constructed for rent, and (4) social homes were constructed for rent, in each year since 2010.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Figures for the number of local authority Right to Buy sales by local authority area are available (attached) in live table 691 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-social-housing-sales
Figures by local authority area are available (attached) in live table 244 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building
Figures for the number of additional affordable dwellings both for social and affordable rent by local authority are available (attached) in live table 1000 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply