Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of construction skills shortages on the current rates of house building and infrastructure development.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
To meet the Government’s commitment to deliver 1.5 million homes over this Parliament, alongside net zero and housing quality objectives, we will need to expand and upskill the construction workforce. We are working with the construction industry to ensure we have the workforce necessary to meet our housebuilding ambitions through the delivery of sufficient high-quality training opportunities which will build a diverse workforce that is fit for the future.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what powers local councils have to ensure all those who attend council meetings provide a negative test result for COVID-19 before they are allowed entrance to those meetings in the period for which COVID-19 restrictions are in place.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 9 June 2021 to PQ HL577 and HL578, see (attached) the links:
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-05-25/hl577
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-05-25/hl578
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they intend to provide to local councils to comply safely with holding council meetings in public.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 9 June 2021 to PQ HL577 and HL578, see (attached) the links:
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-05-25/hl577
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-05-25/hl578
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, while national COVID-19 restrictions remain in force, what powers local councils have to ensure that all those who attend council meetings have tested negative for COVID-19 before they are permitted entry.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Ultimately it is for individual local authorities to satisfy themselves that they have met the requirements for public access and apply the COVID-19 guidance to ensure meetings take place safely. Government has published updated guidance to highlight ways in which councils can, if necessary, minimise the need for, or risks of, face-to-face meetings.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they will give to local councils to enable them to safely comply with the Government's guidance on returning to holding council meetings in public.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
As councils now need to meet in person, we have published updated guidance on how to minimise the risks of face-to-face meetings, supported by unprecedented emergency funding to manage the impact of the pandemic.
The Government has committed over £45 billion to help local authorities support their communities and local businesses during the pandemic, including over £12 billion directly to councils in England to tackle the impacts of COVID-19. Over £6 billion of this is unringfenced and so, where needed, it can be used to ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to manage any risks involved in face-to-face meetings while COVID-19 restrictions remain in place.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to establishing housing allocation numbers for local authorities, what is the current assumed net immigration for each of the next 15 years.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government does not set housing allocation numbers. The Government’s Local Housing Need formula, otherwise known as “the standard method” is set out in guidance and is used by local authorities to determine the starting point when planning for housing. Local planning authorities should take into account land supply considerations and environmental constraints (such as Green Belt) before determining the number of homes likely to be delivered in the area.
The standard method is based on the 2014 household projections, these projections incorporate population projections and therefore migration data. Population data is published by the ONS, see attached: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationprojections/bulletins/nationalpopulationprojections/2015-10-29.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the impact of their policy towards immigration from Hong Kong has been incorporated into housing allocation (1) calculations, and (2) provision.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa route is a positive offer for British National (Overseas) status holders and their dependants. To be eligible for the Hong Kong BN(O) visa route, status holders must prove that they are able to sustain themselves and their families in the UK for six months.
Those on the BN(O) visa route will have a ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) condition attached to their leave, which prevents them from accessing local authority-allocated social housing allocations and homelessness assistance.
After 5 years, Hong Kong BN(O) status holders will be able to apply for settled status, and if granted settled status will then be eligible for both social housing and homelessness assistance on the same basis as British citizens. We will keep the position in relation to social housing allocations under review.
We recognise that local authorities may be expected to provide some form of housing support, for example, in managing tenancies, assessing any eligibility for local deposit schemes and understanding rights and entitlements to housing and welfare support, where it is appropriate. That is why the Government is making over £30 million available to local authorities in England to provide targeted support to Hong Kong British National (Overseas) status holders who need additional English for Speakers of Other Languages and/or destitution support including support with housing costs. This targeted support funding factors in the potential impacts on homelessness, housing and translation services demands.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the annual budget for reception centres for Hong Kong residents seeking to live in the UK; where they plan to locate any such reception centres; and how many, if any, are currently operational.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
MHCLG is providing over £5 million to fund 12 new Welcome Hubs across the UK – nine in England, mapped to the nine English regions, and one each in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. By utilising existing Strategic Migration Partnerships and other important local connections, these hubs will help to ensure a warm welcome for all Hong Kong BN(O) status holders by providing practical advice and assistance to all BN(O)s who require it.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Youth Hostel Association about its offering of 150 properties to be used by key workers and vulnerable members of society during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist - Opposition Whip (Lords)
We have been working with a number of hotel chains across the country to secure accommodation for rough sleepers. We are pleased that the Youth Hostel Association offered to provide properties to be used by key workers and vulnerable members of society during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are now working with local authorities in Manchester and Brighton to house rough sleepers.
We are working intensively with councils and the sector to help get those who are sleeping rough off the streets and into appropriate accommodation.
Asked by: Lord Mann (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the effect of the proposed changes to the local government pension scheme on the pensions of long standing members of that scheme.
Answered by Luke Hall
The proposals contained in the consultation document issued on 8 May, entitled "Changes to the local valuation cycle and management of employer risk", are intended to help funds to better manage employer risk and liabilities, and to ensure that employer contributions are set at an appropriate level. These objectives are consonant with the interests of all scheme members and would not affect the pension benefits which are due to existing members of the scheme
The consultation closed on 31 July and we have received a large number of responses, from the perspective of both scheme employers and scheme members. It is right that we take time to consider the representations made and a formal response will be issued in due course.