Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the consultation on electrical safety in the social rented sector to commence.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
In the Charter for Social Housing Residents – Social Housing White Paper published on 17 November 2020, we commit to consult on measures to ensure that social housing residents are protected from harm caused by poor electrical safety. Subsequently, we committed to form an official-led stakeholder working group to inform the content of the consultation.
Work is underway to set up the working group. Working group meetings will take place prior to publishing the consultation. We will announce further details including timings in due course.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the Working Group on Electrical Safety in the social rented sector to commence.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
In the Charter for Social Housing Residents – Social Housing White Paper published on 17 November 2020, we commit to consult on measures to ensure that social housing residents are protected from harm caused by poor electrical safety. Subsequently, we committed to form an official-led stakeholder working group to inform the content of the consultation.
Work is underway to set up the working group. Working group meetings will take place prior to publishing the consultation. We will announce further details including timings in due course.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards preparing the Building Safety Bill for introduction into Parliament.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Building Safety Bill was published in draft on 20 July 2020 and has recently undergone pre-legislative scrutiny by the HCLG Select Committee. We are currently considering the Committee’s report and recommendations and will introduce the Bill in due course. We recognise that these are important public safety measures; that is why the Government is committed to progressing the Bill as quickly as possible, so that reforms can be implemented in a timely manner and residents can feel safe, and be safe, in their homes.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultation they have held with local government on the enforcement of any new regulations for mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
We are working to bring into force regulations on mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector as soon as possible, subject to parliamentary approval and timetable. As outlined in the Government response to the consultation on Electrical Safety in the Private Rented Sector, published on 29 January 2019, we will work with industry to produce guidance for landlords setting out the skills and qualifications relevant to determining competence of those carrying out electrical inspections. We intend to work with local authorities in England as we develop the range of sanctions available to them for non-compliance.
We regularly consult with stakeholder groups including tenants, and in July 2018, we updated our ‘How to’ guides, a series of checklists for renting in England which must be provided to tenants at the outset of all new tenancies. Further consultation with tenant groups will take place when the Electrical Safety Regulations come into force to raise tenant awareness about the changes and the ‘How to’ guides will be updated accordingly.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultations are being held with consumer groups on ways to ensure that tenants are aware of electrical safety checks in the private rented sector.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
We are working to bring into force regulations on mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector as soon as possible, subject to parliamentary approval and timetable. As outlined in the Government response to the consultation on Electrical Safety in the Private Rented Sector, published on 29 January 2019, we will work with industry to produce guidance for landlords setting out the skills and qualifications relevant to determining competence of those carrying out electrical inspections. We intend to work with local authorities in England as we develop the range of sanctions available to them for non-compliance.
We regularly consult with stakeholder groups including tenants, and in July 2018, we updated our ‘How to’ guides, a series of checklists for renting in England which must be provided to tenants at the outset of all new tenancies. Further consultation with tenant groups will take place when the Electrical Safety Regulations come into force to raise tenant awareness about the changes and the ‘How to’ guides will be updated accordingly.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made with plans, announced in January, to introduce mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
We are working to bring into force regulations on mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector as soon as possible, subject to parliamentary approval and timetable. As outlined in the Government response to the consultation on Electrical Safety in the Private Rented Sector, published on 29 January 2019, we will work with industry to produce guidance for landlords setting out the skills and qualifications relevant to determining competence of those carrying out electrical inspections. We intend to work with local authorities in England as we develop the range of sanctions available to them for non-compliance.
We regularly consult with stakeholder groups including tenants, and in July 2018, we updated our ‘How to’ guides, a series of checklists for renting in England which must be provided to tenants at the outset of all new tenancies. Further consultation with tenant groups will take place when the Electrical Safety Regulations come into force to raise tenant awareness about the changes and the ‘How to’ guides will be updated accordingly.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether landlords and letting agents should be prevented from renting properties if they do not possess an up-to-date gas safety certificate.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
All landlords must provide a tenant with a gas safety certification at the start of the tenancy and within 28 days of each annual gas safety check, if there is a gas installation. Landlords of tenants on assured shorthold tenancies (which started or were renewed after 1st October 2015) cannot serve an eviction notice under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 if the gas safety certificate has not been provided.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what grant schemes are available to home owners to improve electrical safety in their dwellings.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Department does not run any grant schemes for home owners to improve electrical safety in their dwellings.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration has been given to the merits of introducing free electrical safety checks for homes owned by people over 75.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Department has no plans to introduce free electrical safety checks for homes owned by people aged over 75.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the numbers of owner-occupied dwellings in England that (1) require a rewire, and (2) have residual current device protection.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Data on electrical safety of dwellings is collected in MHCLG’s English Housing Survey. The latest data (2016) is available (attached) online: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/724422/DA5201_Disrepair_and_electrics_-_dwellings.xlsx
The latest data from 2016 shows that 75 per cent of owner occupied dwellings had a residual current device in a consumer unit or separate residual current devices.