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Written Question
Housing: Environment Protection
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what (a) policy and (b) regulatory steps his Department is taking to enable greater competition amongst utility providers to ensure the speedy delivery of green homes.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The department is working towards delivering the greener homes of the future and in doing so the department will collaborate with key partners across government. I would be happy to meet my Hon Friend to discuss further, should that be helpful.


Written Question
Property Development: Water
Tuesday 5th March 2024

Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of water efficiency technologies for developments with (a) water scarcity and (b) nutrient concerns.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The department does not assess individual technologies, but the Government recognises the role water efficiency technologies can play in our efforts to address water scarcity and in supporting the delivery of homes affected by nutrient neutrality.

As set out in the Secretary of State’s written Ministerial Statement of 19 December 2023 (HCWS161), the Government is committed to reviewing building regulations to allow local planning authorities to introduce tighter water efficiency standards in new homes.


Written Question
Housing: Stairs
Thursday 23rd November 2023

Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his written statement of 24 October 2023 on Building Safety Update, HCWS1090, when he plans to publish guidance on second staircase design; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to bring forward this guidance on levels of new housing supply.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

I refer my Hon Friend to my answer to Question UIN 909 on 13 November 2023. The Government recognises that further detail is needed on staircase design to allow the construction and property development sector to understand how policy changes might affect project viability, further information will be made available by the end of the year.


Written Question
Renters (Reform) Bill
Wednesday 22nd November 2023

Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department consulted letting agencies on the Renters (Reform) Bill during the development of proposals for that Bill; and whether his Department has received representations from those agencies since the introduction of that Bill.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Government worked with a broad range of stakeholders to develop the measures in the Renters (Reform) Bill and has continued to engage with stakeholders since the Bill was introduced. This includes groups who represent and work with letting agents.


Written Question
Housing: Stairs
Friday 17th November 2023

Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Written Statement of 24 October 2023 on Building Safety Update, UIN HCWS1090, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to Approved Document B on second staircase design on the delivery of new homes.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Written Statement confirms the government’s intended transitional arrangements as we make a gradual evolution of safety standards in the built environment. These arrangements will ensure there is minimal impact on housing supply; should help secure the viability of projects that are already underway and avoid delays.  They have been designed with engagement from the construction industry and other stakeholders. Policy implementation will continue to follow due process with design details and impact analysis published as soon as possible.


Written Question
Rented Housing: Standards
Tuesday 24th October 2023

Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the speech of 20 September 2023 by the Prime Minister on Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) tackle damp and mould in rented properties and (b) ensure the long-term availability of (i) high quality and (ii) energy-efficient social rented housing.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Government is committed to tackling damp and mould in rented homes. The government is reviewing the Decent Homes Standard and introducing it to the private rented sector for the first. We have introduced Awaab's Law into the Social Housing (Regulation) Act, committing to set strict time limits for social landlords to investigate and repair significant hazards in their homes, including damp and mould

We committed to increasing the supply of social rented homes in the Levelling Up white paper, the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes for both rent and to buy, and a large number of the new homes delivered through our Affordable Homes Programme will be for social rent.

We have committed to consult on energy efficiency in the social rented sector. The Social Housing (Regulation) Act has made energy efficiency a core objective of the Regulator of Social Housing and over £1 billion of Social Housing Decarbonisation funding has already been allocated to social housing landlords, with £3.8 billion by 2030 committed in our 2019 manifesto.


Written Question
Leasehold: Reform
Thursday 20th July 2023

Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report by the Law Commission entitled Leasehold home ownership: buying your freehold or extending your lease published in July 2020.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

In 2017, the Government asked the Law Commission to review the legislation on leasehold enfranchisement. Following extensive consultation, the Commission reported back to Government in July 2020.

On 7 Jan 2021, Government announced measures that will make it easier for leaseholders to buy their freehold or extend their lease, with significant discounts for those trapped with onerous ground rents.

On 11 January 2022, the Government launched a consultation on a number of recommendations made by the Law Commission aimed at broadening the rights of leaseholders, and reinvigorating commonhold. The consultation closed on 22 February 2022 and we received over 2000 responses. We are currently analysing the feedback and we will provide a response in due course.

As part of our programme of reform for the leasehold system, my ministerial colleagues and I have met with a range of parliamentarians from both Houses as well as representatives of both leaseholders and freeholders, and we will continue to do so.

We are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this Parliament.


Written Question
Leasehold: Reform
Thursday 20th July 2023

Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with industry stakeholders on the Government's proposed reforms to the leasehold system.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

In 2017, the Government asked the Law Commission to review the legislation on leasehold enfranchisement. Following extensive consultation, the Commission reported back to Government in July 2020.

On 7 Jan 2021, Government announced measures that will make it easier for leaseholders to buy their freehold or extend their lease, with significant discounts for those trapped with onerous ground rents.

On 11 January 2022, the Government launched a consultation on a number of recommendations made by the Law Commission aimed at broadening the rights of leaseholders, and reinvigorating commonhold. The consultation closed on 22 February 2022 and we received over 2000 responses. We are currently analysing the feedback and we will provide a response in due course.

As part of our programme of reform for the leasehold system, my ministerial colleagues and I have met with a range of parliamentarians from both Houses as well as representatives of both leaseholders and freeholders, and we will continue to do so.

We are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this Parliament.


Written Question
Leasehold: Reform
Thursday 20th July 2023

Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will hold a consultation with leaseholders and industry before bringing forward legislative proposals for reforms to the leasehold system.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

In 2017, the Government asked the Law Commission to review the legislation on leasehold enfranchisement. Following extensive consultation, the Commission reported back to Government in July 2020.

On 7 Jan 2021, Government announced measures that will make it easier for leaseholders to buy their freehold or extend their lease, with significant discounts for those trapped with onerous ground rents.

On 11 January 2022, the Government launched a consultation on a number of recommendations made by the Law Commission aimed at broadening the rights of leaseholders, and reinvigorating commonhold. The consultation closed on 22 February 2022 and we received over 2000 responses. We are currently analysing the feedback and we will provide a response in due course.

As part of our programme of reform for the leasehold system, my ministerial colleagues and I have met with a range of parliamentarians from both Houses as well as representatives of both leaseholders and freeholders, and we will continue to do so.

We are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this Parliament.


Written Question
Buildings: Fire Prevention
Tuesday 4th July 2023

Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the required testing site capacity to carry out fire door tests for the new EN1634-1 classification within the proposed 12-month transition period as detailed in the consultation entitled Sprinklers in care homes, removal of national classes, and staircases in residential buildings consultation; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The consultation titled Sprinklers in care homes, removal of national classes, and staircases in residential buildings closed on 17 March 2023, with the department receiving over 270 responses. The department, alongside the Building Safety Regulator, is committed to working with the sector to bring about the changes highlighted in the consultation, at the earliest opportunity.