Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to simplify the application process for the Disability Facilities Grant.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Government recognises how important home adaptations are in enabling disabled people to live as independently as possible in a safe and suitable environment. This is why government awarded an £86 million in-year uplift to the DFG for 2024-25, bringing the total funding for 2024-25 to £711 million. Government has also confirmed £711 million for the DFG for 2025-26.
In March 2022 government published guidance for local authorities in England on the effective and efficient delivery of the grant, including best practice in setting out the application process. A link to the guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disabled-facilities-grant-dfg-delivery-guidance-for-local-authorities-in-england. It is for each local authority to decide its own application processes in line with the legislative requirements, but the guidance makes clear that local authorities should ensure the needs of applicants are at the heart of the grant application process.
Government continues to keep all aspects of the DFG under consideration. As part of this, the suitability of the current £30,000 upper limit is being reviewed. Government is also reviewing the allocations formula for the DFG to ensure the funding is aligned with local needs and will consult on a new approach during 2025. Any changes in policy that require additional funding would be subject to the Spending Review.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether there are any requirements for civil servants to book a desk in advance in order to attend the office in person in each of (a) their Department's office workplaces and (b) the arm’s length bodies of their Department.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
For all of offices except Darlington, we have a desk booking system which enables staff to reserve a desk prior to attending the office. However, it is a recommendation rather than a requirement for staff to reserve a space in advance. In the Darlington Economic Campus, staff book a space rather than a desk to attend the office and this is done in collaboration with the other Departments we share with.
ALBs operate at arm's length from the department and have the flexibility to determine their own workplace policies, including desk booking arrangements. The department does not collect this information centrally.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance she has issued to civil servants in the Land Registry on how frequently they should attend the office each week; how many and what proportion of desks were occupied in each Land Registry office in the most recent four weeks for which figures are available; and how many staff attended each office in person in the same period; and what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the proposed PCS trade union industrial action.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The guidance given to HM Land Registry’s staff regarding office attendance is in line with the guidance published by the Cabinet Office. This guidance states that staff must spend a minimum of 60% of their contracted working time in an office location.
The following table shows the percentage of desks that were occupied and how many staff attended an office location in the most recent four weeks where the data is available, for each of HM Land Registry’s 14 office locations:
Office location | Proportion of desks occupied during November 2024 | Volume of people who attended an office location during November 2024 |
Birkenhead | 60.00% | 510 |
Coventry | 58.79% | 254 |
Croydon | 67.06% | 369 |
Durham | 56.75% | 765 |
Fylde | 51.61% | 405 |
Gloucester | 68.78% | 353 |
Hull | 54.42% | 347 |
Leicester | 60.35% | 296 |
Nottingham | 99.39% | 521 |
Peterborough | 90.15% | 274 |
Plymouth | 78.54% | 770 |
Swansea | 68.11% | 823 |
Telford | 44.28% | 342 |
Weymouth | 57.47% | 254 |
HM Land Registry | 63.84% | 6283 |
HM Land Registry has always aligned office attendance policies with civil service expectations both before and since the 60% requirement and will remain committed to ensuring staff are meeting the attendance requirement throughout the proposed PCS trade union industrial action.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many civil servants are assigned to work in the Land Registry’s London office; and how many desks there are for those civil servants.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
HM Land Registry’s Head Office is in Croydon and it does not have any other London-based offices. It had 416 staff based in the Croydon office on 13 December 2024 with 280 desks available for HM Land Registry’s use.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many civil servants are assigned to work in each of her Department's offices; and how many desks are available in each office.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 9071 on 28 November 2024.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much was spent on (a) new furniture and fittings and (b) other refurbishment of Ministerial offices in her Department since the dissolution of the last Parliament; and on what items this was spent.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has spent £33,790.50 on the refurbishment of Ministerial offices since the dissolution of the last Parliament. This includes a spend of £16,554.89 to ensure Ministers are able to work outside of London.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of desks were occupied in each of her Department's offices in the most recent four weeks for which figures are available; and how many staff attended each office in person in the same period.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Heads of Department have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Office occupancy data for the period July - September has been published today, with further publications to now happen on a quarterly basis. The data is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) section 42 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 and (b) fire safety regulations introduced since the Grenfell Tower fire on the financial viability of arms-length management organisations.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In the Housing Minister's answer to Question UIN 11383 on 31 October 2024, he set out the measures the Government is taking to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.
The Government is committed to working with social housing providers to ensure that homes are safe, decent, warm and free from damp and mould. That is why we have committed to bringing forward regulations to improve the quality of social housing, for example Awaab’s Law, and to ensuring that landlords meet fire safety regulations. The costs and impacts of new regulatory requirements are set out alongside the relevant consultation and subsequent consultation response.
The Government is providing funding for social housing landlords through the Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund, the Building Safety Fund and Cladding Safety Scheme for 11m+ buildings. The Government’s Warm Homes Plan also offers grants and low interest loans which support investment in insulation, low carbon heating and other improvements.
As we set out in July, details of future Government investment in social and affordable housing will be brought forwards at the Spending Review.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) section 42 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 and (b) fire safety regulations introduced since the Grenfell Tower fire on the level of social housebuilding.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In the Housing Minister's answer to Question UIN 11383 on 31 October 2024, he set out the measures the Government is taking to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.
The Government is committed to working with social housing providers to ensure that homes are safe, decent, warm and free from damp and mould. That is why we have committed to bringing forward regulations to improve the quality of social housing, for example Awaab’s Law, and to ensuring that landlords meet fire safety regulations. The costs and impacts of new regulatory requirements are set out alongside the relevant consultation and subsequent consultation response.
The Government is providing funding for social housing landlords through the Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund, the Building Safety Fund and Cladding Safety Scheme for 11m+ buildings. The Government’s Warm Homes Plan also offers grants and low interest loans which support investment in insulation, low carbon heating and other improvements.
As we set out in July, details of future Government investment in social and affordable housing will be brought forwards at the Spending Review.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposals to require all rented homes to reach an EPC C standard by 2030 on the level of social housebuilding.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In the Housing Minister's answer to Question UIN 11383 on 31 October 2024, he set out the measures the Government is taking to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.
The Government is committed to working with social housing providers to ensure that homes are safe, decent, warm and free from damp and mould. That is why we have committed to bringing forward regulations to improve the quality of social housing, for example Awaab’s Law, and to ensuring that landlords meet fire safety regulations. The costs and impacts of new regulatory requirements are set out alongside the relevant consultation and subsequent consultation response.
The Government is providing funding for social housing landlords through the Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund, the Building Safety Fund and Cladding Safety Scheme for 11m+ buildings. The Government’s Warm Homes Plan also offers grants and low interest loans which support investment in insulation, low carbon heating and other improvements.
As we set out in July, details of future Government investment in social and affordable housing will be brought forwards at the Spending Review.