Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Scott of Bybrook on 27 June 2023 (HL Deb col 589) that they would “consult on standards for improving energy efficiency in the sector within six months of the [Social Housing (Regulation)] Bill receiving Royal Assent”, when they will publish that consultation.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
This Government is working to improve quality and standards in social housing. Last month the Government launched a consultation on Awaab’s law, which includes timescales for repair work in social housing. That consultation is available here Awaab’s Law: Consultation on timescales for repairs in the social rented sector. We will shortly launch a consultation on improving energy efficiency standards in social housing.
We are pleased that many social housing providers are working towards improving the energy efficiency of their homes, and we continue to support the improvement of energy efficiency in the sector through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF).
We want to see more social homes that are safer, more decent, with cheaper energy bills and more energy efficiency.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement on 2 March that Contracts for Difference will in future be open to onshore wind projects, what plans they have to review the planning regime for onshore wind projects in England.
Answered by Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist
Onshore wind has deployed successfully to date and is an important part of our energy mix. The Government currently has no plans to revisit national planning policy for onshore wind energy schemes. The National Planning Policy Framework confirms planning’s important role in tackling climate change and making the transition to a low carbon economy, setting out that plans should provide a positive strategy for energy supply from renewable sources. In the case of wind energy, national planning policy sets out that planning permission for new wind energy projects should only be granted if the development site is in an area identified as suitable for wind energy development in a local or neighbourhood plan and, following consultation, it can be demonstrated that the planning impacts identified by the affected local community have been fully addressed and the proposal has their backing.