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Written Question
By-elections: Proof of Identity
Monday 26th June 2023

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether photo ID will be required for any recall petition and any subsequent by-election.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

This is set out in legislation, in the Elections Act 2022, (Commencement No. 6 and Savings) Regulations 2022 and the Voter Identification Regulations 2022. Voters will be required to show photographic identification in order to vote at a polling station for any UK parliamentary by-elections or to sign the petition in person at any recall petitions.


Written Question
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
Friday 24th March 2023

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 18 October 2022 (PBC Deb 18 October 2022 col 789) where he stated that "the Government and I will engage in discussion with RICS about this in the coming weeks before further stages of the Bill", how many meetings have taken place between ministers and the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors (RICS); what subjects were discussed at those meetings; and what steps they took as a result of those discussions.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Details of ministerial meetings are set out quarterly on gov.uk.

Further to those publications, senior officials and I met with the Earl of Lytton, the Chief Executive and the Chair of RICS on 7 February 2023 to discuss RICS' concerns regarding the clause.

Subsequently senior officials have met with RICS to discuss this further.

The Secretary of State also met with the CEO of RICS on 23 November 2022 as part of a wider meeting which included mortgage lenders. This meeting related to opening up the mortgage market for property affected by building safety.

I am happy to meet with the noble Baroness to discuss this further.


Written Question
Letting Agents: Regulation
Monday 18th October 2021

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the recommendations of the report of the working group on the Regulation of Property Agents, published on 18 July 2019.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and renters and making sure that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service. This commitment includes raising professionalism and standards amongst property agents, protecting consumers while defending the reputation of good agents from the actions of rogue operatives. We therefore welcome the ongoing work being undertaken by the industry itself to raise professionalism and standards across the sector.

The Government is considering the recommendations in the report received from the working group on the regulation of property agents. We welcome the work of the Noble Baroness as the Chair of the independent steering group on codes of practice for property agents, and we will continue to work with industry on improving best practice.


Written Question
Buildings: Insulation
Monday 3rd August 2020

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Housing Associations will be able to access the Remedial Fund for Cladding without having to use charitable resources ring fenced for charitable purposes and without having to charge leaseholders.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

We continue to engage with the social sector to ensure that leaseholders are supported and do not have to bear the costs associated with remediation of unsafe non-ACM cladding. Housing Associations will be able to apply for funding to cover the cost of remediation that they would otherwise pass on to leaseholders. Each Housing Association will need to make its own assessment as to how best to meet the remaining remediation costs in line with their business plans and different sources of income.


Written Question
Buildings: Insulation
Monday 3rd August 2020

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have undertaken a review to ascertain whether leaseholders of Housing Associations properties might be unfairly discriminated against in relation to leaseholders of private landlords in the allocation of the Remedial Fund for Cladding.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

The Secretary of State considered the decision to launch the Building Safety Fund in line with requirements under the Public Sector Equality duty. Funding is being provided to support leaseholders in both the social and private sectors. Where funding is claimed from government, the costs of remediating unsafe non-ACM cladding systems cannot be passed onto leaseholders.


Written Question
UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Wednesday 20th May 2020

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to develop the application process, including the criteria and decision-making process for applications, for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and when they will publish these details.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

Government has committed to creating a UK Shared Prosperity Fund to succeed European structural funds and bind together the whole of the United Kingdom, tackling inequality and deprivation in each of our four nations. The UK Government can cut out bureaucracy and create a fund which invests in UK priorities and is easier for local areas to access.

The government understands the importance of this investment for people, business and places and will set out further plans for the fund in due course. Final decisions on the design of the fund will need to be taken after a cross-Government Spending Review. In the meantime, we will continue to work closely with interested parties whilst developing the fund.


Written Question
Private Rented Housing: Electrical Safety
Tuesday 28th January 2020

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they are making on plans to introduce mandatory electrical safety checks in the private rented sector.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

On 13 January 2020, the Government laid before Parliament new regulations that will require private landlords to make sure the electrical installations in their properties are safe.

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require that:

  • Electrical installations must be inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every five years;
  • Electrical safety standards must be met;
  • Reports (known as ‘Electrical Installation Condition Reports or ‘EICRs’) must be provided to tenants, and to local authorities on request.

The Regulations also set out enforcement powers for local authorities who will be able to tackle those rogue landlords who breach their new duties under the Regulations.

Subject to approval by parliament, these requirements will come into force for all new tenancies from 1 July 2020 and for all existing tenancies from 1 April 2021.


Written Question
High Rise Flats: Insulation
Tuesday 5th November 2019

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether surveyors are returning zero valuations on properties in high-rise buildings by citing the Government's Advice Note 14 Advice on external wall systems that do not incorporate Aluminium Composite Material, published on 18 December 2018; and what steps they intend to take in response.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

It has not proved possible to respond to these questions in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.


Written Question
High Rise Flats: Insulation
Tuesday 5th November 2019

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with industry representatives about leaseholders in high-rise buildings being unable to sell their properties due to blanket zero valuations by surveyors citing the Government's Advice Note 14 Advice on external wall systems that do not incorporate Aluminium Composite Material, published on 18 December 2018.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

It has not proved possible to respond to these questions in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.


Written Question
High Rise Flats: Insulation
Tuesday 5th November 2019

Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to providing mortgage lenders with instruction that would prevent, and end, leaseholders in high-rise buildings being unable to sell their properties due to blanket zero valuations by surveyors citing the Government's Advice Note 14 Advice on external wall systems that do not incorporate Aluminium Composite Material, published on 18 December 2018.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

It has not proved possible to respond to these questions in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.