Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposals within the policy paper entitled A fairer private rented sector, published in June 2022, CP 693, on (a) smaller landlords and (b) trends in the number of properties owned by smaller landlords.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Renters Reform Bill will deliver a package of reforms for the Private Rented Sector. We are conducting a detailed impact assessment which will be published in due course.
While the government is committed to helping people to own their own home, a healthy housing market is built upon the co-existence of a range of tenures, including the private rented sector, to meet individual needs and requirements The Private Rented Sector is an important part of the housing market for the 4.6 million households who live there.
The department monitors the market and uses a range of data to support our understanding of the Private Rented Sector. This includes department-commissioned research, such as the annual English Housing Survey and the English Private Landlord Survey. We have carried out extensive engagement with stakeholders and we will continue to monitor the impact of our reforms on the sector.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of a reduction in the size of the private rented sector on renters, including (a) students, (b) workers requiring short term accommodation and (c) low income families without local connections.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Renters Reform Bill will deliver a package of reforms for the Private Rented Sector. We are conducting a detailed impact assessment which will be published in due course.
While the government is committed to helping people to own their own home, a healthy housing market is built upon the co-existence of a range of tenures, including the private rented sector, to meet individual needs and requirements The Private Rented Sector is an important part of the housing market for the 4.6 million households who live there.
The department monitors the market and uses a range of data to support our understanding of the Private Rented Sector. This includes department-commissioned research, such as the annual English Housing Survey and the English Private Landlord Survey. We have carried out extensive engagement with stakeholders and we will continue to monitor the impact of our reforms on the sector.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to take steps to reduce the size of the private rented sector relative to the social housing and private housing sectors.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Renters Reform Bill will deliver a package of reforms for the Private Rented Sector. We are conducting a detailed impact assessment which will be published in due course.
While the government is committed to helping people to own their own home, a healthy housing market is built upon the co-existence of a range of tenures, including the private rented sector, to meet individual needs and requirements The Private Rented Sector is an important part of the housing market for the 4.6 million households who live there.
The department monitors the market and uses a range of data to support our understanding of the Private Rented Sector. This includes department-commissioned research, such as the annual English Housing Survey and the English Private Landlord Survey. We have carried out extensive engagement with stakeholders and we will continue to monitor the impact of our reforms on the sector.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of access to school (a) playgrounds, (b) playing fields and (c) play areas for children with disabilities; and what steps she is taking to increase that access.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The department does not collect information on the adequacy of access to school playgrounds, school playing fields, or school play areas for children with disabilities. The department has published area guidelines for schools in Building Bulletin 103, and specific guidance for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools and alternative provision (AP) sites in Building Bulletin 104. These documents include guidance and expectations around size, type, and design of outdoor PE space, informal and social areas, and the use of habitat areas.
Schools must also comply with their duties under the Equality Act 2010. This includes making reasonable adjustments and carrying out accessibility planning for disabled pupils. Schools must prepare and implement accessibility plans, which should include plans for improving the physical environment of schools to enable disabled pupils to take better advantage of education, benefits, facilities, and services provided. Ofsted may review a school’s accessibility plan as part of school inspections.
In March 2022, the department announced High Needs Provision Capital Allocations (HNPCA) amounting to over £1.4 billion of new investment. This funding is to support local authorities to deliver new places for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years, and to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing provision for children and young people with SEND or who require AP.
It is ultimately up to local authorities to determine how to best prioritise their funding to address their local priorities, including improving the accessibility of school play areas. Local authorities can work with any school in their local area to do so.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of teacher training for identifying pupil eating disorders; and if she will introduce an eating disorder toolkit for teachers.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is committed to ensuring teachers have the appropriate knowledge, skills, and resources they need to promote and support mental health and wellbeing, including being able to identify the potential early signs of an eating disorder.
The Department has published guidance and signposting to external sources of mental health and wellbeing support for teachers and others in contact with children and young people, which includes sources of help and advice for children and young people suffering with an eating disorder. This information can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support-in-schools-and-colleges.
To support the effective use of training and guidance on supporting and promoting mental health in schools, including identifying need, the Department is funding all schools and colleges in England to train senior mental health leads who can put in place whole school approaches to mental health and wellbeing. This approach should encompass robust processes for identifying students, or specific groups, who need additional mental health support. Two thirds of schools and colleges will have been able to access funding by April 2023, backed by £10 million in the 2022/23 financial year.
There are also currently 287 mental health support teams in place in around 4,700 schools and colleges across the country, offering support to children experiencing common mental health issues and with the potential to spot eating disorders early on. These teams now cover 26% of pupils, a year earlier than originally planned. This will increase to 399 teams, covering around 35% of pupils, by April 2023 with over 500 planned to be up and running by 2024.
It is important to recognise teachers are not mental health professionals and should not be expected to diagnose mental health issues. If a child or young person is suffering with an eating disorder or problem, evidence-based treatment should be accessed via their general practitioner or local Psychological Therapies services.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the sustainable warmth scheme competition held in 2021; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of repeating the competition for local authorities to win funds to help insulate energy inefficient homes in 2023.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Sustainable Warmth projects from 2021 are currently in delivery and Local Authorities (LAs) have until 31 March 2023 to complete these projects. The Government monitors delivery through monthly reporting scheme delivery data. Once the scheme concludes, the Government will carry out an evaluation of its impact.
The Sustainable Warmth competition was given a finite period for delivery and will not be repeated in the same form for 2023. Several policies are available enabling LAs to access funding for energy efficiency beyond March 2023 including £1.5bn through the Home Upgrade Grant and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. The Energy Company Obligation scheme also allows LAs to refer households to energy suppliers for energy efficiency upgrades.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November to question 77411 on Refugees: Afghanistan, what steps she is taking to process asylum seekers she housed in temporary hotel accommodation (a) at the Holiday Inn Tamworth and (b) elsewhere to ensure that (i) those with valid claims for asylum are given leave to remain and accommodated in long term accommodation and (ii) those whose claims are invalid are speedily removed.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
All asylum claims are considered on a case by case basis and in line with published policy. As such, claims by Afghan nationals will be considered in the same way as claims from any other nationality.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of children affected by the infected blood scandal; and if he expand the scope of compensation related to that scandal to the children of those affected.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department does not currently hold the information requested. The Infected Blood Inquiry is reviewing the support provided to those infected and affected. It is expected to report in 2023 and we will consider its recommendations.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will introduce a standardised assessment of affordability of debt repayments for people on benefits.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
DWP remains committed to working with anyone who is struggling with their repayment terms.
The department has a well-established process for working with individuals to support them to manage their debts. Our agents will always look to negotiate affordable and sustainable repayment plans.
This includes working with individuals to review their financial circumstances and, in most instances, a temporary reduction in their rate of repayment can also be agreed.
There is no minimum amount that a claimant has to pay, and we have recently extended the time period for any reduced repayment to remain in place.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many sub-contractors are managed by SERCO in respect of (a) housing, (b) clothing and (c) feeding asylum seekers who are resident in temporary hotel accommodation as of 22 November 2022; and if she will make an assessment of whether those sub-contractors have adequate (i) skills and (ii) experience to meet her Department's requirements for these services.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office expects the highest standards from our accommodation providers, who are contractually obliged to provide adequate accommodation and to conduct regular quality assurance checks across the asylum estate. The standards of accommodation and service are set out within the Asylum Accommodation & Support Contracts (AASC). Details of the AASC can be found at: New asylum accommodation contracts awarded - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)
Robust compliance and governance protocols exist to ensure that the providers’ operational delivery and overall performance consistently meet the required standards. If any issues are identified providers are required to redress concerns.