Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on embedding circular design principles in the construction of 1.5million homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has written to the Deputy Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretaries of State for Business and Trade, Energy Security and Net Zero and Transport and invited them to join a Small Ministerial Group on Circular Economy (CE-SMG).
This group will govern, join up and drive CE work across government departments to support work relating to the Government’s Growth and Clean Energy Missions and feed into the Industrial Strategy.
The National Model Design Code and National Design Guide, which support the National Planning Policy Framework, already encourages the implementation of sustainable construction that focuses on reducing embodied energy, embedding circular economy principles to reduce waste, designing for disassembly and exploring the remodel and reuse of buildings where possible, rather than rebuilding.
Our continued commitment to well-designed homes and places is further supported through proposed updates to the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code in Spring 2025.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help ensure that people living in new homes have access to well-designed green spaces.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
National planning policy and guidance recognise the importance of high quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity for the health and wellbeing of communities.
Our proposals to release ‘grey belt’ land for development will depend on meeting golden rules, ensuring that all new developments has accessible green space.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of NHS (a) radiologists and (b) oncologists.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are committed to training the staff we need, including radiologists and oncologists, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.
We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) putting the New Homes Quality Board on a statutory footing, (b) requiring developers to be members of the Board and (c) providing buyers of new homes with a right of redress.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is committed to improving upon existing means of redress for purchasers of new build homes. We are currently considering the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recommendations in their recent Housebuilding Market Study, which included activating a statutory New Homes Ombudsman, and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many surviving spouses in each public sector pension scheme have lost their pension because they have (a) remarried and (b) established a (i) legal and (ii) other partnership.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The data required to answer this question is not held centrally by HM Treasury, but some of the relevant data may be held by individual Public Service Pension Schemes (PSPSs). While the cessation of survivor pensions upon remarriage or cohabitation was a common feature across older legacy PSPSs, all active members of major PSPSs are now accruing pensions in reformed schemes that do not cease survivor pensions in the case of remarriage or cohabitation.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to bring in (a) licences for and (b) registration of property managing agents.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is committed to ensuring that those living in the rented and leasehold sectors are protected from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents. The Government will set out its position on the regulation of letting, managing and estate agents in due course.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to prevent products manufactured by (a) Kingspan and (b) Celotex from being used in Government-funded contracts.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Prime Minister has been clear that the government will write to all companies found by the Inquiry to have been part of these horrific failings, as the first step to stopping them being awarded government contracts. This process is being led by the Minister for the Cabinet Office. Our work to review the Inquiry report and the companies named in it as having contributed to the failures is ongoing.
Grenfell was a terrible tragedy that should never have happened. We must learn from these lessons and that is why government is considering the report’s recommendations with the seriousness the tragedy deserves.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to prevent products manufactured by (a) Kingspan and (b) Celotex being used by public bodies.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Prime Minister has been clear that the government will write to all companies found by the Inquiry to have been part of these horrific failings, as the first step to stopping them being awarded government contracts. This process is being led by the Minister for the Cabinet Office. Our work to review the Inquiry report and the companies named in it as having contributed to the failures is ongoing.
Grenfell was a terrible tragedy that should never have happened. We must learn from these lessons and that is why government is considering the report’s recommendations with the seriousness the tragedy deserves.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to increase the availability of dwellings suitable for younger people with disabilities.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We understand that accessibility in new homes, and accessibility standards for buildings in general, are important concerns. Housing is one of this Government’s top priorities. Everyone deserves to live in a decent home in which they feel safe. We will set out our policies on accessible new build housing shortly.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to introduce Part M category 2 of the Building Regulations for new build properties.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We understand that accessibility in new homes, and accessibility standards for buildings in general, are important concerns. Housing is one of this Government’s top priorities. Everyone deserves to live in a decent home in which they feel safe. We will set out our policies on accessible new build housing shortly.