Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to Planning Inspectorate case number APP/M1900/W/24/3346607, what her planned timetable is for determining the appeal by Brett Aggregates Limited to develop a quarry at the site of the former Hatfield Aerodrome.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
No timetable has yet been set for the determination of this case.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how leaseholders can challenge costs incurred for a Deed of Variation to leasehold agreements.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Leaseholders who are dissatisfied with costs incurred as part of a deed of variation should seek legal advice. Free initial legal advice is available through the Leasehold Advisory Service.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring home insurers to offer insurance to landlords offering tenancies to tenants on benefits.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Rental discrimination against people who receive benefits has no place in a fair and modern housing market.
As part of the rental discrimination measures in the Renters’ Rights Bill, any clauses within a new or renewed contract of insurance that would prohibit the letting of a property to a tenant in receipt of benefits will be rendered of no effect.
Many insurers already offer services to landlords who rent to tenants receiving benefits and, following engagement with the sector, we are not expecting any destabilising effect on the market as a result of the provisions in the Renters’ Rights Bill.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 39567 on Local Plans: Gardens Trust, what criteria was applied to the decision to remove the Gardens Trust as a statutory planning consultee.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether she plans to publish guidance for parish and town councils on how to engage with her Department on shaping the parish council role in local government devolution.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Town and parish councils are the first tier of local government and play a crucial role in community engagement and provide key local services.
The English Devolution White Paper emphasises the value of governance on a community scale and that the government wants to see stronger community arrangements during reorganisation, enhancing how councils engage at a neighbourhood level. At present, there are no plans to publish specific guidance for parish and town councils on how to engage with the Department on shaping their role in local government devolution.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on how many occasions The Gardens Trust has (a) not provided a timely response to a request for feedback and (b) provided feedback that was in conflict with matters settled in the relevant local plan as a statutory planning consultee in the last three years.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Garden Trust publish data on their work as a statutory consultee as part of their annual general meeting reports. Their 2023/24 Conservation Committee Report, which can be found here, makes clear that in the year to April 2024, they received 1733 statutory consultations. The Department does not collect data on whether feedback from the Garden Trust is in conflict with matters settled in the local plan.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 modern dehumidifying technologies can play on tackling damp and mould in the social and private rented housing sectors.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has published consolidated guidance for social and private landlords relating to the health impacts of damp and mould and what actions they should consider when responding to reports of it.
Whether or not dehumidifiers form part of the way damp and mould is addressed is a decision for landlords to make. However, the guidance is clear that it is the responsibility of landlords to identify the underlying causes of damp and mould, including structural issues or inadequate ventilation, and to find long-term solutions.
A range of experts in damp and mould and related areas were engaged with and contributed to the guidance in question which can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 has provided funding to children's therapists to support families residing in women's refuges.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls and supporting victims of domestic abuse, including children.
Since 2021, local authorities in England have had a duty under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 to ensure victims and their children have access to support in safe accommodation, including women’s refuges. In delivering this duty, local authorities should provide support to children, in line with the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which makes it clear that affected children and young people are victims of domestic abuse in their own right.
For 2025/26, £160 million has been allocated to local authorities to deliver this duty, a £30 million uplift from the previous year. This funding is for crucial support within safe accommodation, including therapeutic support for children. To deliver this duty in 2025/26, Hertfordshire County Council has been allocated £2,615,252 and St Albans District Council has been allocated £37,869 for relevant administrative costs.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a cap on rent increases for those shared ownership properties not purchased from a registered social landlord.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government requires that all leases for shared ownership properties funded with government grant, regardless of whether the shared ownership provider is a registered social landlord, must include a clause limiting rent increases to a maximum of RPI +0.5% for leases prior to October 2023, or CPI +1% for leases from October 2023.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the prevalence of alleged aggressive council tax debt collection practices.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Councils are responsible for the collection and enforcement of council tax. The government’s clear expectation is that councils will be proportionate and sympathetic to those in hardship when determining the most appropriate action to collect tax. The government will publish a consultation in 2025 to consider options to improve council tax billing and wider council tax administration changes to support taxpayers.