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, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting shared ownership staircasing valuations to be (a) appealed or (b) negotiated by shared owners, using evidence of significant local variations between (i) RICS valuations and (ii) actual sale prices of (1) similar or (2) identical properties.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The price paid by shared owners for staircasing is based on the property's full open 'Market Value' (defined in the shared ownership model leases) as determined by an independent Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) valuer.
RICS valuations will include the use of comparable data from recent sales of similar properties in the locality. They will also account for the property's condition and any home improvements, meaning that shared owners do not have to pay a higher price for staircasing as a result of improvements that they have made to the home.
Valuations are normally final and cannot be challenged. However, if in exceptional circumstances the 'Market Value' of the property has not been properly assessed, then a request for a revaluation could be made by the shared owner or the provider.
A RICS valuation is not required on 1% staircasing transactions; instead, the House Price Index is used to determine the price to be paid by the shared owner.
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 a recent assessment of the adequacy of waiting times for the processing of Disabled Facilities Grants for people with (a) motor neurone disease and (b) other rapidly progressing diseases.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises the importance of timely home adaptations, especially for individuals with rapidly progressing conditions, such as motor neurone disease.
Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide adaptations for people who satisfy a needs assessment, eligibility criteria and a means test, and have powers to agree a more generous local policy.
Local authorities also have a statutory duty to provide a decision on Disabled Facilities Grants applications within 6 months of receipt, and the works must usually be completed within 12 months of the approval date. Government guidance sets out that local authorities should prioritise urgent cases, and work to quicker, best practice timescales. The guidance is available here.
To support effective delivery, government also funds a national body for home improvement
agencies, currently Foundations, to provide support and advice to local authorities to help them deliver the DFG as efficiently as possible.
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 contribution by the hon. Member for St Albans on 9 July 2025, Official Report, column 325WH, whether she plans to make alternative funding available to London Colney Parish Council for the completion of their neighbourhood plan.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Following the Spending Review, my Department announced that it is unable to commission new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025 onwards.
Technical support which has already been awarded will continue to be provided but must be completed before the end of March 2026.
London Colney Parish is not in receipt of such support.
The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests.
Parish and Town Councils have access to their own resources which they can choose to use for neighbourhood planning if they wish.
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
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.