Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the strength of the Union.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
The Union is strong. The United Kingdom is one of the world’s most successful political and economic unions. When we work together as one United Kingdom, we are safer, stronger and more prosperous.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had recent discussions with the devolved Administrations on Investment Zones.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
Devolved Administrations will play an equal role in co-design, decision-making and overseeing the delivery of Investment Zones. Officials are jointly developing proposals for Ministers to agree in due course.
The Secretary of State continues to engage regularly with DA Ministers through the Inter-ministerial Standing Committee, which last met on 14 May.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent progress he has made on implementing the recommendations of the Financial Conduct Authority in its Report on insurance for multi‑occupancy buildings, published in September 2022.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Department works closely with the Devolved Administrations to discuss shared challenges, including regarding properties affected by cladding, wider building safety and related insurance issues.
On the 30 January 2023, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced that we will act to ban property managing agents, landlords and freeholders from receiving commissions and other payments from insurance firms, replacing such payments with more transparent fees.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Scottish Government on (a) insurance and (b) lending issues relating to buildings with cladding.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Department works closely with the Devolved Administrations to discuss shared challenges, including regarding properties affected by cladding, wider building safety and related insurance issues.
On the 30 January 2023, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced that we will act to ban property managing agents, landlords and freeholders from receiving commissions and other payments from insurance firms, replacing such payments with more transparent fees.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what surplus land and buildings his Department has disposed of in each of the last five years; who the buyer of each of those areas of land was; and how much was paid for each of those areas of land.
Answered by Lee Rowley
DLUHC has not disposed of any buildings for which it holds the freehold in the last five years. It has not owned any land in this period. The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has a property seal which is used by other Government departments on building and land transactions but we do not hold records of other departments transactions. For further details on these transactions please contact the Government Property Agency.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Answer of 22 April 2022 to Question 155781 on Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Information Officers, what percentage of communications staff were (a) embedded in the Department, (b) part of the central communications directorate and (c) loaned or seconded from other Government departments.
Answered by Lee Rowley
100% of the 73 officials detailed in the Department’s previous response were (a) working in the Department’s Communications directorate. None of these officials were (b) employed by the central Government Communications Service run out of the Cabinet Office or (c) loaned or seconded to the Department from other Government Departments at that time.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much his Department spent on communications staff in (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21 and (c) 2021-22.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Expenditure on communications staffing across the following financial years are:
(a) 2019-20: £4,309,000
(b) 2020-21: £4,497,000
(c) 2021-22 : £4,256,000
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many communications staff are employed by his Department (a) full time, (b) part time and (c) on flexible working arrangements as of 19 April 2022.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
As of 19 April 2022 this Department’s communications function employed 73 payroll staff, of which 68 were (a) full time and 5 were (b) part time staff. 2 of those working full time have a formal (c) flexible working arrangement in place.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure information on the Homes for Ukraine helpline is available in (a) Ukrainian and (b) Russian.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Education)
I refer the Hon Member to the Homes for Ukraine factsheet that has been published online. The factsheet, which has been translated into Ukrainian and Russian, explains how Ukrainians can apply to the sponsorship scheme before arriving in the UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homes-for-ukraine-factsheet-for-ukrainians.
The Home Office has established a 24/7 bespoke helpline to support people to come to the UK through the different routes available. Further guidance on visa applications and details of the helpline are published here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-visa-under-the-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Government’s relations with the devolved Administrations.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Education)
The UK government is committed to positive and effective intergovernmental relations with devolved governments and is ready to establish new ways of working.
The last year has shown that extensive collaboration on a range of issues is the best way to achieve the best outcomes for all UK citizens.