Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what financial payments his Department makes to its non-executive directors; how many times his departmental Board will meet in 2021-22; and what work the non-executive directors undertake.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
This information is published in the Department's annual report and accounts, available on Gov.uk.
The Department's report and accounts for 2021-22 will be published in due course, in the usual way.
Departmental boards provide strategic leadership for each central government department, as well as advising on/challenging how the department is performing. Each board is chaired by the Secretary of State and includes junior ministers, the permanent secretary and non-executive board members. Non-executives are appointed to government departments from the public, private and voluntary sectors. Their role is to provide advice and bring an external perspective.
Board meetings are scheduled on a regular basis in line with best practice subject to availability of members.
A summary of the work of non-executive directors across Government can be found in the Government Lead Non-Executive's annual report, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-lead-non-executives-annual-report-2019-to-2020.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what private companies are contracted to provide security services at his Department’s buildings that contain Ministerial private offices; and whether there are closed circuit television cameras in any Ministerial private office within his Departmental estate.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
As has been the case under successive Administrations, it is not government policy to comment on security procedures in government buildings.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of private sector, residential, multi-occupied buildings in England between 11 and 18 metres in height.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Department’s most recent estimate on the total number of residential buildings between 11 metres and 18 metres in height can be found in the Building Safety Programme Monthly data release. The most recent publication is available online here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-programme-monthly-data-release-may-2021
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will make an estimate of the proportion of external wall surveys conducted in the last three years on residential multi-occupied buildings in England above 11 metres tall which have resulted in a B2 fire safety rating.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The EWS1 process is an industry one, as is the EWS1 form. The Department accordingly does not hold this data.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of residential multi-occupied buildings (a) above 11 metres tall and (b) under 18 metres in height that have undergone an external wall survey in the last three years broken down into (i) private and (ii) social housing sectors.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
This information is not held. External wall surveys, in the form of EWS1 assessments, are an industry process and data on them is not collected by MHCLG.
The Department has published estimates regarding EWS1 requirements on residential buildings in England, which are available online here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-safety-programme-estimates-of-ews1-requirements-on-residential-buildings-in-england/building-safety-programme-estimates-of-ews1-requirements-on-residential-buildings-in-england
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department provides support to leaseholders whose building owner or manager refuses to commission an external wall survey as required by mortgage lenders for the sale of that property.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
EWS1 is not a Government form or regulatory requirement, and it is not a safety certificate. EWS1 was created by industry to help with mortgage valuations for flats in blocks with cladding. It is designed to identify whether a block is likely to need value-affecting remediation work.
Building owners are responsible for ensuring their building is safe and they have a legal duty to maintain an up-to-date fire risk assessment. This should include the external walls and Government has clarified the Fire Safety Order, through the Fire Safety Bill, to ensure this is abundantly clear.
We will continue to work with lenders to help them to recognise alternative forms of assurance of building safety such as a comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment which includes the external walls.
Asked by: Florence Eshalomi (Labour (Co-op) - Vauxhall)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many freedom of information requests has his Department referred to the central Cabinet Office Clearing House for advice on handling in each year since 2016.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has referred requests to the Cabinet Office Clearing House where appropriate and in line with the published criteria which is available on gov.uk here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-and-freedom-of-information.