Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
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 (a) review the definition of affordable housing and (b) ensure that definition is linked to average wages by region.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Affordable housing is defined for planning purposes in the National Planning Policy Framework. The Government will be publishing a consultation on national planning policy before the end of July.
We are committed to the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. New development will allow us to deliver thousands of affordable homes, including more for Social Rent. We will work with councils and housing associations to build capacity and ensure we build the homes people need.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of national house building targets will be for council housing in the next five years.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is committed to the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and we will work with councils and housing associations to achieve this. More announcements will be made in due course.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to support Durham County Council to deliver a Housing First approach to address long term homelessness.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
The Government recognises that local authorities are best placed to make decisions on what local services they provide based on local priorities and circumstances, including designing and delivering Housing First projects where appropriate. We are investing over £2 billion over three years in tackling homelessness and rough sleeping. Funding allocated to Durham for locally led initiatives includes over £680,000 in funding directly to the Durham Unitary Authority through the Rough Sleeping Initiative 2022-25, a further just under £3.8 million as part of a Durham-led joint funding award across the North-East, over £3 million (originally allocated) to County Durham through the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, and over £4 million through the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme.
We have also published a Mobilising Housing First toolkit to support local areas seeking to develop Housing First projects, which is available here: Housing First Pilot: national evaluation reports - GOV.UK
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on their powers to control the conversion of families homes into houses in multiple occupation.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Planning permission is always required for the material change of use to a large House in Multiple Occupation for more than six people.
Separately a licence is required for a House in Multiple Occupation in which five or more people from two or more households sharing facilities. Local areas can also introduce additional licensing schemes which required Houses in Multiple Occupation with three or more people from two or more households to be licensed. Guidance is provided here.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will bring forward legislation to ban estate maintenance charges for new build freehold homes.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Government wants to make estate management companies more accountable to homeowners for how their money is spent. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill will make sure that homeowners who pay estate management charges have the right to challenge their reasonableness and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager to manage the provision of services.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 21 December 2023 to Question 7031 on Levelling Up Fund: Easington, whether his Department collects information on the (a) effectiveness of and (b) impact of levelling up funding on a constituency basis.
Answered by Jacob Young
Funding for levelling up is generally delivered through local authorities, with outcome data therefore collected at a local authority level.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2023 to Question 6182 on Levelling Up Fund: County Durham, if he will make an assessment of the (a) effectiveness of and (b) impact of levelling up funding on Easington constituency.
Answered by Jacob Young
The UK Government is investing £13.9 billion in Levelling Up projects to improve everyday life for people across the UK. Through interventions such as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Community Renewal Fund, amongst others, the Government is supporting local communities to transform the places where they live.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information the Government holds on how many people have died while homeless in each of the last five years.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes annual statistics on the estimated number of deaths of people experiencing homelessness in England and Wales which can be found here Deaths of homeless people in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk).
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5542 on Levelling Up Fund: County Durham, what proportion of the funding identified in his response was allocated to Easington Constituency.
Answered by Jacob Young
County Durham has benefited from a range of funds totalling almost £100 million that will bring significant benefits to the whole area, including the constituency of Easington. The funds referenced in my answer on 11 December are allocated to local institutions at different geographies including the County Durham authority area and wider, depending on the nature of the fund. This funding mix allows local organisations to determine the areas and priorities to direct investment towards their key priorities
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2023 to Question 4394 answered 4 December 2023 on Evictions, what data his Department holds centrally on housing evictions.
Answered by Jacob Young
The department monitors the volume of repossessions by county court bailiffs in landlord cases using quarterly statistics published by the Ministry of Justice. The statistics also include volumes of accelerated possession claims brought to the courts where the landlord has served a section 21 notice.
The statistics can be accessed here.