Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the Help to Buy scheme gives timely responses to enquiries from homeowners.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 192863 and 194924 on 13 and 24 July 2023.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is planning to provide support to residents who are being required by their insurer to remediate significant building fire safety defects on buildings under 11 meters in height, but whose building developer is rejecting a claim on the basis that the fire risk to individuals was deemed significantly low enough for the building to achieve a B1 EWS1 rating; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
It is generally accepted that risk to life is proportional to the height of buildings. There is no systemic risk in buildings under 11m, which are very unlikely to need costly remediation to make them safe.
Where an external wall assessment carried out in line with guidance from the British Standards Institute (PAS 9980) shows acceptable risk, premiums should reflect that. Insurers should offer affordable premiums and should not be prescribing additional remedial works. My department is engaging with insurers on this matter.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support local councils to find appropriate accommodation in cases where Ukrainian families or individuals previously hosted under the Homes for Ukraine scheme are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 169421 on 28 March 2023.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure (a) housing association, (b) council and (c) private rented properties in (i) Camberwell and Peckham constituency, (ii) Southwark and (ii) London are free from damp and mould.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 181418 on 24 April 2023.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of how many (a) housing association, (b) council and (c) private rental properties had damp and mould in (i) Camberwell and Peckham constituency, (ii) Southwark and (iii) London in financial year 2022-2023.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 181418 on 24 April 2023.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of awarding eligible households in receipt of Local Council Tax Support, who do not pay council tax via direct debit, their £150 energy rebate payments automatically.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
Councils cannot make automatic payments where they do not hold bank details for households. This is particularly likely to be the case where households receive council tax support and may have no little or no council tax liability. Eligible households that are in receipt of council tax support will however be able to receive payments in the same way as other eligible households. Our FAQs include information on flexible payment options for households in different circumstances, which balance administrative ease and accessibility with the need to manage fraud risk.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, in respect of the £150 energy rebate scheme, what assessment he has made of the impact that administering rebates will have on local authorities in terms of (a) staffing resource and (b) finances.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
My Department is working with local government representatives to assess the New Burdens costs arising from the range of activities that councils need to undertake to administer the council tax rebate. This includes the costs of recruiting any necessary additional staffing resource.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to provide additional support to local authorities to ensure that eligible households who do not pay council tax via direct debit receive the £150 council tax energy rebate.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
My Department has issued FAQs to help local authorities administer the council tax rebate. These include information on flexible payment options for households in different circumstances, which balance administrative ease and accessibility with the need to manage fraud risk.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure that all people who are eligible for the £150 council tax energy rebate but who do not pay their council tax by direct debit will receive that payment.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
My Department has issued FAQs to help local authorities administer the council tax rebate. These include information on flexible payment options for households in different circumstances, which balance administrative ease and accessibility with the need to manage fraud risk.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to increase extra care housing options for older people.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 49106 on 22 September.