Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the cost of the £350 a month Homes for Ukraine payments to hosts is being charged to the Official Development Assistance budget; and what the estimated cost of Homes for Ukraine payments will be in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Relevant published guidance on international development aid spending are being followed. Details of spending will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will ensure that the existing right to manage guidance for Tenant Management Organisation is reviewed in the context of the provisions of the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We do not believe that the Social Housing Regulation Bill will have a significant impact on either existing right to manage guidance or contracts between Tenant Management Organisations and local authorities. Separately, we will work with and expert steering group to review the guidance on the responsibilities of Tenant Management Organisations and local authorities.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Social Housing Regulation Bill on (a) existing right to manage guidance and (b) contracts between Tenant Management Organisations and local authorities.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We do not believe that the Social Housing Regulation Bill will have a significant impact on either existing right to manage guidance or contracts between Tenant Management Organisations and local authorities. Separately, we will work with and expert steering group to review the guidance on the responsibilities of Tenant Management Organisations and local authorities.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to announce the 2022 Windrush Day Grant Scheme awards.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
This year’s Windrush Day Grant Scheme awards will focus on bringing people together – across different ages and ethnic backgrounds – to commemorate, celebrate and educate communities about the contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants to our national life.
All application assessments for this year’s scheme are complete and a formal announcement of the successful projects is set to take place soon.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to support local authorities to manage increased costs for the purchase or lease of trucks in response to alleged price fixing by truck manufacturers.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
Local authorities should not lose out as a result of illegal anti-competitive activity. Civil claims for damages or other redress arising from infringements of competition law may be brought before the High Court or the Competition Appeal Tribunal, which is the UK’s specialist judicial body for determining competition law disputes
On 16 December, the Government announced the provisional Settlement, which makes available an additional £3.5 billion to councils. This is an increase in local authority funding for 2022-23 of over 4% in real terms, which will ensure councils across the country have the resources they need to deliver key services. In total, we expect Core Spending Power to rise from £50.4 billion in 2021-22 to up to £53.9 billion next year.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of alleged price fixing by truck manufacturers on (a) local authorities finances and (b) costs of essential services.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
Local authorities should not lose out as a result of illegal anti-competitive activity. Civil claims for damages or other redress arising from infringements of competition law may be brought before the High Court or the Competition Appeal Tribunal, which is the UK’s specialist judicial body for determining competition law disputes
On 16 December, the Government announced the provisional Settlement, which makes available an additional £3.5 billion to councils. This is an increase in local authority funding for 2022-23 of over 4% in real terms, which will ensure councils across the country have the resources they need to deliver key services. In total, we expect Core Spending Power to rise from £50.4 billion in 2021-22 to up to £53.9 billion next year.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate has his Department made of the number of section 21 eviction notices been issued in each year since 2019 in (a) London and (b) England.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
There is no requirement on landlords to notify the Government when they serve notice of their intention to seek possession to their tenant. As such, the Department does not hold data on the number of Section 21 notices issued.
The Government remains firmly committed to the Renters Reform programme, including abolishing section 21 evictions. We will publish a White Paper that sets out government's plans in 2022.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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 support businesses seeking to appeal business rates valuations after changes in circumstances during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government has announced an additional £1.5 billion business rates relief fund to support those businesses affected by the pandemic that have not otherwise been eligible for existing reliefs. My Department will publish guidance to help local authorities set up their local schemes once the legislation relating to COVID-19 Material Change of Circumstances provisions has passed.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the Government's timescale is for bringing forward legislative proposals to end the use of section 21 no fault evictions.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government is committed to bringing in a Better Deal for Renters, including abolishing section 21 evictions, to deliver a fairer and more effective rental market that works for both tenants and landlords. We have been working with stakeholders across the sector, including holding a series of roundtable discussions, to inform this.
We will publish a White Paper that sets out the Government's plans in 2022 to allow the requisite time to develop an ambitious and considered package of reforms. Our priority is to create a fairer private rented sector that works for both landlords and tenants. It is vital that we take the time to get this right to avoid any unintended consequences for the sector.
We remain firmly committed to the Renters Reform programme, including abolishing section 21 evictions, and we will continue to engage with the sector to inform this. We will bring forward legislation in due course and when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress his Department has made on ending the use of section 21 no fault evictions.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government is committed to bringing in a Better Deal for Renters, including abolishing section 21 evictions, to deliver a fairer and more effective rental market that works for both tenants and landlords. We have been working with stakeholders across the sector, including holding a series of roundtable discussions, to inform this.
We will publish a White Paper that sets out the Government's plans in 2022 to allow the requisite time to develop an ambitious and considered package of reforms. Our priority is to create a fairer private rented sector that works for both landlords and tenants. It is vital that we take the time to get this right to avoid any unintended consequences for the sector.
We remain firmly committed to the Renters Reform programme, including abolishing section 21 evictions, and we will continue to engage with the sector to inform this. We will bring forward legislation in due course and when parliamentary time allows.