Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of exempting alms-houses from Selective Licensing charges.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Registered providers of social housing are exempt from selective licensing. Almshouses are able to register as providers of social housing, and this exemption will apply for those that do.
Local authorities are responsible for selective licensing schemes in their area and have discretion to discount or waive selective licensing fees for almshouses.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a national strategy to make properties built before 1920 more energy efficient.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK has the oldest housing stock in Europe and the government recognises that there is no “one-size-fits-all" approach to tackle the UK’s diverse building stock, and the need to ensure more historic buildings are able to achieve Net Zero. The Department commissioned research into complex to decarbonise homes and is currently considering the findings available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/defining-and-identifying-complex-to-decarbonise-homes.
Our Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock. We have committed £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency. Further details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2025 to Question 902156 on Palestinians: Sovereignty, whether he has a planned timetable for recognising a Palestinian state.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The ceasefire marks the first step in ensuring long-term peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians and the wider region, bringing much-needed stability. Our attention must turn to how we secure a permanently better future for the Israeli and Palestinian people. Palestinians must be given a credible route to a Palestinian state, which is the right of the Palestinian people. We will recognise a Palestinian state at a time that is most conducive to making statehood a reality, and we will continue working with partners to support a path to long term peace and stability with a two-state solution: a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to provide financial support for families during the three-month waiting period before applying for Disability Living Allowance; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a short-term financial grant for parents in this situation.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The three month qualifying period is not a waiting period. Its purpose is to help establish that the disability or health condition, and the resulting care, supervision or mobility needs are of a long-standing nature. This ensures that disability benefits are targeted to support those with long term health conditions or disabilities.
Children applying for DLA do not always have to wait for the full three months from the date of their claim before they become entitled to the benefit. The case manager will always look at whether, and for how long, the person has required the necessary level of help for care/daily living and/or mobility purposes before the date of claim and consider whether some or all of the qualifying period has already been completed.
Children claiming DLA under the special rules for end of life do not have to satisfy the three--month qualifying period. Their claim is fast tracked, and they are eligible for the higher-rate care component from the date of claim.
Financial and practical support may be available during the qualifying period, for example through the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme or support provided by Local Authority.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with water companies on upgrading infrastructure to ensure the sewage system can accommodate heavy rainfall without overflowing sewage into waterways.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For too long, water companies have discharged record levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Bill, which will strengthen regulation, including delivering new powers to ban the payment of bonuses for polluting water bosses and bringing criminal charges against persistent law breakers.
For Price Review 2024, which runs from 2025 – 2030, water companies are investing almost £12 billion to improve 2,800 storm overflows across England and Wales. Where required outcomes are not met, companies must reimburse customers, thereby holding water companies to account to deliver the investment.
Going forward, the Secretary of State and I continue to meet regularly with water company leadership teams to hold them to account for and ensure they are delivering for customers and the environment.
In October 2024, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, also launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system. This is a wide-ranging review to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2024 to Question 16652 on Military Bases, if his Department will now provide a response.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I’d like to thank the hon. Member for her question. As she will understand collating this data is a considerable exercise but I’m pleased to confirm that I wrote to her on 27 January 2025 and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 20117 on Defence Equipment Expenditure, when his Department plans to send that letter.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The response to Question 20117 on Defence Equipment Expenditure is in the process of being finalised and will be sent shortly.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will take steps to support households with one-off unexpected costs including boiler repairs.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Budgeting Advances help Universal Credit customers meet intermittent miscellaneous expenses, such as buying essential items like furniture or household equipment. These advances ensure that low-income families that have an emergency financial need and do not have access to adequate savings or affordable loans can access funding to meet the emergency.
Only eligible customers are able to access Budgeting Advances and there are limits set out in regulation on the amount that can be awarded. Information on the eligibility criteria can be found in the House of Commons Library.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an estimate of the (a) number of days and (b) proportion of expected lifespans that naval vessels spend in maintenance.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
All Royal Navy ships rotate through planned operating cycles involving maintenance, upgrades, repair, training and deployment. This results in individual ships being at various levels of readiness at any one time in accordance with the Long-Term Operational Programme (LTOP) and operational needs.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support her Department provides to local authorities for English language tuition for (a) British National (Overseas) visa holders and (b) their families.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As part of MHCLG's Hong Kong British National (Overseas) [BN(O)] Welcome Programme, we fund local authorities in England up to £850 per adult BN(O) visa holder to support access to English language classes. This funding aims to help BN(O) visa holders and their dependents to improve their English language skills, facilitating better integration into their communities. The funding is demand-led, meaning it is based on current estimates of need. Local authorities are encouraged to collaborate with existing community groups and English language providers to build upon the existing local English language infrastructure. This approach helps to maximize the effectiveness of the support provided.