Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of student homelessness.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognises that homelessness levels are far too high and this can have a devastating impact on those affected. The homelessness statistics show that 4,850 (1.5%) households had an employment status of ‘student/training’ and were threatened with homelessness or were homeless in 2023-24.
As announced at the Budget on 30 October, funding for homelessness services is increasing by £233 million compared to this year, bringing total spend to nearly a billion in 2025-26. The increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the supply of socially rented homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer my hon. friend to the answer I gave to Question UIN 11383 on 31 October 2024.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to tackle landlords charging high up-front rent payments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government have long recognised that demands for extortionate rent in advance place a considerable financial strain on tenants and can exclude certain groups from renting altogether. We are very clear that the practice of landlords demanding large amounts of rent in advance must be prohibited.
Although it might be argued that the interaction of the new rent periods in clause 1 of the Renters’ Rights Bill, which are a month or 28 days, and the existing provisions of the Tenant Fees Act 2019, relating to prohibited payments, provide a measure of protection against requests for large amounts of advance rent, the government believe there is a strong case for putting this matter beyond doubt. I am giving careful consideration as to how best that might be achieved through the Renters’ Rights Bill.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of capping ground rents on leasehold homes at nominal rates.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Government recently consulted on a range of options to restrict ground rents for existing leases. Alongside the consultation we published a consultation impact assessment, assessing the expected costs and benefits of each of the policy options. This can be found here: Consultation impact assessment - modern leasehold: restricting ground rent for existing leases - GOV.UK.
We are carefully considering the responses we have received and will set out next steps due course.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on how many Disabled people were evicted thorough section 21 no-fault evictions in the private rented sector in 2023.
Answered by Jacob Young
I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 14713 on 22 February 2024.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many Disabled Facilities Grants were distributed to private rented sector tenants last year.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
Government is committed to helping older and disabled people to live independently and safely. Government funding for Disabled Facilities Grant has more than doubled, rising from £220 million in 2015-16 to £623 million for 2023-24.
The Department does not hold the requested data for 2023.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many wheelchair-accessible homes have been built in England outside London in the last year.
Answered by Lee Rowley
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 15081 on 26 February 2024.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many new M4(2) homes have been built in England outside London in the last year.
Answered by Lee Rowley
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 15081 on 26 February 2024.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to amend planning regulations for pubs through the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill.
Answered by Jacob Young
This Government recognises that British pubs lie at the heart of our communities and will often be a much-valued community asset, which is why through the community ownership fund, we have protected 33 pubs with £8 million of funding from the UK Government.
High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs), contained within the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, will be a permissive power for local authorities, which they can use alongside other regeneration tools at their discretion. The Government has recently consulted on several areas of HSRA policy.
The consultation sought, in part, views on the introduction of two new permitted development rights that would facilitate the change of a premises' planning use in certain circumstances. The consultation closed on 7 July, and we are currently analysing responses. As such it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the consultation.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposals in the Levelling up and Regeneration Bill on high street rental auctions on pubs.
Answered by Jacob Young
This Government recognises that British pubs lie at the heart of our communities and will often be a much-valued community asset, which is why through the community ownership fund, we have protected 33 pubs with £8 million of funding from the UK Government.
High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs), contained within the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, will be a permissive power for local authorities, which they can use alongside other regeneration tools at their discretion. The Government has recently consulted on several areas of HSRA policy.
The consultation sought, in part, views on the introduction of two new permitted development rights that would facilitate the change of a premises' planning use in certain circumstances. The consultation closed on 7 July, and we are currently analysing responses. As such it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the consultation.