Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 help increase the (a) number and (b) proportion of social houses built with adaptations for people with disabilities.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
Following our consultation on options to raise the accessibility of new homes, we published a government response on 29th July 2022, setting out our plans to mandate the current optional and higher M4(2) requirement in Building Regulations as a minimum standard for all new homes, including new social homes. Government will consult further on the technical changes to the Building Regulations to mandate the higher M4(2) accessibility standard.
Additionally, since 2010 Government has invested £4.8 billion into the Disabled Facilities Grant (2010-11 to 2022-23), delivering an estimated 490,000 home adaptations.
The DFG is tenure neutral, so irrespective of the type of property in which a person lives, eligible disabled people should be able to receive the home adaptations that they need subject to a means test and assessment of need.
The £11.5 billion Affordable Homes programme (2021-26) (England) also includes delivery within the programme of new supply of specialist supported housing, including for people with disabilities, alongside investment through DHSC’s Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund (England).
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether Ashfield and Eastwood constituency will be one of the 38 investment zones announced in the Growth Plan 2022.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
DLUHC has launched a formal Expression of Interest process that is open to all Mayoral Combined Authorities, or Upper Tier Local Authorities where they do not exist, and Freeports, in England. Every area is welcome to apply, and we have been discussing potential zones with many areas across England.
Discussions are not confirmation that any particular place would be designated as an Investment Zone. The EOI closed on 14 October 2022 and we will make an announcement in due course once we have received and assessed all bids.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what step his Department is taking to help ensure the provision of supported accommodation for disabled people is cost effective.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Ensuring that local supported living specialist accommodation services for disabled people are cost effective is primarily the responsibility of the local commissioners of such services.
Where such specialist accommodation service is provided by a private registered provider (PRP), the Regulator of Social Housing’s economic standards apply, which include Governance and Financial Viability and Value for Money. The Regulator expects PRPs to manage their resources effectively to ensure their viability is maintained, while ensuring that social housing assets are not put at undue risk. The Regulator also expects PRPs to demonstrate a robust approach to achieving value for money.
The Government's Affordable Homes Programme delivers new supply of supported housing, alongside a number of other housing types. Our delivery partners undertake a robust value for money appraisal on all Affordable Housing Programme bids, ensuring that public funding is used efficiently.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 Ukrainian refugees to find housing after their six month sponsorship ends who are not able to provide either a down-payment for a deposit or a six month credit history.
Answered by Paul Scully
Guidance for Ukrainian refugees on 'How to rent in England' can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-rent. Councils have reported that some landlords are refusing households that do not have guarantors and others because of a lack of credit history. In some instances, councils are managing this problem by running schemes in which the council acts as a guarantor for the household.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 make house prices more affordable.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to boosting home ownership and supporting first-time buyers and will do so by looking at all of the factors that influence ownership levels, including housing supply and the availability of low deposit mortgages. Since 2010, over 774,000 households have already been helped to purchase a home through Government-backed schemes including Help to Buy and Right to Buy.
On 9 June the Prime Minister announced new measures to help first time buyers into home ownership, including looking into reforming of the mortgage market to boost access to finance for first time buyers; and working to extend the Right to Buy to Housing Association tenants. We are also committed to completing our reforms to the leasehold system which will mean that homeowners should have far greater control over their homes and their lives.
We are increasing supply in tandem, working closely with communities to build more of the right homes in the right places all across England. The Government is also committed to delivering 1 million new homes by the end of this Parliament and continue working towards its ambition of delivering 300,000 new homes per year to create a more sustainable and affordable housing market.
We are also investing £11.5 billion in the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme which will build up to 180,000 affordable homes, should economic conditions allow.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 young people buy their first property.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to boosting home ownership and supporting first-time buyers and will do so by looking at all of the factors that influence ownership levels, including housing supply and the availability of low deposit mortgages. Since 2010, over 774,000 households have already been helped to purchase a home through Government-backed schemes including Help to Buy and Right to Buy.
On 9 June the Prime Minister announced new measures to help first time buyers into home ownership, including looking into reforming of the mortgage market to boost access to finance for first time buyers; and working to extend the Right to Buy to Housing Association tenants. We are also committed to completing our reforms to the leasehold system which will mean that homeowners should have far greater control over their homes and their lives.
We are increasing supply in tandem, working closely with communities to build more of the right homes in the right places all across England. The Government is also committed to delivering 1 million new homes by the end of this Parliament and continue working towards its ambition of delivering 300,000 new homes per year to create a more sustainable and affordable housing market.
We are also investing £11.5 billion in the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme which will build up to 180,000 affordable homes, should economic conditions allow.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when the Eastwood Levelling Up Fund bid will need to be submitted.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund will invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport and investing in cultural and heritage assets. We will open round 2 in Spring 2022 and will share further details in due course.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the conclusions were of the equalities impact assessment for his Department's proposals for the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
My Department has been implementing the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 which requires the Secretary of State to prepare a Code of Practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities. The Code is currently being finalised and, as part of that, we are considering any equalities impacts it may have. The Code will be published along with Private Parking Charges, Discount Rates, Debt Collection Fees and Appeals Charter: Further Technical Consultation Response in due course.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government has taken to protect green and open spaces from unsuitable developments.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The National Planning Policy Framework acknowledges the importance of green and open space and makes clear that where new development is proposed an appropriate amount of public space should be provided. It is also set out that existing open space should not be built on unless there is evidence to demonstrate that it is no longer required, or it will be replaced by equivalent or better provision at a suitable location.
The Framework also sets out how both local and neighbourhood plans allow communities to identify and protect green areas which they consider to be of particular importance, by formally designating these as Local Green Space.
In addition, the National Model Design Code, which we have recently consulted on, sets out proposals for how nature and green spaces should be woven into the fabric of our villages, towns and cities, providing benefits in terms of health and wellbeing, biodiversity, climate and flood mitigation.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to protect green spaces from unsuitable development in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has a quasi-judicial role in the planning system, and a duty of impartiality is in place. This means that I cannot comment on local policies or decisions regarding the protection of green spaces in Ashfield. It is for each local authority to plan for its area in consultation with local people, and apply policies in its development plan and national planning policy to local places and circumstances.
The National Planning Policy Framework recognises that access to a network of high-quality open spaces is important for the health and well-being of communities. Local authorities should assess the need for open space, and opportunities for new provision, and accommodate these in their plans. The Framework also states that such open space should not be built on unless an assessment shows that the land is surplus to requirements, the loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in a sustainable location, or the development is for alternative sport and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss.
In response to the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission’s recommendations, we are giving every local authority the ability to create, in consultation with local people, its own design code to help secure more beautiful development, including the provision of green space and other green infrastructure. Local authorities are already empowered to designate Local Green Space, to protect land of importance to local people from inappropriate development.
There are also strong protections for Green Belt land in the Framework. The Government is committed to protecting and enhancing the Green Belt, and to making the most of brownfield land for development. Local authorities are expected to seek opportunities to enhance beneficial uses of Green Belt, including better access and opportunities for outdoor sport and recreation.