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Written Question
Electric Vehicles: Charging Points
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)

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 reduce planning approval times for new electric vehicle charging installations.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Nationally set permitted development rights enable the installation of electric vehicle charging points (EVCPs) without the need for a planning application. We are currently consulting on changes to the rights to provide increased flexibility to individuals and organisations wishing to install EVCPs. The consultation is open until 9 April and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-various-permitted-development-rights-consultation.


Written Question
Social Rented Housing: North West
Monday 29th January 2024

Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)

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 address the shortage of social housing in (a) Preston, (b) Lancashire, and (c) the North West.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

It is for local authorities to identify the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require affordable housing, and reflect this in planning and other policies.

This Government continues to be fully committed to increasing the supply of social and affordable housing. Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes for both rent and to buy right across the country, including social rent.

Local authorities themselves can deliver new affordable housing. We have given them greater flexibilities in their Housing Revenue Account as to how they spend their Right to Buy receipts and implemented a preferential borrowing rate for council housebuilding from the Public Works Loan Board, which has now been extended to June 2025.

Local authorities can also use Section 106 planning obligations to secure affordable housing and infrastructure required to mitigate the impacts of new development and support sustainable growth. The new Infrastructure Levy will aim to secure at least as much if not more, affordable housing than the current system of developer contributions. This will be secured through regulations and policy, supported by provisions in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act.


Written Question
Social Rented Housing: North West
Monday 29th January 2024

Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will commit to providing more funding to local authorities to increase the availability of social-rented housing in (a) Preston, (b) Lancashire, and (c) the North West.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

It is for local authorities to identify the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require affordable housing, and reflect this in planning and other policies.

This Government continues to be fully committed to increasing the supply of social and affordable housing. Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes for both rent and to buy right across the country, including social rent.

Local authorities themselves can deliver new affordable housing. We have given them greater flexibilities in their Housing Revenue Account as to how they spend their Right to Buy receipts and implemented a preferential borrowing rate for council housebuilding from the Public Works Loan Board, which has now been extended to June 2025.

Local authorities can also use Section 106 planning obligations to secure affordable housing and infrastructure required to mitigate the impacts of new development and support sustainable growth. The new Infrastructure Levy will aim to secure at least as much if not more, affordable housing than the current system of developer contributions. This will be secured through regulations and policy, supported by provisions in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act.


Written Question
Local Government: Complaints
Monday 11th September 2023

Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Annual Review of Local Government complaints in England for 2022-2023, published on 26 July 2023, on trends in the number of upheld complaints for (a) special educational needs and disabilities provision for children and young people, (b) adult care services and (c) housing.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's Annual Review of Local Government Complaints forms one part of the wider intelligence on the health of the local government sector, including on emerging trends, which the Ombudsman provides the Department. We are grateful for the Ombudsman's ongoing valuable work to improve public services.


Written Question
Evictions: Ethnic Groups
Friday 7th January 2022

Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)

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 prevalence of potential racial disparities in eviction cases brought by private landlords against Black British people.

Answered by Eddie Hughes

It is unlawful for a landlord to seek to end a tenancy based on an individual’s ethnicity, or any other protected characteristic.

As private landlords are not required to record when they serve a notice of possession, it is not possible to break down the volume of notices served by ethnicity. Upon the expiry of a possession notice, a landlord can make a claim for possession in the county court if the tenant does not vacate the property. Landlords are not required to record the ethnicity of the tenant(s) against whom they are making a claim.


Written Question
Rented Housing: Coronavirus
Tuesday 21st December 2021

Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has plans to undertake an assessment of the impact of the covid-19 outbreak on Black renters.

Answered by Eddie Hughes

The Department gathers a range of evidence to understand the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on renters. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department commissioned the Household Resilience Study – a follow-up to the English Housing Survey, conducted in 3 waves between June 2020 and May 2021. The research collected examines how households have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and includes information on protected characteristics, including ethnicity.

The third and final wave of the survey was run in April-May 2021 and published in October 2021. Data tables and a report of the main findings are provided on Gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/household-resilience-study-wave-3.

We consider the impact of all decisions on those with protected characteristics, including on different ethnicities, in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty.


Written Question
Religious Buildings: Coronavirus
Wednesday 3rd February 2021

Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reasons places of worship can remain open during the 2021 covid-19 national lockdown.

Answered by Eddie Hughes

We understand the importance of communal worship, and the positive impact that this has on people’s mental and spiritual health during a very difficult time for us all. We have worked hard with faith leaders to produce guidance for the safe use of places of worship. We are grateful for the efforts of Faith Leaders, and their communities, to follow that guidance and to keep worshippers safe. Their efforts mean that all places of worship that comply with COVID-secure guidance, including implementing strict social distancing, wearing face coverings ensuring that worshippers do not mingle with others outside of their households have been able to remain open for communal worship during the latest period of restrictions.


Written Question
Civil Partnerships and Weddings: Coronavirus
Wednesday 3rd February 2021

Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consultation his Department had with (a) religious leaders and (b) local authorities prior to the decision to place limitations on (i) weddings and (ii) civil ceremonies during the 2021 national covid-19 lockdown.

Answered by Eddie Hughes

We engage regularly with the Places of Worship Taskforce, faith leaders and local authorities to discuss all aspects of the national restrictions implemented since the beginning of January.


Written Question
Weddings: Coronavirus
Wednesday 3rd February 2021

Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the long-term effect on society of fewer marriages taking place during the covid-19 lockdowns.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

Weddings and civil partnerships hold unique significance in people’s lives which is why they have only been suspended when transmission risks from the COVID-19 virus have been particularly high. We are aware that suspension, or restrictions on the number of attendees, may disproportionately affect faith communities where couples cannot start their life together or start a family before they are married. We have worked with the Places of Worship Taskforce to understand the needs of faith and belief wedding ceremonies and factors these into our planning.


Written Question
Religious Buildings: Coronavirus
Wednesday 18th November 2020

Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, to what extent were religious leaders involved in the Government's discussions on the closure of places of worship during the second covid-19 lockdown in England.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

The Places of Worship Taskforce met on 2 November following the Prime Minister’s announcement on the new national restrictions that came into effect on 5 November. This gave us the opportunity to share information with our faith groups, as well as hearing their concerns.

The Government has worked closely with the Taskforce and representatives from our major faiths throughout the pandemic.