Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the proportion of category two index towns expected to secure funding from the Levelling Up Fund.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
Bids are currently being assessed in line with the published assessment process. We are not able to estimate of the proportion of category two index towns expected to secure funding during this period of competition. Outcomes from the first round of bids for the Levelling Up Fund will be announced later in the year and bidding authorities will be informed in due course.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether Levelling Up Fund bids from category two towns will be assessed in the same way as those in category one; and whether capacity funding will be available to support prospective bidders from category two.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
All bids to the Levelling Up Fund (LUF) are being assessed against the published criteria. A place's category will be taken into account in the appraisal as part of the 'characteristics of place' criterion, as set out in the LUF prospectus and technical guidance. To support those areas measured as having the 'highest need', capacity funding will be allocated to those local authorities to assist them to develop high-quality bids for the Fund, as well as all local authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans are in place for a second round of applications under the Levelling Up Fund; and whether the criteria and funding goals will remain the same as in the first round.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
For future rounds of the Levelling Up Fund, the parameters set out in the prospectus will be kept under review, and any updates will reflect any operational feedback and wider changes in government policy.
Announcements about the future of the Fund will be made later this year.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of homes damaged by flooding issues in the last twelve months.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
MHCLG does not hold estimates of the number of homes damaged by flooding over the past twelve months.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that appropriate upgrades to (a) roads and (b) pedestrian access are made in areas with new housing developments.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Our National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that in assessing sites where development is proposed, that safe and suitable access to the site can be achieved for all users. The Framework is also clear that any significant implications of the development for the wider transport network, or on highway safety, can be cost effectively mitigated to an acceptable degree. Where appropriate, developer contributions may be sought to achieve improvements that help mitigate any implications.
Last year the Government consulted on the Planning for the Future White Paper, and the reforms will consider how more specific sustainable transport options can be delivered to reduce our reliance on carbon-intensive modes of transport, such as prioritising walking and cycling.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of properties completed by Homes England in the North West in each of the last three years.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The total number of homes that have been completed with support from Homes England in the North West over the last three years is 22,337. The specific breakdown over each of the three years is as follows; 6,365 between 1 April 2017 – 31 March 2018, 8,127 between 1 April 2018 – 31 March 2019, and 7,845 between 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2020. Further details of Homes England’s starts on site and completions data can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/housing-statistics-1-april-2019-to-31-march-2020 .
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has put in place to ensure that (a) older and (b) clinically vulnerable people (i) have continued access to essentials and (ii) are not socially isolated at home during winter 2020-21.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government has committed an unprecedented multi-billion package of support, specifically for charities, social enterprises and the voluntary sector so that they can continue their vital work to support vulnerable people through the coronavirus outbreak. The NHS Volunteer Responders Programme - including the check in and chat service - will also continue to be available until at least March 2021.
MHCLG is providing councils with over £32 million to support Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) people for the 28-day period that the additional guidance is in place. It is designed to give councils flexibility in providing appropriate support to CEV individuals, such as access to food and to local support services, enabling them to stay as safe as possible over this period.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
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 support communal religious worship while churches, mosques and other premises are closed for services.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
We know how important communal worship is within many of our faith communities, but to limit the spread of the virus, places of worship will be closed for communal prayer. However, they will be permitted to open for individual prayer and to record or livestream services so that worshippers can participate at home. In addition, funerals can be attended by a maximum of thirty people.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support landlords unable to evict problem tenants responsible for repeated anti-social behaviour during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The suspension of possession proceedings ended on 20 September and landlords can now progress possession claims through the courts. The most egregious cases, such as those involving anti-social behaviour, will be prioritised by the courts.
Additionally, as of 29 August, Coronavirus legislation extending the minimum notice period that must be given before a possession claim can be lodged in court was amended so that in the most serious circumstances, minimum notice period requirements have returned to what they were before COVID. This means that for claims relating to anti-social behaviour, the minimum amount of notice that a landlord must give has returned to four weeks. And for some discretionary grounds relating to nuisance/immoral or illegal use of the property, cases may now be progressed to court as soon as notice is given.
However, in order to further protect renters over winter, the Government has asked bailiffs not to carry out evictions in areas where gatherings are not allowed in homes. Bailiffs should not carry out evictions in tier 2 (high) and tier 3 (very high) local COVID alert areas. The Government is keeping this approach under review. In addition, the Government has issued guidance to bailiffs that they should not carry out evictions in the weeks leading up to and over Christmas other than in the most serious circumstances.
In parts of the country where bailiffs will not be carrying out evictions due to the need for stricter distancing, the police, local authorities and other local agencies will still be able to rely on the range of flexible tools and powers at their disposal to tackle anti-social behaviour, notably through the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
Asked by: Mark Menzies (Independent - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to encourage developers to build low-carbon and sustainable homes.
Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
In the Spring Statement, the Government committed to introduce a Future Homes Standard by 2025 for new build homes to be future-proofed with low carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency, to create healthy homes that are fit for the future, have low energy bills, and are better for the environment.
The Future Homes Standard will be implemented through an uplift to the Building Regulations, subject to consultation. We will expand on the technical detail of these proposals in our proposed consultation on energy efficiency standards later this year.