Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to The Help to Buy: Equity Loan Funding Administration Agreement, what estimate he has made of the number of homebuilders who will fail to reach Practical Completion by 31 January 2023.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
We have extended the Help to Buy deadline to make sure people do not lose out because of delays to developers completing their homes. Housebuilders must ensure they finish building work on all properties by 31 January.
Information on how many housebuilders may fail to meet the 31 January 2023 deadline or will need to have their reservations cancelled is not held centrally.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to launch the Task Force on Older People's Housing.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when his Department will publish its final developer remediation contracts.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer the Hon Member to my answer given in response to Question UIN 82386 on 15 November 2022.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which local authorities have been granted funds from the Supported Housing Improvement Programme in November.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Details of funding awarded to local authorities through the Programme are available here.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to respond to the letter of 14 September 2022 from the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich on Retail Price Index linked increases to ground rent.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
A response was issued to the Hon. Member's letter on 17 November 2022.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to publish a final developer remediation contract giving effect to the principles agreed in the pledge committing developers to remediate fire-safety defects in buildings over 11 metres in England which have played a role in developing or refurbishing in the last 30 years.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government published a draft of the developer remediation contract on 13 July 2022 and has since received comments and held discussions on the draft with various parties. We are in advanced negotiations with developers to finalise the contract, which will make the commitments in the developer pledge (published in April) legally binding. We will publish the final form of the contract as soon as possible, at which point developers will be asked to sign the contract. We have made clear that the contract will not deviate from the commitments in the pledge.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to publish the National Planning Policy Framework prospectus.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government will set out its plans to update national planning policy in due course.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to respond to the letter of 15 August 2022 from the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich on his constituent's case, reference 18093512.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
A response to the Hon Member was issued on 9 November 2022.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when his Department plans to publish final developer remediation contracts.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government published a draft of the developer remediation contract on 13 July 2022 and has since received comments and held discussions on the draft with various parties. We are in advanced negotiations with developers and will publish the contract once it has been finalised.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent estimate he has made of the number of professionals who are qualified to undertake fire risk appraisals of external wall construction in accordance with the code of practice entitled PAS 9980:2022.
Answered by Paul Scully
We recognise the importance of an appropriately skilled workforce to assess the risk to life of fire in buildings, in line with the new British Institutions Standard PAS 9980. We are continuing to work with the fire safety sector to develop a sustainable, long-term workforce equipped with the necessary skills to assess the fire risk of external walls. This includes engagement with firms to establish existing market capacity as well as measures to invest in long-term training and improved career pathways for fire risk professionals.