Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she plans to amend the eligibility criteria for the Warm Home Discount Scheme to allow people without an Energy Performance Certificate for their home to be eligible for the scheme.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Households without an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) can be eligible under the scheme. The Government reformed the scheme in England and Wales in 2022 to focus the support for low-income households living in properties with the highest heating costs, based on characteristics of the property. This data primarily comes from the Valuation Office Agency, which has complete data for almost all domestic properties.
If a household believes the information held on their property is inaccurate, they can ask that alternative information, in the form of an EPC, be used instead. In the very small minority of cases where there is incomplete data for a property, an EPC can be used to confirm eligibility, based on whether the property meets the high-cost-to-heat criteria.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Nuclear and Networks of 19 July 2023 on Planning and Solar Farms, Offical Report, column 344WH, for what reason solar farm clustering was not addressed in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects reforms action plan.
Answered by Graham Stuart
My Hon. Friend the Minister for Nuclear and Networks replied to the Hon. Member on 5th September.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, when the motion to approve the Houses in Multiple Occupation (Asylum Seeker Accommodation) (England) Regulations 2023 will be brought to the floor of the House for a decision.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Houses in Multiple Occupation (Asylum Seeker Accommodation) (England) Regulations 2023 were laid by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 30th March 2023 and debated in Delegated Legislation Committee on the 10th May 2023. All future business will be set out on the Order Paper in the usual way.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to the letter of 9 May 2023 from the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich on his constituent's case, reference MC2022/102475.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A reply to the correspondence from the hon. Member was sent by the relevant Minister on 16 June 2023.
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, whether his Department plans to commission a (a) review and (b) redraft of the housing health and safety rating system guidance, published on 23 August 2006.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Reviewing and updating the HHSRS is integral to the government's commitment to ensuring that everyone has a safe and decent standard of housing free from dangerously hazardous conditions.
The review aims to streamline the process that local councils take in inspecting properties to assess hazards and, make it easier for landlords and tenants to understand the standards required, supporting increased compliance. This included reviewing the statutory Operating and Enforcement Guidance.
We will make any announcements in the usual way.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2023 to Question 182177 on Civil Service: Recruitment, if he will bring forward proposals to amend the Civil Service Nationality Rules to allow British Nationals (Overseas) visa holders with at least one British Nationals (Overseas) parent but who are not themselves British Nationals (Overseas) to be employed within the Civil Service.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
There are currently no plans to amend the Civil Service Nationality Rules. They reflect a long standing legislative framework present under successive governments.
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, whether it remains his Department's policy to extend the voluntary Right to Buy scheme to housing association tenants.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Details of Government spending are published on gov.uk.
We are tackling the barriers to increasing the use of modern methods of construction in the industry, giving us the potential to deliver homes cheaper and quicker, but it means we have to be joined up so that we have a sustained pipeline for these companies to be able to deliver these important new houses. Through our £11.5 billion affordable homes programme we are challenging the sector to increase the number of homes delivered through modern method of construction. Around 40% of current allocations made through the programme use modern methods of construction.
I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 139221 on 13 February 2023.
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 assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Modern Methods of Construction Taskforce on the delivery of new homes made using modern methods of construction.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Details of Government spending are published on gov.uk.
We are tackling the barriers to increasing the use of modern methods of construction in the industry, giving us the potential to deliver homes cheaper and quicker, but it means we have to be joined up so that we have a sustained pipeline for these companies to be able to deliver these important new houses. Through our £11.5 billion affordable homes programme we are challenging the sector to increase the number of homes delivered through modern method of construction. Around 40% of current allocations made through the programme use modern methods of construction.
I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 139221 on 13 February 2023.
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, how much of the £10 million of seed funding allocated to the Modern Methods of Construction Taskforce in the Budget 2021 has been spent.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Details of Government spending are published on gov.uk.
We are tackling the barriers to increasing the use of modern methods of construction in the industry, giving us the potential to deliver homes cheaper and quicker, but it means we have to be joined up so that we have a sustained pipeline for these companies to be able to deliver these important new houses. Through our £11.5 billion affordable homes programme we are challenging the sector to increase the number of homes delivered through modern method of construction. Around 40% of current allocations made through the programme use modern methods of construction.
I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 139221 on 13 February 2023.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of exempting modular housing manufacturers from the Construction Industry Training Board levy.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) levy applies to all employers engaged wholly or mainly in construction industry activities, unless exempted. A full list of construction industry activities in scope for the purposes of the CITB levy can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/3048/schedule/1/made.
The department has not been asked to consider a request to amend this list.
The department does not intend to exempt any in scope employers from the CITB levy on the basis they also pay the apprenticeship levy. The CITB levy and apprenticeship levy fund different activities. The apprenticeship levy is ‘ring-fenced’ to support apprenticeships in England across all sectors and occupations. The CITB levy is specific to the construction industry and invested by CITB in training and other projects for the benefit of the sector. This includes grants to employers to train new staff or develop the skills of their existing workforce, initiatives to help the industry recruit new talent and support the transfer of skilled workers.