Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will review the fairness of the eligibility criteria for the activation of the Storm Henk Flood Recovery Framework for people who live in lead local flood authorities areas where fewer than 50 properties were flooded during that storm.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I extend my sympathy to all those affected by the impacts of Storm Henk, flooding is a devastating experience for anyone impacted.
Following flooding which took place in 2020, and considering feedback from areas impacted at that time, the framework’s eligibility criteria were reviewed and a move to holding the count at Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) level, rather than at district level was agreed for all future activations. For Storm Henk the 50 flooded properties at LLFA level figure was agreed by Ministers across the three Departments responsible for the Framework’s schemes who considered it to be appropriate and to uphold the principles that the FRF is based upon:
DLUHC have committed to reviewing the scheme in the spring.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
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 implications for his policies of the different limits under the Building Safety Act 2022 relating to historical safety remediation on the number of properties owned by (a) a company and (b) an individual.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Department has a range of guidance on the subject of fire remediation; guidance on the obligations on building owners under the Building Safety Act 2022 can be found here.
Where developers or building owners are not currently funding cladding remediation, the Government has accepted funding applications for the remediation of ACM and non-ACM cladding on high-rise residential buildings (buildings over 18 metres) from responsible entities. Should a company also qualify as a responsible entity, their application would be treated in the same way as other responsible entities.
Guidance on how to apply to the Social Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund for the remediation of ACM cladding can be found here.
Guidance on how to apply to the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund for the remediation of ACM cladding can be found here.
Guidance on how to apply for the remediation of non-ACM cladding via the Building Safety Fund can be found here.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing support to local authorities to allow people to be housed with their pets in (a) emergency and (b) temporary accommodation.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
As set out in the Homelessness Code of Guidance housing authorities should be sensitive to the importance of pets to some applicants, particularly elderly people and rough sleepers who may rely on pets for companionship. Although it will not always be possible to make provision for pets, the Secretary of State recommends that housing authorities give careful consideration to this when making provision for applicants who wish to retain their pet.
The reforms within the Renters (Reform) Bill in relation to pets will apply to temporary accommodation within the private rented sector.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a nationwide scheme to allow people to top-up a prepayment card for use in public car parking facilities when they are unwilling or unable to make app based payments.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
Parking is the responsibility of local authorities and it is for them to determine what is best for their own area. Whilst central government has no remit to intervene in their daily affairs, it does have an interest in how car parks are managed and recognises the important link between parking provision and the vitality of our high streets and town centres. The Secretary of State recently wrote to all local authorities in England setting out his expectations that parking services for which councils are responsible for remain accessible.
All local authorities have existing statutory duties to ensure that they do not discriminate in their decision making against older people or those with vulnerabilities. Local authorities should ensure that there are alternative provisions for parking payments available so that no part of society is digitally excluded.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending planning regulations for telecommunication infrastructure upgrades to allow objections to be considered where masts or cabinets are to be located on an existing footpath or cycleway and where sufficient space for the proposed infrastructure is available adjacent to the proposed site.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Through our UK Wireless Infrastructure Strategy the government has set a new ambition of nationwide coverage of standalone 5G to all populated areas by 2030, as well as outlining our commitment to extending 4G coverage to 95% of the UK's landmass.
On 4 April 2022 amendments to Part 16 of the General Permitted Development Order 2015 came into force to support the deployment of 5G and extend mobile coverage.
Alongside these amendments, we published a new Code of Practice for wireless network development. This sets out guidance for Mobile Network Operators and infrastructure providers, their agents and contractors, local planning authorities, and all other relevant stakeholders in England. Guidance is included in the Code of Practice on site selection, and minimising obstructions on footways, which operators should follow.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
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 Government response to the consultation entitled Reforming the leasehold and commonhold systems in England and Wales, published on 11 January 2022.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
We will provide a response in due course.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
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 letter of 13 February 2023 from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning to the hon. Member for Bedford, reference 24093761, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to give freeholders on private and mixed tenure estates (a) equivalent rights to leaseholders to challenge the reasonableness of estate rentcharges and (b) a right to apply to the first-tier tribunal to appoint a new manager to manage the provision of services covered by estate rentcharges.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his planned timetable is for extending the right to buy to housing association tenants.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government is considering the next steps on the proposed extension of the Right to Buy to housing association tenants. We will work closely with the housing association sector on the approach to a new scheme and will announce more details in due course.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
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 support first-time buyers onto the housing ladder.
Answered by Michael Gove - Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
The Government is committed to supporting first time buyers into home ownership.
On 9th June the Prime Minister announced new measures including a review looking into reforming the mortgage market, removing disincentives to home ownership in the welfare system; and working to extend the right to buy to housing association tenants.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
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 protect (a) vulnerable people and (b) victims of domestic violence from not being able to access their Housing Association properties if they are in rent-arrears through no fault of their own.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Most housing associations are Private Registered Providers of social housing. When providing access to their properties, Private Registered Providers must comply with the Regulator of Social Housing’s Tenancy Standard: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tenancy-standard/tenancy-standard-2015 . This requires them to allocate their properties in a fair and transparent way, taking into account the housing needs and aspirations of tenants and potential tenants, with clear application, decision and appeals processes. They must also clearly set out, and be able to give reasons for, the criteria they use for excluding actual and potential tenants from consideration for allocations, mobility or mutual exchange schemes.
We have taken unprecedented steps to protect renters, whether they rent from a housing association, local council or private landlord.
We have introduced 6-month notice periods. From 29 August, anyone served a notice seeking possession will not have to leave their home over winter, except in the most serious cases such as anti-social behaviour, fraud and egregious rent arrears.
The Government has asked bailiffs not to carry out evictions in areas where gatherings are not allowed in homes and bailiffs should not carry out evictions in tier 2 (high) and tier 3 (very high) local COVID alert areas. There will also be a pause on the enforcement of evictions in the run up to and over Christmas except in the most serious circumstances, such as cases involving anti-social behaviour.
This will ensure vulnerable tenants are not forced from their homes at a time when public and local authorities may be dealing with the usual level of increased demand for services.
For those who require additional support with their rent, Discretionary Housing Payments are available. As announced at the spending round for 2020/21 there is already £180 million in Discretionary Housing Payments for local authorities to distribute for supporting renters with housing costs in the social and private rented sectors.