Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support is available for leaseholders in buildings under eleven metres in height impacted by building safety issues; and whether her Department plans to review the exclusion of such buildings from financial remediation schemes under the Building Safety Act 2022.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Fire risks from cladding are generally proportionate to building height. If remediation is required in buildings under 11 metres in height, the responsibility should rest with building owners. They should not pass these costs on to leaseholders but should seek to recover costs from those who were responsible for building unsafe homes.
The department announced targeted funding for multi-occupied residential buildings under 11 metres in the Remediation Acceleration Plan update. This funding will be available in exceptional cases, where there are life-critical fire safety risks from cladding and no alternative route to funding. This will protect leaseholders from unjust costs. Clear eligibility criteria which outline the application process for this exceptional funding will be published in due course.
Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to support women’s economic empowerment.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This government is breaking down barriers to opportunity for working people, driving up household income for everyone. A 5% increase in female employment could boost the UK economy by up to £125 billion every year; which is why women’s economic empowerment is so crucial.
Through the Employment Rights Bill, we are setting out the first steps towards requiring employers to publish action plans alongside their gender pay gap figures; detailing the steps they are taking to narrow their gap and support employees during the menopause. We have already launched practical guidance to help employers to narrow their pay gap.
A number of other measures in the Bill will also support women’s economic empowerment; by increasing access to flexible working; improving protections for pregnant women and new mothers; and, strengthening protections against workplace sexual harassment.
We understand that the barriers women may face are diverse, whether it be access to investment to start or grow a business, to being able to receive timely healthcare in order to remain in work. This government recognises the varied challenges women face, and is committed to removing them.
Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the National Visitor Economy Strategy will include provisions to support areas with a majority of domestic tourism.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We are in the process of developing a Visitor Economy Growth Strategy with the Visitor Economy Advisory Council and are happy to hear representations on what it should include, but we want to grow the tourism industry beyond London and champion visits to the British countryside and coastal areas to a worldwide and domestic audience.