Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
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 reply to correspondence from the hon. Member for Blackpool North and Cleveleys of 13 December 2021 regarding a constituent and valid forms of identification for voting under the Elections Bill.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
A response to my Hon Friend's letter has been issued.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his policy is on mandating annual inspections by local authority officers of rented properties to ensure standards are being followed.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
We are determined to crack down on those unscrupulous landlords who neglect their properties and exploit their tenants. We want these landlords to either improve the service they offer or leave the sector.
We do not mandate annual inspections, instead, local authorities have the flexibility to focus on locally determined priorities and allocate their resources accordingly.
Local authorities must keep housing conditions under review and all have a duty to use their enforcement powers when they find the most serious ‘category 1’ hazards. We strengthened these powers by introducing financial penalties of up to £30,000, extending rent repayment orders, introducing banning orders for the most serious and prolific offenders
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his policy is on mandatory registration of privately rented properties.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government has committed to exploring proposals for introducing a landlord register in England as part of a commitment to drive up standards in rented accommodation. We will publish a White Paper in Spring this year that will set out our proposals for reform of the private rented sector.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his policy is on mandating training for private landlords and letting agents.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government is committed to raising standards of services provided by landlords and agents in the private rental sector. We do not currently mandate any training for private landlords or letting agents although there are various legislative requirements that they are expected to meet when letting a home in the private rented sector. This includes meeting electrical and gas safety standards and protecting a tenant's deposit with a government approved scheme. The Government provides a 'How to Let' guide to support landlords and agents in meeting their responsibilities.
The Government is considering the recommendations in the report received on the regulation of property agents from Lord Best's working group, and we will continue to work with industry on improving best practice.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
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 response to the consultation on the review of the Vagrancy Act 1824.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government is clear that no one should be criminalised simply for having nowhere to live and the time has come to reconsider the Vagrancy Act.
Work is ongoing to look at this complex issue and it is important that we look carefully at all options.
We will update on our findings in due course.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish his conclusions on the review of the Vagrancy Act 1824.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
This is a complex issue which is why the Government reviewed the Act. We have been looking at the options and will update on our findings in due course.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many Disabled Facilities Grant adaptations were delivered in the Blackpool local authority area in the financial year 2019-20.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Foundations, the national body for home improvement agencies, monitors and analyses the delivery of Disabled Facilities Grant adaptations nationally. Data from Foundations shows that 271 adaptations were delivered by Blackpool local authority in 2019-20.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to reply to the letter of August 27 2020 from the hon. Member for Blackpool North and Cleveleys on alley gates raised on behalf of a constituent.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The response was sent on 26 February.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will extend the closure date for Help to Buy equity loans beyond 31 December for housing developments that have had their completion date delayed by the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government recognises the disruption COVID-19 has caused to housebuilding; that is why we took decisive steps to re-open the housing market and ensure housebuilding could safely recommence.?The Government published a “Plan to Rebuild” on Monday 11 May, setting out the UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy. This makes clear that construction work can be undertaken across England providing sites are able to operate safely in line with the new COVID-19 secure guidelines.
As announced at Budget 2018, there is a new two year Help to Buy scheme commencing from 1 April 2021, specifically for first time buyers, so supporting people onto the housing ladder. Where new build properties are not completed within the current Help to Buy scheme deadlines, they may be eligible for sale through the new scheme. More information on the new Help to Buy scheme can be found at https://www.helptobuy.gov.uk/equity-loan/eligibility/. We continue to monitor the sector.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what provisions he plans to include in multi-storey car park building regulations to deter suicides.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Building Regulations 2010 apply to new-build structures rather than existing structures. Thus the impact on suicide prevention of changes to the Building Regulations requirements to guarding in car parks would be limited.
Following the publication of the government's 2012 suicide prevention strategy, local councils were given the responsibility of developing local suicide action plans through their work with health and wellbeing boards. A deadline of 2017 was set and by the end of 2016, 95 per cent of areas had plans in place or were in the process of drawing them up. Advice on suicide prevention in public spaces is given in Public Health England's 2015 publication Preventing suicides in public places - A practice resource. This guidance provides a targeted approach and proposes a range of measures, of which physical barriers are a part.
Requirement K2 of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010 provides requirements for guarding to be provided in new buildings, including car parking buildings. In relation to the design of guarding, statutory guidance in Approved Document K sets a minimum guarding height of 1100mm to changes of level other than at staircases (where the minimum height is 900mm). Changes in level of less than 380mm do not require guarding. These are minimum heights only.
The government is not planning to increase the statutory guidance on minimum heights of barriers in car parking buildings as a suicide prevention measure.