Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to provide Parliament with an opportunity to conduct pre-legislative scrutiny of the future Non-Domestic Rating Bill.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Chancellor has published the final report of the Business Rates Review at Autumn Statement 2021. The Government will bring forward legislation to implement the conclusions of the Review as soon as Parliamentary time allows. As part of the review, the Government also undertook a further technical consultation on the implementation of the changes proposed in the review as well as a further consultation on the Digitalisation of Business Rates. The Government response to these consultations was published alongside the Budget on 15 March. The Government maintains an ongoing dialogue with businesses and business groups about taxation.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
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 transitionary arrangements for implementing the Future Homes Standard, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of a phased implementation of those arrangements to enable developments to proceed based on planning permission already granted and energy infrastructure already laid.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
We have listened to calls for a swifter and more certain pathway to 2025 and have already accelerated our work on a full technical specification for the Future Homes Standard, which is planned for Spring 2023. In the meantime, to provide greater certainty for all stakeholders, we have published a draft notional building specification for the Future Homes Standard. The specification is not final but provides a basis on which we are already beginning to engage with industry on the indicative technical detail of the Future Homes Standard.
A full impact assessment on the Future Homes Standard will be carried out ahead of implementation and published online. Government's intention is to publish a draft impact assessment alongside the consultation in 2023.
As part of the consultation, we will consider what transitional arrangements are appropriate. Transitional arrangements are important as they provide all developers with certainty about the standards they are building to, and assurance that they should not have to make material amendments to work which is already underway when new Regulations came into force.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward the technical consultation on the Future Homes Standard from 2023 to provide greater certainty to housing developers and companies in their supply chains.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
We have listened to calls for a swifter and more certain pathway to 2025 and have already accelerated our work on a full technical specification for the Future Homes Standard, which is planned for Spring 2023. In the meantime, to provide greater certainty for all stakeholders, we have published a draft notional building specification for the Future Homes Standard. The specification is not final but provides a basis on which we are already beginning to engage with industry on the indicative technical detail of the Future Homes Standard.
A full impact assessment on the Future Homes Standard will be carried out ahead of implementation and published online. Government's intention is to publish a draft impact assessment alongside the consultation in 2023.
As part of the consultation, we will consider what transitional arrangements are appropriate. Transitional arrangements are important as they provide all developers with certainty about the standards they are building to, and assurance that they should not have to make material amendments to work which is already underway when new Regulations came into force.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has carried out an impact assessment on the impact of the Future Homes Standard on new house build completions from 2025.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
We have listened to calls for a swifter and more certain pathway to 2025 and have already accelerated our work on a full technical specification for the Future Homes Standard, which is planned for Spring 2023. In the meantime, to provide greater certainty for all stakeholders, we have published a draft notional building specification for the Future Homes Standard. The specification is not final but provides a basis on which we are already beginning to engage with industry on the indicative technical detail of the Future Homes Standard.
A full impact assessment on the Future Homes Standard will be carried out ahead of implementation and published online. Government's intention is to publish a draft impact assessment alongside the consultation in 2023.
As part of the consultation, we will consider what transitional arrangements are appropriate. Transitional arrangements are important as they provide all developers with certainty about the standards they are building to, and assurance that they should not have to make material amendments to work which is already underway when new Regulations came into force.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many properties have been completed through the Older Person’s Shared Ownership scheme over the last five financial years; and what steps his Department is taking to increase uptake of that scheme.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
This Government is committed to increasing the supply of specialist housing for older people and improving the diversity and quality of accommodation available so that they can choose the best housing option for them in the place they want to live.
That is why we are launching a new task force on the issue of older people’s housing which will look at ways we can provide greater choice, quality and security of housing for older people and support the growth of a thriving older people’s housing sector in this country.
The Older Person’s Shared Ownership (OPSO) scheme is a Shared Ownership scheme intended for specific groups of properties developed for people aged 55 and over. It is the same as the standard Shared Ownership scheme, but applicants can only purchase up to 75% of a home’s equity, with no rent charged on the remaining 25%. Over the last five years, a total of 1,238 homes have been delivered by Homes England through the OPSO scheme.
As with all forms of housing offered through government schemes, including the Affordable Homes Programme, OPSO’s availability is contingent on the engagement of Registered Providers of Social Housing (RPs). As independent organisations, RPs are free to make their own commercial decisions as to the types of housing schemes they engage with.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the deadline is for local authorities to submit a local investment plan to his Department to unlock UK Shared Prosperity Fund funding from the year 1 tranche of that fund.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Government will publish a full Prospectus on the fund later in Spring 2022 in order for places to be fully equipped to write an Investment Plan.
The pre-launch guidance document provides further information on the overall focus of the fund, geographies over which the fund will operate and a summary of its investment priorities. This information will enable places to start planning and preparing for the full launch later in Spring 2022.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Government is taking steps to create a task force to support the increased provision of new and better homes to older people.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
This Government is committed to further improving the diversity of housing options available to older people and boosting the supply of specialist elderly accommodation. We continue to work closely with colleagues across government and with a range of stakeholders to look at how we can further support the growth of a thriving older people's housing sector. This includes considering the merits of different engagement and delivery models, including proposals from the sector for a cross-government taskforce.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has plans to permit councils to hold meetings remotely.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Department has been considering the responses to the call for evidence on local authority remote meetings and the Government will respond shortly.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent representations his Department has received from local government on permitting councils to hold meetings remotely.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Department has been considering the responses to the call for evidence on local authority remote meetings and the Government will respond shortly.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
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 merits of allowing councils to hold meetings remotely.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Department has been considering the responses to the call for evidence on local authority remote meetings and the Government will respond shortly.