Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South and South Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for publishing a response to the report entitled The impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission, published in June 2022.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The park homes sector is an important part of the housing market and must be a safe and secure place for residents.
The Government recognises that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home.
The Government will consider the 2022 report in detail and set out its position on this matter in due course.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South and South Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many homes are classified as non-decent by (a) age and (b) tenure type in (i) Luton South constituency, (ii) Bedfordshire, and (iii) England.
Answered by Jacob Young
Everyone deserves to live in a safe and decent home. This is why we are introducing a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector for the first time through the Renters (Reform) Bill.
We are also reviewing the Decent Homes Standard, which sets out the minimum requirements for all social housing.
Data on housing decency is published regularly via the English Housing Survey at local authority level.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South and South Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Government response to the Committee for Public Life report on Local Government Ethical Standards, published on 18 March 2022, what plans he has to ensure that councillors are not required to publicly disclose their home addresses.
Answered by Simon Hoare
The sensitive interest provisions at Section 32 of the Localism Act 2011 currently allows councillors to request that their home addresses are not published if disclosure could lead to them, or a person connected to them, being subject to violence or intimidation. The Government encourages monitoring officers to look sympathetically at requests for withholding home addresses where there are legitimate concerns.
Intimidation is unacceptable and it is vital that councillors feel able to raise concerns about intimidation, and that those in leadership positions in councils take concerns seriously and deal with them appropriately.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South and South Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Luton South, dated 28 June 2023.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
A response will be issued to the Hon. Member in due course.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South and South Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate his Department has made of the number of veterans who were homeless in each month in 2023.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
Latest statutory homelessness data (HCLIC) for October to December 2022 was published on 10 May and can be found here.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South and South Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the number of people living in (a) Luton Borough Council, (b) Central Bedfordshire Council, (c) Bedfordshire and (d) England who may not have a valid photo ID suitable to enable them to vote in the May 2023 elections as of 1 October 2022.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The Cabinet Office has published an extensive survey on levels of ownership of photographic identification, which includes geographical breakdowns. The results have been published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/voter-identification-photographic-id-ownership-in-great-britain).
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South and South Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many veterans are on local councils’ council house waiting lists.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
On 31 March 2021, in England, there were 2,665 households on local authority social housing waiting lists given additional preference that contained members of the UK Armed Forces community. This value only includes households with urgent housing need. We do not have data on the total number of veterans on waiting lists.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South and South Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many Veterans were registered homeless as of the first day of each month of 2022.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Our veterans have played a vital role in keeping our country safe. The Government is committed to ensuring that they are provided with the support they need. Homelessness statistics for England are collected on a quarterly basis and show levels of veteran homelessness are low. During the period January to March 2022, 510 households owed a homelessness duty included a member with a support need due to service in the Armed Forces, less than 1% of households owed a homelessness duty.
Data for temporary accommodation in England does not provide information on the number of households that include a member with a support need due to service in the Armed Forces.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South and South Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many veterans are residing in temporary accommodation.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Our veterans have played a vital role in keeping our country safe. The Government is committed to ensuring that they are provided with the support they need. Homelessness statistics for England are collected on a quarterly basis and show levels of veteran homelessness are low. During the period January to March 2022, 510 households owed a homelessness duty included a member with a support need due to service in the Armed Forces, less than 1% of households owed a homelessness duty.
Data for temporary accommodation in England does not provide information on the number of households that include a member with a support need due to service in the Armed Forces.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South and South Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will amend building regulations relating to external wall insulation to prevent the excessive use of sand and cement render for the final finish if doing so would conceal original and aesthetically pleasing brick facades; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Building Regulations set minimum standards for the performance of external wall insulation, including safety and energy efficiency. These are functional standards which do not prescribe the particular materials to be used to meet the requirements.
Permitted development regulations allow the installation of solid wall insulation without a planning application, providing that the materials used in any exterior work are of a similar appearance to those used in the construction of the existing house. Whether similar appearance is achieved is a matter for local planning authorities. Where permitted development rights do not apply, an application for planning permission will need to be made to the local planning authority.
Listed building consent is required for works of alteration to a listed building where those works would affect its special architectural or historic character.