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Written Question
Councillors: Disclosure of Information
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

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 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 - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

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.


Written Question
Members: Correspondence
Monday 17th July 2023

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

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 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.


Written Question
Veterans: Homelessness
Thursday 25th May 2023

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

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 - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Latest statutory homelessness data (HCLIC) for October to December 2022 was published on 10 May and can be found here.


Written Question
Elections: Proof of Identity
Monday 24th October 2022

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

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 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 - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

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).


Written Question
Council Housing: Veterans
Monday 24th October 2022

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

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 - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

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.


Written Question
Homelessness: Veterans
Monday 24th October 2022

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

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 - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

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.


Written Question
Temporary Accommodation: Veterans
Monday 24th October 2022

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many veterans are residing in temporary accommodation.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

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.


Written Question
Building Regulations: Insulation
Wednesday 6th July 2022

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

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.


Written Question
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Publicity
Tuesday 28th June 2022

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many photographers and video producers were employed by his Department in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021.

Answered by Eddie Hughes

No dedicated photographers or videographers were employed in these years. All photography and videography was undertaken by communications staff who work across a range of disciplines and communication channels.


Written Question
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Communication
Thursday 23rd June 2022

Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many individuals were employed by his Department to work on internal communications in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021.

Answered by Eddie Hughes

For each of these years, five members of staff were employed on internal communication.