Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) local authorities on local authority funding for implementing Awaab’s Law.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. Officials meet regularly with counterparts in local government to discuss a range of issues.
Social landlords already have a responsibility to meet the Decent Homes Standard (which specifies homes must be free of the most dangerous 'category 1' hazards) and to remedy disrepair. Awaab's law will establish the timeframes within which landlords have to fulfil those responsibilities.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
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 cost to the public purse of implementing Awaab’s Law.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. Officials meet regularly with counterparts in local government to discuss a range of issues.
Social landlords already have a responsibility to meet the Decent Homes Standard (which specifies homes must be free of the most dangerous 'category 1' hazards) and to remedy disrepair. Awaab's law will establish the timeframes within which landlords have to fulfil those responsibilities.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding has been allocated to local authorities to promote awareness of new Voter ID rules, broken down by local authority.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
Further to the answer given to Question UIN 124038 on 19th January 2023 and UQ response given on the floor of the House on 21 February 2023 (Official Report, HC, Volume 728, Column 138), I refer the Hon. Member to the publication on new burdens funding here.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an estimate of the number of instances of voter personation that will be prevented by the new voter identification requirements in the local elections in May.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer to UIN 171447 given on 31 March 2023.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions his Department has had with local authorities which are holding elections in May 2023 on the new voter identification requirements; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which those local authorities are adequately prepared to implement those requirements.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
As set out previously, this department is working closely with local authorities, Valuation Joint Boards, and electoral organisations to support their successful implementation of voter identification in May 2023 and beyond.
In line with longstanding government policy, New Burdens funding has been provided.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many cases of possible voter personation have been investigated in each of the past ten years; and what estimate he has made of the number of voters likely to be unable to vote due to new voter identification requirements in the local elections to be held in May.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
I refer the Hon. Member to urgent question response given on the floor of the House on 21 February 2023 (Official Report, HC, Volume 728, Column 138).
The Electoral Commission collects data from all UK police forces about allegations of electoral fraud and publishes an annual report on the numbers, types and outcomes of these allegations. The reports can be found on their website here.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
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 assessment of the potential dangers of relaxing regulations on combustible cavity trays in residential buildings.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
On 1 June 2022 the Government published a response to a consultation following the review of the ban of combustible materials in and on the external walls of buildings. The consultation proposed a temporary 18-month relaxation of the ban as it relates to cavity trays. This followed from issues highlighted to us on the excessive cost, supply, installation and durability of product on the market at the time.
We consider it is appropriate, on balance, to allow for a short-term exemption for combustible cavity trays as the risk they pose remains low while providing temporary flexibility.
The consultation response is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/review-of-the-ban-on-the-use-of-combustible-materials-in-and-on-the-external-walls-of-buildings/outcome/government-response-review-of-the-ban-on-the-use-of-combustible-materials-in-and-on-the-external-walls-of-buildings.
We will continue to review the impact of the ban including this short-term exemption and to work with industry to better understand new products available on the market.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many eviction notices have been issued in each week since March 1 2020.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government does not collect information on the number of notices landlords issue to tenants indicating a desire to regain possession of their property.
Where a landlord serves a valid notice on Assured Shorthold Tenancy, the landlord can only lawfully regain possession by using the county court process unless the tenant chooses to vacate the property.
The Mortgage and Landlord Repossession Statistics record the number of claims for possession brought by landlords in the county court. The latest statistics (Figure 9) show the number of claims for possession issued on a weekly basis from the week commencing 3 February until the week commencing 23 March. The statistics are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mortgage-and-landlord-possession-statistics-january-to-march-2020.
The Government, along with the courts service, has delivered unprecedented support to protect tenants from eviction during the Coronavirus emergency. Emergency legislation is now in place so that landlords will not be able to start proceedings to evict their tenants for at least a three-month period. The Master of the Rolls, with the agreement of the Lord Chancellor, also suspended?all ongoing and new housing possession cases for 90 days?from 27 March 2020. As a result of these measures, no tenant in private or social accommodation needs to be concerned about the threat of eviction during this time.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of value of rent arrears outstanding in (a) Leeds, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) the UK as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Department does not routinely collect information on the value of rent arrears.
Emergency legislation is now in place so that landlords will not be able to start proceedings to evict their tenants for at least a three-month period. The courts have also suspended housing possession proceedings. As a result of these measures, no tenant in private or social accommodation needs to be concerned about the threat of eviction during this time.
In addition, the Government has introduced an unprecedented financial support package to help renters continue to pay their living costs, including rent. This includes support for businesses to pay staff salaries, strengthening the welfare safety-net with a £7 billion boost to Universal Credit, and increasing the Local Housing Allowance rates so that they are set at the 30th percentile of market rents in each area.
For renters who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments are also available. As announced at the spending round for 2020/21,?there is already £180 million in Discretionary Housing Payments for local authorities to distribute for supporting renters with housing costs in the private and social rented sectors.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the highest hourly rate was that (a) his Department and (b) each of his Department's arms-length bodies paid for legal advice in 2018.
Answered by Jake Berry
a. Main Department
The highest hourly rate that the main Department paid for legal advice in 2018 was £165 excluding VAT. Where the Department has sought advice from counsel, Attorney General’s Office rates will apply. For external legal firms on the General Legal Advice Services (GLAS) panel, rates are agreed under the framework.
b. Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs)
ALBs | ALB’s Highest Hourly Rate 2018 Legal Advise (ex-VAT) |
ARB (Architects Registration Board) | Commercially sensitive |
BRAC (Building Advisory Committee) | NIL. Not Applicable |
EDC (Ebbsfleet Development Corporation) | £250 |
HE (Homes England) | Commercially sensitive |
LEASE (Leasehold Advisory Service) | NIL paid |
LGSCO (Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman) | £190 |
PINS (The Planning Inspectorate) | £123 |
QEIIC (Queen Elizabeth II Centre) | £445 |
VTS (Valuation Tribunal Service) | £164 |
RSH (Regulator of Social Housing) | Commercially sensitive |
THO (The Housing Ombudsman) | £260 |
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Three of our Arms–Length Bodies (ALB) did not disclose a figure due to commercial sensitivities. The highest hourly rate was that for the QEIIC who were engaged to provide specialist commercial advice on employment legislation. The rate quoted was for the Director who was only engaged for part of the project. The differences in hourly rates across the other ALBs reflects the degree of specialisms.