Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she plans to publish the report of the Older People's Housing Taskforce.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Government recognises the need to provide greater choice, quality and security of housing for older people.
No decision has yet been taken with regard to the publication date for this report.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities whether it is his policy that rent review tribunals will have access to (a) relevant and (b) sector specific data when making judgements on market rent.
Answered by Jacob Young
In order to determine the market rate, the First-tier Tribunal considers a wide range of evidence, such as the price of similar properties being advertised online or data showing the trends of rental prices in an area. Both parties are able to submit evidence justifying or arguing against the rent increase.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle youth homelessness.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 201488 on 23 October 2023.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation to ban bidding on marketed rental prices.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
Letting agents and landlords should behave professionally and responsibly in advertising rents and they are not permitted to engage in pricing practices that are false or misleading.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing homeless people to apply to multiple local authorities for homelessness assistance when their (a) work and (b) personal connections are spread over more than one authority.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
This Government is committed to reducing the need for temporary accommodation by preventing homelessness before it occurs. Over 600,000 households have been prevented from becoming homeless or supported into settled accommodation since 2018 through the Homelessness Reduction Act
Between 2022 and 2025 we are investing in excess of £1 billion into the Homelessness Prevention Grant. This funds local authorities to work with landlords to prevent evictions and offer financial support for people to find a new home and move out of temporary accommodation.
The Code of Guidance is clear that when local authorities are establishing an applicant's local connection, they should consider employment and family circumstances. Legislation stipulates that where temporary accommodation is provided, it must be suitable, taking account of the needs of the household.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 assessment of the potential merits of imposing a limit on the length of time someone can be placed in temporary accommodation before being offered permanent accommodation.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
This Government is committed to reducing the need for temporary accommodation by preventing homelessness before it occurs. Over 600,000 households have been prevented from becoming homeless or supported into settled accommodation since 2018 through the Homelessness Reduction Act
Between 2022 and 2025 we are investing in excess of £1 billion into the Homelessness Prevention Grant. This funds local authorities to work with landlords to prevent evictions and offer financial support for people to find a new home and move out of temporary accommodation.
The Code of Guidance is clear that when local authorities are establishing an applicant's local connection, they should consider employment and family circumstances. Legislation stipulates that where temporary accommodation is provided, it must be suitable, taking account of the needs of the household.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the length of time people spend in temporary accommodation.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
This Government is committed to reducing the need for temporary accommodation by preventing homelessness before it occurs. Over 600,000 households have been prevented from becoming homeless or supported into settled accommodation since 2018 through the Homelessness Reduction Act
Between 2022 and 2025 we are investing in excess of £1 billion into the Homelessness Prevention Grant. This funds local authorities to work with landlords to prevent evictions and offer financial support for people to find a new home and move out of temporary accommodation.
The Code of Guidance is clear that when local authorities are establishing an applicant's local connection, they should consider employment and family circumstances. Legislation stipulates that where temporary accommodation is provided, it must be suitable, taking account of the needs of the household.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 proposals for high street rental auctions in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, whether he is taking steps to ensure that communities will be involved in decisions involving the conversion of vacant commercial properties.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
High Street Rental Auctions (HSRA) will be a permissive power for local authorities, which they can use alongside other regeneration tools at their discretion. In line with the Government's position on localism, we believe local authorities are uniquely placed to determine what is appropriate in their own area. Local authorities will have robustly considered the needs of the community in the development of local plans and other such regeneration programmes.
In the identification of high street in local plans, local authorities will have been through a minimum of two rounds of consultation and involvement of the community in drafting. HRSAs will be designated by local authorities based on their deep knowledge of their area, and with that they will ensure that the needs of their community are met.
Government is consulting on several areas of HSRA policy and we would encourage all stakeholders with an interest in their high street to complete it before the consultation closes on 23 June.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) future costs incurred by cladding remedial work are not passed onto leaseholders and (b) freeholders meet their legal responsibilities to fund remedial work as stipulated in the Building Safety Act 2022.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Last year 49 of the largest housebuilders signed a public pledge committing to fix life-critical fire safety defects in residential buildings 11 metres or more in height which they developed or refurbished in England over the last 30 years. 48 developers have since signed the developer remediation contract giving legal effect to those commitments. Where a developer cannot be identified, traced or held responsible for remediating the building, or has not yet agreed to pay for their own buildings, the Building Safety Fund is available to ensure that eligible buildings over 18 metres are made safe. The Government has also launched a new scheme to provide funding for the remediation or mitigation of the fire safety risks linked to external wall system defects on medium-rise buildings (11-18 metres) where a responsible developer cannot be identified, traced or held responsible.
The Building Safety Act protects leaseholders from costs associated with remediating historical building safety defects by capping or preventing altogether the costs that can be recovered through the service charge. Where work is not funded by a responsible developer or grant, the Act makes clear that any remediation costs which the Act prevents being passed on to leaseholders must be met by building owners. Any building owners who refuse to meet costs for which they are now liable under the Act are acting unlawfully.
The Act grants new enforcement powers to regulatory bodies, the Secretary of State, and leaseholders, allowing them to compel building owners to fix, and pay to fix, unsafe buildings for which they are responsible. Enforcement action will be taken against those who are holding up remediation works, where appropriate.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the proposed pay increase for local government workers.
Answered by Lee Rowley
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.