Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
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 publish a timeline for the creation of the proposed Building Safety Regulator.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Building Safety Regulator was established in shadow form in the Health and Safety Executive in January 2020, to assist the Government to develop the reforms that resulted in the Building Safety Act 2022, and to prepare itself, and the sector, for the new regulatory regime. We published a transition timeline with the Building Safety Bill and will shortly be updating this, following on from the Bill's receipt of Royal Assent on 28 April 2022.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the number of additional staff that will be employed by the Health and Safety Executive to form the Building Safety Regulator in (a) 2022, (b) 2023, and (c) 2024.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Section 8 of the impact assessment for the Building Safety Bill contains estimates about the cost and staffing requirements for the new Building Safety Regulator. This analysis is available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-02/0139/BuildingSafetyBillImpactAssessment.pdf.
Estimates for staffing requirements are currently being refined as the HSE operationalise delivery of their functions.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
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 made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) requirements for checks from the Building Safety Regulator and (b) other requirements contained in provisions of the Building Safety Act on the time taken for construction.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Through the Building Safety Act, the Government is introducing a more stringent regulatory regime in design and construction for new high-rise residential buildings, care homes and hospitals which are 18 metres or more in height, or at least seven storeys (‘higher-risk’ buildings).
The intention is to strengthen regulatory oversight of higher-risk building work and provide the home-building industry the clear framework it needs to get things right before work begins and deliver more high-quality, safe homes, with clear responsibilities on those undertaking design and construction work. This approach should reduce additional time and costs at later stages and the need to correct non-compliant or defective work.
The Government has made an assessment of the potential impact of the requirements of the new building control regime for higher-risk buildings. These can be found in the Impact Assessment that was published when the Act was scrutinised in Parliament: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3021/publications.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if the Department will set out how it intends to scale-up resource within the Health and Safety Executive in order for the Building Safety Regular to have the capacity required to carry out its duties in line with the Building Safety Act 2022.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Building Safety Regulator was established in shadow form in the Health and Safety Executive in January 2020, to assist the Government to develop the reforms that resulted in the Building Safety Act 2022, and to prepare itself, and the sector, for the new regulatory regime. We are providing the funding necessary for the Health and Safety Executive to scale up its resource to carry out its duties. Health and Safety Executive spent over £17 million additional funding on shadow Building Safety Regulator work in 2021/22.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department made of the impact of introducing the first part of leasehold reforms to prohibit ground rent on new build flats without bringing forward the corresponding changes to existing leaseholders.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government remains committed to creating a fair and just housing system that works for everyone and to delivering the second phase of our major two-part leasehold reform within this Parliament.
The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 will come into force on 30 June. The Act will make homeownership fairer and more transparent for thousands of future leaseholders, by preventing landlords under new residential long leases from requiring a leaseholder to pay a financial ground rent.
We understand the difficulties some existing leaseholders face with high and escalating ground rents. Unfair practices have no place in the housing market. This is why we asked the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate potential mis-selling of homes and unfair terms in the leasehold sector. The Government has welcomed the action to tackle potential mis-selling and unfair terms in the leasehold sector and wants to see homeowners who have been affected obtain the justice and redress they deserve.
The CMA has secured commitments from Aviva, Persimmon, Countryside Properties and Taylor Wimpey to amend their practices, including commitments to remove lease terms that led to doubling ground rents, houses sold as leasehold and to support leaseholders to buy the freehold at the original price quoted. This is a hugely important step and demonstrates our determination to support affected leaseholders. We urge other developers to follow suit.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans he has to bring forward the leasehold reforms proposed by his Department in 2017; and for what reason a leasehold reform bill was not included in the Queen's speech.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government remains committed to creating a fair and just housing system that works for everyone. We have made great strides with the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022. From 30 June this year anyone buying a home on a new residential long lease will not be subjected to the annual costs of ground rent. This Act is the first part of major two-part legislation this parliament to implement leasehold and commonhold reforms.
In addition to the Ground Rent Act, thousands of existing leaseholders have also already seen a reduction in their inflated ground rent costs. The Competition and Markets Authority secured commitments from major homebuilders to remove lease terms that led to doubling ground rents, and where houses were sold as leasehold, to support leaseholders to buy the freehold at the original price quoted.
The government is committed to a comprehensive programme of reform to end unfair practices in the leasehold market. This is a long-term reform programme; it is complex, and it is important to get the detail right. As these reforms will be felt for generations, we are determined this work considers all the implications with care.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
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 distributed to businesses through the COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund to date.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government has awarded councils £1.5 billion to be distributed through the COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund. Reporting arrangements have been put in place to monitor council’s progress in implementing their local schemes and delivering support to businesses. Councils have now provided initial monitoring information and the Government’s intention is that this will be published in due course.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the proportion of local authorities that have distributed funds to businesses through the COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The Government has awarded councils £1.5 billion to be distributed through the COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund. Reporting arrangements have been put in place to monitor council’s progress in implementing their local schemes and delivering support to businesses. Councils have now provided initial monitoring information and the Government’s intention is that this will be published in due course.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2022 to Question 141267 on Refugees: Ukraine, whether British nationals who have family members staying with them through the Ukrainian Family Scheme will be able to apply to sponsor such family members through the Homes for Ukraine scheme in order to receive financial support.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 148272 on 31 March 2022.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
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 plans to publish an estimated turnaround time for applications to the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Home office are working to ensure as many visas are processed as possible.
I refer the Hon Member to the data published at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukraine-family-scheme-application-data. Further data will be published in due course.