Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when his Department expects remediation work to have begun on buildings over 11m with ACM cladding where the developer or builder has accepted liability and accordingly no application was made to the BSF; and if he will take steps to enforce this deadline.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We expect developers that signed the developer remediation contract with Government to meet their obligation to remediate the buildings for which they are responsible as quickly as reasonably practicable.
The length of time it may reasonably take to remediate a building will vary depending on factors such as the scale of works required, cooperation of third parties in finalising a works contract, and risk-based prioritisation by the developer of the buildings which the developer is responsible for remediating.
Developers are obliged to send regular progress reports to the department. The latest progress report is available on gov.uk and the next report will be published this month. The department monitors progress closely. Any developer that fails to comply with its obligations will face consequence.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to enable leaseholders in properties where there are substantive non-cladding fire safety risks and no recourse to the Building Safety Fund to challenge freeholders who fail to provide evidence of costs.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Guidance relating to leaseholder protections, including further information on landlord certificates and leaseholder deed of certificates, can be found here
Where leaseholders consider the landlord is breaching the terms of the lease or is in breach of the Building Safety Act 2022, they can take legal action against them. Legal action may include an application to the First-tier Tribunal. They can also apply to the Tribunal for an order requiring the landlord to remediate the building. Advice on such steps is available free of charge from bodies such as the Leasehold Advisory Service or Citizens Advice.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
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 the Leader of the House on the planned timetable for the Renters (Reform) Bill.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
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 Retained EU Law Bill, whether his Department plans to (a) revoke, (b) retain or (c) replace the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
Further to the Elections Act 2022, which amended the franchise for elections reserved to the UK Government to reflect changes to EU citizen's voting and candidacy rights as a result of our new relationship with the EU, the Government has no plans to extend voting rights in General Elections to those with settled or pre-settled status.
The Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001 will be retained.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps the Government is taking to protect leaseholders from charges arising from (a) external wall reviews and (b) other professional services related to a relevant defect that had not previously been formally identified.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Where the defects identified from external wall reviews, and other professional services, fall under the classification of 'relevant defects', then the charges arising from such reviews and services will be covered by the leaseholder protections under the Building Safety Act 2022 and will count towards the capped costs qualifying leaseholders would pay if the building owner is not liable for all costs.
Where developers or building owners are not currently funding cladding remediation, and where recommended by a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Wall construction (FRAEW), the Building Safety Fund will fund eligible remedial work directly related to addressing life safety fire risks associated with cladding for high-rise residential buildings. The costs of an FRAEW will be reimbursed to the applicant if it meets the Building Safety Fund's eligibility requirements.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to paragraph 12 of Section 149 of the Building Safety Act 2022, what guidance his Department issues on whether external wall insulation is classified as a component of cladding.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Guidance for the Building Safety Fund makes clear that insulation is part of a cladding system. This information serves as guidance to support the Fund and not as legislation.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
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 Retained EU Law Bill, whether he plans to (a) retain, (b) revoke or (c) replace the Town and Country Planning (Environmental) Regulations 2017.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The government is taking powers in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill to introduce a new framework of environmental assessment to replace the EU systems of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
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 (a) reform, (b) revoke or (c) retain the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Policy announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
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 Retained EU Law Bill, what plans the Government has to (a) replace (b) revoke or (c) retain the Building Regulations 2010.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 104156 on 12 December 2022.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
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's Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, whether the universal credit payments of people who provide accommodation to refugees will be affected by receiving a thank you payment under that scheme.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
I refer the Hon Member to the Secretary of State's Oral Statement to Parliament of 14 March 2022.