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Written Question
Property Management Companies
Wednesday 13th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department's consultation on building safety directors, published on 1 December 2022, which closed on 7 February 2023, which right to manage companies his Department has (a) received representations from and (b) otherwise consulted as part of that consultation.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Responses came from a cross-section of the sector including Right to Manage and Resident Management companies, as well as individual directors of Right to Manage and Resident Management companies and individual leaseholders. The Government is carefully considering their feedback, and the Building Safety Regulator continues to work with a range of stakeholders, including through their new statutory Residents Panel.


Written Question
Muslim Council of Britain
Thursday 7th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)

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 29 February 2024 to Question 15545 on Muslim Council of Britain, when a MCB leader most recently took a position that contradicts the UK's fundamental values.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 15545 on 29 February 2024.


Written Question
Housing: Asbestos
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)

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 oral contribution of 27 February 2024 by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Building Safety, Official Report, column 237, which party the asbestos duty holder will be following enfranchisement.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

When enfranchisement happens a new dutyholder takes over the ‘duty to manage’ under Regulation 4 the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 for the communal areas. Further to regulation 4(1), the new dutyholder will be whoever is responsible for the communal areas as a result of the terms of the enfranchisement.

I have asked departmental officials to contact the Rt Hon Gentleman to discuss the issue he has raised in further detail.


Written Question
Muslim Council of Britain
Thursday 29th February 2024

Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with which organisations, other than the Muslim Council of Britain, the Government has a policy of non-engagement.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government, under successive administrations, has a long-standing policy of non-engagement with the Muslim Council of Britain. Previous MCB leaders have taken positions that contradict our fundamental values and these have not been explicitly retracted.

The Government is committed to engaging with a broad range of leaders and organisations across many different communities and civil society groups. Engagement with communities can strengthen our democracy, our policymaking and our society.

However, as highlighted in the Independent Review of Prevent, where best practice is not followed engagement can create risks. It may inadvertently provide a platform or legitimacy for groups or individuals who oppose our shared democratic values and institutions, and allow them to gain greater influence, including in the eyes of those communities to whom they aim to promote their narratives.

In its response to the Independent Review of Prevent, the Government committed to ensuring it neither funds, works or consults with extremism-linked groups or individuals. DLUHC is working closely with the Home Office and key cross-government partners, including the Commission for Countering Extremism, to implement this recommendation.


Written Question
Muslim Council of Britain
Thursday 29th February 2024

Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the basis for his policy of non-engagement with the Muslim Council of Britain is.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government, under successive administrations, has a long-standing policy of non-engagement with the Muslim Council of Britain. Previous MCB leaders have taken positions that contradict our fundamental values and these have not been explicitly retracted.

The Government is committed to engaging with a broad range of leaders and organisations across many different communities and civil society groups. Engagement with communities can strengthen our democracy, our policymaking and our society.

However, as highlighted in the Independent Review of Prevent, where best practice is not followed engagement can create risks. It may inadvertently provide a platform or legitimacy for groups or individuals who oppose our shared democratic values and institutions, and allow them to gain greater influence, including in the eyes of those communities to whom they aim to promote their narratives.

In its response to the Independent Review of Prevent, the Government committed to ensuring it neither funds, works or consults with extremism-linked groups or individuals. DLUHC is working closely with the Home Office and key cross-government partners, including the Commission for Countering Extremism, to implement this recommendation.


Written Question
Electoral Register: Voting Rights
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)

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 assessment of the potential financial impact of exclusion from the electoral register on UK residents who are not eligible to vote in the UK.

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

The Government’s position on the franchise remains unchanged. The Government was elected on a manifesto promising to “maintain the voting age at 18 – the age at which one gains full citizenship rights”. 18 has been the well-established age of majority for, for example, jury service, purchasing alcohol, getting married without parental permission, serving in front-line military roles, standing for election as an MP or councillor, and so on.

The purpose of the electoral register is to enable those who are eligible to vote to register and ensure that only people who are eligible to vote are permitted to do so. Data on those who are not eligible to vote in UK elections is not held centrally.


Written Question
Local Government: Elections
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)

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 assessment of the potential merits of extending the franchise for local elections in England and Northern Ireland in line with the voter eligibility criteria in Wales and Scotland.

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

The Government’s position on the franchise remains unchanged. The Government was elected on a manifesto promising to “maintain the voting age at 18 – the age at which one gains full citizenship rights”. 18 has been the well-established age of majority for, for example, jury service, purchasing alcohol, getting married without parental permission, serving in front-line military roles, standing for election as an MP or councillor, and so on.

The purpose of the electoral register is to enable those who are eligible to vote to register and ensure that only people who are eligible to vote are permitted to do so. Data on those who are not eligible to vote in UK elections is not held centrally.


Written Question
Voting Rights
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent estimate he has made of the number of UK residents who have no right to vote in any election.

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

The Government’s position on the franchise remains unchanged. The Government was elected on a manifesto promising to “maintain the voting age at 18 – the age at which one gains full citizenship rights”. 18 has been the well-established age of majority for, for example, jury service, purchasing alcohol, getting married without parental permission, serving in front-line military roles, standing for election as an MP or councillor, and so on.

The purpose of the electoral register is to enable those who are eligible to vote to register and ensure that only people who are eligible to vote are permitted to do so. Data on those who are not eligible to vote in UK elections is not held centrally.


Written Question
Electoral Register: EU Nationals
Monday 26th February 2024

Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)

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 EU citizens who will be removed from the electoral roll following the implementation of the Elections Act 2022.

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

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 14299 on 23 February 2024.


Written Question
Members: Correspondence
Monday 12th February 2024

Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)

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 correspondence of 11 January 2024 from the Rt hon. Member for East Ham, reference ST102443.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

I apologise for the delay in responding to the Rt Hon Member's correspondence. The department attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of correspondence from Honourable Members. A response to the Rt Hon Member’s letter issued on 8 February 2024. I look forward to meeting him shortly to discuss these matters in more detail.