Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to take steps to improve the regulation of under-performing housing associations.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All registered providers of social housing are required to meet the outcomes of the regulatory standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing.
On 1 April 2024, the Regulator introduced a new, proactive consumer regulation regime. It has begun proactively seeking assurances that registered providers are meeting the outcomes of the strengthened consumer standards through routine regulatory inspections of large landlords. Following a programmed inspection, the Regulator will issue all large landlords with a consumer grading to make clear how landlords are performing. In addition, it continues to issue all large private registered providers with governance and viability gradings.
There are a range of actions the Regulator can take where the outcomes set by the standards are not being delivered, including formal enforcement action.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the regulatory standards for housing associations.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All registered providers of social housing are required to meet the outcomes of the regulatory standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing.
On 1 April 2024, the Regulator introduced a new, proactive consumer regulation regime. It has begun proactively seeking assurances that registered providers are meeting the outcomes of the strengthened consumer standards through routine regulatory inspections of large landlords. Following a programmed inspection, the Regulator will issue all large landlords with a consumer grading to make clear how landlords are performing. In addition, it continues to issue all large private registered providers with governance and viability gradings.
There are a range of actions the Regulator can take where the outcomes set by the standards are not being delivered, including formal enforcement action.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing a legal right for (a) tenants and (b) residents to trigger an audit of service charges where bills are disputed.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The level of service charge that leaseholders pay depends on many factors, including the terms of a lease and the age and condition of a building.
By law, variable service charges must be reasonable. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal.
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes measures designed to drive up the transparency of service charges to make them more easily challengeable if leaseholders consider them to be unreasonable. We will set out details in due course about the extensive programme of secondary legislation need to bring the various provisions of the Act into force.
Leaseholders in shared ownership properties whose leases qualify for protections set out in the Building Safety Act are protected from the costs of internal building safety defects, with a cost cap proportionate to their equity stake in the property.
All leaseholders can benefit from the Government’s Cladding Safety Scheme or Developer Scheme for the removal of unsafe cladding. The Government understands the difficulties some leaseholders are still experiencing and has committed to review how to better protect leaseholders from costs and to accelerate the pace of remediation.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent body to regulate service charges for residents of all tenures.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The level of service charge that leaseholders pay depends on many factors, including the terms of a lease and the age and condition of a building.
By law, variable service charges must be reasonable. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal.
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes measures designed to drive up the transparency of service charges to make them more easily challengeable if leaseholders consider them to be unreasonable. We will set out details in due course about the extensive programme of secondary legislation need to bring the various provisions of the Act into force.
Leaseholders in shared ownership properties whose leases qualify for protections set out in the Building Safety Act are protected from the costs of internal building safety defects, with a cost cap proportionate to their equity stake in the property.
All leaseholders can benefit from the Government’s Cladding Safety Scheme or Developer Scheme for the removal of unsafe cladding. The Government understands the difficulties some leaseholders are still experiencing and has committed to review how to better protect leaseholders from costs and to accelerate the pace of remediation.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support shared owners affected by (a) building remediation works and (b) increasing service charges.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The level of service charge that leaseholders pay depends on many factors, including the terms of a lease and the age and condition of a building.
By law, variable service charges must be reasonable. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal.
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes measures designed to drive up the transparency of service charges to make them more easily challengeable if leaseholders consider them to be unreasonable. We will set out details in due course about the extensive programme of secondary legislation need to bring the various provisions of the Act into force.
Leaseholders in shared ownership properties whose leases qualify for protections set out in the Building Safety Act are protected from the costs of internal building safety defects, with a cost cap proportionate to their equity stake in the property.
All leaseholders can benefit from the Government’s Cladding Safety Scheme or Developer Scheme for the removal of unsafe cladding. The Government understands the difficulties some leaseholders are still experiencing and has committed to review how to better protect leaseholders from costs and to accelerate the pace of remediation.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter from the then Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to the Chief Executive of Clarion Housing Group of November 2022, regarding maladministration notices and the treatment of its tenants, what steps the then Secretary of State took in response to a petition from tenants of Clarion Housing Group requesting that he ask the Regulator for Social Housing investigate the organisation’s poor performance in relation to (a) repairs, (b) services, (c) housing management and (d) value for money.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All registered providers of social housing must meet the outcomes of the standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing and ensure they provide their tenants with safe and decent homes.
In February 2024, the Regulator of Social Housing concluded its review of the issues raised in the complaint submitted by Stratford and Bow constituents and from a subsequent meeting with a group of residents. Following consideration of the issues, the Regulator concluded that Clarion had not breached the consumer standards. The Regulator has subsequently carried out routine engagement with Clarion, and no similar issues relating to Stratford and Bow have been raised during this time. Following the introduction of the proactive regulatory regime on 1 April 2024, Clarion is subject to a regulatory inspection at least every four years. The Regulator can also respond to any further issues brought to its attention.
Following the publication of the Housing Ombudsman’s findings relating to Clarion’s performance, the previous administration wrote to Clarion to seek assurances that they were taking appropriate action. The Housing Ombudsman Service engaged with Clarion following the findings to ensure that the issues identified were resolved.
The Government intends to monitor closely Clarion’s performance.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter from the then Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to the Chief Executive of Clarion Housing Group of November 2022, regarding maladministration notices and the treatment of its tenants, what steps her Department took to ensure that the Clarion Housing Group improved the standards of its (a) housing management, (b) repairs services and (c) value for money for (i) its residents and (ii) the Exchequer.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All registered providers of social housing must meet the outcomes of the standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing and ensure they provide their tenants with safe and decent homes.
In February 2024, the Regulator of Social Housing concluded its review of the issues raised in the complaint submitted by Stratford and Bow constituents and from a subsequent meeting with a group of residents. Following consideration of the issues, the Regulator concluded that Clarion had not breached the consumer standards. The Regulator has subsequently carried out routine engagement with Clarion, and no similar issues relating to Stratford and Bow have been raised during this time. Following the introduction of the proactive regulatory regime on 1 April 2024, Clarion is subject to a regulatory inspection at least every four years. The Regulator can also respond to any further issues brought to its attention.
Following the publication of the Housing Ombudsman’s findings relating to Clarion’s performance, the previous administration wrote to Clarion to seek assurances that they were taking appropriate action. The Housing Ombudsman Service engaged with Clarion following the findings to ensure that the issues identified were resolved.
The Government intends to monitor closely Clarion’s performance.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will request an update from the Regulator for Social Housing on progress it has made on (a) its investigation into the collective complaint against Clarion House Group submitted by Stratford and Bow constituents in September 2023 and (b) steps taken following the meeting with a group of residents in December 2023.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All registered providers of social housing must meet the outcomes of the standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing and ensure they provide their tenants with safe and decent homes.
In February 2024, the Regulator of Social Housing concluded its review of the issues raised in the complaint submitted by Stratford and Bow constituents and from a subsequent meeting with a group of residents. Following consideration of the issues, the Regulator concluded that Clarion had not breached the consumer standards. The Regulator has subsequently carried out routine engagement with Clarion, and no similar issues relating to Stratford and Bow have been raised during this time. Following the introduction of the proactive regulatory regime on 1 April 2024, Clarion is subject to a regulatory inspection at least every four years. The Regulator can also respond to any further issues brought to its attention.
Following the publication of the Housing Ombudsman’s findings relating to Clarion’s performance, the previous administration wrote to Clarion to seek assurances that they were taking appropriate action. The Housing Ombudsman Service engaged with Clarion following the findings to ensure that the issues identified were resolved.
The Government intends to monitor closely Clarion’s performance.
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 22 February 2024 on Local Government Stewardship Update, HCWS280, what progress has been made on the Best Value Inspection of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets; and when he expects that inspection to conclude.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Secretary of State has received the independent Best Value inspection team’s report. This is being considered carefully and any next steps will be set out in due course.