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Written Question
Housing: Planning
Monday 16th October 2023

Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to the National Planning Policy Framework on the supply of new homes.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

We remain committed to delivering 300,000 new homes per year and we are investing £11.5 billion to build the affordable, quality homes this country needs.

The proposed changes to the planning system are designed to support areas to get more local plans in place and therefore deliver more housing, and we will set out our response to the consultation later in the autumn.


Written Question
Land Use
Monday 17th July 2023

Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)

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 proportion of designated green belt land that meets the criteria for registration as brownfield land.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

Relevant information is published in Live Table 401a .


Written Question
Housing: Disability
Monday 3rd July 2023

Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)

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 11 May 2023 to Question 183870 on Housing: Disability, whether his Department plans to require newbuild homes to meet the accessible and adaptable design standard.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN HL8422 on 26 June 2023.


Written Question
Housing: Disability
Monday 3rd July 2023

Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)

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 11 May 2023 to Question 183870 on Housing: Disability, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits for his Department's future policies of collecting data on the implementation of the accessible and adaptable design standard.

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

The Government has commissioned research that includes demographics, ergonomic requirements and experiences of disabled people, as part of a full review relating to Part M of the Building Regulations. Results from that research will be published in due course.


Written Question
Housing: Disability
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)

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 11 May 2023 to Question 183870, on Housing: Disability what data is held centrally on homes that meet the accessible and adaptable design standard.

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

The English Housing Survey collects data on accessibility and adaptations within the home; the most recent adaptations report is published online. New build homes are constructed to meet Building Regulations accessibility standards in force at the time of build; the most recent data on new build home rates was published by ONS on 26 May 2023.


Written Question
Housing: Disability
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)

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 11 May 2023 to Question 183870 Housing: Disability, whether his Department plans to require new-build homes to meet the accessible and adaptable design standard.

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

The English Housing Survey collects data on accessibility and adaptations within the home; the most recent adaptations report is published online. New build homes are constructed to meet Building Regulations accessibility standards in force at the time of build; the most recent data on new build home rates was published by ONS on 26 May 2023.


Written Question
Housing: Disability
Thursday 11th May 2023

Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many and what proportion of homes met the accessible and adaptable design standard on 1 May 2023; and how many and what proportion of homes are expected to meet the accessible and adaptable design standard by 2030.

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

The data requested is not held centrally. Planning rules already mean that councils must consider the needs of older and disabled people when planning new homes. The National Model Design Code provides tools and guidance to local councils for producing design codes; it details how the ten characteristics in the National Design Guide can be translated into design standards in local design codes.


Written Question
Housing: Disability
Thursday 11th May 2023

Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps his Department has taken to increase the number of accessible and adaptable homes.

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

The data requested is not held centrally. Planning rules already mean that councils must consider the needs of older and disabled people when planning new homes. The National Model Design Code provides tools and guidance to local councils for producing design codes; it details how the ten characteristics in the National Design Guide can be translated into design standards in local design codes.


Written Question
Rented Housing: Pets
Monday 24th April 2023

Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)

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 local authorities on reforms to support pet-friendly tenancy agreements.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 176692 on 21 April 2023.


Written Question
Rented Housing: Pets
Monday 24th April 2023

Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to promote responsible pet ownership in rented properties.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 176692 on 21 April 2023.