Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his oral contribution of 5 September 2017, Official Report, column 82, Grenfell Tower and Building Safety, what steps has he taken to ensure that all Grenfell Tower residents will be not pay rent for the first year and subsequently pay the same as they previously paid in rent.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) is leading on the rehousing of survivors of the fire at Grenfell Tower and being supported by my Department on this matter. We will continue to support RBKC's initiative to provide a rent-free period for Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk survivors.
Survivors who lived in Grenfell Tower or Grenfell Walk will not pay any rent, service charges, Council Tax or utility bills until 1 July 2019. This applies whether they are living in an interim or permanent home.
Subsequently, the Council have confirmed that the rent and service charges for their new permanent home will be no greater than the amount that tenants were paying as tenants whilst in Grenfell Tower or Grenfell Walk; this applies even if they are rehoused to a larger home.