Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of private renting on mental health.

The UK Health Security Agency’s Adverse Weather and Health Plan, which was last updated in November 2023, sets out evidence on potential impacts that housing conditions such as excess cold, damp, mould, and overheating can have on mental health. This plan is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adverse-weather-and-health-plan

In September 2023, the Government published Understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home. This guidance sets out the physical and mental health risks of damp and mould, and the steps social and private landlords should take to address these issues. The 2022 Levelling Up white paper set out our ambition to halve the number of non-decent rented homes by 2030, with the biggest improvements in the lowest performing areas.