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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that freeholders have a responsibility to provide housing (a) of an equal or higher standard and (b) in the same area for people served with a prohibition notice.

As I set out in my answer given to Question UIN 152313 on 6 March 2023, building owners are legally responsible for making sure their buildings are safe. Should the residents of an unsafe building need to be evacuated, the Government expects building owners to provide suitable alternative accommodation until residents can return home, at the building owner’s expense. It is the responsibility of building owners to avoid evacuation and decanting where it is possible to do so.