Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of exempting alms-houses from Selective Licensing charges.

Registered providers of social housing are exempt from selective licensing. Almshouses are able to register as providers of social housing, and this exemption will apply for those that do.

Local authorities are responsible for selective licensing schemes in their area and have discretion to discount or waive selective licensing fees for almshouses.