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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of borough-wide licensing schemes on improving the standard and safety of accommodation in the private rented sector.

Licensing is an effective tool when used in a targeted fashion to deliver improved standards and safety in the private rented sector in specific areas that are suffering from serious problems.

Under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004, local authorities are able to introduce a selective licensing scheme in defined areas to tackle problems such as deprivation, high crime and poor property conditions.

Any scheme submitted to the Secretary of State for confirmation will be considered on its merits and whether it meets the statutory requirements in Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004.