Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme will continue to provide thank you payments to people hosting displaced Ukrainians.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
More than two years on, we continue to stand firm with the brave people who remain in Ukraine, and to warmly welcome those who need sanctuary in the UK.
We are greatly appreciative of the overwhelming generosity shown by sponsors in accommodating guests under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. It is thanks to this generosity that we have been able to welcome over 156,000 Ukrainians to the UK. We continue to encourage those who can offer support to come forward with offers of sponsorship.
We provide a tariff of £5,900 per Ukrainian arrival to councils. This is un-ringfenced, which allows councils to use the funding to support households as best suits the local area, including measures to support guests who have left sponsorship to access the private rented sector.
Local councils have a responsibility to support Ukrainians who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including providing temporary accommodation where required to ensure no family is without a roof over their head.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the answer of 30 August 2024 to Question 1617 on Energy Performance Certificates: Rented Housing and with reference to his Department's press release entitled Home upgrade revolution as renters set for warmer homes and cheaper bills, published on 23 September 2024, what account the requirement to improve properties to Energy Performance Certificate standard C by 2030 will take of changes to how Energy Performance Certificates are calculated.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has announced its intention to consult by the end of the year on implementing a minimum energy efficiency standard of Energy Performance Certificate Band C or equivalent in the domestic private and social rented sectors by 2030. Government will also shortly set out a consultation with proposals for improvements to Energy Performance Certificates to make them more accurate and reliable, which will be reflected in the consultations on minimum energy efficiency standards for rental homes.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the ability of local authorities to (a) take enforcement action against private sector landlords leaving private tenants with dangerous disrepair and (b) bring related prosecutions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities have powers to tackle hazardous conditions in private rented housing, including being able to issue landlords with improvement notices. Non-compliance with local authority enforcement action is a criminal offence.
The Renters’ Rights Bill, currently before Parliament, will strengthen these powers and support local authorities to enforce effectively. The Bill will introduce a new civil penalty of up to £7,000 where private landlords have failed to keep their properties free of dangerous hazards and applies a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time. The Bill also introduces a new Private Rented Sector Database which will enable local authorities to quickly identify landlords and better target enforcement.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
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 received representations on the potential effect of proposed private renters legislation on the student accommodation market, and what steps her Department has taken to support that market.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Renters’ Rights Bill introduces a new mandatory ground which will allow landlords renting Houses of Multiple Occupation to full time students to seek possession ahead of each new academic year, facilitating the ongoing yearly cycle of short-term student tenancies while ensuring students can benefit from the increased security and flexibility our reforms will create. The department has engaged with a range of stakeholders in the student accommodation market and will continue to do so.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 28 March 2024 to Question 19849 on Private Rented Housing: Registration, whether her Department the Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunal Service have a joint plan for improvements to the county court possession process.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My department is working closely with the Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunal Service to ensure that the county courts are ready for the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Bill.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Renter's Rights Bill on tackling unaffordable requests for rent in advance.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognise that requests for large amounts of rent in advance can put financial strain on tenants and can exclude certain groups from renting all together. We want to ensure that the Renters’ Rights Bill protects renters against such demands, and we will keep the matter under review as the Bill progresses.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of requiring landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their properties to a EPC C rating by 2030 on (a) rent prices and (b) trends in the number of private sector landlords exiting the sector.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has announced its intention to consult by the end of the year on implementing a minimum energy efficiency standard of Energy Performance Certificate Band C or equivalent in the private rented sector by 2030. The consultation will be accompanied by an Options Assessment, which will consider impacts arising from the policy proposals, including potential impacts on rent levels and the supply of properties in the sector.
Formal Minutes Oct. 10 2024
Committee: Work and Pensions Committee (Department: Department for Work and Pensions)Found: Andrew Wollaston, Partner, Global Restructuri ng Leader and Global TAS Private Equity, Ernst and Young
Oct. 10 2024
Source Page: The Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024Found: to the housing emergency.
Oct. 10 2024
Source Page: Heat in Buildings: progress report 2024Found: rented sector properties • share of social rented sector properties Data source: Scottish Housing Condition