Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department has issued on a building’s status as a relevant building under section 117(3)(c) of the Building Safety Act 2022 in the event that a freeholder purchased a leasehold property in a building after 14 February 2022.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
We are aware of the specific concerns raised by the Hon Member, and the specific case in his constituency. As the Member will know, Departmental Officials are due to meet him and his constituents to discuss the issue in more detail.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish a response to the report commissioned by his Department entitled The impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission, published in June 2022.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
In September 2023 the department published a discussion document which sought the views of the park homes sector on the 2022 report’s recommendations. The Government is considering the response to that discussion document and we will announce next steps shortly.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to reduce private sector rents in Nottingham East constituency.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government recognises the cost of living pressures that tenants are facing, and that paying rent is likely to be a tenant’s biggest monthly expense. The level of private sector rents is not directly a matter for Government, however, we are taking steps to increase housebuilding to help create a more sustainable and affordable housing market over the long term. The Government is on track to meet its manifesto commitment to deliver a million homes over this Parliament.
The Government also welcomes new institutional investment in the private rented sector. The Build to Rent sector has built over 100,000 new homes over the past 13 years and they continue to play a part in increasing the supply of homes in the private rented sector.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to clauses 5.2 and 6.1 of the draft developer remediation contract published by his Department on 30 January 2023, what criteria his Department is using to assess whether developers are undertaking (a) building assessments and (b) remediation works as soon as reasonably practicable.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The department publishes data on the developer contract quarterly and the next update is 20 June 2024, and will announce any additional actions or information at the same time.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an estimate of the number and proportion of buildings subject to developer self-remediation contracts where (a) building assessments and (b) remediation works have been delayed due to there being no access.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The department publishes data on the developer contract quarterly and the next update is 20 June 2024, and will announce any additional actions or information at the same time.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his planned timetable is for when all buildings subject to a developer self-remediation contract will have had remediation work completed.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The department publishes data on the developer contract quarterly and the next update is 20 June 2024, and will announce any additional actions or information at the same time.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an estimate of the number and proportion of developers that have (a) signed a self-remediation contract and (b) established a direct communication channel with leaseholders and residents.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The department publishes data on the developer contract quarterly and the next update is 20 June 2024, and will announce any additional actions or information at the same time.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to help ensure participant developers in the self-remediation scheme do not commission FRAEW assessments when a previous assessment has already been undertaken.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The department publishes data on the developer contract quarterly and the next update is 20 June 2024, and will announce any additional actions or information at the same time.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether defective fire doors are included as a defect under the terms of the developer self-remediation contract.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The department publishes data on the developer contract quarterly and the next update is 20 June 2024, and will announce any additional actions or information at the same time.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an estimate of the number and proportion of leaseholders that have declared bankruptcy after not qualifying for the leaseholder protections within the Building Safety Act 2022.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The department does not routinely collect data on bankruptcy or the reasons for them; we would welcome any specific concerns being raised directly should those with an interest in this policy area wish to do so.
It is important to note that there are multiple ways leaseholders can seek support in remediation. The Leasehold Advisory Service, funded by the department, provides free advice to leaseholders on legal matters.
Part 5 of the Building Safety Act 2022 allows any leaseholders, including those who are leaseholders in a building subject to collective enfranchisement, to apply to the First Tier Tribunal to seek a Remediation Contribution Order from a previous owner, developer or persons associated with either of these, for funds to remediate relevant defects (including non-cladding defects) in their buildings.
Leaseholders in buildings subject to collective enfranchisement can also seek to recover costs of non-cladding defects through the retrospectively extended limitation period under Section 1 of the Defective Premises Act. We have also extended the reach of civil liability to associated companies of developers and a new cause of action which allows manufacturers of construction products to be pursued.
Another possible course of action would be to consider recourse to litigation under the Defective Premises Act where costs may be recovered from those responsible for historical defects on the building if construction was completed on or after 28 June 1992 and a dwelling in the building is unfit for habitation.
The Government published a call for evidence on leaseholder-owned buildings, which closed on 14 November 2022. We are carefully considering the evidence, which will help inform Government policy on how best to protect the leaseholders in leaseholder-owned buildings from the impact of building safety defects. This evidence has informed the policy thinking which resulted in the inclusion of building safety measures to further strengthen Remediation Contribution Orders in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill.
The department does not hold data on the average value of the portfolios of leaseholders who own more than three properties. The department issued a call for evidence on 21 March 2024 to assess the impact of the leaseholder protections where a leasehold property is owned by two or more individuals. The Call for Evidence closed on 5 April 2024.