Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate her Department has made of the number of homes that will receive insulation through a scheme funded from the public purse in the next (a) five and (b) 10 years.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Around half of homes in England have reached our aspiration of having an Energy Performance Certificate with a rating of C – up from just 14% in 2010.
Government schemes have delivered insulation and other energy efficiency measures to over 400,000 homes over the past 3 years. In addition to this, our recent announcement of an additional £6bn support from 2025-2028 will support the installation of insulation and other energy efficient measures for another half a million homes.
Schemes beyond 2028 are still to be determined.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of funding a programme of free home insulation; and if she will have discussions with councils on introducing such a programme nationwide.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government launched the Great British Insulation Scheme in July 2023, supporting the delivery of low-cost insulation measures, and is expected to help some 300,000 households, requiring little or no contribution. This complements the Energy Company Obligation scheme, which has been one of the Government’s key domestic energy policies since it launched in 2013. It is estimated that a combined £5bn will be spent under both schemes, up to March 2026.
The flexible eligibility element of both schemes allows local authorities to set out local eligibility criteria. The Department consistently engages with local authorities to improve uptake and remove barriers.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military housing units reported cases of (a) mould, (b) heating and (c) external wall insulation problems in each year since 2019.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help support leaseholders affected by dangerous cladding.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
This government has delivered the most substantive reforms to building safety in nearly 40 years and leaseholders have been given significant legal protections from unfair remediation bills. All residential buildings above 11 metres in England now have a pathway to fix unsafe cladding, either through a taxpayer-funded scheme or through a developer-funded scheme. Following intensive talks with the home-building sector, we have a solution that is seeing industry take responsibility for fixing fire safety defects. Where developers or building owners are not currently funding cladding remediation, the Government has committed £5.1 billion of taxpayer money to ensure that people are safe in their homes.
The Building Safety Act 2022 created extensive new financial protections for leaseholders in buildings above 11 metres or five storeys with historical safety defects. Responsibility for undertaking remedial works and paying for the works in the majority of cases will rest with the building owner. In turn they can seek to secure funding for required works from those responsible for the defects. Where this is not possible, we expect the freeholders to meet the costs. I refer the Hon Member to my statement of 16 November entitled Building Safety Update (Official Report HC, Volume 740, Column 56WS) for further information on the progress made to fix residential buildings over 11 metres with unsafe cladding in England.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average length of time was for military housing units to be treated for (a) mould, (b) heating and (c) external wall insulation problems after a case was raised in each year since 2019.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Information on the average length of time taken for Service Family Accommodation (SFA) to be treated for mould and heating issues can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Information on the average length of time taken to treat external wall insulation problems in SFA is not held, information is not logged as a separate category of maintenance work.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military housing units were treated for (a) mould, (b) heating and (c) external wall insulation problems in each year since 2019.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Out of a total of c47,900 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties, in the period 1 April 2022 to 1 December 2023:
1,359 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) have received a damp and mould treatment package.
Figures not available for damp or mould only.
There have been 20,800 reports of maintenance issues relating to heating in SFA properties. There are currently 1,020 live issues ranging from minor issues such as faulty radiator valves to total loss of heating (where temporary heating or alternative accommodation is provided).
Data prior to the start of the Future Defence Infrastructure Services Accommodation contracts in April 2022 is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The table below shows the number of SFA that have had external wall insulation installed in each complete financial year since 2019;
Financial Year | No of SFA |
2022-23 | 900 |
2021-22 | 1,250 |
2020-21 | 800 |
2019-20 | 950 |
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military housing units are scheduled for (a) renovation and (b) replacement.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Department has instructed improvement works to c4,000 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) this Financial Year (FY). This includes external wall insulation, door, window and roof replacements, heating upgrades, new kitchens and bathrooms, and extensive refurbishment of c1,000 long-term void SFA. This is in addition to work to treat damp and mould in c4,000 SFA.
In FY 2022-23, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) purchased 310 properties to replace SFA that has either reached its predicted life expectancy and requires significant investment to meet future sustainability targets; or has been re-located to support military unit moves where the SFA in the previous location is being disposed of.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans her Department has to reduce domestic energy consumption by 15 per cent by 2030.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this Parliament on clean heat and improving energy efficiency in buildings. In addition, £6 billion of new Government funding will be made available from 2025 to 2028.
The Government will deliver upgrades to over half a million homes in the coming years through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Home Upgrade Grant, Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Great British Insulation scheme and Energy Company Obligation.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to help insulate homes with a low energy efficiency rating in Leeds North East constituency.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this Parliament on clean heat and improving energy efficiency in buildings. Additionally, £6 billion of new Government funding will be made available from 2025 to 2028.
The Government ‘Help to Heat’ schemes ensure homes will be warmer and cheaper to heat. The Government will deliver upgrades to over half a million homes in the coming years through Social Housing Decarbonisation, Home Upgrade Grant and Energy Company Obligation Schemes.
Constituents in Leeds North-East can check their eligibility for schemes on www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency or through the home retrofit phoneline service on 0800 098 7950.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had discussions with (a) United For Warm Homes and (b) Friends of the Earth on the potential merits of providing free insulation for homes.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on Gov.uk. Policy relating to insulating and energy efficiency of existing housing stock is a matter for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.