Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what priority for covid-19 vaccination has been given people living in sheltered housing.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
People aged 65 to 69 years old and those who are clinically vulnerable against COVID-19 are now being invited to book their vaccination. Many younger adults in residential care settings will be eligible for vaccination because they fall into one of the clinical risk groups. Given the likely high risk of exposure in these settings, where a high proportion of the population would be considered eligible, vaccination of the whole resident population is recommended. Younger residents in care homes for the elderly will be at high risk of exposure and although they may be at lower risk of mortality than older residents should not be excluded from vaccination programmes.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of (a) retirement housing and (b) extra care housing across all tenures to alleviate pressure on the care home sector.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
I agree that the growth of this sector is important for meeting the needs of the aging population and supporting our housing supply objectives. We are investing over £12 billion in affordable housing over 5 years, the largest investment in affordable housing in a decade. This includes the new £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, where 10 per cent of delivery will be used to increase the supply of much needed specialist or supported housing.
In our revised National Planning Policy Framework, published in July 2018, we set out that authorities should assess the types of specialist housing needed for older and disabled people in their areas and reflect this in their planning policies. We followed this up by publishing Planning Practice Guidance in June 2019, which assists councils in putting policies in the National Planning Policy Framework in place.
We are continuing to work closely with the sector to look at how we can further support its growth.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure the provision of retirement and extra care housing across all tenures as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
I agree that the growth of this sector is important for meeting the needs of the aging population and supporting our housing supply objectives. We are investing over £12 billion in affordable housing over 5 years, the largest investment in affordable housing in a decade. This includes the new £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, where 10 per cent of delivery will be used to increase the supply of much needed specialist or supported housing.
In our revised National Planning Policy Framework, published in July 2018, we set out that authorities should assess the types of specialist housing needed for older and disabled people in their areas and reflect this in their planning policies. We followed this up by publishing Planning Practice Guidance in June 2019, which assists councils in putting policies in the National Planning Policy Framework in place.
We are continuing to work closely with the sector to look at how we can further support its growth.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the (a) retirement and (b) extra care housing sector across all tenures.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
My officials have been having weekly meetings with sector representatives. Whilst Covid-19 has been very challenging, the sector has not reported major problems with the management of infection or business continuity. I would like to pay tribute to the commitment shown by the sector and its front line staff and managers, across all tenures, to ensure delivery of high quality services to vulnerable older residents, in trying circumstances.
I have asked my officials to continue to engage responsively with the sector, as we progress along the road map that the Prime Minister has set out on the route to normality.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether people living in sheltered accommodation are entitled to television licence fee concessions in the event that there are (a) one and (b) two rooms within their building which are used for overnight accommodation lasting for no more than 28 days; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The concession available for a TV Licence for those in eligible residential care - known as the ‘accommodation for residential care concession’ - is set out in the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004.
Paragraph 3(5)(g) of Part 2 of Schedule 4 to the Regulations provides that a group of specially provided dwellings which is eligible for the concession will remain eligible even if one of the dwellings within the group is used for overnight accommodation, for no longer than 28 nights in any consecutive period, for any member of the family of any eligible person who lives in that group of dwellings.
There is no provision in the Regulations for a situation in which two of the dwellings within the group are used for overnight accommodation.
Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that every rough sleeper is provided with adequate sheltered accommodation during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown in England.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The ‘Protect Programme’, the next step in the ongoing targeted support to protect some of the most vulnerable people in our communities from COVID-19, was announced by the Prime Minister on Thursday 5 November. A further £15 million will be provided to support the ongoing efforts to provide accommodation for rough sleepers during the pandemic, and is on top of the previously announced £10 million Cold Weather Fund for all councils to help keep rough sleepers safe this winter.
Areas with high numbers of rough sleepers will receive extra targeted support to provide accommodation for those currently sleeping rough, prioritising those who are clinically vulnerable. This work will continue throughout the winter until March 2021.
This builds on the success of the still ongoing ‘Everyone In’ campaign, which is helping to protect thousands of lives during the pandemic - by September it had supported over 29,000 vulnerable people; with over 10,000 in emergency accommodation and nearly 19,000 moved on into settled accommodation.
This funding is on top of the £91.5 million allocated to 274 councils in September to fund their individual plans for rough sleepers over the coming months. More than 3,300 new long-term homes for rough sleepers across the country have been approved, backed by Government investment of more than £150 million.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received on setting up a Housing with Care task force; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government welcomes the work of specialist older people’s housing providers in building homes and meeting the needs of our aging population. We are already engaging with specialist providers as we take forwards our plan to build the homes our country needs, including our reform and modernisation of the planning system. Ministers and officials will continue to engage with this sector going forwards.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to extend whole care home covid-19 testing to elderly residents and social care staff in sheltered accommodation facilities and retirement villages.
Answered by Nadine Dorries
Expansion of testing is based on relative priorities and available testing capacity. We are not expanding regular asymptomatic testing to this group at this time.
We initially prioritised testing for care homes that specialise in caring for older people and those living with dementia in line with Public Health England and Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies advice, as they are at higher risk of adverse consequences if they get the disease.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the research from Anchor Hanover and Sonnet demonstrating the social value of retirement and extra care housing; and what plans he has to increase investment in specialist older people’s housing.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
I welcome this report, which helps underline the Government’s own view that housing with support and care plays a vital role in enabling older people to live independently, as well as delivering wider benefits to society. The Government is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing, including sheltered and specialist supported housing for older people. We announced at Budget 2020 that we are investing £12 billion to build affordable homes between 2021/22 and 2025/26. This will be the biggest cash investment in affordable housing for a decade and will deliver up to 180,000 additional affordable homes, including for older people and others with support needs. We are committed to continuing to work closely with the sector to improve the diversity of housing options available to older people.
Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with representatives from the care sector on increasing the level of private sector investment in the housing with care sector.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Housing-with-care has a vital role in enabling older people to live independently, with the necessary care and support available if required. In the context of an ageing population, we will continue to work with the sector to improve the diversity of housing options available to older people.