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Written Question
Buildings: Insurance
Thursday 28th March 2024

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 discussions officials in his Department have had with their counterparts in the Treasury on the potential merits of introducing a Government-sponsored building safety insurance pooling scheme.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government is very aware that leaseholders in some affected buildings have been burdened with paying extremely high premiums for too long. We have repeatedly called for an industry-led scheme.

It has taken far too long but the Fire Safety Reinsurance Facility is due to launch on 1 April and the Government will monitor the implementation and impact of the Facility and will remain engaged with industry regarding whether any further steps may be required.


Written Question
High Rise Flats: Insulation
Thursday 28th March 2024

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 of homes in England that have the same type of cladding installed as the residential building in the Campanar neighbourhood of València which was engulfed by fire on 22 February 2024.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The UK Government and Fire Services have offered our assistance to the Spanish authorities of the lessons we have learned from the Grenfell Tower fire and our subsequent work. It is our intention to work with them to understand the precise details of the fire in Valencia and to consider what lessons might be learned.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has been closely following the terrible event in Valencia. We understand that the investigations into the incident remain ongoing and BSR will continue to monitor any findings to ensure that any applicable learnings are made.


Written Question
High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention
Thursday 28th March 2024

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 his Department plans to undertake a lessons learned exercise from the residential building fire in Campanar, Valencia.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The UK Government and Fire Services have offered our assistance to the Spanish authorities of the lessons we have learned from the Grenfell Tower fire and our subsequent work. It is our intention to work with them to understand the precise details of the fire in Valencia and to consider what lessons might be learned.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has been closely following the terrible event in Valencia. We understand that the investigations into the incident remain ongoing and BSR will continue to monitor any findings to ensure that any applicable learnings are made.


Written Question
Leasehold: Reform
Thursday 28th March 2024

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 his Department's press release entitled Leasehold reforms give more rights and protections to homeowners, published on 27 November 2023, when he plans to bring forward legislative measures to amend the Building Safety Act 2022 to make it easier to ensure that those who caused building-safety defects in enfranchised buildings are made to pay.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Under Part 5 of the Building Safety Act 2022 leaseholders in enfranchised buildings, either individually or collectively, can pursue developers – and their associated companies – via a remediation contribution order, for funds they have spent or will spend remediating their buildings for relevant defects.

We are building on the legislation brought forward by the Act. The Government has tabled several amendments for the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill to clarify and extend the protections in some specific areas. These amendments will further prevent freeholders and developers from escaping their liabilities to fund building remediation work – protecting leaseholders by allowing the Building Safety Act 2022 to operate as intended, as well as adding further protections in some specific scenarios.

For example, we have made clear that a remediation contribution order can, among other things, order the landlord or developer to make payments for the costs of:

  • steps which reduce the risk of a relevant defect;
  • obtaining an expert report; and,
  • temporary alternative accommodation and associated costs in connection with a decant from a building in connection with a relevant defect.

Written Question
Buildings: Safety
Thursday 28th March 2024

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, how many residents have been displaced from their homes due to (a) building safety evacuations and (b) fires that have spread to more than one floor due to building safety defects since 15 June 2017.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

Major decants are a local operational matter, and decisions on enforcement action are made by local regulators, local authorities and Fire and Rescue Services.

Where there are major decants, the department does offer support where appropriate, such as pressing building owners and developers to fulfil their obligations. Since December 2023 the department has assisted local regulators in preventing at least 800 residents from being decanted by identifying mitigating measures (such as a waking watch), allowing these residents to remain safely in their homes.


Written Question
Flats: Fire Prevention
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Gareth Johnson (Conservative - Dartford)

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 support leaseholders living in buildings below 11 metres in height with fire remediation costs.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The responsibility for the costs of fixing historical building safety defects should rest with building owners. They should not pass these costs on to leaseholders but should seek to recover costs from those who were responsible for building unsafe homes.

We have undertaken extensive work over the last two years to review buildings under 11 metres which have been reported to us as having potential building safety issues. Almost all have proven not to need any intervention following detailed review.

In rare cases where remediation work is required in buildings under 11 metres, the Government has retrospectively extended the limitation period under Section 1 of the Defective Premises Act 1972 enabling legal action against developers and contractors where works completed in the last 30 years made a dwelling not “fit for habitation”.

These rights include:

  • extending the Defective Premises Act to 30 years retrospectively, so compensation can be sought from developers where homes have not been built to the appropriate standard and are not fit for habitation; and,
  • civil claims where products have caused or contributed to a dwelling being ‘not fit for habitation’.

Written Question
Housing: Construction
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the study entitled Stepping Off the Road to Nowhere, published by Create Streets and Sustrans on 19 December 2023, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of adapting the funding model for new homes to incorporate gentle density and sustainable transport principles.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The Government is committed to supporting the development of high quality, well designed and sustainable communities through the construction of new homes and, where appropriate, the regeneration of towns and cities across the country.

Homes England’s Strategic Plan has a Strategic Objective focused on promoting the creation of high-quality homes in well-designed places. The Agency uses Building for a Healthy Life, a design toolkit for neighbourhoods, streets, homes and public spaces, which covers twelve different considerations including density and sustainable transport.


Written Question
Droughts and Water Supply
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle the risk of (a) drought and (b) water scarcity.

Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

(a) Defra published its Plan for Water 2023 which set out the importance of ensuring a clean and plentiful water supply in England. The Plan sets out our commitment to a twin track approach to improving water supply resilience, with action to reduce water company leaks and improve water efficiency, alongside investing in new supply infrastructure.

Last year, regional water resources groups and water companies consulted on their draft water resources plans. These statutory plans set out how each company will secure water supplies sustainably for at least the next 25 years and how drought resilience will be improved. The plans contain proposals for multiple new water resources schemes, including new reservoirs. Water companies also maintain statutory drought plans, which show the actions taken to maintain secure supplies during droughts.

(b) To address water scarcity, the Government has set a new legally binding target under the Environment Act 2021 to reduce the use of our public water supply in England by 20% per person by 2038.  To achieve this, we will reduce household water use to 122 litres per person per day, reduce leakage by 37%, and reduce non-household (for example, businesses) water use by 9% by 31 March 2038. This is part of the trajectory to achieving 110 litres per person per day household water use, a 50% reduction in leakage and a 15% reduction in non-household water use by 2050. Our Plan for Water and Environmental Improvement Plan have set out our roadmap to water efficiency in new developments and retrofits, to be delivered over the next decade. This includes developing clear guidance on ‘water positive’ or ‘net zero water’ developments and roles for developers and water companies, including water company incentives. We are also working closely with water companies to increase the supply of water.

In December 2023, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities issued a Written Ministerial Statement which set out that in areas of serious water stress, where water scarcity is inhibiting the adoption of Local Plans or the granting of planning permission for homes, we are encouraging local planning authorities to work with the Environment Agency and delivery partners to agree standards tighter than the 110 litres per day set out in current guidance. Defra will also be reviewing building regulations in spring 2024 to allow local planning authorities to introduce tighter water efficiency standards in new homes. Defra is also reviewing the evidence base for water reuse systems with a view to consulting on changes to the water supply regulations to enable greywater reuse and rainwater harvesting to be managed by water companies.

At Spring Budget 2024, the Government published a policy paper setting out its ambition to address water scarcity in Greater Cambridge and measures to achieve this. It builds on significant interventions and investment of nearly £9 million - including £5.8 million of new funding - announced last July and at Autumn Statement 2023.


Written Question
Banks: Closures
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of bank closures on (a) local communities and (b) elderly people's access to banking services.

Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Whilst decisions to open or close a bank branch are commercial decisions for firms, and the Government does not intervene on individual closures, it is imperative that banks and building societies recognise the needs of all their customers, including those who still need to use in-person services. The impact of branch closures must be mitigated where possible so that all customers, wherever they live, continue to have appropriate access to banking services.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)’s guidance sets out that firms must carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and put in place reasonable alternatives. This seeks to ensure the implementation of closure decisions is done in a way that treats customers fairly. Where firms fall short, the FCA may ask for closures to be paused or other options to be put in place.

Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office or Banking Hubs. The Post Office allows personal and business customers to carry out everyday banking services at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.

Banking Hubs are an initiative which enable customers of participating banks to access cash and banking services in shared facilities. Over 100 Banking Hubs have been announced so far, and the Government hopes to see these Hubs open as soon as possible.


Written Question
Community Ownership Fund: Religious Buildings
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Lord Bishop of Bristol (Bishops - Bishops)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding has been awarded in total from the Community Ownership Fund to communities seeking to turn places of worship into assets of community value.

Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The £150 million Community Ownership Fund helps communities across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets at risk of closure.

Current and former places of worship and their attached community hubs are one of the many asset types that the fund supports, though not specifically recorded as such. We recognise the important role these places have in building our social fabric and boosting pride in place by bringing people together. Some of the great projects we have already supported include The Light Church Bradford, The Open House in Sheffield, and The Old Synagogue in Belfast – all of which are providing valuable services to their community.

A full list of successful projects is available on GOV.UK at: Community Ownership Fund: successful bidders - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)