Asked by: Lord Shipley (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the resources available to district councils in England to provide temporary accommodation for people who are homeless or who are at risk of homelessness.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
This Government is committed to tackling homelessness. We are investing over £1billion in the Homelessness Prevention Grant over three years to help councils prevent homelessness and provide temporary accommodation, with a further £120 million UK-wide funding announced at Autumn Statement for 2024/25 to help prevent homelessness.
The Local Authority Housing Fund enables councils in England to buy or build housing stock to obtain better quality temporary accommodation for those owed a homelessness duty and provide a lasting affordable housing asset for the future. We recently announced a third round of funding, bringing the total funding to £1.2 billion.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle littering in rural areas.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Prime Minister’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan set out how we will support councils across the country to take tougher action against those who litter. For example, last year we significantly raised the upper limit on fixed penalty notices from £150 to £500 and from 1 April 2024 councils will have to spend this income on enforcement or clean up activity. We have previously given district councils powers to hold the keeper of a vehicle responsible for littering offences committed from it.
Natural England refreshed the Countryside Code in 2021 which makes clear visitors’ responsibilities in protecting the environment when accessing the outdoors. This includes the need to take rubbish and food waste home, use public bins or recycle if possible.
National Highways’ recent campaign aimed to change road users’ behaviour towards littering. The campaign ran from 12 February to 10 March and road users were implored to stop littering as its deadly impact on wildlife was revealed.
Asked by: Baroness Eaton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the role of the Environment Agency in ensuring that drainage ditches owned by riparian owners are maintained
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, the Environment Agency has a strategic overview of the management of all sources of flooding and coastal change and are the lead authority for managing the risk of flooding from main rivers, estuaries and the sea.
Many different public and private bodies are involved in flood and coastal erosion risk management, each accountable for different aspects of risk management. The National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England (copy attached) sets out the different roles and responsibilities and describes how organisations and communities can work together to tackle flood and coastal risk in a co-ordinated and effective way.
Landowners are responsible, under common law, for maintaining the bed and banks of any watercourses that run through their land in a state which avoids flooding on their neighbours’ or other land. This common law duty also extends to keeping watercourses and culverts clear of anything that could cause an obstruction, either on their own land or downstream if it is washed away.
Drainage ditches are usually ordinary watercourses rather than main rivers, so the oversight of flood risk arising from unmaintained drainage ditches sits with other Risk Management Authorities (RMAs). Lead local flood authorities (county councils and unitary authorities), district councils, internal drainage boards, highways authorities and water and sewerage companies are collectively known as RMAs.
The Environment Agency has published guidance on owning a watercourse on GOV.UK, covering riparian landowners’ responsibilities and the rules to follow and the permissions needed. By March 2024, new engagement guidance will be published, to help RMAs, Environment Agency staff and landowners have more effective conversations on this matter.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what grants were provided by his Department to (a) South Holland District Council and (b) South Kesteven District Council in (i) 2022-23 and (ii) 2023-24; and how much was awarded in each grant.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Across financial years (FY) 2022-23 and FY 2023-24, South Holland District Council were awarded £67,500 On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) grant funding for the installation of 9 public electric vehicle charging devices. £50,625 (75%) of this grant was paid to the council in FY 2022-23 and the remaining £16,875 (25%) was paid in FY 2023-24.
In addition to this, Breckland and South Holland District Councils, under a previous joint working agreement, were awarded £39,500 for the installation of 6 public charging devices. This grant was paid in full to South Holland District Council in FY 2022-23.
South Kesteven District Council were not awarded any grant funding from the Department for Transport in FY 2022-23 or FY 2023-24.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to the public purse was for educational grants provided to (a) South Holland District Council and (b) South Kesteven District Council in (i) 2022-23 and (ii) 2023-24.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not make any grants directs to South Holland District Council or South Kesteven District Council.
The department is able to provide the schools National Funding Formula (NFF) allocations for schools in the South Holland and District Council and South Kesteven District Council for 2022/23 and 2023/24. Other funding allocations are not available broken down to the level of district councils.
NFF allocations for schools in the areas of South Holland District Council and South Kesteven District Council for 2022/23 and 2023/24 can be found in the attached tables. This covers mainstream schools funding only. The schools NFF determines school revenue funding for all mainstream schools in England, although schools’ actual allocations are based on local authorities’ local funding formulae. District council figures are based on an aggregate of schools’ NFF allocations.
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 her Department is taking to (a) minimise the time spent in temporary accommodation by homeless children and (b) support the transition of such children into long-term accommodation.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Temporary accommodation has to be suitable taking into account of relevant needs, requirements and circumstances of the homeless person and their household, including any children. The provision of support to households placed in temporary accommodation is essential to ensure that they can continue to enjoy a reasonable quality of life and access the range of services they need. In formulating their homelessness strategies, housing authorities should consider what arrangements need to be in place to ensure that households placed in temporary accommodation, within their district or outside, are able to access relevant support services.
Government is committed to reducing the need for temporary accommodation by preventing homelessness before it occurs. That is why we are investing more than £1 billion through the Homelessness Prevention Grant over three years, giving councils the funding they need to prevent homelessness as well as helping households move out of temporary accommodation into settled homes. As set out previously, Government has also been clear that the long-term use of B&B accommodation for families is inappropriate and unlawful and we are determined to stop this practice.
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 (a) provide access to (i) mental health support, (ii) social services and (iii) recreational activities for and (b) otherwise address the needs and vulnerabilities of homeless children.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Temporary accommodation has to be suitable taking into account of relevant needs, requirements and circumstances of the homeless person and their household, including any children. The provision of support to households placed in temporary accommodation is essential to ensure that they can continue to enjoy a reasonable quality of life and access the range of services they need. In formulating their homelessness strategies, housing authorities should consider what arrangements need to be in place to ensure that households placed in temporary accommodation, within their district or outside, are able to access relevant support services.
Government is committed to reducing the need for temporary accommodation by preventing homelessness before it occurs. That is why we are investing more than £1 billion through the Homelessness Prevention Grant over three years, giving councils the funding they need to prevent homelessness as well as helping households move out of temporary accommodation into settled homes. As set out previously, Government has also been clear that the long-term use of B&B accommodation for families is inappropriate and unlawful and we are determined to stop this practice.
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 his Department is taking to tackle levels of homelessness in urban areas.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
This Government is committed to tackling homelessness. We are investing over £1 billion in the Homelessness Prevention Grant over three years, including £109 million of the £150 million UK-wide funding this year and a further £120 million UK-wide funding announced at Autumn Statement for 2024/25 to help prevent homelessness.
The provision of support to households placed in temporary accommodation is essential to ensure that they are able to continue to enjoy a reasonable quality of life and access the range of services they need. In formulating their homelessness strategies, councils should consider what arrangements need to be in place to ensure that households placed in temporary accommodation, within their district or outside, are able to access relevant support services.
This funding we provide can be used flexibly by local authorities to help them carry out their statutory duties, for example to work with landlords to prevent evictions and offer financial support for people to find a new home and move out of temporary accommodation. Allocations of the funding to local authorities is based on a formula that reflects the local homelessness pressures in each area and takes account of the different demand and costs.
Further to this, the £1.2 billion Local Authority Housing Fund includes funding for local authorities to obtain better quality temporary accommodation which helps alleviate rough sleeping and homelessness.
Autumn Statement confirmed we will uprate LHA rates to cover the cheapest 30th percentile of local rents, making housing more affordable for private renters in Great Britain who get rent support through their benefits.
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 ensure that local authorities have sufficient resources to provide adequate support services for people experiencing homelessness.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
This Government is committed to tackling homelessness. We are investing over £1 billion in the Homelessness Prevention Grant over three years, including £109 million of the £150 million UK-wide funding this year and a further £120 million UK-wide funding announced at Autumn Statement for 2024/25 to help prevent homelessness.
The provision of support to households placed in temporary accommodation is essential to ensure that they are able to continue to enjoy a reasonable quality of life and access the range of services they need. In formulating their homelessness strategies, councils should consider what arrangements need to be in place to ensure that households placed in temporary accommodation, within their district or outside, are able to access relevant support services.
This funding we provide can be used flexibly by local authorities to help them carry out their statutory duties, for example to work with landlords to prevent evictions and offer financial support for people to find a new home and move out of temporary accommodation. Allocations of the funding to local authorities is based on a formula that reflects the local homelessness pressures in each area and takes account of the different demand and costs.
Further to this, the £1.2 billion Local Authority Housing Fund includes funding for local authorities to obtain better quality temporary accommodation which helps alleviate rough sleeping and homelessness.
Autumn Statement confirmed we will uprate LHA rates to cover the cheapest 30th percentile of local rents, making housing more affordable for private renters in Great Britain who get rent support through their benefits.
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 his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to help tackle homelessness affecting (i) children and (ii) families.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
This Government is committed to tackling homelessness. We are investing over £1 billion in the Homelessness Prevention Grant over three years, including £109 million of the £150 million UK-wide funding this year and a further £120 million UK-wide funding announced at Autumn Statement for 2024/25 to help prevent homelessness.
The provision of support to households placed in temporary accommodation is essential to ensure that they are able to continue to enjoy a reasonable quality of life and access the range of services they need. In formulating their homelessness strategies, councils should consider what arrangements need to be in place to ensure that households placed in temporary accommodation, within their district or outside, are able to access relevant support services.
This funding we provide can be used flexibly by local authorities to help them carry out their statutory duties, for example to work with landlords to prevent evictions and offer financial support for people to find a new home and move out of temporary accommodation. Allocations of the funding to local authorities is based on a formula that reflects the local homelessness pressures in each area and takes account of the different demand and costs.
Further to this, the £1.2 billion Local Authority Housing Fund includes funding for local authorities to obtain better quality temporary accommodation which helps alleviate rough sleeping and homelessness.
Autumn Statement confirmed we will uprate LHA rates to cover the cheapest 30th percentile of local rents, making housing more affordable for private renters in Great Britain who get rent support through their benefits.