The Government believes very strongly that service charges should be transparent and communicated effectively, and that there should be a clear route to challenge or redress if things go wrong. The law is clear that service charges must be reasonable and, where costs relate to work or services, the work or services must be of a reasonable standard. Leaseholders may make an application to the First-tier Tribunal to make a determination on the reasonableness of their service charges or fees. A summary of leaseholders’ rights and responsibilities must also be provided with the demand for charges.

The Government established an independent working group, chaired by Lord Best, to consider fees and charges alongside the regulation of property agents. The working group published its final report to Government (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulation-of-property-agents-working-group-report) and we are considering the report’s recommendations.

We know that it will be disappointing that Eid will take place before Step 3 of the roadmap to reopening has been taken. However, we must remember that we are still living through a pandemic – every additional day of restrictions directly improves our ability to reduce transmission and control the virus.

Communal worship outdoors in the grounds of a Place of Worship is already possible. Outdoors each participating group can involve up to two households. Mosques will also be able to organise ‘Eid in the Park’ prayers, but will need to work with local councils and health officials to facilitate this. Because larger events inevitably carry risks around groups mingling we have advised anyone planning such an event to ensure they are modest in size and well stewarded to ensure social distancing guidelines are followed, consistent with our guidance on Outdoor Events.

On 23 April, the Cabinet Secretary wrote to the Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the management of outside interests in the Civil Service

The Committee published this letter on 26 April. It can be found here: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/5623/documents/55584/default/

The Cabinet Secretary’s letter sets out a series of steps to improve processes. This programme of work will also take account of any recommendations that emerge from Nigel Boardman’s review

The Civil Service Management Code sets out, at paragraph 4.3.4, the requirement that civil servants must seek permission before accepting any outside employment which might affect their work either directly or indirectly. The applicable principles are those set out in the Business Appointment Rules. The Civil Service Management Code is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-servants-terms-and-conditions

Where the civil servant is a member of the departmental board, any outside employment, as well as other relevant interests will be published as part of the Annual Report and Accounts or other transparency publication.

The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners including strengthening access to redress for consumers in the housing market.

Leaseholders may be liable to pay the legal costs of their landlord regardless of the outcome of a legal challenge - even if they win the case. This may depend on the terms set out in their lease. This can lead to leaseholders facing bills that are higher than the charges they were seeking to challenge in the first place. It can also deter leaseholders from taking their concerns to a tribunal.

The Government believes leaseholders should not be subject to unjustified legal costs and will close the legal loopholes that allow this to happen.

Meetings are declared on the basis set out on gov.uk:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dclg-special-advisers-data#2020

MHCLG will provide funds to Hong Kong-UK Welcome Hubs in the coming weeks.

Strategic Migration Partnerships across the UK – who will host Welcome Hubs – have begun to put plans in place to support Hong Kong BN(O) status holders and their dependents.

MHCLG is providing up to £14.7 million in this financial year for local authorities in England to arrange English language provision for Hong Kong BN(O) status holders relocating to their areas.

Local authorities can deliver these classes in a range of ways, including by working with accredited English language schools.

The new Hong Kong-UK Welcome Hubs will play a core role in signposting Hong Kong BN(O) status holders and their dependents to support that is available.

Each area will develop unique plans, but we expect Welcome Hubs to work with MHCLG to fund local Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise groups who will be able to offer face-to-face orientation and partner with local authorities to refer people to support.

We will continue to update the recently published Welcome Pack on Gov.UK as a comprehensive resource to help Hong Kongers navigate life in the UK and settle into their communities.

This Government is committed to ending rough sleeping. That is why we are investing £433 million over the lifetime of this Parliament to deliver 6,000 new homes for rough sleepers. This represents the largest ever investment in move-on accommodation.

In October 2020 we announced allocations to local partners to deliver longer-term move-on accommodation. We are currently collating end year delivery information.

Last month, we launched the next stage of the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, making £212 million available to councils and housing associations to bring forward move-on accommodation and support for rough sleepers.

The Government is committed to tackling climate change, and local authorities have a vital contribution to make. Their unique insight into local opportunities and priorities, their role as place-shapers, and their convening power enable them to drive carbon emissions reductions and develop climate resilient services across their whole area, with co-benefits for better public health and thriving local economies

Tackling emissions at a local level will make an important contribution to the decarbonisation of transport, energy and buildings. As such, many parts of Government work closely with local government to deliver national strategies for carbon reduction effectively at the local level

In 2020 the Government launched the Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery Scheme, the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund. In March we announced a further £300 million under the Green Homes Grant, to help lower income households cut emissions and save money on bills:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-boosts-energy-efficiency-spending-to-13-billion-with-extra-funding-for-green-homes

The Local Energy programme also supports Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), local authorities and communities in England to play a leading role in decarbonisation and clean growth. The Government's wider plan to work with local government to deliver national strategies for carbon reduction will be set out in our forthcoming net zero strategy

The Government will also publish a bold and ambitious Transport Decarbonisation Plan which will set out how to achieve net zero emissions across all modes of transport, and a Heat and Building Strategy setting out how local authorities can contribute to reducing emissions from household heating. Different decarbonisation solutions will be required and will work best in different places across the UK, and we have engaged with local government at all levels in developing these strategies

The Government will continue to work closely with local authorities, now and over the course of the net zero transition.

Temporary Accommodation is providing vital support to ensure that those who are vulnerable are getting the necessary help and ensuring that no family is without a roof over their head.

Our most recent data shows that the number of households with children in B&Bs is at its lowest level since 2011. The data is broken down by local authority. On 31 December 2020 there were 255 households with children living in temporary accommodation in Coventry, 3,780 households with children living in temporary accommodation in the West Midlands and 59,670 households with children living in temporary accommodation in England.

The latest homelessness data for England, including historic data, can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics

The Government is committed to encouraging settlement of Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) in all parts of the United Kingdom.

To achieve this, we are setting up new Hong Kong-UK Welcome Hubs across the UK, including in Northern Ireland. Activities may include working with local government, civil society and Devolved Administrations to promote opportunities for relocation. Welcome Hubs will be given resources to develop activities and support for their own areas.

Funds have also been provided through the Barnett Formula of over £1 million for this year to support Hong Kong BN(O) status holders who choose to settle in Northern Ireland.

MHCLG has also released a Welcome Pack in English and Cantonese with links to resources in the Devolved Administrations. We will continue to grow this resource to ensure that Hong Kong BN(O) status holders are made aware of opportunities across the UK.

Faith communities across the country have steadfastly observed nationwide restrictions and we are immensely grateful for their support and cooperation. I am pleased that, in large part because of the outstanding work of faith leaders and the efforts of their communities to observe guidance and keep people safe, places of worship have been able to remain open - including for communal worship - during recent restrictions.

The Guidance for the Safe Use of Places of Worship was updated on 12 April to reflect measures to ease restrictions from Step 2 of the Roadmap. We will keep the guidance updated as decisions on further Steps in the Roadmap are taken, and continue to support faith communities to understand and implement guidance to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service. We are taking forward a comprehensive programme of reform to end unfair practices in the leasehold market.

Under the current system, too many leaseholders find the process for extending their lease or buying their freehold (a process known as enfranchisement) too complex, lacking transparency and prohibitively expensive.

We will reform the process of enfranchisement valuation that leaseholders must follow to calculate the cost of extending their lease or buying their freehold. The Government will abolish marriage value, cap the treatment of ground rents at 0.1% of the freehold value, prescribe rates for the calculations at market value, and introduce an online calculator.

Through our reforms, the length of a statutory lease extension will increase to 990 years, from 90 years (for flats) and 50 years (for houses). Leaseholders will be able to extend their lease with zero ground rent on payment of a premium. Leaseholders will also be able to voluntarily agree to a restriction on future development of their property to avoid paying ‘development value’.

We will translate these measures into law as soon as possible, starting with legislation to set ground rents on newly created leases to zero in the upcoming session. This will be the first part of major two-part legislation to implement leasehold and commonhold reforms in this Parliament.

We understand the importance of singing to all of our faith communities but, due to the transmission of COVID-19 through droplets and airborne particles, it has been essential to limit this to control the spread of the virus. We have been working closely with the Places of Worship Taskforce and faith communities to facilitate this and are grateful for their support.

Currently singing can take place outdoors on the grounds of a place of worship and this can include the congregation taking part. Indoors it is currently only possible for small groups of singers to perform, and the congregation cannot join in. It is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions, so that we can see the impact of the steps we are taking before moving to the next step. For that reason, we will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. As soon as we are able, we will update our advice further. We do not wish to keep restrictions in place for any longer than we have to. This is in line with wider guidance for performing arts across all sectors.

We understand the importance of singing to all of our faith communities but, due to the transmission of COVID-19 through droplets and airborne particles, it has been essential to limit this to control the spread of the virus. We have been working closely with the Places of Worship Taskforce and faith communities to facilitate this and are grateful for their support.

Currently singing can take place outdoors on the grounds of a place of worship and this can include the congregation taking part. Indoors it is currently only possible for small groups of singers to perform, and the congregation cannot join in. It is important that we take a cautious approach in easing restrictions, so that we can see the impact of the steps we are taking before moving to the next step. For that reason, we will continue to keep guidance and restrictions under review, in line with the changing situation. As soon as we are able, we will update our advice further. We do not wish to keep restrictions in place for any longer than we have to. This is in line with wider guidance for performing arts across all sectors.

Under House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) legislation, rooms in licensable HMOs that are under 6.51 square metres cannot be used as sleeping accommodation by one person. Local housing authorities have discretion to consider local circumstances and require higher standards within HMO licence conditions, but must not set lower standards.

The purpose of this legislation is to reduce overcrowding in HMOs. The Government consulted extensively on the changes to HMO licensing at the time and there was broad support for the extension of scope of mandatory HMO licensing.

The Department does not hold information on the number of domestic abuse safe accommodation providers, including refuges, that own their own property.

My Department is working with local authorities to raise standards across the private rented sector, to protect vulnerable tenants, including those living in HMOs.

Under House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) legislation, rooms in licensable HMOs that are under 6.51 square metres cannot be used as sleeping accommodation by one person. Local housing authorities have discretion to consider local circumstances and require higher standards within HMO licence conditions, but must not set lower standards.

The purpose of this legislation is to reduce overcrowding in HMOs. The Government consulted extensively on the changes to HMO licensing at the time and there was broad support for the extension of scope of mandatory HMO licensing.

The Department does not hold information on the number of domestic abuse safe accommodation providers, including refuges, that own their own property.

My Department is working with local authorities to raise standards across the private rented sector, to protect vulnerable tenants, including those living in HMOs.

Under House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) legislation, rooms in licensable HMOs that are under 6.51 square metres cannot be used as sleeping accommodation by one person. Local housing authorities have discretion to consider local circumstances and require higher standards within HMO licence conditions, but must not set lower standards.

The purpose of this legislation is to reduce overcrowding in HMOs. The Government consulted extensively on the changes to HMO licensing at the time and there was broad support for the extension of scope of mandatory HMO licensing.

The Department does not hold information on the number of domestic abuse safe accommodation providers, including refuges, that own their own property.

My Department is working with local authorities to raise standards across the private rented sector, to protect vulnerable tenants, including those living in HMOs.

Under House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) legislation, rooms in licensable HMOs that are under 6.51 square metres cannot be used as sleeping accommodation by one person. Local housing authorities have discretion to consider local circumstances and require higher standards within HMO licence conditions, but must not set lower standards.

The purpose of this legislation is to reduce overcrowding in HMOs. The Government consulted extensively on the changes to HMO licensing at the time and there was broad support for the extension of scope of mandatory HMO licensing.

The Department does not hold information on the number of domestic abuse safe accommodation providers, including refuges, that own their own property.

My Department is working with local authorities to raise standards across the private rented sector, to protect vulnerable tenants, including those living in HMOs.