It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to PQ 12441 on 7 February 2024.

The Localism Act 2011 gave local authorities the power to decide who qualifies for social housing and to set waiting list policies appropriate to their local area. In June 2020 we published new statutory guidance for local authorities that set out how they can identify applications from members of the Armed Forces, veterans and their families, to ensure that they are considered appropriately.

The guidance also asks local authorities to give ‘additional preference’ (high priority) to seriously injured, ill or disabled Service personnel and former members of the Armed Forces who already have ‘reasonable preference’ (priority).

The latest Local Authority Housing Statistics, available at Local Authority Housing Statistics data returns for 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), provide data for those households on housing registers which include members of the UK Armed Forces community with additional preference.

Landlords must ensure homes are of a decent standard and investigate and respond to complaints quickly. All residents have the right to a safe, warm and decent home. If residents are unhappy, they can contact the Housing Ombudsman.

The Government is currently reviewing the Decent Homes Standard and has been considering the question of floor coverings in social housing as part of this work.

Landlords must ensure homes are of a decent standard and investigate and respond to complaints quickly. All residents have the right to a safe, warm and decent home. If residents are unhappy, they can contact the Housing Ombudsman.

The Government is currently reviewing the Decent Homes Standard and has been considering the question of floor coverings in social housing as part of this work.

The Government is committed to taking action to improve the regulation of the Private Parking Industry and is working with both consumer and industry groups to ensure the Code comes into effect as quickly as possible.

Further steps will be set out in due course.

The UK Government is committed to levelling up across the whole of the United Kingdom to ensure that no community is left behind. We are investing over £15 billion in a suite of complementary Levelling Up projects to help grow the economy, create jobs, improve transport, provide skills training and support local businesses.

Each fund or initiative has clear aims, objectives and funding which have been designed and allocated as part of a joined-up approach.

The Government recognises that major regeneration projects take time to deliver with important processes involved before they come to fruition - from securing planning permission, to engaging architects and acquiring land.

Decisions on any possible underspends will be set out in the usual way.

Landlords are required by law to protect a deposit in relation to most Assured Shorthold Tenancies and are free to choose with which government-authorised scheme they protect a tenant’s deposit.

The TDP providers are private companies that are operationally independent of Government. TDP providers are contractually obliged to avoid any conflict of interest arising which prejudices the independence and objectivity of the service provided.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 12441 on 7 February 2024.

It is unacceptable for anyone to have to live in damp and mouldy conditions. Damp and mould can have a serious impact on the health of tenants. That is why the Secretary of State wrote to all providers of social housing, including local authorities, setting out his expectations that they go further than the letter of the Decent Homes Standard and have particular regard to damp and mould. He also wrote to local authority chief executives and council leaders making it clear they must take action to resolve poor housing conditions in their area.

Social housing tenants of local authorities who are unsatisfied with their landlord’s response to their complaint on damp and mould can raise their issue with the Housing Ombudsman. Our new guidance on damp and mould can also be accessed by tenants at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/damp-and-mould-understanding-and-addressing-the-health-risks-for-rented-housing-providers.

We have committed to introducing ‘Awaab’s Law’, which will set requirements for social landlords to investigate and fix hazards such as damp and mould in social housing. Our consultation on Awaab’s Law closed on 5 March and we will bring forward secondary legislation to bring this into force as soon as practicable.

We have also given local authorities strong legal powers to use where privately rented or housing association houses or flats are in a seriously dangerous condition, including through damp and mould.

As outlined in the ASB Action Plan (2023), the Government is introducing measures to ensure that landlords have the tools they need to take action against persistently problematic tenants, relieve innocent parties living nearby and ensure that anti-social tenants face the consequences of their actions. This includes a commitment to preventing short-term lets importing anti-social behaviour into communities.

Decisions regarding funding beyond March 2025 are ultimately a matter for the next Spending Review. We nevertheless appreciate the case for certainty and are committed to setting out further detail at the earliest opportunity.

Officials are in regular communication with all local authorities in Wales on this issue, as well as with the Welsh Local Government Association. We will work closely with the Welsh Government on the future of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The English Housing Survey publishes data on tenure by age of household.

The most recently published survey is: English Housing Survey 2022 to 2023: headline report - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The relevant data is in Annex Table 1.3: “Demographic and economic characteristics”

Housing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland.

It is for local authorities to identify the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require affordable housing, and reflect this in planning and other policies.

We do not collect data by parliamentary constituency on new supply of affordable housing, including on social rent. These data are collected by local authority area and published on gov.uk in Live Table 1006C.

This Government is committed to increasing the supply of social and affordable housing. Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes for both rent and to buy right across the country, including social rent.

The Government is committed to improving the quality of rented homes and committed in the Levelling Up White Paper to reduce the number of non-decent rented homes by 50% by 2030, building on the extensive progress made since 2010. We are introducing a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector through the Renters (Reform) Bill, which will introduce new standards that all private rented sector homes must meet. The Social Housing (Regulation) Act introduced new measures to drive up the quality of social homes, including through a new proactive consumer regulation regime led by the Regulator of Social Housing. We are also introducing Awaab’s Law, which will set new strict timeframes for social landlords to fix health hazards in homes.

The Government has evaluated the public benefit and value for money each Freeport will deliver through the competitive process for selecting Freeport locations and subsequently through a robust business case process. Once approved, these business cases, including details of the benefits the Freeport will deliver, are published online. To ensure Freeports are delivering these returns to the UK and Scottish economies, the Government is also monitoring and evaluating their delivery; our approach is published here.

This allows us to identify the impacts Freeports are already having: for example, we announced in November 2023 that Freeports have already generated £2.9 billion in investment in under two years, which will in turn create 6,000 jobs. It also enables us to monitor the suitability of the Freeports package and identify opportunities to enhance and double down on it. For example, we have recently extended the tax reliefs in Freeports from five to ten years and launched a £150 million flexible Investment Opportunity Fund to secure specific business investment opportunities.

The Government has evaluated the public benefit and value for money each Freeport will deliver through the competitive process for selecting Freeport locations and subsequently through a robust business case process. Once approved, these business cases, including details of the benefits the Freeport will deliver, are published online. To ensure Freeports are delivering these returns to the UK and Scottish economies, the Government is also monitoring and evaluating their delivery; our approach is published here.

This allows us to identify the impacts Freeports are already having: for example, we announced in November 2023 that Freeports have already generated £2.9 billion in investment in under two years, which will in turn create 6,000 jobs. It also enables us to monitor the suitability of the Freeports package and identify opportunities to enhance and double down on it. For example, we have recently extended the tax reliefs in Freeports from five to ten years and launched a £150 million flexible Investment Opportunity Fund to secure specific business investment opportunities.

The Government has evaluated the public benefit and value for money each Freeport will deliver through the competitive process for selecting Freeport locations and subsequently through a robust business case process. Once approved, these business cases, including details of the benefits the Freeport will deliver, are published online. To ensure Freeports are delivering these returns to the UK and Scottish economies, the Government is also monitoring and evaluating their delivery; our approach is published here.

This allows us to identify the impacts Freeports are already having: for example, we announced in November 2023 that Freeports have already generated £2.9 billion in investment in under two years, which will in turn create 6,000 jobs. It also enables us to monitor the suitability of the Freeports package and identify opportunities to enhance and double down on it. For example, we have recently extended the tax reliefs in Freeports from five to ten years and launched a £150 million flexible Investment Opportunity Fund to secure specific business investment opportunities.

As set out in my answer to Question UIN 24168 on 3 May 2024, the English Housing Survey sets out levels of damp and mould in all tenures of residential accommodation. Details are available online.

For more information on the health impacts of damp and mould in homes, please see our consolidated guidance developed with the Department of Health and Social Care. It can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/damp-and-mould-understanding-and-addressing-the-health-risks-for-rented-housing-providers.

Following the tragic death of the two-year-old Awaab Ishak, due to the appalling housing conditions that Awaab Ishak and his family had to live in, the Secretary of State summoned the leadership of their landlord, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, to explain why such catastrophic failures had been allowed to happen. The Government has also legislated for ‘Awaab’s law’, introduced via the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.

In his written statement of 9 January 2024 (HCWS174) the Secretary of State launched a consultation on how ‘Awaab’s law’ will operate in practice, including the specific requirements on social landlords. The consultation closed on 5 March 2024 and we are analysing the responses. Once this has been completed, we will bring forward secondary legislation as soon as possible.

The department, last year, provided £15 million of funding to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to tackle the worst cases of damp and mould. They have now completed improvements to around 4,000 homes.

The Regulator of Social Housing is an Arms Length Body with operational independence from government. It operates according to the regulatory framework which sets out the economic and consumer standards that registered providers of social housing are required to meet.

Tower Hamlets Community Housing is an independent private sector organisation that makes its own commercial decisions.

The Regulator of Social Housing is an Arms Length Body with operational independence from government. It operates according to the regulatory framework which sets out the economic and consumer standards that registered providers of social housing are required to meet.

Tower Hamlets Community Housing is an independent private sector organisation that makes its own commercial decisions.

We have committed to provide at least six months’ notice of our first implementation date after which all new tenancies will be periodic and governed by the new rules. To avoid a two-tier rental sector, and to make sure landlords and tenants are clear on their rights, all existing tenancies will transition to a new system on a second implementation date.

This phased implementation will support tenants, landlords and agents to adjust to and understand the new rules, while making sure that tenants can benefit from the new system as soon as reasonably possible. We will provide more details about our implementation plans in due course.

The Regulator of Social Housing is an Arms Length Body with operational independence from government. It operates according to the regulatory framework which sets out the economic and consumer standards that registered providers of social housing are required to meet.

Tower Hamlets Community Housing is an independent private sector organisation that makes its own commercial decisions.

The Regulator of Social Housing is an arm’s-length body with operational independence from government. It sets the economic and consumer standards that registered providers of social housing are required to meet. The details of the Regulator’s engagement on the proposed merger between Swan Housing Association and Orbit is a matter for the Regulator.

As set out in the answer to Question UIN 11182 on 30 January, the English Housing Survey sets out levels of overcrowding and damp and mould in all residential accommodation, including social housing. Details are available online.

As set out in the answer to Question UIN 11182 on 30 January, the English Housing Survey sets out levels of overcrowding and damp and mould in all residential accommodation, including social housing. Details are available online.

The ONS publishes both rental price and rental affordability indexes at local authority and regional levels respectively, and the department publishes data on the number of unoccupied dwellings, as defined for council tax purposes, at local authority level. Data is not available at parliamentary constituency level.

The provision of affordable housing is part of the Government's plan to build more homes and provide aspiring homeowners with a step onto the housing ladder. Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes for both rent and to buy right across the country. The Levelling Up White Paper committed to increasing the supply of social rented homes and a large number of the new homes delivered through our Affordable Homes Programme will be for social rent.

The ONS publishes both rental price and rental affordability indexes at local authority and regional levels respectively, and the department publishes data on the number of unoccupied dwellings, as defined for council tax purposes, at local authority level. Data is not available at parliamentary constituency level.

The provision of affordable housing is part of the Government's plan to build more homes and provide aspiring homeowners with a step onto the housing ladder. Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes for both rent and to buy right across the country. The Levelling Up White Paper committed to increasing the supply of social rented homes and a large number of the new homes delivered through our Affordable Homes Programme will be for social rent.

The ONS publishes both rental price and rental affordability indexes at local authority and regional levels respectively, and the department publishes data on the number of unoccupied dwellings, as defined for council tax purposes, at local authority level. Data is not available at parliamentary constituency level.

The provision of affordable housing is part of the Government's plan to build more homes and provide aspiring homeowners with a step onto the housing ladder. Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes for both rent and to buy right across the country. The Levelling Up White Paper committed to increasing the supply of social rented homes and a large number of the new homes delivered through our Affordable Homes Programme will be for social rent.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN HL2677 on 6 March 2024 and the answer to Question UIN 22233 on 22 April 2024. We are abolishing Section 21 evictions as part of the Renters (Reform) Bill.

No information is held centrally on the average rental costs of houses in multiple occupation in Lewisham East.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN HL2677 on 6 March 2024 and the answer to Question UIN 22233 on 22 April 2024. We are abolishing Section 21 evictions as part of the Renters (Reform) Bill.

No information is held centrally on the average rental costs of houses in multiple occupation in Lewisham East.

Everyone deserves to live in a safe and decent home. This is why we are introducing a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector for the first time through the Renters (Reform) Bill.

We are also reviewing the Decent Homes Standard, which sets out the minimum requirements for all social housing.

Data on housing decency is published regularly via the English Housing Survey at local authority level.

Rental data at constituency level is not held centrally.

In January 2023, as part of the second round of the Levelling Up Fund, we announced that £14.7 million was awarded to Northumberland County Council for two new high-quality cycling and pedestrian routes in Hexham and Bedlington.

The Government will continue to work with stakeholders across Northumberland to deliver long term support to the area, including working with Northumberland County Council.

The National Planning Policy Framework expects strategic policy-making authorities to follow the standard method for assessing local housing need. The standard method does not dictate where homes should go.

In January 2023, as part of the second round of the Levelling Up Fund, we announced that £14.7 million was awarded to Northumberland County Council for two new high-quality cycling and pedestrian routes in Hexham and Bedlington.

The Government will continue to work with stakeholders across Northumberland to deliver long term support to the area, including working with Northumberland County Council.

The National Planning Policy Framework expects strategic policy-making authorities to follow the standard method for assessing local housing need. The standard method does not dictate where homes should go.

Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes for both rent and to buy right across the country.

The Levelling Up White Paper committed to increasing the supply of social rented homes and a large number of the new homes delivered through our Affordable Homes Programme will be for social rent.

Since 2010, we have delivered over 696,100 new affordable homes, including over 482,000 affordable homes for rent, of which over 172,600 homes for social rent.

The Government is clear that service charges should relate to costs, and that it would not be acceptable for Registered Providers of social housing to increase service charges simply as a means of boosting rental revenue. Registered Providers (including housing associations) are expected to supply tenants with clear information about how service charges are set.

Where there are concerns about the calculation, collection or communication of service charges, tenants may ask the Housing Ombudsman to investigate their complaint. The Government has strengthened the Housing Ombudsman Service, so tenants of social landlords have somewhere to turn when they are not getting the answers they need from their landlords.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities works closely with the Regulator of Social Housing, and the Department for Work of Pensions to ascertain the impact of social housing rent policy on taxpayers, tenants and providers.

The Government is clear that service charges should relate to costs, and that it would not be acceptable for Registered Providers of social housing to increase service charges simply as a means of boosting rental revenue. Registered Providers (including housing associations) are expected to supply tenants with clear information about how service charges are set.

Where there are concerns about the calculation, collection or communication of service charges, tenants may ask the Housing Ombudsman to investigate their complaint. The Government has strengthened the Housing Ombudsman Service, so tenants of social landlords have somewhere to turn when they are not getting the answers they need from their landlords.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities works closely with the Regulator of Social Housing, and the Department for Work of Pensions to ascertain the impact of social housing rent policy on taxpayers, tenants and providers.

This Government has devolved powers and funding to the Mayoral Combined Authority areas of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and York and North Yorkshire, providing them with over £2.5 billion of funding over 30 years. At the 2023 Autumn Statement, we agreed a mayoral devolution deal for the remaining area of Yorkshire - Hull and East Yorkshire - and, subject to final consents and parliamentary approval, a Combined Authority is expected to be established in Autumn 2024 with the inaugural mayoral election in May 2025.

At the Convention of the North, we announced historic Level 4 devolution agreements with both West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. These agreements will deepen the power of the Combined Authorities and the metro mayors, including providing new flexibility over local growth, regeneration and housing funding from the next Spending Review. The Government remains committed to deepening the powers of more mayors over time.

This Government has devolved powers and funding to the Mayoral Combined Authority areas of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and York and North Yorkshire, providing them with over £2.5 billion of funding over 30 years. At the 2023 Autumn Statement, we agreed a mayoral devolution deal for the remaining area of Yorkshire - Hull and East Yorkshire - and, subject to final consents and parliamentary approval, a Combined Authority is expected to be established in Autumn 2024 with the inaugural mayoral election in May 2025.

At the Convention of the North, we announced historic Level 4 devolution agreements with both West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. These agreements will deepen the power of the Combined Authorities and the metro mayors, including providing new flexibility over local growth, regeneration and housing funding from the next Spending Review. The Government remains committed to deepening the powers of more mayors over time.

This Government has devolved powers and funding to the Mayoral Combined Authority areas of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and York and North Yorkshire, providing them with over £2.5 billion of funding over 30 years. At the 2023 Autumn Statement, we agreed a mayoral devolution deal for the remaining area of Yorkshire - Hull and East Yorkshire - and, subject to final consents and parliamentary approval, a Combined Authority is expected to be established in Autumn 2024 with the inaugural mayoral election in May 2025.

At the Convention of the North, we announced historic Level 4 devolution agreements with both West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. These agreements will deepen the power of the Combined Authorities and the metro mayors, including providing new flexibility over local growth, regeneration and housing funding from the next Spending Review. The Government remains committed to deepening the powers of more mayors over time.

Everyone deserves to live in a safe and decent home. This is why we are introducing a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector for the first time through the Renters (Reform) Bill.

We are also reviewing the Decent Homes Standard, which sets out the minimum requirements for all social housing.

Data on housing decency is published regularly via the English Housing Survey at local authority level.

Everyone deserves to live in a safe and decent home. This is why we are introducing a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector for the first time through the Renters (Reform) Bill.

We are also reviewing the Decent Homes Standard, which sets out the minimum requirements for all social housing.

Data on housing decency is published regularly via the English Housing Survey at local authority level.

The Government publishes data on the average Band D council tax set by each individual authority - including mayoral combined authorities - in the annual council tax levels publication. Band D is used as the standard for comparing council tax levels between and across local authorities. Individual local authorities also publish further details about their council tax charges.

The average Band D council tax set by each local authority for 2024-25 are as follows:

Note 1: Greater Manchester’s general functions includes the responsibility for Fire and Rescue provision. This is not the case for any other Authority and so the figure is not directly comparable.

Note 2: The North of Tyne Combined Authority will be replaced by the newly established North East Mayoral Combined Authority.

Note 3: Greater London Authority is not a Combined Authority and therefore the Mayor has different roles and responsibilities which are not directly comparable.

The Government provides guidance on the Right to Buy scheme for tenants and local authorities in England. See for example Page 43 of the guidance for local authorities: Right to Buy: a guide for local authorities - GOV.UK.

The Government recognises the important role of support organisations such as Pub is The Hub in helping local communities create and maintain vital community assets. Pub is The Hub has received funding from the department previously and their work demonstrates the wider role which pubs can play in running local services, nurturing community relationships, and helping communities to thrive socially and economically.

Information on the projects that these funds have supported and the dates when commitments were announced are publicly available and can be found on gov.uk:

• For the Community Ownership Fund: Community Ownership Fund: successful bidders - GOV.UK
• For the Community Renewal Fund: UK Community Renewal Fund: successful and unsuccessful bids - GOV.UK
• For the Levelling Up Fund: New levelling up and community investments - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Delivery of UKSPF is delegated to local authorities.

Table 42 in the annual Civil Service statistics includes information on the number of leavers for the period in question and this information can be found at the following link for the years in question: Civil Service statistics - GOV.UK.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN HL2677 on 6 March 2024. We are abolishing Section 21 evictions as part of the Renters (Reform) Bill.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Across the three major Levelling Up funds, the Department has allocated £10.4 billion and released over £4 billion to local authorities.

The Funds are multi-year programmes that local authorities will continue to spend over the lifetime of the Funds. As is typical with capital programmes, spending will peak in the later years.

Islands are distinct and vital parts of the United Kingdom. The Islands Forum was established to empower island communities to communicate with government, inform future policy, and work together. I am delighted the fourth forum will be meeting on Ynys Môn next month and I’m looking forward to joining her there.

BCP Council have received a variety of levelling up support since 2019, including through some specific awards such as:

• £20 million of Levelling Up Fund investment;
• £4.2 million in Core UK Shared Prosperity Funding and £1.7 million in Multiply for BCP investing in communities focused on building pride in place, supporting high quality skills training, employment and productivity growth, and increasing life chances;
• £1 million in Towns Accelerator Funding, designed to kick start local projects: driving growth and improving prospects for communities; and
• £21.7 million Town Deal for Bournemouth to regenerate the town and deliver long-term economic and productivity growth. This is through investments in urban regeneration, digital and physical connectivity, skills, heritage and enterprise infrastructure.

The Government regulates the maximum social housing rents that Registered Providers of social housing, including housing associations, can charge their tenants (subject to certain exceptions).

Social housing rents are permitted to increase rents by up to CPI+1% per annum. Registered Providers of social housing are expected carefully to consider the effect on their tenants when making decisions about rent increases. The CPI+1% limit is a ceiling, and Government urges landlords to consider lower increases where possible.

Our decision-making criteria for the community ownership fund can be found in the published explanatory note on gov.uk. Round 4 window 1 has now closed and will be assessed according to those criteria. Round 4 window 2 will open in the coming weeks.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Towns Fund on local communities.