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1024013

	registered interest
	date	12/12/2018
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Leasehold: Reform
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to include existing leaseholders in its analysis of the consultation on implementing reforms to the leasehold system.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	201661
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2018 answer text <p>This Government is committed to tackling excessive and unjustifiable practices in the leasehold sector, making home ownership fairer for all. The technical consultation which closed on 26 November sets out how the Government intends to reform the system. The consultation document details proposals for banning leasehold houses and restricting ground rents in the future.</p><p>The Government is also clear that existing unfair lease terms have no place in the housing market. It is right that developers who sold leaseholds with onerous terms should support their customers to amend such lease terms. Some developers have introduced assistance schemes which is welcome. The Government is engaging with industry to urge them to take proactive steps to vary leases for those with onerous ground rent clauses.</p><p>We are further helping existing leaseholders by:</p><ul><li>Working with the Law Commission to make buying a freehold or extending a lease easier, quicker and cheaper;</li><li>Making it easier for leaseholders to form Recognised Tenants' Associations so they can hold the management of their block to account;</li><li>Setting up a Working Group, chaired by Lord Best, to look at how property agents can be improved, including a single, mandatory Code of Practice for managing agents and whether any fees should be capped or banned;</li><li>Publishing a 'How to Lease' guide for consumers.</li></ul> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 17/12/2018 15:52:08 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1054716

	registered interest
	date	04/02/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Landlords: South Yorkshire
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s announcement on 14 January 2019, of the £2.4 million to be given to councils to tackle rogue landlords, how much and what proportion will be allocated to (a) councils in the Sheffield City Region and (b) Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	216296
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2019 answer text <p>We received three bids from the Sheffield City Region. A joint bid from Bolsover and North East Derbyshire local authorities was the only bid which met the assessment criteria that were set out. It was awarded full funding of £12,450, representing 0.5 per cent of the overall fund. Bids from Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council did not meet the assessment criteria and were not awarded funds.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 07/02/2019 17:47:30 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1054869

	registered interest
	date	01/02/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Veterans: Homelessness
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many former (a) regular (b) reserve Service personnel at each rank have been classified as statutorily homeless in each year since 2000.
	tabling member constituency	South West Wiltshire
	tabling member printed	Dr Andrew Murrison
	uin	216220
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2019 answer text <p>The Government collects quarterly and annual statistics on how many people approach local authorities as homeless in England. Until April 2018, veterans formed part of a wider vulnerable group category that included: care leavers, ex-offenders and those who have fled home because of violence or the threat of violence (other than domestic violence). As a result, individual statistics on homeless veterans before that date are not published.</p><p>In April 2018 the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government introduced a new case-level data collection called H-CLIC (Homelessness Case Level Information Collection). This gives local authorities and Government more information regarding homelessness and those presenting as homeless, including those individuals who are veterans as a separate category. The Government does not differentiate between regular and reserve personnel, nor does it record rank.</p><p>In England from April to June 2018, of the 58,660 households to who, at the point of initial decision, were owed a homelessness duty by the local authority, 0.7 per cent (430) of main applicants had served in the armed forces.</p><p>The latest local authority level statistics, and quarterly statistics since 2009, can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness</a></p><p>Data from earlier years can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness#discontinued-tables" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness#discontinued-tables</a></p><p>This Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy which sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 11/02/2019 17:14:39 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison

1054872

	registered interest
	date	01/02/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Veterans: Sleeping Rough
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many ex-service personnel (a) in each service, (b) of (i) regular and (ii) reserve status and (c) who (i) have and (ii) have not completed a pensionable engagement have been classified as rough sleepers in each year since 2000.
	tabling member constituency	South West Wiltshire
	tabling member printed	Dr Andrew Murrison
	uin	216223
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2019 answer text <p>The Department does not collect statistics on whether or not people sleeping rough have served in the armed forces.</p><p>However, the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) a multi-agency database that represents the UK's most detailed and comprehensive source of information on rough sleeping in London. According to CHAIN, 3 per cent of the rough sleeping population in London have self-declared as having served in the armed forces.</p><p>This Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy which sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 11/02/2019 17:16:05 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison

1059756

	registered interest
	date	12/02/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Landlords: South Yorkshire
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2019 to Question 216296 on Landlords: South Yorkshire, for what reasons (a) Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and (b) Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council did not meet the assessment criteria.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	220223
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/02/2019 answer text <p>The terms of the Rogue Landlord Enforcement Grant Fund were set out in the bidding prospectus, from which the assessment criteria were drawn. This included that funds were for the financial year 2018/19. Both Barnsley and Doncaster requested funding for salaried positions continuing into the next financial year, and so falling outside the scope of the Fund.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 18/02/2019 15:52:19 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1077710

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Leasehold
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help leaseholders with onerous leases.
	tabling member constituency	Worthing West
	tabling member printed	Sir Peter Bottomley
	uin	226011
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government is clear that unfair practices have no place in a modern housing market. That is why we are putting pressure on developers and freeholders to vary onerous lease terms, such as those with doubling ground rents. Some developers have introduced schemes to assist individuals which is welcome, but this support must be extended to include second hand buyers, and leaseholders proactively contacted. We are keeping a close eye on progress and will consider taking further action as necessary.</p><p>We are also working with the Law Commission to make it faster, fairer and cheaper for existing leaseholders to extend their lease or buy the freehold. In addition, we have worked with Trading Standards to ensure there is better information on redress, and they recently published guidance to help leaseholders understand where to go if things go wrong, and how they can access support.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 06/03/2019 11:50:45 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	117 label Biography information for Sir Peter Bottomley

1134217

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Homelessness
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the finding, reported in the Guardian on 17 June 2019, that the number of homeless camps forcibly removed by local authorities across the UK has risen from 72 in 2014 to 254 in 2018; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	268596
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>The Ministry of Housing, Commnunities and Local Government does not collect any statistics on the number of homeless camps who have been forcibly removed by local authorities.</p><p>The Guardian article on 17 June 2019 says the estimate is based on a Freedom of Information request to all councils in the UK about how many homeless encampments they had cleared since 2014, how many complaints about encampments they had received and details on charges for confiscated tents and possessions. The article says ‘an encampment was defined as a location where one or more homeless people were living in the area in private or public land’. 336 local authorities out of total of 408 in the UK provided a response. No further details about the overall quality and robustness of these statistics is provided so we are unable to make an assessment of the accuracy of these findings.</p><p>The Guardian article is available at the following link: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/17/removal-of-homeless-camps-trebles-as-charities-warn-of-out-of-control-crisis" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/17/removal-of-homeless-camps-trebles-as-charities-warn-of-out-of-control-crisis</a></p><p>These statistics do not adhere to same rigour as government statistics. The Rough Sleeping Statistics, published on 31 January 2019, which are produced in compliance with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics, include people sleeping rough in makeshift camps but no separate figures about the types of sites where people are sleeping rough are recorded or whether they have been forcibly removed by local authorities.</p><p>These statistics show the total number of people counted or estimated to be sleeping rough in each local authority area in England, on a single night in Autumn 2018 was 4,677. This was down by 74 people or 2 per cent from the 2017 total of 4,751 and was up 2,909 people or 165 per cent from the 2010 total of 1,768. Local authorities use a specific definition to identify people sleeping rough. This includes people sleeping or who are about to bed down in open air locations and other places including tents, cars, and makeshift shelters. The full definition of people sleeping rough is as follows:</p><p><em>People sleeping, about to bed down (sitting on/in or standing next to their bedding) or actually bedded down in the open air (such as on the streets, in tents, doorways, parks, bus shelters or encampments). People in buildings or other places not designed for habitation (such as stairwells, barns, sheds, car parks, cars, derelict boats, stations, or “bashes” which are makeshift shelters, often comprised of cardboard boxes). The definition does not include people in hostels or shelters, people in campsites or other sites used for recreational purposes or organised protest, squatters or travellers. Bedded down is taken to mean either lying down or sleeping. About to bed down includes those who are sitting in/on or near a sleeping bag or other bedding.</em></p><p><br>These statistics are available at the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rough-sleeping-in-england-autumn-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rough-sleeping-in-england-autumn-2018</a>.</p><p>This Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy which sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period. This year, Rough Sleeping Initiative investment totals £46 million and has been allocated to 246 areas – providing funding for an estimated 750 additional staff and over 2,600 bed spaces.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 01/07/2019 14:56:03 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1134218

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Homelessness
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the forcible removal of camps containing homeless people.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	268597
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government does not issue guidance on the removal of tents containing homeless people. Each local authority, together with the police, will make their own plans and decisions about how to best support rough sleepers and ensure their safety in their own area, based on local circumstances. This can include the removal of encampments, alongside support. Encampments can present serious safety risks for the people living in encampments and it is right that local authorities, who know their area best, have the powers they need to respond. A summary of the powers that public bodies have to help them deal with illegal and unauthorised sites, published in 2015, is available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dealing-with-illegal-and-unauthorised-encampments" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dealing-with-illegal-and-unauthorised-encampments</a></p><p>Where local areas are taking action to remove encampments, we are clear that this needs to go hand-in-hand with considering how to support the people residing in them away from rough sleeping. Safeguards are in place to ensure powers are used appropriately. For example, for Public Space Protection Orders councils must consult with the police and relevant community representatives before making the order, and before the order is made councils must also publish the draft order. The Government guidance on Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act is available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/anti-social-behaviour-crime-and-policing-bill-anti-social-behaviour" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/anti-social-behaviour-crime-and-policing-bill-anti-social-behaviour</a></p><p>This Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy which sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period. This year, Rough Sleeping Initiative investment totals £46 million and has been allocated to 246 areas – providing funding for an estimated 750 additional staff and over 2,600 bed spaces.</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 01/07/2019 14:49:39 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1134220

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Homelessness
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which local authorities charge homeless people for the return of confiscated items.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	268599
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>MHCLG does not collect any statistics about which local authorities charge homeless people for the return of confiscated items. This is for local authorities to determine, subject to section 211 of the Housing Act 1996.</p><p>However, the Government is working to support better practise through the implementation of the Rough Sleeping Initiative. This year, Rough Sleeping Initiative investment totals £46 million and has been allocated to 246 areas – providing funding for an estimated 750 additional staff and over 2,600 bed spaces. MHCLG are working closely with local authorities through the Rough Sleeping Initiative to support people off the street.</p><p>This Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy which sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 02/07/2019 13:30:43 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1141458

	registered interest
	date	23/07/2019
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	China: Prisoners
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese Government on the alleged practice of forced organ harvesting in that country; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Gedling
	tabling member printed	Vernon Coaker
	uin	280924
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>I have not had recent discussions with the Chinese Government on allegations of forced organ harvesting. However, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion and Belief, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad, set out the Government's position in Parliament on 25 July. Lord Ahmad said,</p><p>&quot;I note the time and energy that the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China has dedicated to this issue. Officials have reviewed the evidence thoroughly. While the evidence is not incontrovertible, we take these allegations seriously and have consulted the World Health Organization and international partners. The evidence provided disturbing details about the mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners, and raised worrying questions about China's transplant system. We continue to monitor all available evidence.&quot;</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 03/09/2019 10:16:37 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	360 label Biography information for Lord Coaker