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18743

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2013
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding was allocated from Homes and Community Agency to (a) develop new affordable housing and (b) bring empty homes back into use in Harrow in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Mr Gareth Thomas
	uin	174351
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Thursday 7 November 2013]</em></p><p>The figures for affordable housing are as follows for the London Borough of Harrow area:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>2008-09</p></td><td><p>£22 million</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009-10</p></td><td><p>£45 million</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>£26 million</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>£15 million</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>£13 million</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Since April 2012, allocations from the Affordable Housing Programme have been overseen by the Greater London Authority rather than the Homes and Communities Agency. There have been no specific allocations on empty homes over this period.</p><p>As outlined to the hon. Member in the answer of 7 January 2013, <em>Official Report</em>, Column 121W, I would note that the new Affordable Rent model now allows for more affordable housing to be delivered with lower levels of taxpayer capital subsidy and lever in more private investment.</p><p>As the National Audit Office has observed: “The Department selected the best delivery model open to it for the funds it had available” and “The Department has so far achieved its policy objective to maximise the number of homes delivered within the available grant funding” (National Audit Office, “Financial viability of the social housing sector; introducing the Affordable Homes Programme”, 4 July 2012, HC465, pp.6-7).</p><p>I also note that the Mayor's proposed Housing Strategy states: “£1.8 billion of public funding has been secured by the Mayor which will unlock an estimated additional £3.7 billion of other investment for London to enable 55,000 affordable homes to be delivered between 2011-15” (Mayor of London, “The Revised London Housing Strategy”, December2011, p.35).</p><p>Across England, 170,000 affordable homes have been delivered so far since April 2010, and a total of £19.5 billion of public and private investment is being spent on affordable housing over the current Spending Review period.</p><p> </p><p><em> </em></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

34375

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many families were placed in temporary accommodation in each London borough in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Tooting
	tabling member printed	Sadiq Khan
	uin	184631
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>I refer the rt. hon. Member to Live Table 784 available on my Department's website at: <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>The numbers of households in temporary accommodation in London are still well belowthe level they were at their peak, under the previous Administration, when they hit more than 63,800. Councils have a responsibility to move homeless households into settled accommodation as quickly as possible and we made common sense changes to the law to enable them to use suitable private rented homes. Indeed, the average stay in temporary accommodation in England has been reduced from 20 months at the beginning of 2010 to 14 months now.</p><p>We have also seen a 42% reduction in the numbers of families with children in Bed and Breakfast for more than six weeks on this time last year across the country. The seven local authorities that we funded to tackle families in Bed and Breakfast have made significant progress achieving an overall reduction of 96% since the funding began.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 09/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	1577 label Biography information for Sadiq Khan

37877

	registered interest
	date	10/02/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to encourage local authorities to promote gas safety among leaseholders in local authority-managed properties.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	187486
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Department does not provide advice on gas safety specifically for leaseholders in local authority–managed properties. However, the lease of a property will set out the responsibilities of the freeholder and the leaseholder, including responsibility for maintenance of gas appliances.</p><p>In the private rented and social rented sectors, landlords are required by law to: repair and maintain gas pipework, keep flues and appliances in safe condition; ensure an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue; and keep a record of each safety check.</p><p>For the social housing sector, the Homes and Communities Agency ‘Home Standard' says that registered providers must “meet all applicable statutory requirements that provide for the health and safety of the occupants in their homes”. The Homes and Communities Agency has recently issued three ‘serious detriment' notices against Gallions, Your Housing Group and the Guinness Partnership for failing to maintain gas safety and they have all had their Governance ratings downgraded partly based on that.</p><p>The Home Standard is a ‘consumer' standard and therefore applies to all registered providers, including local authorities.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 29/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

42124

	registered interest
	date	10/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name
	answering dept sort name
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on devolution of the Affordable Homes programme to (a) combined authorities and (b) local enterprise partnerships.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne East
	tabling member printed	Mr Nicholas Brown
	uin	191376
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Housing policy and the provision of affordable housing is not a function of combined authorities or Local Enterprise Partnerships.</p><p>Elected local councils act as both the local housing authorities and local planning authorities, and we should be cautious about any intervention which effectively transferred power upwards.</p><p>Notwithstanding, in the recent Affordable Homes Programme prospectus, we have stated that local authorities will want to engage in strategic dialogue with their Local Enterprise Partnerships when identifying key areas for economic growth.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	523 label Biography information for Mr Nicholas Brown

46055

	registered interest
	date	31/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what support his Department has provided to Lancaster City Council to ensure affordable homes are built in rural areas in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Morecambe and Lunesdale
	tabling member printed	David Morris
	uin	194541
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>There will be 228 affordable homes delivered in Lancaster area as a result of £6.9 million of government funding through the 2011 to 2015 Affordable Homes Programme of which 27 homes are in rural areas (defined as settlements with populations of less than 3,000 people).</p><p>In 2011-12, half of the affordable homes built outside London were in rural local authorities and we have delivered over 5,000 affordable homes in the smallest rural communities (under 3,000 people) in the first two years of the current programme.</p><p>The Homes and Communities Agency's funding prospectus for the 2015-18 Affordable Homes Programme sets out how the Agency will continue to pay particular attention to the importance of delivery in rural areas in providing funding. The work of the Agency is also supported by a network of rural champions. The National Planning Policy Framework and Rural Exception Sites also help to address the housing needs of rural communities.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	4135 label Biography information for David Morris

46856

	registered interest
	date	03/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment has he made of the effect of buy-to-leave investments on the proportion of homes standing empty.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	195186
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p> </p><p><em>[Holding Reply: Tuesday 8 April 2014]</em></p><p><em>Action on empty homes</em></p><p>The Coalition Government has a comprehensive package of policies to help get empty homes back into use. They include:</p><p>· A £235 million empty homes funding programme, which will deliver 12,000 homes from empty properties by March 2015 – with apprenticeships on offer to make this happen.</p><p>· Rewarding councils for bringing empty homes back into use through the New Homes Bonus – since April 2011, councils have received over £2.2 billion for bringing over 93,000 empty homes back into use, which they can then use to benefit the wider community.</p><p>· Giving councils new powers to remove council tax subsidies to empty homes, and use the funds to keep the overall rate of council tax down.</p><p>· Cancelling the last Administration's Pathfinder programme which sought to demolish homes, instead focusing on refurbishment and getting empty homes into use.</p><p><br> <em>The evidence base</em></p><p>This approach is working. The number of empty homes has fallen year-on-year since 2009, and at now at the lowest level since 2004. Similarly, the number of long-term vacant properties has fallen by around a third since 2009.</p><p>I note that Islington Borough Council's recent discussion paper on so-called “Buy to Leave” tried to use the electoral roll as a proxy for measurement – yet many UK residents of foreign nationality may not be legally eligible to be on the electoral roll, or it simply may not be a priority for such individuals to register.</p><p>Moreover, in relation to London, I have placed in the Library a table showing how the number of empty homes has fallen by 30 per cent since 2009 and by 18 per cent in the last year, including a breakdown by London borough, which broadly shows falls across both central, inner and outer London boroughs. Islington has seen a drop in the number of empty homes of 26 per cent since 2009.</p><p>In that context, the evidence that “Buy to Leave” is a widespread problem is weak. Fundamentally, even where property is purchased by someone of foreign nationality, it will generally be either occupied or rented out, generating an ongoing return for the investor. It is not particularly rational for any investor not to rent out an unused flat and lose rental income, given the strong demand for private rented accommodation, especially in London.</p><p><em>The small number of foreign buyers</em></p><p>Even then, the Bank of England recently estimated that foreign buyers represent just 3% of total residential property transactions in London (Bank of England, <em>Financial Stability Report</em>, November 2013). Knight Frank have estimated that between 85% and 90% of new-build sales in Greater London are sold to domestic buyers, and there is no indication of a shift towards higher non-resident purchases in the last two years (Knight Frank, <em>International Buyers in London</em>, October 2013). Savills have reported that the proportion of sales to overseas buyers in ‘prime' London markets is no higher than it was in 1990. But they also estimate that, in 2012, foreign investment helped to finance 3,000 new affordable homes and added a further 3,000 much needed new homes to the market-rented sector (Savills, <em>Spotlight: The World in London</em>, 2013).</p><p><em>How foreign investment helps build new housing</em></p><p>Both domestic and foreign investment in new housing has been helping to provide the finance needed to build it, particularly in a global city like London. Without upfront investment, financiers would not have released the cash needed for development to go ahead, and building would have stalled. These new developments not only provide homes for people to live and work, they also unlock associated affordable housing development. A good example is the Battersea Power Station redevelopment which, having laid derelict for thirty years, is now being taken forward thanks to the combination of private investment from Malaysia and public infrastructure support from the UK Government. Both were essential to move the project forward.</p><p><em>Marketing new build to local residents</em></p><p>I would add that the Government has actively encouraged the property industry to ensure that homes for sale are marketed in the United Kingdom, and not solely overseas. In response, the Home Builders Federation announced in December 2013 a new industry initiative which commits signatories to ensure that housing developments in London are marketed in the UK either at the same time as, or in advance of, any overseas launch.</p><p>The Mayor of London has also recently launched a Mayoral Concordat on new homes in the capital, writing to key developers across the UK, asking them to sign up to commit to selling new homes on every development to Londoners before, or at the same time as they are available to overseas buyers. The Concordat is already supported by the Major Developer Group, London First, the London Chamber of Commerce and the Home Builders Federation and signed by fifty developers in London.</p><p><em>Tackling tax avoidance</em></p><p>Of course, it is important that overseas owners of property pay their way. That is why this Government has taken action to tackle tax avoidance by reforming taxation of higher-value UK residential property held by non-natural persons, and also levelling the playing field by introducing capital gains tax on future gains made by non-residents disposing of UK residential property. Last month's Budget took further steps to discourage the use of corporate envelopes to invest in high value housing to avoid paying tax.</p><p><em>More new housing to buy and rent</em></p><p>As well as tackling empty homes, the Government's long-term economic plan is increasing investment and building more homes. According to the NHBC, in 2013, new housing registrations rose by 30 per cent in England on the year before and registrations are the highest since 2007; in London, new registrations rose 60 per cent, the highest annual total since their records began 26 years ago.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins previous answer version 5260 answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

46859

	registered interest
	date	03/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with local authorities on charges for property owners who purchase properties with the intention of keeping them vacant.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	195177
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to my answer given today to PQ 195177.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins previous answer version 5262 answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

47022

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2014, Official Report, column 533W, on wind power, where within his Department information on the energy capacity of schemes is held.
	tabling member constituency	Sunderland Central
	tabling member printed	Julie Elliott
	uin	195380
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2014 answer text <p><br>[Holding Reply: Wednesday 9 April 2014]</p><p>The individual details of each appeal are submitted by the parties within a variety of documents, stored separately on the individual case files.</p><p>My Department does not analyse or keep running totals of the generation capacity of wind turbine appeals, and it would incur disproportionate cost to create such information retrospectively. The main consideration in wind turbine appeals is the potential impact of the development on the surrounding area.</p><p>Details on renewable energy projects are held on the Department of Energy and Climate Change's Planning Database at: <a href="https://restats.decc.gov.uk/cms/planning-database/" target="_blank">https://restats.decc.gov.uk/cms/planning-database/</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 29/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins previous answer version 5564 answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	4127 label Biography information for Julie Elliott

47028

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funds have been allocated to each local enterprise partnership area from (a) the Growing Places Fund and (b) other central government funding since March 2012.
	tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
	tabling member printed	Toby Perkins
	uin	195307
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Central Government funding allocated to Local Enterprise Partnership programmes since March 2012 is set out in a table which has been deposited in the Library. This includes capacity funding for each Local Enterprise Partnership, Regional Growth Fund for programmes sponsored by Local Enterprise Partnerships and funding for Enterprise Zones which are sponsored by Local Enterprise Partnerships. No further Growing Places Fund has been allocated since March 2012.</p><p>All funding to Local Enterprise Partnerships goes through their accountable body (a nominated local authority) and so no funds are paid directly to Local Enterprise Partnerships.</p><p>I would observe that the north of England has received proportionately the most funding (per capita), followed by the Midlands, and then the south of England, reflecting the fact that we are supporting economic growth in all parts of the country, north and south, rural and urban, shire and city, but particularly those which were left behind under the last Administration.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td><p><em>Total government funding</em></p></td><td><p><em>Population</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North of England</p></td><td><p>£157.8 million</p></td><td><p>16,463,900</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Midlands</p></td><td><p>£90.5 million</p></td><td><p>12,903,800</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South of England</p></td><td><p>£106.9 million</p></td><td><p>28,966,600</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins attachment 1 file name 2490 Perkins - Table.docx title Table
	tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

47911

	registered interest
	date	09/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will include Peterborough in the areas involved in his Department's proposals for dealing with rogue private rented sector landlords; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Peterborough
	tabling member printed	Mr Stewart Jackson
	uin	195997
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The overwhelming majority of private sector landlords are reputable and provide decent well maintained homes. This is demonstrated by high levels of satisfaction with over 83% of tenants happy with their accommodation. However, a small proportion of landlords neglect their properties and exploit their tenants forcing them to live in unsafe and overcrowded accommodation. We are cracking down on these rogue landlords and have provided £6.7 million to support local authorities with acute and complex problems, of which Peterborough received £70,000 to help them tackle problems associated with sheds and outhouses being used illegally as accommodation. The work on driving rogue landlords out of the sector is ongoing and will be supported, by the publication of updated guidance on the prosecution of rogue landlords later this year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	1551 label Biography information for Lord Jackson of Peterborough