To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with
reference to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington of
13 June 2019, Official Report, column 860, whether his Department plans to adopt the
target to build 155,000 social rented homes a year with at least 100,000 being council
homes.
<p>We are committed to increasing the supply of social housing and have invested over
£9 billion into our Affordable Homes Programme to deliver 250,000 affordable homes
by 2022, including at least 12,500 for social rent.</p><p>We do not publish yearly
targets but deliver flexibly throughout the years of the programme to achieve our
overall target and hold Homes England and the GLA to account for delivery.</p><p>We
have increased the size of the Affordable Homes Programme, re-introduced social rent,
removed the HRA borrowing cap for local authorities, and have set out a long-term
rent deal for councils and housing associations in England from 2020. Housing associations
and local authorities now need to accelerate delivery and build more affordable homes.</p>
<p>There are no plans for a White Paper. The consultation on the Green Paper, ‘A new
deal for social housing’, closed on 6 November 2018. We received a large number of
responses, along with feedback from eight engagement events held with social housing
residents around the country. We are currently assessing the responses and finalising
our response.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what
progress the Government has made in implementing the proposals outlined in the Government
response to the Review of park homes legislation: call for evidence part two.
<p>Significant progress has been made on the implementation of the proposals set out
in the Government’s response to the review.</p><p>A working group has been set up
to consider how information about rights and responsibilities can be improved and
shared more widely.</p><p>The Government intends to shortly publish a consultation
on introducing a fit and proper person test for park home site licence holders and
managers.</p><p>Research will be commissioned later this year to assess the likely
impacts of a change to the rate of commission paid on the sale of a mobile home. In
scoping research, careful consideration will be given to the judicial review decision
of the Welsh Government’s earlier proposal to reduce the rate of commission.</p><p>The
proposals which require primary and secondary legislation will depend on parliamentary
time being available.</p>