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1187720

registered interest
date	25/03/2020
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	Local Government: Meetings
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 potential merits of filming (a) council and (b) sub-council network group meetings to promote transparency.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
uin	35057
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>Whilst the Government attaches importance to local authority transparency which is promoted by the Local Government Transparency Code with core mandatory requirements, it has not assessed the potential merits of filming council meetings.</p><p>The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020, which came into force on 4 April 2020, enable all local authority meetings before 7 May 2021 to be held remotely by such means as telephone conferencing, video conferencing, live webchat and live streaming, as a council considers appropriate.</p> answering member constituency Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland answering member printed Mr Simon Clarke question first answered 27/04/2020 13:40:46 answering member 4655 label Biography information for Sir Simon Clarke
tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1187726

registered interest
date	25/03/2020
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: Coronavirus
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 they are taking to provide people experiencing homelessness with units to self-isolate during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	34975
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>During the COVID-19 outbreak, the Government has been working at pace with the GLA and a number of hotel chains across the country to secure accommodation for rough sleepers and we have now introduced a centrally coordinated booking process.</p><p>The vast majority of rough sleepers known to local authorities have now been made offers of safe accommodation – ensuring some of the most vulnerable in society are protected from the pandemic. This includes those rough sleeping or who have been living in accommodation with communal sleeping spaces such as night shelters.</p><p>This response is backed by £3.2 billion of additional funding for local authorities to enable them to respond to other COVID-19 pressures, including stepping up support for the adult social care workforce and for services helping the most vulnerable, such as those who find themselves experiencing homelessness during this time. This is in addition to £3.2 million in targeted funding to ensure that we minimise the risk to those currently unable to self-isolate.</p><p>This funding will assist local authorities with providing accommodation and support to vulnerable people who are at risk of, or who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. We will continue to work closely with local authorities to help ensure that they have the resources they need to protect people who are currently, or at risk of, sleeping rough.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 27/04/2020 15:27:42 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1187727

registered interest
date	25/03/2020
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: Migrants
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 plans he has to provide (a) support and (b) accommodation for people experiencing homelessness with no recourse to public funds during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	34976
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2020 answer text <p>The Government is aware of concerns about those with no recourse to public funds experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis.</p><p>We are ensuring local authorities are supported, with £3.2 million in targeted funding to help support individuals who are sleeping rough off the streets, and an additional £3.2 billion provided to local authorities as part of the wider government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>This funding has been provided to help local authorities to reduce risks to public health and to support individuals on the basis of need.</p><p>The legal position on those with no recourse to public funds has not been amended.</p><p>The Government recognises that these are unprecedented times, and expects local authorities to support people who are sleeping rough, and also to minimise unnecessary risks to public health, acting within the law.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 28/04/2020 14:46:30 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1187728

registered interest
date	25/03/2020
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: Coronavirus
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 plans he has to ensure that personal protective equipment is provided to people working in homelessness services during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	34977
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>We are working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to all those that need it, including those working in homelessness services.</p><p>To ensure that those facing supply issues and conducting essential work receive the PPE they need, DHSC have set up a cross-government PPE board, that includes the Devolved Administrations, to prioritise requests for PPE. They are using a clinical framework based on the UK guidance to help make these prioritisation decisions and we are distributing this supply as quickly as possible.</p><p>This guidance can be found at: <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fwuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control&amp;data=02%7C01%7CParliamentary%40communities.gov.uk%7C655c2fa4bab642bc3a4008d7e50427b0%7Cbf3468109c7d43dea87224a2ef3995a8%7C0%7C0%7C637229678312991553&amp;sdata=pABP3RfcJtxJJk6bf9iSlEYCdOgJ9%2FIYpclVvGPjsAA%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control</a>.</p><p>The Government has arranged a priority drop of millions of items of PPE to Local Resilience Forums (LRFs): local partnerships that bring together the NHS, councils and the police to coordinate the emergency response locally and plug local gaps. The LRFs are prioritising delivery to key frontline workers according to local need.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 27/04/2020 15:25:44 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1187729

registered interest
date	25/03/2020
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	Private Rented Housing: Students
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 he is providing to (a) landlords and (b) letting agencies who rent private accommodation to students who will move out of term-time accommodation due to the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Belfast South
tabling member printed	Claire Hanna
uin	35060
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>We have published guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities in the context of coronavirus (COVID-19) which can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-and-renting-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-and-renting-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities</a>. Landlords or letting agencies who rent private accommodation to students must continue to comply with existing legislation including, in the case of some shared accommodation, specific Houses in Multiple Occupation licensing rules. (See here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/house-in-multiple-occupation-licence" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/house-in-multiple-occupation-licence</a>.)</p><p>During this period, landlord, letting agency and tenant obligations have not changed and tenants remain liable for rent. Some universities and private accommodation providers have chosen to release students from their contracts early and not charge rent for students returning home. However, in the case of private landlords and letting agencies, the negotiation of rent waivers with student tenants is a matter between the parties concerned. We encourage landlords, letting agencies and tenants to adopt a pragmatic, common-sense approach to issues that may arise in the current circumstances.</p> answering member constituency Tamworth answering member printed Christopher Pincher question first answered 27/04/2020 16:14:54 answering member 4075 label Biography information for Christopher Pincher
tabling member	4827 label Biography information for Claire Hanna

1187741

registered interest
date	25/03/2020
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	Second Homes: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making holiday homes exempt from classification as domestic properties when that home is being used as a main residence for the duration of the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Canterbury
tabling member printed	Rosie Duffield
uin	35032
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2020 answer text <p>The Government has no plans to exempt homes from being classified as domestic properties other than where they are being used for business purposes. Where a property is used for non-domestic purposes, it is for the Valuation Office Agency to determine whether it should be liable for council tax or business rates.</p> answering member constituency Tamworth answering member printed Christopher Pincher question first answered 21/04/2020 13:25:23 answering member 4075 label Biography information for Christopher Pincher
tabling member	4616 label Biography information for Rosie Duffield

1187749

registered interest
date	25/03/2020
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	Hate Crime: Coronavirus
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 his Department is taking to (a) protect and (b) support people subject to (i) racial abuse and (ii) other hate crimes as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Bermondsey and Old Southwark
tabling member printed	Neil Coyle
uin	34991
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>The Government takes hate crime and discrimination of any kind very seriously. We are a tolerant and welcoming multicultural society and we have one of the strongest legal frameworks in the world to report, record and prosecute hate crime. I would encourage anyone who experiences hate crime to report it to the police. <br> <br> Government’s Hate Crime Action Plan published in October 2018 sets out a comprehensive programme of work across Government and the police. We fund hate crime reporting platforms, including True Vision, and we continue to engage with communities of all backgrounds and local leaders including councils and the police to make sure we are aware of any concerns communities may have and can provide targeted support.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 27/04/2020 15:24:11 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
tabling member	4368 label Biography information for Neil Coyle

1187768

registered interest
date	25/03/2020
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	Antisemitism
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reasons his Department has not brought forward legislative proposals to make Holocaust denial a criminal offence.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	34967
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>The Government deplores attempts to deny the Holocaust, including those views expressed in a pseudo-intellectual manner. We understand why some European countries, because of their particular histories, have expressly legislated against Holocaust denial, but successive governments have taken the view that criminalising Holocaust denial in the UK would represent an unnecessary infringement of freedom of expression. It is of course the case that if Holocaust denial is expressed in a way that is threatening, abusive, or insulting and incites racial hatred, or is likely to do so, then that would be unlawful under the Public Order Act 1986.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 27/04/2020 15:49:02 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1187807

registered interest
date	25/03/2020
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	Empty Property: Coronavirus
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 potential merits of requisitioning control of empty homes and flats during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	35023
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>Local authorities are equipped with a range of powers and strong incentives to tackle empty homes. Through the New Homes Bonus, they earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back into use as for building a new one. In certain circumstances, local authorities can already apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) to temporarily take over the management of a property that has been empty for more than two years and bring it back into use.</p><p>Local authorities have a variety of compulsory purchase powers which they can use to acquire and develop derelict or empty property, including for housing purposes. Compulsory purchase is intended for use as a last resort and there must always be a compelling case in the public interest.</p> answering member constituency Tamworth answering member printed Christopher Pincher question first answered 27/04/2020 16:15:48 answering member 4075 label Biography information for Christopher Pincher
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1187808

registered interest
date	25/03/2020
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	Private Rented Housing: Coronavirus
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 discussions he has had with sales and lettings agents on the use of private properties by local authorities at no cost to the public purse in the event that additional capacity is required to house (a) NHS staff, and (b) families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	35024
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>MHCLG continues to work closely with local authorities to manage the impacts of covid-19 on homeless households and the most vulnerable in our society.</p><p>MHCLG officials are in regular contact with estate agency representatives and the voluntary and community sector, including local homelessness services.</p><p>Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation for households owed the main housing duty in the first instance until suitable long-term accommodation can be offered to them. Temporary accommodation is an important way of ensuring no family is without a roof over their head.</p> answering member constituency Tamworth answering member printed Christopher Pincher question first answered 27/04/2020 16:12:27 answering member 4075 label Biography information for Christopher Pincher
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill