The Government recently announced in the Queen\u2019s Speech its intention to publish a draft bill to ban letting fees paid by tenants in England. A ban will mean that tenants are better able to search around for properties that suit their budget with no hidden costs. This is preferable to tenants being hit with upfront charges that can be difficult for them to afford. The approach taken in the draft bill will be informed by the recent public consultation, which closed on 2 June and received over 4,700 responses. These responses are being analysed. The Government will publish its response to the consultation in due course and further information on the draft bill will follow.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-10T16:28:37.353Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Letting Agents: Fees and Charges"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the merits of ensuring that legislation on letting agent fees will include provisions to prevent landlords from passing on any increases in their costs to tenants via higher rents.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/304", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Hall Green"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Roger Godsiff"} ], "uin" : "3143"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748458", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748458/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We are currently considering the extension of Right to Buy discounts across England to housing association tenants, and will announce more details in due course.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-10T15:33:11.87Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Right to Buy Scheme: Housing Associations"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the Government's policy is on implementing a right to buy scheme for tenants of housing association properties in England.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/242", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Christchurch"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Christopher Chope"} ], "uin" : "3273"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748459", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748459/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Pay, alongside other terms and conditions, remains a matter for local authorities to manage as individual employers and locally elected bodies.<\/p>
Ministers have been very clear that authorities should be demonstrating restraint in the pay and reward of senior staff. In addition, the government has taken steps to increase the transparency and accountability of local decisions on pay.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-10T15:33:40.433Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea: Redundancy Pay"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has been consulted on the value of the exit payment for the Chief Executive of the Council of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea after his resignation in June 2017.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/242", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Christchurch"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Christopher Chope"} ], "uin" : "3274"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748469", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748469/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Safety officers working with the emergency services currently on site have tested the air within Grenfell Tower for asbestos and have not detected any levels of concern. When work commences to clear the site there will be a system of engineering work that will prevent any asbestos being released from the site and a programme of regular environmental air monitoring conducted to minimise the risk to local residents and contractors. Public Health England is monitoring air quality around the site and to date has not detected any asbestos in the environment. The results of the monitoring tests are available on the PHE website along with a health explanation at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/628925/Environmental_monitoring_following_the_Grenfell_Tower_fire.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-20T16:58:29.68Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Grenfell Tower: Fires"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the possibility of local asbestos contamination as a result of the fire at Grenfell Tower.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4031", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rachel Reeves"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Leeds West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rachel Reeves"}
], "uin" : "2995"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748490", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748490/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Department wrote to local authority and housing associations landlords on 18 June, setting out immediate actions that should be taken to identify residential tower blocks over 18 metres in height with aluminium type external cladding. The Department wrote again on 19 June to set out the process they should follow to submit samples of aluminium composite material cladding for testing.<\/p> The Secretary of State wrote on 22 June to update all Members of Parliament on the Grenfell Tower disaster and the action we are taking in response, and he will provide regular updates as further information is released; these are being made available on the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/grenfell-tower<\/a><\/p> On 30 June, we published a note at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/explanatory-note-on-safety-checks-and-testing<\/a> This note confirms the advice in those letters to local authorities, with further specific information about the tests being carried out.<\/p> On 6 July we published details of further tests to be carried out as the next step in helping landlords to ensure the safety of their buildings. These large scale tests will help establish how different types of ACM panels in combination with different types of insulation behave in a fire. Further detail about the next testing stage can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/expert-panel-recommends-further-tests-on-cladding-and-insulation<\/a><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748490/answer/previousversion/3143", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-11T16:30:30.02Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Social Rented Housing: Insulation"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his oral contribution of 3 July 2017, Official Report, column 924, on guidance to local authorities and housing associations, what specific guidance has been given in respect of insulation.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4572", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Elmore"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ogmore"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chris Elmore"}
], "uin" : "3029"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748491", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748491/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "