Cladding Crisis Front And Centre Of Election Campaigning

The cladding crisis is front and centre of election campaigning, with the government accused of downplaying risks posed by high-pressure laminate (HPL) panels linked to the blaze that ripped through a student block in Bolton. Former housing minister Kit Malthouse was accused in June of ‘misleading’ MPs over fire-safety tests carried out on HPL prior to June 2017. Answering a written Commons question from Labour’s Steve Reed, Malthouse effectively admitted that MHCLG had been aware of another cladding type that failed a large-scale fire test. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/cladding-crisis-front-and-centre-of-election-campaigning/

Shared Ownership – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the shared ownership model for housing development.

Kit Malthouse: Between 2010-11 and 2017-18, around 65,000 new Shared Ownership homes have been delivered.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-07-16/277643

Social Rented Housing: Construction – Parliamentary Written Answer

Matt Western: 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.

Kit Malthouse: We do not publish yearly targets but deliver flexibly throughout the years of the programme to achieve our overall target and hold Homes England and the GLA to account for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.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-07-04/273481

Right to Buy Scheme: Midlands – Parliamentary Written Answer

Craig Tracey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the response of Homes England to freedom of information request reference RFI2673, whether his Department plans to reopen the ballot for the Voluntary Right to Buy Midlands Pilot for Housing Association tenants as a result of the low take-up in that ballot.

Kit Malthouse: There are no plans to run a second ballot – if this position changes, the Government will make an announcement

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-06-18/266137

Developer Contributions To Be Made Simpler, Says Malthouse,

Housing minister Kit Malthouse has announced changes to developer contributions to make the system simpler and accelerate the pace of homebuilding. Builders pay through developer contributions (section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy [CIL]) for the roads, schools, GP surgeries and parkland needed to help areas to cope with new residents. But Malthouse said these measures are “confusing and unnecessarily over-complicated”. The new rules mean that communities would know exactly how much developers are paying for infrastructure in their area, he explained. Councils will be required to report the deals done with developers and set how the money will be spent, so residents can see every step taken to make sure that their area is ready for new housing. Read more on the Planning Portal.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/news/article/640/planning_news_-_13_june_2019?utm_source=PPQ+Newsletter&utm_campaign=3034f4b39f-Newsletter_18042019_HTML_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_734e0b63a9-3034f4b39f-7266185#one

Affordable Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many affordable houses have been built in the UK in the last 12 months.

Kit Malthouse: In 2017-18 47,355 affordable homes were completed, an increase of 12 per cent on the previous year, of these over 7,100 (15 per cent) were in London. Details for homes delivered in 2018 -19 will be published in the Departments annual Affordable Housing Supply statistics.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-06-06/261275

Housing: East Midlands – Parliamentary Written Answer

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many homes are planned to be built on public land in the East Midlands under the Public Land for Housing Programme 2015-20 by 2020.

Kit Malthouse: As of March 2018, there are around 1,800 homes planned to be built in the East Midlands which have been released under the Public Land for Housing Programme 2015-20. Departments are looking to dispose of land in all regions of England by March 2020.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-05-16/255386

Malthouse: Nowhere In The Country Will Be ‘Untouched By Construction’

“No part of the country, in theory, will be untouched by construction.” That’s according to Housing Minister Kit Malthouse, speaking at the 2019 Local Government Association Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Conference. He added: “We want everyone who wants to be building to do so.” However, Malthouse conceded that some nations tackle certain areas of housing more effectively than the UK. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/malthouse-nowhere-in-the-country-will-be-untouched-by-construction/

Housing Minister Admits No Starter Homes Have Been Built Since 2016

Kit Malthouse has admitted that the government will fail to keep its 2015 election promise to build 200,000 starter homes by 2020. In 2016, the government allocated £1.2 billion to the ‘starter homes’ programme, which aimed to build 200,000 properties exclusively for first-time buyers at a 20% discount on their market value. When asked how many starter homes had been built since 2016, the housing minister stated: “At the moment, none”. This comes as housebuilders admit that they are unable to keep up with demand for Help to Buy properties. Read more on the Showhouse website.

https://www.showhouse.co.uk/news/housing-minister-admits-no-starter-homes-have-been-built-since-2016/

New Rent Deal To Aid ‘Quality And Quantity’ Of Social Housing

MHCLG has announced a new long-term social housing rent deal – supporting “quality and quantity” by capping rent changes at a sustainable level. The new rent standard has been confirmed by housing minister Kit Malthouse. Malthouse said the standard “provides councils, housing associations and tenants with certainty”. The five-year deal comes after the Social Housing Green Paper published last year set out government commitments to work with the sector to rebalance the relationship between residents and landlords, tackle stigma and ensure that social housing can be a stable base that supports social mobility. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/new-rent-deal-to-support-quality-and-quantity-of-social-housing/

Major Funding Boost For Community-Led Home Building

£6m is coming the way of the Community Led Homes programme in England, as MHCLG looks to commit the sum over a two-year period with payment of the full allocation in 2019/20 dependent on the “full and appropriate” defrayal of the £2m allocation in 2018/19. And MHCLG also stipulates this must be in line with the project as defined in the funding agreement and the satisfactory delivery of the project against project targets. As announced by housing Minister Kit Malthouse, funding of up to £10,000 will be provided to groups to cover start-up costs such as legal fees, and a further £3.5 million will be made available to provide technical advice and support to guide communities through the process of house building. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/major-funding-boost-for-community-led-home-building/

Housing: Noise – Parliamentary Written Answer

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether (a) local authorities and (b) housing providers are required to notify the occupant of property A before noise recording equipment is installed in property B in connection with suspected noise nuisance from property A.

Kit Malthouse: [Holding answer 11 February 2019]: There is no requirement under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to notify occupants that any recording apparatus has been installed by local authorities in any on-going statutory nuisance cases. There is also no similar requirement on housing providers.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-02-06/217476

Housing: Construction – Parliamentary Written Answer

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure proposed new permitted development rights do not adversely affect the quality of housing with respect to (a) size and (b) safety regulations.

Kit Malthouse: Our recent consultation, “Planning Reform: Supporting the high street and increasing the delivery of new homes” sought views on new permitted development rights to help deliver more homes. All homes, whether granted permission through a national permitted development right or on a planning application are required to meet Building Regulations, including fire safety. We are currently considering the responses received to the consultation. Decisions will be taken in due course on the consultation proposals to be taken forward.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-02-04/216359

Housing: Construction – Parliamentary Written Answer

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, at what rate he estimates the UK needs to build houses in order to cope with the additional demand created by current levels of immigration.

Kit Malthouse: The Government is committed to delivering the right homes in the right places. We are making progress, and latest figures show over 222,000 new homes were delivered in 2017/18 in England - the highest level of new homes delivered in all but one of the last 31 years. But we are determined to do more in order to deliver the homes communities need. That is why we have set out an ambitious package of measures to deliver 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s. These measures include over £44 billion of financial support, planning reforms and scrapping housing revenue account borrowing caps so councils can deliver a new generation of council housing.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-12-20/204387

Housing: Regeneration – Parliamentary Written Answer

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will create a fund for local authorities and housing associations to invest in the regeneration of existing housing stock.

Kit Malthouse: The Autumn Budget 2017 announced additional funding of £400 million recoverable loan finance for estate regeneration schemes. A fund of £290 million of recoverable loan has previously been made available. Also, in March 2017 we allocated £32 million of grant to 105 estates. The priorities for the programme are to:

• support the creation of additional, high-quality housing by enabling the densification of estates (where appropriate) through the better use of space and design;

• create better places to help tackle the social disadvantage and deprivation associated with many existing estates.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-01-04/205255

Right to Buy Scheme: Females – Parliamentary Written Answer

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to protect women's eligibility for the right to buy discount in situations when they are not entitled to that discount due to their previous tenancy being entirely in their ex-husband or partner’s name.

Kit Malthouse: Where a married couple live together under a public sector tenancy, they individually accrue tenancy periods which count towards eligibility for the Right to Buy. This applies whether the tenancy is in both names; or if the tenancy is only in a single name. The accrued periods still apply individually if the couple separate or divorce. This is set out in Schedule 4 of the Housing Act 1985; and in the department's booklet for tenants: Your Right to Buy Your Home ; and in the guidance for landlords: Right to Buy - A Guide for Local Authorities.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-11-23/195063

Help to Buy Scheme – Parliamentary Written Answer

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many help to buy equity loans have been made since the start of that scheme; and of those loans what proportion were for leasehold properties.

Kit Malthouse: Help to Buy: Equity Loan has helped 169,102 households buy a new-build home from its launch on 1 April 2013 until 31 March 2018. To end March 2018, overall, 24.9 per cent of these were for leasehold properties: 12.0 per cent of houses were leasehold and 92.8 per cent of flats were leasehold.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-11-06/188801

Malthouse To Face Commons Committee Over Green Paper

Housing minister Kit Malthouse gets quizzed next week over the Social Housing Green Paper by the Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee. The paper outlined five principles as the basis for future policy, focusing on expanding housing supply and home ownership, improving quality, and providing effective support for residents and complaint resolution. In an evidence session set for next Wednesday (Oct 31), the committee will test Malthouse as to how effectively the Green Paper provides mechanisms to resolve the challenges it sets out, as well as questions on the funding needed to build more social housing, the role of the proposed Regulator of Social Housing, and how the perception of social housing as an option of last resort or a ‘springboard’ can be changed. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/malthouse-to-face-commons-committee-over-social-housing-green-paper/

Social Rented Housing: Regulation – Parliamentary Written Answer

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 94 of the Social Housing Green Paper and paragraph 19 of the Review of Social Housing Regulation call for evidence, whether the proposals for changes to the threshold of the serious detriment test used in the consumer home standard would require the introduction of new legislation.

Kit Malthouse: As part of the review of social housing regulation we will consider whether serious detriment remains the right threshold for intervention, and any change to this threshold will require amendment to primary legislation.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-10-12/178503

Tenant Services Authority – Parliamentary Written Answer

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason the Interim Chair of the Social Housing Regulator decided against appointing any tenants of social landlords when the regulator expanded its board in April 2018; and if he will ensure that the regulator now undertakes a process to make such appointments.

Kit Malthouse: The Assessment Panel considered applications against the essential criteria set out in the published candidate pack. Recommendations were made for appointments, which the then Housing Minister, on behalf of the then Secretary of State and the Prime Minister, agreed to. Work has begun to launch a further recruitment campaign to strengthen the board of the Regulator of Social Housing. In the recent Social Housing Green Paper, we committed to recruit someone with extensive experience of consumer regulation.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-10-11/178312