Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Social Housing: Accountability to Tenants

Monday 16 October 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Elliot Colburn inquired about steps to ensure social housing providers are accountable to tenants.
  • The government responded with the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 to improve quality and accountability in social housing.
  • Residents facing issues with providers are assured support through the new legislation.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Elliot Colburn
Housing
Context

The MP is concerned about the accountability of social housing providers to their tenants. He has received complaints from constituents in Carshalton and Wallington regarding service levels from various housing associations.

Question

Whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that social housing providers are accountable to tenants, given that many residents face issues with service levels from housing associations like Sutton Housing Partnership and Metropolitan Thames Valley.

Answer from Michael Gove

We are taking action to improve the quality of social housing through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, which will deliver transformative change across the sector by introducing proactive consumer regulation and rebalancing relationships between landlords and tenants.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific issue about where residents can go when problems arise was not directly addressed with a clear mechanism or commitment.

How: My Hon. Friend, The Excellent Member Of Parliament For Carshalton And Wallington, Stands Up Not Just For His Constituents, But For The Most Vulnerable In Society, With Clarity And Moral Authority.

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Q2 Elliot Colburn
Housing
Context

The MP is concerned about residents who have complaints about service levels from their social housing providers. He has received specific complaints about Sutton Housing Partnership and Metropolitan Thames Valley.

Question

While welcoming the steps the Government are taking to support people in social housing, the MP highlights that many residents in Carshalton and Wallington still face issues with their providers, including complaints against Sutton Council's housing arm and Metropolitan Thames Valley. He asks for assurances that these residents have a place to turn when things go wrong.

Answer from Michael Gove

Residents absolutely do have somewhere to go. Our legislation, the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, ensures that Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing and Sutton Council's housing arm are held accountable for any failures they may encounter.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific question about where residents can turn was not directly answered with a clear mechanism or commitment, instead referring generally to the Act's provisions without specifying how it will help residents in practice.

How: My Hon. Friend, The Excellent Member Of Parliament For Carshalton And Wallington, Stands Up Not Just For His Constituents, But For The Most Vulnerable In Society, With Clarity And Moral Authority.

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