Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Monday 4 December 2023 · 18 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 8 Partly answered 7 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister discussed effective working between Muslim communities and local government in Newport with Welsh First Minister.
  • Minister noted that the code of practice on improved behaviour is being actively monitored and anecdotally shows fewer issues.
  • Minister responded to concerns about fixed-term tenancies, stating they can trap tenants in poor-quality homes and are no longer seen as necessary post-Housing Act 1988 amendments.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Ruth Jones Lab Newport West and Islwyn
Community Security Religion & Faith
Context

Newport has a thriving Muslim community engaged in multi-faith work following events in the Middle East.

Question

Can the Minister outline what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government about supporting this multi-faith work, and about eradicating Islamophobia in Wales and the UK?

Answer from Michael Gove

I am very grateful to the hon. Lady. Of course, Newport is one of many cities and towns where there is effective working between representatives of Muslim communities and figures in local government more widely. I had the opportunity to discuss some of these issues with the First Minister of Wales at the British-Irish Council just 10 days ago, but there is much more that we need to do to deal with anti-Muslim hatred.

Partly answered
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Q2 Tom Hunt
Standards & Ethics
Context

A non-binding code of practice for cladding remediation was published after discussions and highlighting the case of St Francis Tower.

Question

Will he update the House on how in practice that non-binding code of practice is working? Has it led to improved behaviour and been a step forward, and has he considered further my view that perhaps that code of practice needs to be legally binding?

Answer from Lee Rowley (North East Derbyshire) (Party)

My hon. Friend was a driving force behind that code of practice, and we are monitoring it actively. Anecdotally I am seeing fewer issues, although there are still some. I would be happy to receive from him and other Members of the House any information or evidence that suggests there is still a problem.

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Q3 Chi Onwurah Lab Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West
Local Government
Context

The cost to councils of delivering services exceeds their core funding by £2 billion this year, with Newcastle expecting a funding gap of £56 million.

Question

Can my constituents rely on council services under a Conservative Government?

Answer from Michael Gove

They certainly cannot rely on a Labour Government, because the Leader of the Opposition just this morning has been talking about his admiration for Margaret Thatcher and cost cutting. I am afraid all the hon. Lady is doing is raising false hopes that have no chance of being satisfied under a Labour Government.

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Q4 Desmond Swayne Con New Forest West
Housing
Context

The question concerns the Register of Members' Financial Interests and Government policy regarding fixed-term tenancies.

Question

Why is it Government policy to deny a landlord and tenant the ability to agree a mutually convenient fixed-term tenancy?

Answer from Jacob Young

Fixed-term tenancies can trap tenants into poor-quality homes, and trap landlords into long-term tenancies with bad tenants. With the abolition of section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, we no longer see such things as necessary, but I am happy to work with my right hon. Friend to ensure that the Renters (Reform) Bill works for his constituents.

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Q5 Mike Amesbury Lab
Housing
Context

The Government figures show that a record 139,000 children are in temporary accommodation with only 9,500 homes for social rent built last year.

Question

Does the Minister regret handing back £1.9 billion of unspent departmental money to the Treasury last year, given that we are in an urgent housing crisis? Why not adopt Labour's plan to get Britain building again, with 1.5 million homes over that parliamentary period?

Answer from Felicity Buchan

I remind the hon. Gentleman that our target is 300,000 homes per year which, when multiplied by five, equals 1.5 million. In the autumn statement we had three measures to address the challenges of temporary accommodation: we uprated the local housing allowance to the 30th percentile; there is a new £120 million for a homelessness fund; and an extra £450 million for the local authority housing fund.

Answered
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Q6 Jonathan Gullis
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

Stoke-on-Trent City Council secured £200 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for regeneration.

Question

Does my hon. Friend agree that Stoke-on-Trent City Council should invest its share of the £200 million that it recently secured from the National Lottery Heritage Fund on one of the three beautiful “beasts” of Burslem, including the indoor market, in order to regenerate the mother town?

Answer from Jacob Young

It is fantastic that Stoke-on-Trent has been chosen as one of the 20 places to benefit from the National Lottery Heritage Fund's £200 million investment in the Heritage Places initiative. The fund will make its funding decisions under that initiative and independent from Government. However, I am sure that the National Lottery has heard my hon. Friend's loud cry for Burslem, and I am sure it will look at it favourably.

Answered
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Q7 Mohammad Yasin Lab Bedford
Housing
Context

Sacha from Kempston, Bedford, is one of an increasing number of freeholders affected by excessive and opaque estate maintenance charges.

Question

Will the Secretary of State commit to a review into the role of those excessive, unpredictable and often opaque fees and insurance costs that not only treat mostly new homeowners as cash cows, but are putting their homes at risk?

Answer from Michael Gove

That is a very important point, and yes, we are on it.

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Q8 Peter Aldous Con
Business & Trade
Context

The Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft enterprise zone has been successful since its establishment in 2012. There are currently no investment zones in the east of England.

Question

The Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft enterprise zone, which was set up in 2012, has been very successful. With no investment zones in the east of England, will my hon. Friend meet my right hon. Friend the Member for Great Yarmouth (Sir Brandon Lewis) and me to consider how best the enterprise zone can be enhanced, so that it can continue to create jobs in the low-carbon energy sector?

Answer from Jacob Young

I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Member for Great Yarmouth. We have no plans at present to amend enterprise zones, but I am keen to ensure that their constituents continue to reap the rewards of levelling up, including the £100 million of investment for Sizewell C and freeport east, which will generate thousands of jobs across his region in new low-carbon technology.

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Q9 Marsha de Cordova Lab Battersea
Housing Environment
Context

Caius House, a youth charity in Battersea, faces significant waking watch costs due to the Building Safety Act 2022 despite having state-of-the-art fire alarm systems.

Question

Caius House is a small youth charity in Battersea that leases a space in a multi-use high-rise building that includes residential dwellings. Despite its having state-of-the-art fire alarm systems, the charity faces huge waking watch costs. As the Building Safety Act 2022 does not protect registered charities, such as Caius House, will the Secretary of State look into this case? Will he seek to bring forward legislation to protect charities from high costs due to fire safety remediation work?

Answer from Lee Rowley

I think we responded to a written question on this matter just a few months ago, but I am happy to meet the hon. Lady to talk about it in more detail, if there still is a problem. I am not aware of one at the moment.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Investigating and legislating to protect charities from high costs due to fire safety remediation work

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Q10 Jeremy Quin Con
Environment
Context

Horsham is experiencing severe water stress and is subject to water neutrality measures.

Question

Horsham is suffering severe water stress and is subject to water neutrality. Does the Minister agree that mitigations should be thorough, evidenced and monitored?

Answer from Lee Rowley

I absolutely agree. Water neutrality is impacting on small parts of the country, but it needs to be dealt with seriously and proportionately by statutory consultees, and then with a can-do attitude from councils where appropriate.

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Q11 Luke Pollard Labour (Co-op) Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Housing Children & Families
Context

Young people leaving care after their 18th birthday face challenges in securing housing.

Question

Does the Minister agree that young people leaving care after their 18th birthday should get more help to get their first home? Will he back my campaign that I am running with Barnado's and Plymouth care leavers for a deposit scheme for care leavers and a rent guarantee scheme, because every single care leaver leaving local authority care deserves a good, decent and safe first home?

Answer from Lee Rowley

I know the hon. Gentleman has done a significant amount of work on this matter within Plymouth, and I know that my colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions are doing a significant amount of work, too, and I would be happy to meet him to talk more about the matter.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Supporting a deposit scheme and rent guarantee scheme for care leavers

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Q12 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Housing
Context

A homeless person died over the weekend, and rough sleeping numbers are increasing.

Question

Sadly, a second homeless person died over the weekend. The number of rough sleepers is increasing, and the temperatures are falling. Will my hon. Friend take immediate action to ensure that rough sleepers are provided with a decent place to sleep, particularly during this cold weather?

Answer from Felicity Buchan

My hon. Friend raises an important point. Clearly, the death in Manchester was tragic. Local authorities can activate the severe weather emergency protocol measures. Manchester did activate those, but sadly the man was not known to local services. I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend, and we will do everything to support rough sleepers over the winter period.

Answered
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Q13 Kate Osamor Labour (Co-op) Edmonton and Winchmore Hill
Housing
Context

Enfield Council faces a £9.8 million overspend on temporary accommodation.

Question

The Government announced in the autumn statement £120 million of new money for homeless prevention for next year, but that is just a drop in the ocean, with Enfield Council alone facing a £9.8 million overspend on temporary accommodation for this year. When will this Government recognise the scale of the crisis and provide top-up funding for the homelessness prevention grant and discretionary housing payments?

Answer from Felicity Buchan

I remind the hon. Lady that our total package for homelessness and rough sleeping over three years is £2 billion. The £120 million is in addition to that, but I agree with her that there are real pressures on homelessness, particularly in London, and that is why there were three measures in the autumn statement.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Providing top-up funding for homelessness prevention grants and discretionary housing payments

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Q14 Andy Carter
Employment Local Government
Context

A national pay dispute has spilled over into a local disagreement in Warrington, leading to unresolved bin collection issues.

Question

It is now 10 weeks since the bins were emptied in Warrington. A national pay dispute has spilled over into a local disagreement. Does the Minister agree that it is now urgent that Labour-run Warrington Borough Council gets round the table with the unions and finds an urgent agreement, before the situation turns into a health emergency?

Answer from Michael Gove

Absolutely. Again and again, we find that Labour-run local authorities, despite their much-vaunted relationship with trade unions, are incapable of resolving these disputes. Whether in Birmingham or Warrington, Labour must do better, otherwise working people suffer.

How: Labour-Run Local Authorities, Inability To Resolve Disputes

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Q15 Rachael Maskell Labour (Co-op) York Central
Local Government
Context

City of York Council receives significantly less public funding than other areas, leading to service cuts.

Question

On public services, City of York Council area comes 152 out of 152 when it comes to public funding. As a result, services are now having to be cut in the area, as the council has £55 million less than when we last had a Labour Government. How will the Secretary of State ensure that fair funding stretches across all public services when looking at the new funding formula?

Answer from Michael Gove

We are absolutely committed to making sure that local authorities receive the resources they need. Having had conversations with the leader of City of York Council, I appreciate the constraints under which it is operating, and we hope to be able to say more in the local government finance settlement.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Ensuring equitable distribution of public service funding

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Q16 Siobhan Baillie
Local Government
Context

Organisations such as Fromehall Mill and the Sub Rooms are looking forward to future rounds of announcements for the community ownership fund.

Question

I have spoken to Ministers about the work of organisations such as Fromehall Mill and the Sub Rooms, and we have been down to Berkeley town. With them in mind, when will the next round of announcements about the community ownership fund be made?

Answer from Jacob Young

I am delighted to confirm to my hon. Friend that the next round of the community ownership fund opens this week, on 6 December. We will have the outcomes of the last window in the coming weeks, but I know that she is very keen on Fromehall Mill and Berkeley Books, which she has been championing.

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Q17 Christine Jardine Lib Dem Edinburgh West
Scotland Business & Trade
Context

The announcement that Edinburgh airport is for sale comes shortly after the news about the Grangemouth oil refinery closing. This raises concerns among constituents in Edinburgh West.

Question

What can the Secretary of State say to reassure my constituents that everything possible has been done to ensure these announcements do not undermine the green enterprise zone in the area?

Answer from Michael Gove

The hon. Lady does a fantastic job of standing up for her constituents in Edinburgh West, and she is absolutely right: the UK Government should be, and are, working with the Scottish Government and private sector partners to ensure sustainable growth continues in Edinburgh and the wider Lothian region.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific reassurance about the green enterprise zone was not provided

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Q18 Neil O'Brien Con Harborough, Oadby and Wigston
Local Government
Context

The Government are working to protect councils during the transition to a new planning system but there is confusion about this amongst local councils.

Question

Can the Secretary of State help me get across to my local Lib Dem-run council that the government is not planning to force councils into having an out-of-date plan by taking away their right to submit a new, up-to-date plan?

Answer from Michael Gove

I had the great pleasure of visiting Harborough on Friday when I was able to see the enormously high regard with which my hon. Friend is held. Unfortunately, that high regard does not extend to Oadby and Wigston Borough Council or Harborough District Council—two Liberal Democrat authorities that are playing fast and loose with the planning system and letting their residents down.

Not addressed: Specific clarification about the government's stance on councils' rights was not provided

How: Criticising Opposition

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