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  • Tristram Hunt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tristram Hunt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the residence requirements are for (a) existing right-to-buy entitlements and (b) the proposed extension of right-to-buy to housing association tenants for (i) non-EU foreign nationals, (ii) EU foreign nationals and (iii) UK citizens.

    Brandon Lewis

    Before 2006 all applicants for Government supported home ownership had to have indefinite leave to remain in the UK. The last Labour Government changed these rules in 2006.

    Subject to EU Treaty negotiation, we will introduce a residency test for social housing, requiring European Economic Area nationals to have lived in the UK for 4 years. This means that European Economic Area nationals would not be eligible for Right to Buy until they had lived in this country for a minimum of seven years.

    A tenant must have had a public sector tenancy within the UK for three years before qualifying for Right to Buy.

  • Tristram Hunt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tristram Hunt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the proportion of new replacement homes for housing association homes to be sold under the proposed extension of right-to-buy entitlements which will be (a) local authority owned social housing, (b) housing association social housing and (c) private rented sector housing.

    Brandon Lewis

    Under the voluntary agreement with the National Housing Federation and housing associations, every home sold to tenants will result in an additional home being provided. This will lead to an increase in overall housing supply.

    Associations will have the freedom to replace the properties sold with alternative tenures such as shared ownership, where this is more appropriate for their community.

  • Tristram Hunt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Tristram Hunt – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tristram Hunt on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of the total number of households have been owner occupiers in each of the last 10 years in each London (i) borough and (ii) constituency.

    Brandon Lewis

    The Department for Communities and Local Government does not hold this information at local authority level. The 2011 Census (Office for National Statistics) provides local authority estimates for 2011.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proposals he has received from local and regional government on directly electing mayors; and if hewill make a statement.

    James Wharton

    We have already agreed four devolution deals which will see directly elected Combined Authority Mayors introduced.

    The Government is in discussions with other local areas across the country about the opportunities offered by devolution, and what new governance model may suit those areas, building on the 38 proposals received on 4 September.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what planning consents have been granted for the site of the Royal Hospital Haslar; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    My Department does not hold detailed records of the planning history for the Royal Hospital Haslar.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to promote Small Business Saturday.

    Anna Soubry

    The Department is fully supportive of the Small Business Saturday campaign and recognises the role it plays in highlighting the importance of small businesses to their local area and the UK as a whole.

    This is the third year we have worked with Small Business Saturday. I attended the UK campaign launch event on July 16th and support is being co-ordinated across government to further promote the campaign in the run up to December 5th.

  • Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Seema Malhotra – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Seema Malhotra on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects to publish his review of the residential conversion threshold for agricultural buildings.

    Brandon Lewis

    We announced in the Rural Productivity Plan that we will review the planning constraints facing rural businesses. This will include a review of the current threshold for agricultural buildings to convert to residential buildings. A Call for Evidence will be published later in the autumn.

  • Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to embed the family test into its policy making.

    Brandon Lewis

    Officials in my Department have liaised with the Department for Work and Pensions as the lead Department for the Family Test to embed it into the policy process. This has included training officials on applying the Test and disseminating relevant evidence, learning materials and best practice.

  • Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure the routine use by his Department of the family test; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    Officials in my Department have liaised with the Department for Work and Pensions as the lead Department for the Family Test to embed it and encourage routine use of the Test. This has included training officials on applying the Test, disseminating relevant evidence, learning materials and best practice.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many homelessness applications were made to local authorities as a result of an applicant losing their home to repossession in each of the last 10 years; and in what proportion of such applications the people were accepted as unintentionally homeless and in priority need.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    Statistics on the reasons for loss of last home are only held for those households who are accepted as unintentionally homeless and in priority need. The numbers of acceptances who lost their last home as a result of mortgage arrears in the last 10 years are shown in the attached table.