Monday Volume 627 17 July 2017 No. 18 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 17 July 2017 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2017 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 527 17 JULY 2017 528 will be piloting the concept of Housing First, which has House of Commons worked well elsewhere. He will also know that his town of Cheltenham will receive £1 million of our £10 million Monday 17 July 2017 social impact bond, money that will help the most vulnerable rough sleepers get the help they need. The House met at half-past Two o’clock Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/ Co-op): The Secretary of State talked about homelessness PRAYERS as though it is people living on the street; in my constituency, the council is spending £35 million a year on people living in hostels and temporary accommodation, and [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] there are many other hidden households who are living with another family because they cannot afford a roof Mr Speaker: Before we come to questions to the over their head. The Secretary of State talks about his Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, ambitious plans, but they do not help people here and I am sure the whole House will wish to join me in now; what is he doing now to make sure that people in offering our congratulations to Britain’s Jamie Murray, Hackney South and Shoreditch, across London and the Jordanne Whiley, and Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid country can get a roof over their head that is affordable? on their successes respectively in the mixed doubles, the ladies’ wheelchair doubles and the men’s wheelchair doubles at Wimbledon. I am sure that colleagues will Sajid Javid: The hon. Lady reminds us all that also wish to join me in offering our warmest congratulations homelessness is much more than about people living on to Roger Federer on his record-breaking eighth Wimbledon the streets; there are many more families and people singles title, the oldest man to win the Wimbledon men’s affected across the country, including, of course, in singles trophy in the open era, the oldest man to win a London. One thing we are doing that I am sure she will grand slam singles title since Ken Rosewall won in welcome is the announcement in a recent Budget that 1972 and the first man to win the Wimbledon title we will be putting £100 million into low-cost move-on without dropping a set throughout the whole tournament accommodation that will provide at least 2,000 places. since Björn Borg in 1976. We are celebrating the achievements of a very great man indeed. Mrs Maria Miller (Basingstoke) (Con): First Point in my constituency works with many hundreds of my constituents who could be at risk of homelessness. Does my right hon. Friend think that housing associations Oral Answers to Questions should be doing more to refer individuals for support if arrears arise? That sometimes happens with larger housing associations, but smaller ones often fall short when it COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT comes to referring constituents for support. Sajid Javid: My right hon. Friend refers to how we The Secretary of State was asked— can try to prevent homelessness from occurring in the first place, and rightly says that some housing associations Homelessness do a much better job with these types of referrals when arrears arise. There is also a better role for local authorities, 1. Alex Chalk (Cheltenham) (Con): What progress and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 will certainly his Department has made on plans to tackle homelessness. help to achieve that. [900501] Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op): Surely The Secretary of State for Communities and Local the Secretary of State must give some hope of a vision Government (Sajid Javid): No one should find themselves that this Government actually believe in something. withoutaroof overtheirhead.ThatiswhythisGovernment And if he believes in one thing, it must be sorting out have committed to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and to the social housing market by building homes for people eliminate it all together by 2027. We are implementing at affordable rents—and good quality ones, too. the most ambitious legislative reform in decades, ensuring that more people get the help they need before they face homelessness. Sajid Javid: I know the hon. Gentleman cares passionately about this, but it is worth reminding him Alex Chalk: Our manifesto makes it clear that rough that statutory homelessness reached its peak in 2003 and sleeping is unacceptable, and I am delighted that the since then has fallen to half that number. But, of Secretary of State shares my view that we should be course, more needs to be done, and the right type of demanding nothing less than its complete eradication. social homes in the right places have a big role to play. What is being done not only in England but in Cheltenham to end this stain on our society? Eddie Hughes (Walsall North) (Con): Will my right hon. Friend join me in commending the work of YMCA Sajid Javid: My hon. Friend cares very deeply about Black Country and its excellent chief executive, Steve this issue and has done a lot in his constituency. I share Clay, as it works, through its Open Door programme, to those concerns and it is one of the reasons why, for persuade more private individuals to open their homes example, we announced in our recent manifesto that we to homeless young people? 529 Oral Answers 17 JULY 2017 Oral Answers 530 Sajid Javid: I will very much join my hon. Friend in are safe for all their tenants. I think that he was also commending the work that the YMCA does in his implying that, in the wake of the tragedy at Grenfell constituency, throughout the Black country and indeed Tower, we should be looking at what more can be done. throughout the country. This is a lesson that can be learned by many other areas, and it is exactly the kind 17. [900518] Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South) of thing we want to look at and see whether we can do (Lab): I am concerned that a survey of social landlords more of it. carried out by HouseMark has found that they had little confidence that they would be able to take Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP): The Minister will enforcement action under the Housing Act 2004 to be aware of the TV programme “Can’t Pay? We’ll Take ensure that leaseholders complied with fire safety It Away!”, in which officers arrive to evict people from regulations, including through fitting fire doors, which their homes. Some of those people do not understand is obviously essential, given what the Secretary of State the High Court process and might not have paid their has just said about keeping all tenants safe. Will he money, but some of them have paid their money and respond to the request from Nottingham City Council, the High Court is unaware of that fact. What can be which is seeking additional powers to enable this to done to help those people at that last minute before the happen? midnight hour? Sajid Javid: That is an important issue and I will Sajid Javid: I agree with my hon. Friend that more certainly look carefully at that request. It is important should be done in such difficult cases to help those that all leaseholders recognise their responsibilities as vulnerable people. I know that some councils do a much legal owners of their properties. A number of towers better job than others in that regard, and I hope that the were evacuated in Camden recently and a lot was found work we are now doing as a result of the Homelessness to be wrong with the internal fire safety of the buildings, Reduction Act will help us to spread that good practice including fire doors that should have been in place but to more councils. simply were not. Grenfell Tower Fire: Advice to Landlords Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con): I have pointed out to the mayor of Birmingham that the home in 2. Mike Kane (Wythenshawe and Sale East) (Lab): which he lives in Birmingham is in a block that is clad. What advice his Department has provided to small Does the Department keep a register so that it can push out information to private landlords on what they should private landlords since the Grenfell Tower fire. [900502] be looking for, specifically in relation to cladding? The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Sajid Javid: My hon. Friend will know that the legal Government (Sajid Javid): The safety of tower block owners of the building, be they private landlords or residents is absolutely paramount. We have made our otherwise, will have the best information about what testing process available to private residential owners type of cladding may or may not exist. Soon after the free of charge. This means that landlords can check the Grenfell Tower tragedy, after getting expert opinion, we safety of their buildings and take the necessary action to swiftly issued guidance on how to handle that identification reassure residents that they are safe in their homes. process better. Mike Kane: The Residential Landlords Association, Ms Harriet Harman (Camberwell and Peckham) (Lab): which is based in my constituency, has raised concerns Could the Secretary of State be more specific about the about the complex and sometimes contradictory guidance financial help that he is going to make available to being given to private landlords by various bodies, councils with tower blocks, such as Southwark, which including the Government, on fire safety.