Housing, Communities and Local Government ministers were answering
questions in the Commons. Subjects covered included...
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Covid-19: Waste Collection Staff
(Warley) (Lab)
What guidance his Department has provided to local authorities on
safe working practices for waste collection staff during the
covid-19 outbreak. [901973]
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local
Government ()
May I begin by sending my thanks to all those working in local
government? Their efforts in every village, town and city across
the country is making the difference in this national endeavour.
Thank you.
Our binmen and women have done a fantastic job, maintaining the
vast majority of collections. The Government published advice to
councils on how to ensure the safety of refuse collections on 7
April. Today I am announcing that I am asking councils to plan
the organised reopening of household waste collection sites. I
expect this to happen over the coming weeks, and I will be
publishing amended guidance shortly.
Earlier today we paid tribute to key workers who have lost their
lives during the pandemic, and those who take away our rubbish
and thereby protect the health of our communities are certainly
key workers. The Secretary of State will know that their
unions—Unison, the GMB and Unite—have been working with councils
and contractors to agree safe working practices and the provision
of personal protective equipment. The advice and guidance from
his Department is welcome, but what steps is he taking to ensure
that this is actually spread out right the way across the country
and that best practice is being followed to protect these key
workers?
The right hon. Gentleman makes a very important point. Our binmen
and women have done a great job. We owe them a debt of gratitude,
and they deserve to have both the advice that they need and the
protective equipment where that is required. Public Health
England has published guidance for those working in the sector,
recommending that where the 2 metre distance rule cannot be
adhered to, staff should make sure that the windows of their
vehicles are open for ventilation, and they should wash their
hands for 20 seconds or longer before getting in and out of the
vehicle, or use hand sanitiser where handwashing is not possible.
We will ensure that councils follow up and adhere to that advice
so that those key workers are properly protected as they go about
their work.
Mr Speaker
We now go across to scenic Lancashire with .
(Blackburn) (Lab) [V]
Thank you, Mr Speaker. The new online portal for councils to
order PPE has still not gone live. Despite being promised that it
would be open three weeks ago, we are now told it is likely to be
another three weeks. The first duty of any employer is to keep
their staff safe while working. Councils are desperately trying
to buy, and are asking for donations of, PPE because their stocks
are dangerously low. Can the Secretary of State tell me when the
portal will be open, and will he give councils a cast-iron
guarantee that they will be given all the PPE they need to keep
them safe?
It is absolutely right that everybody working on the frontline of
this crisis has the protective equipment that they deserve. Of
course, those working in local government, and particularly those
working in care homes, deserve the best possible care. We have
been working to ensure that PPE reaches them through our local
resilience forums, which my Department is responsible for. That
has delivered over 50 million items of PPE in the past three
weeks, the vast majority of which—36 million items—have gone to
care homes. Of course there is more that we need to do. The
online Clipper service is now being piloted in care homes and in
general practice, and it will be rolled out, as the Health
Secretary has said, in the coming weeks.
Non-ACM Cladding
(Greenwich and Woolwich)
(Lab)
What recent steps he has taken to help ensure the removal and
replacement of unsafe non-ACM cladding from high-rise residential
blocks. [901974]
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local
Government ()
At Budget we announced that £1 billion will be provided to fund
the removal and the replacement of unsafe non-ACM cladding from
high-rise blocks to drive action at pace and protect leaseholders
from unfair remediation costs. This is in addition to the £600
million already provided to remove Grenfell-style ACM cladding.
As a result of covid-19, remediation work has currently paused on
as many as 60% of sites, but I have been working to persuade
companies to get back to work, and we are seeing some success. I
have brought together Mayors and council leaders to issue a
strong co-ordinated message that this important work can and
should continue.
[V]
I thank the Secretary of State for his response. He will, though,
I know, be conscious of the additional strain that—[Inaudible.]
Mr Speaker
I think that unfortunately I am not going to ask the Secretary of
State to comment on that.
(Weaver Vale) (Lab) [V]
As we get close to the third anniversary of Grenfell, when 72
people tragically lost their lives, hundreds of thousands of
tenants and leaseholders are still living in unsafe buildings.
This is, as the Secretary of State will know, a double whammy for
people in the lockdown, trapped in buildings cladded with
flammable materials, with some out of work or out of business and
having to pay expensive waking watch fees. I understand that the
Secretary of State said in a call with the M9 Mayors that he
would look into financial support from the Government for the
cost of waking watch and other interim fire safety measures. Has
that been done, and what was the outcome?
I am pleased to report that as a result of the call that I
convened with Mayors from across the country, we were able to
issue a co-ordinated message sending a very clear message to the
sector that building safety is of critical importance, that works
now need to continue, and that the sites that were closed should
now reopen. I hope that colleagues from across the House will
join me in that message, because it is important that we deliver
it in a co-ordinated, cross-party fashion.
With regard to waking watch, I have asked the noble Lord
Greenhalgh, the new Minister with responsibility for building
safety, to look into this to see what we can do to reduce the
cost of waking watch for members of the public in this position,
and to ensure that waking watches, where they are required, can
continue despite the lockdown.
Covid-19: Local Authority Funding
(Chesterfield) (Lab)
What plans the Government have to provide additional funding to
local authorities to replace funds spent on the response to the
covid-19 outbreak. [901976]
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local
Government ()
At the start of this emergency, I said that we would give
councils the resources they need to do the job, and I meant it.
We have announced over £3.2 billion of new funding to councils.
This is in addition to £20 billion in business rate support and
cashflow grant funding; £12 billion in grants for businesses
delivered through councils, which have got £6 billion of that out
of the door as of last week; £2.6 billion in deferred business
rate payments; and £500 million in council tax funds. We will
back councils with the financial resources they need as we work
together in this national endeavour against coronavirus.
Mr Perkins [V]
The Secretary of State told councils to spend what it takes and
expect reimbursement—[Inaudible.] From the money that the
Secretary of State announced, they received just £59,000 of his
initial £1.6 billion—[Inaudible.]
Apologies to the hon. Gentleman for the fact that we did not hear
all his question, but I think I understand the point that he was
making, which was twofold. First, whether the Government will
stand behind local councils for all the covid-related
expenditure, to which the answer is absolutely yes. Those things
that we asked of local councils in our national response, we will
ensure that they get the resources that they need to do.
Secondly, will we ensure that smaller councils, such as district
councils, get a fair share of that money to reflect the important
work that they are also doing, for example, on rough sleeping?
Yes, absolutely; and am I aware that those councils are concerned
about loss of income and need to be given assurances that they
can be on a stable and sustainable financial footing? Yes, of
course I understand that, and we will take action accordingly.
(Croydon North) (Lab/Co-op)
May I first echo the Secretary of State’s thanks to everybody
working in local government? They are all heroes helping to keep
our communities safe. As he is aware, councils are not allowed to
go into debt, so if the Government do not keep their promise to
fund the full cost of the crisis, councils will be forced to make
cuts potentially totalling billions of pounds, which will mean
job losses.
Councils say that the additional funding announced so far covers
barely a quarter of what is needed; it is not enough. Will he
reconfirm the Government’s original promise to fund whatever is
necessary in full? If he does not, the frontline heroes we are
cheering today will lose their jobs tomorrow.
I have been working closely with local councils across the
country on a cross-party basis and speaking to them almost every
day. The message that I have consistently delivered is that we
will fund the brilliant work that they are doing to support the
country through the crisis. We have seen that already with the
£3.2 billion of additional funding that I announced, plus the
other support mechanisms. We will keep under review whether
further funding is required, and if it is, we will bring it
forward, because we want to back this brilliant sector in all
that it is doing.
Covid-19: Support for Extremely Vulnerable People
(Bassetlaw) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to enable local authorities
to provide (a) food and (b) other support to people who have been
identified as clinically extremely vulnerable during the covid-19
outbreak. [901978]
(Wantage) (Con)
What steps his Department is taking to enable local authorities
to provide (a) food and (b) other support to people who have been
identified as clinically extremely vulnerable during the covid-19
outbreak. [901979]
(South Cambridgeshire)
(Con)
What steps his Department is taking to enable local authorities
to provide (a) food and (b) other support to people who have been
identified as clinically extremely vulnerable during the covid-19
outbreak. [901985]
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local
Government ()
At the outset of the crisis, we identified more than 1 million
people who were classified as extremely vulnerable for specific
clinical reasons. As of last week, more than 1.8 million had been
contacted by the NHS and the Department for Work and Pensions and
asked to shield themselves, with GPs continuing to refer others.
For those who do not have family, friends or neighbours to
support them, we have delivered more than 600,000 food boxes.
[V]
I am grateful to the Secretary of State for his answer. In my
constituency, we have been fortunate to benefit from the
excellent work of the voluntary sector and groups such as
Bassetlaw Community and Voluntary Service and Bassetlaw Action
Centre. Will he join me in recognising the valuable contribution
of such groups in supporting local authorities in the fight
against covid-19?
In addition to my hon. Friend, it is my privilege to represent
part of the Bassetlaw district, so I am more than happy to join
him in thanking those wonderful organisations, which I also know
well and which are doing a great job in supporting local
communities. In addition to the individuals who are being
shielded and who benefit from the national scheme, millions of
other people, such as the elderly and vulnerable in communities
across the country, are benefiting from the work of charities,
faith groups and local councils. I encourage anyone who wants to
work with them to go on to the Government’s GoodSAM app and see
the opportunities that are available in their local area.
[V]
The supermarkets have clearly got a big job on their hands, but
my constituents who are shielding in Wantage and Didcot are
finding their approach inconsistent. Some are very responsive,
with dedicated telephone lines and email addresses that get
people’s issues resolved quickly. Others have fobbed people off
with lines that are never answered, and frequently asked
questions instead of a tailored response that helps solve
people’s problems. Will my right hon. Friend assure me that in
his work with DEFRA, he will push the supermarkets to be
consistent in their approach and get the shielded the online
delivery slots they really need?
Individuals who are being shielded and who have registered with
the Government through our website on gov.uk or through the call
centre have their details passed on to national supermarkets, so
they should in time be on the supermarkets’ priority access
lists. There is a challenge for the supermarkets in having
sufficient capacity on those privileged delivery lists, and they
are working very hard to increase that. I understand that at the
beginning of the crisis, there were typically 2.1 million
delivery slots in the entire supermarket sector. That has already
increased to 2.6 million, and within a couple of weeks we are
told by the supermarkets that it will be close to 3 million. The
more they can increase capacity, the easier it will be to broaden
out those privileged slots to more members of the public who
deserve them.
Parish councils in South Cambridgeshire have been heavily
involved in co-ordinating the volunteer effort and bringing
support to vulnerable people, and I commend them for stepping up
to the plate and for that vital work, but at the same time many
parish councils, including Cottenham and Cambourne, are suffering
a loss of income—for example, they can no longer hire out
halls—and some are suffering financial distress. My right hon.
Friend has talked about the welcome support he is giving to
county councils and district councils. Will he tell me what his
Department is doing to support parish councils in their time of
need?
I am very grateful to parish councils, their members and their
clerks for the vital work they are also doing to support
communities. They harness the networks of familiarity and loyalty
upon which society is built and have the relationships to support
the vulnerable. I can announce today that as we bring forward the
allocations for the £1.6 billion of funding, there will be a
significant increase in the amount of money paid to district
councils. More than 70% of district councils will receive an
additional £1 million and in many cases significantly more, and I
ask those district councils to work with their parish councils
where appropriate to ensure that a fair share of that funding
flows through to parish councils, if they are in financial
distress.
Mr Speaker
We now go across to .
(Sheffield South East) (Lab) [V]
To even more scenic Yorkshire.
The Secretary of State is right to commend councils for the
excellent work they are doing, particularly to help the most
vulnerable in our communities and to commit the resources
necessary to ensure councils have the finances to do that.
Yesterday at the Housing, Communities and Local Government
Committee, both the Local Government Association and the
Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy said that
in the current circumstances it would be wise to postpone the
fair funding review and the business rate retention scheme
changes, and in 12 months’ time have a much more fundamental
review to put local government finances on a sustainable footing
for the long term. Will the Secretary of State give serious
consideration to those proposals?
I am grateful for the comments of the Chair of the Select
Committee, and I think it is true that capacity in local councils
is extremely stretched at this moment in time, so a fundamental
reform such as fair funding, which we need to get right in
everybody’s interests, would be difficult to take forward in the
way that we would all wish it to be at the current time. I will
give further thought to that and work with my right hon. Friend
the Chancellor before coming back to the House or the sector with
a decision.
(Glasgow East) (SNP) [V]
We know that coronavirus does not restrict borders or immigration
status. Many asylum seekers and failed asylum seekers find
themselves not only socially isolating, but in financial
destitution. Last month, the Prime Minister said that those
people would get the support from the Home Office that they need
and deserve. Can I ask the Secretary of State why people are
still being told that they have no recourse to public funds? They
are being left in complete isolation at the height of a global
pandemic.
We are really proud of the work that local councils have done in
England, and there is a similar workstream in Scotland to bring
people off the streets and offer them safer accommodation. Today
more than 90% of rough sleepers within England are in safer
accommodation, such as hotels. A huge amount of work has now to
be done, having brought those people in, to care for them and
then to work through what the next steps are, so that they can
move on to better accommodation and greater support in the
future. With respect to no recourse to public funds, the
Government’s position and the law have not changed, but councils
are able to use their discretion within the law to support those
individuals, as they would in the normal way.
Mr Speaker
I must explain that Minister Clarke has not been able to get
connected and I must thank Minister for stepping in—I now call
him to answer the substantive question tabled by .
Covid-19: Local Authority Revenue
(Makerfield) (Lab)
What recent assessment he has made of the reduction in local
authority revenue as a result of the covid-19 outbreak. [901975]
(Luton South) (Lab)
What recent estimate he has made of the reduction in local
authority revenue as a result of the covid-19 outbreak. [901987]
(Manchester, Withington)
(Lab)
What recent estimate he has made of the reduction in local
authority revenue as a result of the covid-19 outbreak. [901992]
The Minister for Housing ()
I apologise for the absence of the Minister of State, Ministry of
Housing, Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the
Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (Mr Clarke)—I
am a small but no less perfectly formed substitute, I hope.
We are working closely with the sector to develop a good
understanding of the pressures that local authorities are
currently facing. We have announced £3.2 billion of additional
funding and measures to support immediate cash-flow concerns.
This is a very significant package of support, which responds to
the range of pressures that councils have told us they are
facing.
[V]
Wigan Council estimates that it will lose £40 million in income
this year, while spending on frontline services has absolutely
rocketed because of the coronavirus crisis. In addition, the loss
of the dividend from Manchester airport will exacerbate that
pressure—[Inaudible.]
I think I got the gist of the hon. Lady’s question. Wigan Council
has received £10.5 million of the original £1.6 billion that has
been allocated to local authorities, and that funding is
unringfenced so they can use it as they see fit. As the House
will know, local authorities will be fully compensated for the
business rates loss that they have incurred, and we will work
with councils over the coming weeks to understand what their
particular needs are.
[V]
Yesterday the Local Government Association and CIPFA told the
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee that the
Government must support councils who have lost commercial revenue
streams because of the coronavirus crisis. Luton Council relies
on commercial income gained through its ownership of London Luton
airport. This income has dried up overnight. The Government
promised to do whatever is necessary to financially support
councils, so when will they be introducing funding for councils
that have lost considerable commercial income to avoid those
councils being forced to cut vital frontline services?
I am obliged to the hon. Lady for her question. In addition to
the announcements I have just made, I can tell her that Luton
Council has received £5.4 million of funding from that very
significant package that we have put together. We have also
deferred £2.6 billion in payments to central Government and we
will work with local authorities to understand their particular
needs. I point out that the County Councils Network, the Local
Government Association and the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board
have all welcomed the Government’s interventions.
[V]
I suspect that the Minister is going to tell me how much
Manchester has been given, which is about 12% of what is actually
needed. In Manchester, the council is forecasting £125 million in
lost income this financial year as a result of coronavirus. That
is the money that has kept services going in the face of some of
the harshest cuts in the public sector and is allowing the
council to lead the response to covid-19. Will the Minister
pledge to fully reimburse councils for lost income, so that they
can have the certainty they need to carry on their vital work on
the frontline?
I congratulate all local authorities on the hard work that they
are undertaking at this critical time. The hon. Gentleman is
right: I am going to tell him that his authority has received
£18.6 million in the first tranche of funds made available to
local authorities, and more will come. In addition to what I have
already said, let me reiterate that we are going to work with
local authorities to ensure that they get the help they need to
see them through this crisis. We have made that commitment—the
Chancellor has made that commitment and I reiterate it here at
the Dispatch Box.
Covid-19: Local Authority Shortfalls
(Buckingham) (Con)
What estimate he has made of shortfalls in funding for local
authorities as a result of (a) additional expenditure, (b) loss
of budgeted income and (c) inability to deliver planned savings
during the covid-19 outbreak. [901977]
The Minister for Housing ()
The Department is working closely with the sector to ensure that
we have a well-rounded understanding of the impacts of covid-19
on its finances and capacity. We have already announced a
significant package of additional funding worth over £3.2
billion, alongside introducing several other measures to support
immediate cash flow concerns.
[V]
I warmly welcome the steps that the Government have taken to
support local government at this time and I put on record my
thanks to council workers in Buckinghamshire Council for their
professional and dynamic response to covid-19. To reflect a local
concern, Buckinghamshire Council came together as a new unitary
only on 1 April, and it estimates, from lost income streams and
an inability to deliver the savings planned as it put those five
councils into one, potential pressure of £22.5 million over three
months and £67 million if the crisis extends to a year. Will my
right hon. Friend give me an assurance that the Department is
working with all councils to ensure that costs are fully met?
I echo my hon. Friend’s tribute to Buckinghamshire Council. To
date, it has received £10.6 million of additional funding to
support its response to covid-19 and it will receive further
support from a second tranche of funding, as will other local
authorities, for which allocations will be announced imminently.
This month, Buckinghamshire will also receive an up-front payment
of three months of social care grants, totalling £3.4 million. We
are also deferring three months of the council’s payments to
Government under the business rate retention scheme between April
and June, which is worth £25 million. I hope that is of some help
to the council and to my hon. Friend.
Covid-19: Local Authority Support
(Bolsover)
(Con)
What steps he is taking to regularly assess the adequacy of
support for local authorities during the covid-19 outbreak.
[901982]
(Beaconsfield) (Con)
What steps he is taking to regularly assess the adequacy of
support for local authorities during the covid-19 outbreak.
[901988]
The Minister for Housing ()
I express once again my gratitude and admiration and that of my
right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the vital work that
councils are doing. We have been in constant contact with
councils up and down the country from Cornwall to Cumbria to
listen to their concerns. As I have said, more than £3.2 billion
demonstrates our very real support for that sector.
District councils face an acute cash flow problem in the next few
months as normal revenue streams have dried up. Although, as the
Minister has outlined, there is plenty of financial support
available from the Government, has the Department considered, as
North East Derbyshire District Council and the District Councils’
Network have suggested, providing more flexibility and innovative
approaches to short and medium-term borrowing?
As with unitary authorities or county councils, I assure my hon.
Friend that we are committed to ensuring that councils, including
district councils, are supported. My hon. Friend the Minister for
Regional Growth and Local Government holds regular talks with the
District Councils’ Network. Indeed, he had a call with them just
yesterday. As I have said, councils will be able to defer £2.6
billion of payments they are due to make to central Government
over the next three months. With that support, district councils
are ensuring that vulnerable people receive the care that they
need and deserve. I am impressed by the work of North East
Derbyshire District Council, among others, to pay grants to small
businesses.
Will my right hon. Friend join me in again praising the excellent
work of Buckinghamshire Council during the covid-19 crisis? As my
hon. Friend the Member for Buckingham () said, we now have a unitary
authority. What financial assurances can my right hon. Friend
give Buckinghamshire Council, given the reduction in our income
and the increase in our statutory duties associated with
covid-19?
In addition to the points I made to my hon. Friend the Member for
Buckingham (), I emphasise that authorities
up and down the country, including Buckinghamshire Council, are
performing admirably by supporting businesses, charities and the
most vulnerable in society. As I set out in my earlier answer, I
am happy to say that Buckinghamshire Council received more than
£10 million from the first tranche of funding, which was paid on
27 March, and it will receive further support from the second
tranche, for which allocations will be announced imminently.
I assure my hon. Friend that we will continue to work with
councils such as hers over the coming weeks to ensure that they
are managing as the pandemic progresses.
Covid-19: Housing Market
(Preseli Pembrokeshire) (Con)
What plans the Government have to support the recovery of the
housing market after the covid-19 outbreak. [901980]
The Minister for Housing ()
As Mike Yarwood used to say, “This is me”.
The Government have engaged closely with the housing industry and
stand ready to support its recovery. I have spoken to the Home
Builders Federation, large developers, small and medium-sized
enterprises, niche developers, metal matrix composite
manufacturers, housing associations, the private rented sector
and the National Residential Landlords Association to identify
their challenges. Building on the immediate support that the
Chancellor has already provided, we will bring forward measures
to support renters and buyers, as well as continuing to drive
forward a package of housing reforms to get Britain building
again.
[V]
It is vital for delivering our national housebuilding mission and
for the wider economy that we get the construction sector back to
work as quickly as is safely possible. While it is extremely
welcome that some of the UK’s largest construction firms have
announced that they will resume work, smaller firms are nervous
about returning without a full green light from Government, so
what measures is the Minister putting in place to ensure that the
construction industry gets all the support it needs to make sound
decisions about getting sites reopened?
I am obliged to my right hon. Friend for that question. He is
absolutely right: getting building going again is vital to our
economy. Something like 100,000 extra homes adds 1% to our GDP,
so work in construction can and should continue where it is safe
to do so. We are working with a range of developers and
organisations to make sure that they feel it is safe to go back
to work, including the big developers that he described but also
a range of SMEs that are keen to get that green light. I hope
that further developers will follow the work that Taylor Wimpey,
Vistry and others have done to get back to work, and we will
certainly help them to do so.
