Written questions by Begum.

Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of local authorities that have completed the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census.

Our National Plan to End Homelessness makes clear that councils should consider the specific needs and barriers experienced by women in accessing services. We are developing resources to support councils to consider the needs of women who are homeless, rough sleeping or experiencing domestic abuse. Our Outreach toolkit and Single Homelessness and Complex Needs toolkit will include advice on identifying and engaging women sleeping rough, and we are piloting an Ending Rough Sleeping Risk Assessment Tool which considers the experiences of women. Our Homelessness Prevention and Support toolkit will support councils in preventing homelessness where domestic abuse is a contributing factor. We encourage councils to carry out a women’s rough sleeping census. Last year, we introduced new data on gender in the Rough Sleeping Data Framework, which can be found here. We continue to work with a range of organisations to gain insight into the challenges faced by women.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure local authorities are applying statutory guidance on housing support for survivors of domestic abuse.

Under Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, Tier 1 local authorities in England are required to assess local need for, and commission, support for victims of domestic abuse and their children within safe accommodation. To support delivery of the duty, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has provided £499m to local authorities over the next three years. Statutory guidance sets out how local authorities should carry out their functions and which they are expected to consider when making commissioning decisions: Delivery of support to victims of domestic abuse in domestic abuse safe accommodation services - GOV.UK MHCLG monitors delivery through mandatory annual data returns and publishes this data. The most recent data is available here: Support in domestic abuse safe accommodation: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK. The Department continues to work closely with local authorities, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and sector partners to support delivery and promote best practice.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that homelessness services respond effectively to the risk that women who are (a) rough sleeping or (b) experiencing homelessness experience (i) violence and (ii) abuse.

Our National Plan to End Homelessness makes clear that councils should consider the specific needs and barriers experienced by women in accessing services. We are developing resources to support councils to consider the needs of women who are homeless, rough sleeping or experiencing domestic abuse. Our Outreach toolkit and Single Homelessness and Complex Needs toolkit will include advice on identifying and engaging women sleeping rough, and we are piloting an Ending Rough Sleeping Risk Assessment Tool which considers the experiences of women. Our Homelessness Prevention and Support toolkit will support councils in preventing homelessness where domestic abuse is a contributing factor. We encourage councils to carry out a women’s rough sleeping census. Last year, we introduced new data on gender in the Rough Sleeping Data Framework, which can be found here. We continue to work with a range of organisations to gain insight into the challenges faced by women.

Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to engage with organisations (a) supporting women experiencing rough sleeping and homelessness and (b) conducting the women’s rough sleeping census.

Our National Plan to End Homelessness makes clear that councils should consider the specific needs and barriers experienced by women in accessing services. We are developing resources to support councils to consider the needs of women who are homeless, rough sleeping or experiencing domestic abuse. Our Outreach toolkit and Single Homelessness and Complex Needs toolkit will include advice on identifying and engaging women sleeping rough, and we are piloting an Ending Rough Sleeping Risk Assessment Tool which considers the experiences of women. Our Homelessness Prevention and Support toolkit will support councils in preventing homelessness where domestic abuse is a contributing factor. We encourage councils to carry out a women’s rough sleeping census. Last year, we introduced new data on gender in the Rough Sleeping Data Framework, which can be found here. We continue to work with a range of organisations to gain insight into the challenges faced by women.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing local authorities with the (a) tools, (b) resources and (c) guidance on gathering accurate and inclusive data on women’s (i) rough sleeping and (ii) homelessness.

Our National Plan to End Homelessness makes clear that councils should consider the specific needs and barriers experienced by women in accessing services. We are developing resources to support councils to consider the needs of women who are homeless, rough sleeping or experiencing domestic abuse. Our Outreach toolkit and Single Homelessness and Complex Needs toolkit will include advice on identifying and engaging women sleeping rough, and we are piloting an Ending Rough Sleeping Risk Assessment Tool which considers the experiences of women. Our Homelessness Prevention and Support toolkit will support councils in preventing homelessness where domestic abuse is a contributing factor. We encourage councils to carry out a women’s rough sleeping census. Last year, we introduced new data on gender in the Rough Sleeping Data Framework, which can be found here. We continue to work with a range of organisations to gain insight into the challenges faced by women.

Communities and Local Government, what recent engagement his Department has had with organisations supporting women experiencing rough sleeping and homelessness.

Our National Plan to End Homelessness makes clear that councils should consider the specific needs and barriers experienced by women in accessing services. We are developing resources to support councils to consider the needs of women who are homeless, rough sleeping or experiencing domestic abuse. Our Outreach toolkit and Single Homelessness and Complex Needs toolkit will include advice on identifying and engaging women sleeping rough, and we are piloting an Ending Rough Sleeping Risk Assessment Tool which considers the experiences of women. Our Homelessness Prevention and Support toolkit will support councils in preventing homelessness where domestic abuse is a contributing factor. We encourage councils to carry out a women’s rough sleeping census. Last year, we introduced new data on gender in the Rough Sleeping Data Framework, which can be found here. We continue to work with a range of organisations to gain insight into the challenges faced by women.

Communities and Local Government, if he will meet with representatives from Solace Women's Aid and the Single Homeless Project to discuss the National Plan to End Homelessness.

Our National Plan to End Homelessness makes clear that councils should consider the specific needs and barriers experienced by women in accessing services. We are developing resources to support councils to consider the needs of women who are homeless, rough sleeping or experiencing domestic abuse. Our Outreach toolkit and Single Homelessness and Complex Needs toolkit will include advice on identifying and engaging women sleeping rough, and we are piloting an Ending Rough Sleeping Risk Assessment Tool which considers the experiences of women. Our Homelessness Prevention and Support toolkit will support councils in preventing homelessness where domestic abuse is a contributing factor. We encourage councils to carry out a women’s rough sleeping census. Last year, we introduced new data on gender in the Rough Sleeping Data Framework, which can be found here. We continue to work with a range of organisations to gain insight into the challenges faced by women.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help ensure registered providers of social housing meet their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 in their work with their (a) tenants and (b) employees.

All registered providers of social housing are required to comply with the Equality Act 2010. This applies to their interactions with both tenants and employees.Registered providers are also required to deliver the outcomes of the regulatory standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing. Under the Transparency, Influence and Accountability standard, registered providers are required to treat tenants with fairness and respect and take action to deliver fair and equitable outcomes for them as well as, where relevant, prospective tenants.Since the introduction of the proactive consumer regulation regime in April 2024, the Regulator has begun carrying out regular inspections of large providers to ensure they are delivering the outcomes of its standards. The Regulator has strong enforcement powers to take effective action when it identifies serious failings.Under the Regulator’s Governance and Financial Viability standard, registered providers must ensure governance arrangements adhere to all relevant law.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that existing leaseholders with (a) unregulated and (b) uncapped ground rents are able to secure buyers for their properties.

The government remains firmly committed to its manifesto commitment to tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and we will deliver this in legislation.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with mortgage-lenders on ensuring that existing leaseholders with (a) unregulated and (b) uncapped ground rents are able to secure buyers for their properties.

The government remains firmly committed to its manifesto commitment to tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and we will deliver this in legislation.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to implement recommendation 58 of the report by the Law Commission entitled Home ownership: exercising the right to manage, published on 21 July 2020.

The government is committed to enacting remaining Law Commission recommendations relating to the Right to Manage.On 10 February, we laid regulations in Parliament to implement the reforms contained in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 concerning the Right to Manage and these will come into force on Monday 3 March.The changes will increase the non-residential limit on Right to Manage claims and remove the requirement for leaseholders to pay the freeholders’ process costs.Amending the threshold for premises excluded from the Right to Manage will allow more leaseholders in mixed-used buildings to take control of their buildings and bear down on poor service and spiralling costs. Ensuring that going forward both parties to a claim bear their own costs will save leaseholders money and reduce the incentive for freeholders to inflate costs and stifle the process.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to increase the security of tenure of houseboat dwellers.

The government recognises that while the occupants of residential boats have the benefit of protection under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 and wider consumer protection legislation, they do not enjoy the same level of tenure security as those in the private rented sector.We will consider what action might be necessary to provide houseboat residents across with greater security in their homes.

Communities and Local Government, when she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse dated 29 August 2024, reference number MC2024/19996, on support for a public inquiry into the New Providence Wharf fire.

The Department provided a response on 6 January 2025.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to registered social landlords.

The Government has confirmed that we will take action to introduce new access to information requirements for social housing tenants. This will enable social housing tenants of private registered providers, such as housing associations, to access the information they need about their homes from their landlords. The Government will set out further details of these requirements in due course.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing guidance to newly-naturalised citizens on the requirement to register to vote before they can participate in general elections.

The Government is committed to improving electoral registration and is actively exploring ways to do so.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of removing the requirement to register to vote on the level of participation in general elections.

The Government has no plans to remove the requirement to register to vote and has therefore made no such assessment. The electoral register is the foundation of our democratic processes, showing who is eligible to vote in which elections. The Government is nonetheless committed to improving how registration works, including the use of data and online services to help increase registration levels so that everyone who is eligible to vote can vote.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward regulations on the (a) sourcing and (b) stocking of repair parts for lifts by registered social housing providers.

Registered providers of social housing are required to meet the regulatory standards set by the Regulator of Social Housing. The Safety and Quality Standard requires providers to provide an efficient, effective and timely repairs, maintenance and planned improvements service for the homes and communal areas for which they are responsible, which could include lifts.The Government recently committed to introducing a competence and conduct standard to ensure that social housing staff have the right skills and experience and that social housing tenants can hold their landlords to account for their high quality services and homes. We will also bring forward a consultation as soon as possible setting out plans for a reformed Decent Homes Standard, which will apply to both the social and private rented sectors.