Here we go, follow @michaelgove taking questions from @luhc committee, right now!
Watch here!
parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/23…
First question from Clive Betts: What does levelling up mean?
Gove says -
Making opportunities more equal across the country.
Watch here!
parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/23…
First question from Clive Betts: What does levelling up mean?
Gove says -
Making opportunities more equal across the country.
continues....We hope to publish a white paper before Xmas some metrics on how the Government can be judged.
Betts asks - Your department is being tasked with levelling up, can it achieve it?
Gove - Levelling up can only succeed with different solutions in different places.
Betts asks - Your department is being tasked with levelling up, can it achieve it?
Gove - Levelling up can only succeed with different solutions in different places.
Betts - What mechanisms will you put in place so relevant departments work together?
Gove - Has to be done in a cabinet committee.
(I would agree with this BUT it depends on what information is passed on to SPADs and whether ministers grasp that in terms of other depts)
Gove - Has to be done in a cabinet committee.
(I would agree with this BUT it depends on what information is passed on to SPADs and whether ministers grasp that in terms of other depts)
@michaelgove says he would have a convening power committee as well as a strategy committee and operation committee.
Betts - Have you been looking at the appropriate measures which need to be put in place in local govt?
Gove - Yes, I've spoken to LGA, their subgroups & Mayors.
Betts - Have you been looking at the appropriate measures which need to be put in place in local govt?
Gove - Yes, I've spoken to LGA, their subgroups & Mayors.
Betts - Asks about housing investment. Current requirement on HomesEngland spending 8% of budget on richest areas. And Treasury greenbook judging success on land value increasing. Will you be looking at those things?
Gove - Yes. We want to rebalance the geographic trend....
Gove - Yes. We want to rebalance the geographic trend....
...outside London and South East.
(worth noting that the South East is a huge place @michaelgove, and is not just London. Many places in the South East (and West), especially coastal/rural communities are suffering lack of housing, investment & productivity...article incoming😉)
(worth noting that the South East is a huge place @michaelgove, and is not just London. Many places in the South East (and West), especially coastal/rural communities are suffering lack of housing, investment & productivity...article incoming😉)
Betts (sadly) agreed that Gove's answer was a good idea and we need to shift the approach......
(Something for campaigners to consider. The 'build North at the expense of the South' narrative appears to have some broad support, without nuanced response)
(Something for campaigners to consider. The 'build North at the expense of the South' narrative appears to have some broad support, without nuanced response)
Qu -
What are your priorities -
- Develop levelling up mission across government.
- Approach housing approach to improve supply and quality. Decent homes and chance to get on the ladder.
- How can strengthen local leadership, so local govt can be seen to make changes to areas.
What are your priorities -
- Develop levelling up mission across government.
- Approach housing approach to improve supply and quality. Decent homes and chance to get on the ladder.
- How can strengthen local leadership, so local govt can be seen to make changes to areas.
Qu -
How will you ensure the expertise to work across UK.
Gove talks about expertise of staff who have joined & have experience of this already. Wants to further improve relations with devolved administrations.
We have written already to example how we think it can be achieved.
How will you ensure the expertise to work across UK.
Gove talks about expertise of staff who have joined & have experience of this already. Wants to further improve relations with devolved administrations.
We have written already to example how we think it can be achieved.
IFS warned that local authorities will have to cut services. Do you agree? How will you ensure they dont?
Cant rule it out but we've seen higher fiscal settlement and we do need to look at efficiencies. Broadly we will see improvement but individual councils may still struggle.
Cant rule it out but we've seen higher fiscal settlement and we do need to look at efficiencies. Broadly we will see improvement but individual councils may still struggle.
How do you square the competitive bid vs redistribution challenge?
Gove - Maintaining an element of competition in some funds is a good thing but some funds will only be available to certain councils. The evidence has showed that this competition has improved future bids.
Gove - Maintaining an element of competition in some funds is a good thing but some funds will only be available to certain councils. The evidence has showed that this competition has improved future bids.
@ALewerMBE asks whether devolution is still important to Govt?
Gove - Yes. Strong local leaders setting their own priorities is vital. Questions to ask, should we have new Mayoral areas? Greater powers? Larger areas?
(Mayors were always going to be part of this govts strategy).
Gove - Yes. Strong local leaders setting their own priorities is vital. Questions to ask, should we have new Mayoral areas? Greater powers? Larger areas?
(Mayors were always going to be part of this govts strategy).
Social care -
Lewer - LA's will have access to social funding for core budgets. Nuffield Trust said' social care is poor relation to health services & promise rise to local authority spending power is not enough to address disastrous situation in socialcare. What's your response?
Lewer - LA's will have access to social funding for core budgets. Nuffield Trust said' social care is poor relation to health services & promise rise to local authority spending power is not enough to address disastrous situation in socialcare. What's your response?
Gove - Rise in levy (tax) will help and rise, plus Javid will bring forward better integration between health and social care.
Lewer - I dont remember a time where money was taken away from one and given to another, so how will you put more money into adult social care?
Lewer - I dont remember a time where money was taken away from one and given to another, so how will you put more money into adult social care?
Gove - Can't take thunder away from Javid but the integration will solve some of the issues.
Lewer - Can we have some assurances that local govt stays involved (not go into NHS)?
Gove - Yes.
Lewer - Can we have some assurances that local govt stays involved (not go into NHS)?
Gove - Yes.
Building Safety -
Does you dept have complete data on buildings with non-ACM cladding? Buildings under 18m requiring redediation?
Gove - We have a good but not perfect set of data. Lots of qus to ask - Who were developers? Who sold it to them? Leaseholders innocent parties...
Does you dept have complete data on buildings with non-ACM cladding? Buildings under 18m requiring redediation?
Gove - We have a good but not perfect set of data. Lots of qus to ask - Who were developers? Who sold it to them? Leaseholders innocent parties...
....Gove infers that there may be legal processes taken against people who were part of this and asks why some of these businesses were still operating?
Gove worries that housing associations shouldering too much burden on remediation, means they cant build new homes.
Gove worries that housing associations shouldering too much burden on remediation, means they cant build new homes.
Gove - Need to understand difference between cladding and other issues, in terms of limiting fire risk. I've asked for data so we can understand the barriers for people.
Qu - Govt said it should be accepted but EWS1 form form still not being accepted by lenders, what will you do?
Qu - Govt said it should be accepted but EWS1 form form still not being accepted by lenders, what will you do?
Gove - Goes back to his answer about limiting and understanding fire risk as he believes this is an important step in dealing fast enough with the big issues, getting the right response from the private sector & leaseholders not suffering. Want to deal with this before Xmas.
Why should leaseholders be responsible for an issue they didnt create?
@michaelgove - They shouldnt. Balance between freeholders & leaseholders was wrong, eg-charges.
People bought these homes in good faith, now some charges are grotesquely disproportionate.....
@michaelgove - They shouldnt. Balance between freeholders & leaseholders was wrong, eg-charges.
People bought these homes in good faith, now some charges are grotesquely disproportionate.....
....Gove then identifies some of the difficulties to apportion accountability, eg-Special Purchase Vehicles, says people have said these have been too hard to deal with.
Identifies leaseholders should not be stung. If it is too hard, he will come back here and say I have failed.
Identifies leaseholders should not be stung. If it is too hard, he will come back here and say I have failed.
(Gove highlights that he doesnt want to use taxpayer money and this is obvious, as there are already two broad developer taxes to pay for this. Question is, will these go if the govt starts to penalise accountable companies directly?)
(Good to see Govt talking about fire risk because it's an important topic for leaseholders and many of the charges we see. It may also deal with the issue more quickly, that simply putting it alongside cladding solutions)
Qu -
Developers will say, we acted within Buildings Regs, products tested and passed but the buildings were signed off. A reasonable argument but govt now you're moving goalposts to get things correct; why should we pay, not the Government. Who is responsible?
Developers will say, we acted within Buildings Regs, products tested and passed but the buildings were signed off. A reasonable argument but govt now you're moving goalposts to get things correct; why should we pay, not the Government. Who is responsible?
Gove - Cannot claim to have perfect knowledge but it would seem to me that developers and construction product industry have to ask whether they were engaging in value engineering which put cost reduction before safety....
........and assessment were't discharged effectively. Dereg of assessment hasnt helped and the department will not have appreciated the complexities or this criticism. Says the sheriffs may not have been on the ball but the cowboys may have been cowboys.
Qu -
Are you looking at amendments in the Fire Safety Bill to address this accountability chain?
Gove - Yes.
Qu - When will the loan scheme come on line to help?
Gove - I want to understand issues, to see if it's the necessary way to deal with it. Leaseholders shouldnt pay.
Are you looking at amendments in the Fire Safety Bill to address this accountability chain?
Gove - Yes.
Qu - When will the loan scheme come on line to help?
Gove - I want to understand issues, to see if it's the necessary way to deal with it. Leaseholders shouldnt pay.
Qu -
Is your intention that non-cladding issues will also be included in leaseholders not having to pay?
Gove -
Want to make a judgement on this when I understand the issue and complexities.
Also adds that he believes in leasehold reform.
Is your intention that non-cladding issues will also be included in leaseholders not having to pay?
Gove -
Want to make a judgement on this when I understand the issue and complexities.
Also adds that he believes in leasehold reform.
Homelessness -
Is the £65m announced enough to support vulnerable renters?
Gove - Hope so but I'll be tracking this & it's not the only funding available.
£65m to deal with acute issue but we must look at other issues in legislative terms.
Welcomes looking at landlord registers.
Is the £65m announced enough to support vulnerable renters?
Gove - Hope so but I'll be tracking this & it's not the only funding available.
£65m to deal with acute issue but we must look at other issues in legislative terms.
Welcomes looking at landlord registers.
Complements @RobertJenrick on incredible work dealing with homelessness during Covid.
Wants to provide accommodation for those who do not have UK status and ensure that we treat people decently but be aware that tax payers will have concerns for those here illegally.
Wants to provide accommodation for those who do not have UK status and ensure that we treat people decently but be aware that tax payers will have concerns for those here illegally.
Qu - What are you doing to help those trapped in unsuitable accommodation?
Gove - Build more homes where needed. Dont have any problem supporting local govt providing council housing for those in desperate need of it.
Has no ideological opposition to council housing, at all.
Gove - Build more homes where needed. Dont have any problem supporting local govt providing council housing for those in desperate need of it.
Has no ideological opposition to council housing, at all.
(I believe this is the case too and hopefully, I'll find that our directly in the future, as I have been speaking to representatives on this recently)
Qu -
How do you fix the stats of existing social housing, as @DanielHewittITV exampled how bad it can be?
Qu -
How do you fix the stats of existing social housing, as @DanielHewittITV exampled how bad it can be?
Gove - We want more homes built and this will help provide funding to deal with renovation. We also want people to move across tenures, eg-social, to private, own, downsize.
Qu -
What is the #HousingFirst strategy?
Qu -
What is the #HousingFirst strategy?
@michaelgove - If you can provide someone a secure place, it's easier to help them.
(Good to see him mention a need to increase supply because it's an obvious requirement and a govt report identified it too!
Shameless plug for my #housingfirst thread!
(Good to see him mention a need to increase supply because it's an obvious requirement and a govt report identified it too!
Shameless plug for my #housingfirst thread!
https://twitter.com/shortthought/status/1402259197505511425?s=20)
(Here's the government report) assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/upl…
Asked about reforms on quality of housing and the need to ensure landlords are help to account and tenants views are taken into account?
Gove - Agrees it's scandalous and that reforms will look at this, though recognises that this may take a little longer than people expect.
Gove - Agrees it's scandalous and that reforms will look at this, though recognises that this may take a little longer than people expect.
Homeownership & affordability -
Qu - Supply not keeping up with demand, so affordability creeps away from us. Is there enough money in affordable housing?
Gove - Supply must keep up with housing formation. Mixture of unlocking land and unlocking money. Brownfield first vital...
Qu - Supply not keeping up with demand, so affordability creeps away from us. Is there enough money in affordable housing?
Gove - Supply must keep up with housing formation. Mixture of unlocking land and unlocking money. Brownfield first vital...
...wants to work with @HomesEngland to achieve this. Must help people to welcome development. Also things to look at in mortgage finance as US failure influenced UK lending.
(@michaelgove, imo, HomesEngland need planning powers & unlocking land is vital, as I said at conference)
(@michaelgove, imo, HomesEngland need planning powers & unlocking land is vital, as I said at conference)
Gove - Of course we can increase the number of homes and this will help affordability but the amount you would have to build to reduce it drastically cannot be done!
Planning up next! Yey....
Planning up next! Yey....
Which key stakeholders have you spoken to about planning?
Gove - Local government. Listening to organisations campaigning for more homes in the right places. Also those in the sector. Those involved in putting beauty in to development. We want people to accept development.
Gove - Local government. Listening to organisations campaigning for more homes in the right places. Also those in the sector. Those involved in putting beauty in to development. We want people to accept development.
Gove - People want better infrastructure, homes built at a high quality, better environmental outcomes, such as greenspace, biodiversity and air quality; and not force homes on local people with a top down approach.
We want a planning system people feel confident in.
We want a planning system people feel confident in.
Qu-
How long will the pause be? Will it be abandoned?
Gove -
Wont be abandoned. Cant just look through the prism of planning. 300,000 target still stands.
(actually, you can as planning isnt just permissions, it's planning and delivering the enablement of economy & society)
How long will the pause be? Will it be abandoned?
Gove -
Wont be abandoned. Cant just look through the prism of planning. 300,000 target still stands.
(actually, you can as planning isnt just permissions, it's planning and delivering the enablement of economy & society)
LOVES the idea of Street Votes. Congrats @johnrmyers & @s8mb
!!!!!
Should #netzero be at the heart of the planning system?
Yes. (does this means supporting PLCs at expense of SMEs?)
Do you welcome pre-legislative planning reform scrutiny?
Yes. Happy to work with committee.
!!!!!
Should #netzero be at the heart of the planning system?
Yes. (does this means supporting PLCs at expense of SMEs?)
Do you welcome pre-legislative planning reform scrutiny?
Yes. Happy to work with committee.
Councils are working on avoiding greenbelt to build on brownfield, will the planning inspector appreciate this in local plans?
Gove - Christopher Pincher is working on this, so that inspectors recognise the restrictions. And we are relooking at demand numbers.
Gove - Christopher Pincher is working on this, so that inspectors recognise the restrictions. And we are relooking at demand numbers.
(This means South is not going to deliver the homes needed as they will be given the out they broadly already have. It means brave councils who do build up on greensites up north, as they're honest about it being needed, might have more powers to say no & may feel pressure to...
...Chair, Clive Betts cited that in his area, greensites are being used. But he used the word 'greenfield', not greenbelt, this is important at it means that the debate might be shifting again to rule out 'green' sites. Though Gove used different terms, like AONB and SSSI)
Asked about planning relaxation, eg-residential in industrial sites -
@michaelgove said he's taking couple of steps back as we need to think again about active highstreets and where jobs are, especially in relation to covid. Says he is looking at how permitted development works.
@michaelgove said he's taking couple of steps back as we need to think again about active highstreets and where jobs are, especially in relation to covid. Says he is looking at how permitted development works.
(I highlighted PD in a piece for Construction News, plus in the @Telegraph)
telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/…
constructionnews.co.uk/government/bla…
telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/…
constructionnews.co.uk/government/bla…
Fair Funding Review, will it be done in this spending round?
Gove - We are considering that at the moment. We will announce that before Christmas.
End of @CommonsHCLG questions!
Gove - We are considering that at the moment. We will announce that before Christmas.
End of @CommonsHCLG questions!
Hopefully all that made sense and gives a few people something to look at without needing to watch it all. And that I did justice to the answers. If I didnt, apologies, it moves quickly!
Some more shameless self promotion via articles, perhaps for @michaelgove/@luhc to consider!
Why SME housebuilders won’t forgive Conservative backbenchers for derailing Johnson’s planning proposals
conservativehome.com/platform/2021/…
Why SME housebuilders won’t forgive Conservative backbenchers for derailing Johnson’s planning proposals
conservativehome.com/platform/2021/…
How we build 300,000 of the right homes in the right places
governmentbusiness.co.uk/features/how-w…
governmentbusiness.co.uk/features/how-w…
And the NFB Housebuld magazine (first copy), which any non credited article, is my rants, eg-biodiversity, planning, energy.
housebuild-magazine.co.uk
housebuild-magazine.co.uk
Also congratulations to @LondonNewLibs, @londonyimby, @SCP_Hughes & @bswud, who I left out of the original tweet.
Policy work is gruelling & takes time (I'm sure others worked on this too), so it's vital that if possible, we don't leave people out of mentions.
Great work!
Policy work is gruelling & takes time (I'm sure others worked on this too), so it's vital that if possible, we don't leave people out of mentions.
Great work!
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