Report on the PRS published by Public Accounts Committee
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Report on the PRS published by Public Accounts Committee

The recent report published by the Public Accounts Committee reports that despite record rent increases 13% of rented homes “pose serious threat to the health and safety of renters” - costing the NHS an estimated £340 million a year

In a report today the Public Accounts Committee says it is “too difficult for renters to realise their legal right to a safe and secure home” and that local authorities - constrained by a lack of support from the Department for Levelling Up,

Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and its approach to licensing landlords - do not have the capacity and capability to provide "appropriate and consistent protection for private renters”. According to the report, the private rented sector in England has doubled in size in the last 20 years and now houses 11 million people.

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Levelling Up the United Kingdom
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Levelling Up the United Kingdom

Today, 2 February 2022, the Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove unveiled the government’s flagship Levelling Up White Paper. This document sets out a plan to transform the UK by spreading opportunity and prosperity to all parts of it.

Twelve bold national levelling up missions, given status in law, will shift government focus and resources to Britain’s forgotten communities throughout 2020s

  • Biggest shift of power from Whitehall to local leaders in modern times announced - every part of England to get ‘London style’ powers and mayor if they wish to

  • Starting gun fired on decade-long project to level up Britain, with radical new policies announced across the board

  • Domestic public investment in Research & Development to increase by at least 40% across the North, Midlands, South West, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

This paper sets out the next stages in this programme to level up the UK.
This programme has to be broad, deep and long-term. It has to be rooted in evidence demonstrating that a mix of factors is needed to transform places and boost local growth: strong innovation and a climate conducive to private sector investment, better skills, improved transport systems, greater access to culture, stronger pride in place, deeper trust, greater safety and more resilient institutions.

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Levelling Up White Paper delayed
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Levelling Up White Paper delayed

This article for appeared in the Times

Boris Johnson faces another wait to unveil his levelling up white paper as Downing Street prepares for the start of this year to be dominated again by coronavirus.

The government had hoped that the document of more than 100 pages, marking the first attempt to flesh out the prime minister’s slogan, would be its first major intervention of the year.

The paper, being written by Michael Gove, the secretary for housing, communities and levelling up, is now more likely to be published later this month.

Johnson promised last May that it would be published by the end of the year. It emerged in December, however, that the white paper had slipped back to this year.

Gove, now in his sixth cabinet position since becoming education secretary in 2010, was handed the task of taking charge of the prime minister’s key domestic drive in the reshuffle last September. He was given the renamed and expanded role of levelling up secretary.

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