INDUSTRY NEWS 5
Robert Jenrick named as Housing Secretary in Cabinet reshuffle
Brokenshire acts to prevent ‘poor doors’ occurrence in social housing
New measures to end the segregation of social housing residents in mixed- tenure developments were unveiled by the then communities secretary James Brokenshire.
The move aims to block what are termed ‘poor doors,’ where entrances for social housing residents stigmatise and divide them from other residents in the development, alongside other forms of segregation such as restrictions on access to playgrounds.
Robert Jenrick has replaced James Brokenshire as the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government in Boris Johnson’s new Cabinet.
Jenrick has been the MP for Newark since 2014, and was made Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury on 9 January 2018, before which he served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, and Michael Gove as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary. Brokenshire had been Housing Secretary since April last year, following his predecessor Sajid Javid taking the role of Home Secretary. Javid has also been named in the moves, taking the role of Chancellor of the Exchequer. Alongside this, Esther McVey, MP
for Tatton, has been appointed as the new Housing Minister, replacing Kit Malthouse.
Brokenshire commented on his departure in a tweet: “After 13 years service on the front bench including 9 in government will be heading to the backbenches. Has been a huge privilege to serve, but looking forward to being released from collective responsibility and campaigning on issues that matter to me and my constituents.”
In March, for example, the Government states that social housing residents at the Baylis Old School site in Lambeth, south London, were prevented from accessing a communal playground which could only be used by their wealthier neighbours.
Under the measures, it is claimed that planning guidance will be “toughened up,” and a new Design Manual published to promote best practice in inclusive design.
These measures form a part of the Government’s new Communities Framework, which intends to build communities with “a stronger sense of belonging and shared prosperity.” While July marked 100 years since the advent of social housing, a recent survey revealed that nearly a quarter of people would “feel uncomfortable” living close to council and housing association properties. The former Communities Secretary
James Brokenshire commented: “I’ve been appalled by stories of segregation and tenants being denied access to certain shared facilities such as playgrounds. “Social housing has transformed the lives of millions of people over the past 100 years. It has the power to continually shape lives for the better, but we need to see residents being treated with the respect they deserve.”
The Government has not properly prepared the construction industry for major VAT changes coming in October and needs to delay their implementation to avoid chaos, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said in a letter to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. New data published by the FMB
revealed that 69 per cent of construction SMEs have not even heard of ‘reverse charge’ VAT, and of those who have, 67 per cent have not prepared for the changes. This comes after HMRC published guidance on reverse charge VAT four months before the changes were due to come into place. This has been criticised for being inaccessible to most in the industry, and even contradictory in places. HMRC was also due to have a dedicated website and marketing campaign for the changes to help prepare the hundreds of thousands of construction companies who will be impacted by the changes. Reverse charge VAT will reportedly have a serious impact on cash flow, as well as being a significant administrative burden, fundamentally changing the way construction companies invoice their clients and pay their taxes to HMRC. Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, commented: “Construction companies are already struggling with Brexit uncertainty, skyrocketing material price rises and skill shortages, and reverse charge VAT is yet another thing for them to deal with. “What makes things worse is that HMRC has failed to deliver on its promise to help the industry to prepare. The guidance is not user-friendly and even tax experts are scratching their heads over it.”
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Delay VAT changes to avoid chaos, warns FMB
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