Question
9. What steps her Department is taking to further regulate the use of houses in multiple occupation.
Answer
The new national planning policy framework, published on 17 August, includes a more flexible and proportionate policy design to provide greater clarity on the circumstances in which article 4 directions may be appropriate, including where there is an overconcentration of small HMOs. We want to ensure that councils can act properly to regulate HMOs where it is necessary to protect the amenity or wellbeing of an area, and we will continue to keep the powers to regulate HMOs under review.
Verdict: GREEN (77/100)
The question asked what the department is doing to further regulate houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), and the reply answers it directly. It points to a specific mechanism: the revised national planning policy framework, published on 17 August, which gives councils more flexible and proportionate powers (article 4 directions), including where small HMOs are overconcentrated. The reply's commitment to keep the powers under review is less specific, so a reader may want more detail on timing or how councils will use the new powers.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What the department is doing to further regulate the use of houses in multiple occupation. | Addressed | Direct | The reply names a concrete mechanism: the revised national planning policy framework, published 17 August, gives a more flexible and proportionate policy design for article 4 directions, including where small HMOs are overconcentrated. This directly answers what the department is doing to further regulate HMOs. The statements on councils' ability to act and on keeping powers under review add context, though the review commitment is vaguer. |