User engagement outcome - proposed change to collection of non-self-contained units in LADR (accessible version)
Updated 17 February 2022
Applies to England
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-data-return-proposal-to-cease-dwelling-equivalent-count/user-engagement-outcome-proposed-change-to-collection-of-non-self-contained-units-in-ladr-accessible-version
Introduction
This document confirms the outcome of user engagement on our proposal to end the collection of non-self-contained units as clustered dwelling equivalents in the Local Authority Data Return collection from 2022.
Background
When the LADR collection was created in 2019, it took questions from the existing Local Authority Housing Statistic and replicated these to maintain the timeseries for data publication. Since then, we have sought to ensure and improve the quality of the data returned to us through the LADR. An area which has been reported as having resulted in errors in previous years’ submissions, is the collection of the dwelling equivalent count of non-self contained units.
As part of the publication of the 2021 Local Authority data, we proposed to end the collection of these units as clustered dwelling equivalents in the LADR collection and proposed that from 1 April 2022 all non-self-contained units would be counted as bed spaces.
User engagement
As part of our commitment to continue to meet user needs, we sought input and feedback on this proposal from key stakeholders and data users.
The proposed change was detailed in the main Local Authority Registered Provider social housing stock and rents profile document which was published on 26 October 2021. This was accompanied by a detailed Impact Assessment document, which provided supplementary information on the background and impact of the proposal, along with comprehensive information regarding the complexity of the current methodology. This paper included a direct appeal for feedback from users.
Following the publication of the proposal, we contacted all Local Authority Registered Providers directly to draw attention to this and solicit feedback. The proposal was also discussed during a meeting of the Central and Local Government Information Partnership (CLIP-H) group.
As a key user of the LADR data, colleagues at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities were contacted directly, and we sought to identify other users who had accessed dwelling equivalent information through them. Following this we also reached out directly to other data users, including Business Energy and Industrial Survey, the Bank of England, and the Office for National Statistics.
Result of consultation
We received verbal and written feedback from Local Authority Registered Providers in relation to the proposal. The feedback received was positive, with the move to simplify the collection and reduce the burden on data providers by removing the requirement for them to calculate the dwelling equivalent cluster figures being welcomed.
This response was also received during an in person meeting of the CLIP-H group on 4 November 2021, with the proposal being unchallenged by the assembled local authority and department delegates.
Liaison with colleagues at DLUHC confirmed that there was no direct use of the dwelling equivalent figures in department publications or live tables and there were no detailed objections to the proposal from the department. However, a DLUHC statistician queried whether it would still be possible to estimate the dwelling equivalent figures if the data was collected on the proposed basis.
Action for LADR 2022
The engagement period concluded on 31 January 2022 and based on the feedback received we intend to implement the proposed change. As such the requirement to report non-self contained units as clustered dwelling equivalents will be removed from the Local Authority Data Return in 2022 and we will ask providers to report bed spaces instead.