Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

There has not been such an estimate made for the cost of creating a unitary authority in Lincolnshire. That will be for councils to consider when developing their proposals for new unitary councils that are the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks.

In September, the Government confirmed a non-mayoral devolution agreement with Cornwall and to establish a Combined County Authority in Devon & Torbay. These are important first steps for devolution in the region.

We have set out the framework in the English Devolution White Paper so that counties can self-organise to reach a consensus on proposals for their areas.

It is usual for the government to take account of requests for reorganisation, and to decide on the appropriateness of elections taking place to local authorities which are planned to be replaced, usually postponing to allow elections to the new shadow authorities soon after.

I will consider any requests I receive to postpone the May 2025 local authority elections in Devon, Essex or elsewhere only where this will help the areas to deliver both reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timeframe – either through the Devolution Priority Programme or where reorganisation is necessary to unlock devolution or open up new devolution options. As I set out in my letter of 16 December to those councils, I will need a clear commitment to these aims, including a request from the council(s) whose election is to be postponed, on or before Friday 10 January.

It is usual for the government to take account of requests for reorganisation, and to decide on the appropriateness of elections taking place to local authorities which are planned to be replaced, usually postponing to allow elections to the new shadow authorities soon after.

I will consider any requests I receive to postpone the May 2025 local authority elections in Devon, Essex or elsewhere only where this will help the areas to deliver both reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timeframe – either through the Devolution Priority Programme or where reorganisation is necessary to unlock devolution or open up new devolution options. As I set out in my letter of 16 December to those councils, I will need a clear commitment to these aims, including a request from the council(s) whose election is to be postponed, on or before Friday 10 January.

The provisional settlement, published on 18 December, increases the total additional grant funding which will be made available to local councils in England through the settlement to over £2 billion. This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the issues that matter to rural communities. Places with a significant rural population will on average receive around a 5% increase in their Core Spending Power next year, which is a real terms increase. No council will see a reduction – and new funding will be available to rural areas in 2025-26 through guaranteed EPR payments.

The government intends to include a summary of the equalities impacts of its proposals as part of the response to the consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement 2025 to 26. This will be published alongside the final settlement, as usual.

The government considered the implications of all decisions made through the provisional Settlement and is of the view that the Rural Services Delivery Grant does not properly account for need. It is important also to note that the Rural Services Delivery Grant was not paid to all local authorities delivering services in rural areas, as such it did not do as it suggested.

As set out in the Environmental principles assessment guide, decisions around the spending or allocation of resources within government are exempt from the duty to give due regard to the Policy Statement on Environmental Principles.

Annex A of the Rural Services Delivery Grant Determination 2024-25: (No. 31/7256), sets out allocations in 2024-25. The total allocation of Rural Services Delivery Grant 2024-25 to local authorities in England was £104,645,256.

The provisional settlement, published on 18 December, increases the total additional grant funding which will be made available to local councils in England through the settlement to over £2 billion. This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the issues that matter to rural communities. Places with a significant rural population will on average receive around a 5% increase in their Core Spending Power next year, which is a real terms increase. No council will see a reduction – and new funding will be available to rural areas in 2025-26 through guaranteed EPR payments.

The government intends to include a summary of the equalities impacts of its proposals as part of the response to the consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement 2025 to 26. This will be published alongside the final settlement, as usual.

The government considered the implications of all decisions made through the provisional Settlement and is of the view that the Rural Services Delivery Grant does not properly account for need. It is important also to note that the Rural Services Delivery Grant was not paid to all local authorities delivering services in rural areas, as such it did not do as it suggested.

As set out in the Environmental principles assessment guide, decisions around the spending or allocation of resources within government are exempt from the duty to give due regard to the Policy Statement on Environmental Principles.

Annex A of the Rural Services Delivery Grant Determination 2024-25: (No. 31/7256), sets out allocations in 2024-25. The total allocation of Rural Services Delivery Grant 2024-25 to local authorities in England was £104,645,256.

The provisional settlement, published on 18 December, increases the total additional grant funding which will be made available to local councils in England through the settlement to over £2 billion. This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the issues that matter to rural communities. Places with a significant rural population will on average receive around a 5% increase in their Core Spending Power next year, which is a real terms increase. No council will see a reduction – and new funding will be available to rural areas in 2025-26 through guaranteed EPR payments.

The government intends to include a summary of the equalities impacts of its proposals as part of the response to the consultation on the provisional local government finance settlement 2025 to 26. This will be published alongside the final settlement, as usual.

The government considered the implications of all decisions made through the provisional Settlement and is of the view that the Rural Services Delivery Grant does not properly account for need. It is important also to note that the Rural Services Delivery Grant was not paid to all local authorities delivering services in rural areas, as such it did not do as it suggested.

As set out in the Environmental principles assessment guide, decisions around the spending or allocation of resources within government are exempt from the duty to give due regard to the Policy Statement on Environmental Principles.

Annex A of the Rural Services Delivery Grant Determination 2024-25: (No. 31/7256), sets out allocations in 2024-25. The total allocation of Rural Services Delivery Grant 2024-25 to local authorities in England was £104,645,256.

The department regularly engages with a wide range of councils and representative bodies. Alongside the provisional Settlement, the government launched a consultation that seeks views, in particular from representatives of local government, on proposals for the local government finance settlement for 2025-26.

We propose to allocate £515 million of additional funding to support local government manage the impact of changes to employer NICs between local authorities in England based on their shares of total relevant net current expenditure. We have published a methodology note to assist councils with their financial planning and will provide final allocations to individual local authorities by the final Local Government Finance Settlement in early 2025.

The government is taking immediate action to begin addressing the challenges facing local government by ensuring that funding goes to the places that need it most in the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement. We are taking difficult decisions to repurpose a number of grants to improve the value for money and efficiency of the grant funding we provide, including through the new Recovery Grant.

The grant is intended to be highly targeted, meaning that not all authorities will receive an allocation. We have published a full methodology alongside the provisional Settlement, and we are consulting until 15 January on allocations. The Recovery Grant will go to places where, weighted by population, deprivation outweighs council tax raising ability. The metrics used are based on the most recent publicly available data: the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation, the mid-2023 population estimate, as published by the Office for National Statistics, and 2024 council taxbase data.

The government is taking immediate action to begin addressing the challenges facing local government by ensuring that funding goes to the places that need it most in the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement. We are taking difficult decisions to repurpose a number of grants to improve the value for money and efficiency of the grant funding we provide, including through the new Recovery Grant.

The grant is intended to be highly targeted, meaning that not all authorities will receive an allocation. We have published a full methodology alongside the provisional Settlement, and we are consulting until 15 January on allocations. The Recovery Grant will go to places where, weighted by population, deprivation outweighs council tax raising ability. The metrics used are based on the most recent publicly available data: the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation, the mid-2023 population estimate, as published by the Office for National Statistics, and 2024 council taxbase data.

The government is taking immediate action to begin addressing the challenges facing local government by ensuring that funding goes to the places that need it most in the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement. We are taking difficult decisions to repurpose a number of grants to improve the value for money and efficiency of the grant funding we provide, including through the new Recovery Grant.

The grant is intended to be highly targeted, meaning that not all authorities will receive an allocation. We have published a full methodology alongside the provisional Settlement, and we are consulting until 15 January on allocations. The Recovery Grant will go to places where, weighted by population, deprivation outweighs council tax raising ability. The metrics used are based on the most recent publicly available data: the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation, the mid-2023 population estimate, as published by the Office for National Statistics, and 2024 council taxbase data.

Desecration of religious texts and abusing or targeting people for their faith or belief is awful and should be condemned. The Government is working with partners to tackle all forms of prejudice, division and hatred experienced by religious and other communities.

To champion freedom of religion or belief abroad, my Hon Friend the Member for North Northumberland has been appointed Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, promoting tolerance and mutual respect through and alongside the UK’s diplomatic network.

A review of Right to Buy discounts was published alongside the Budget. In this review, our modelling suggests a reduction in Right to Buy sales under the new maximum cash discounts with a long run average of c. 1,700 sales annually.

On 20 November we launched a consultation on wider reforms to the Right to Buy. The consultation seeks views on eligibility criteria and any policy changes brought forward following the consultation will be subject to appropriate assessment.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 15985 on 3 December 2024.

The English Housing Survey includes data on dwelling condition, including damp and mould. It can be found on gov.uk here. In 2022/23 the survey found that 11% of homes in the South East of England did not meet the Decent Homes Standard. Nationwide, 10% of private rented households, 7% of local authority rented households, 4% of households renting from housing associations and 2% of owner occupier households were living with damp and mould.

The government is committed to working with social housing providers to ensure that homes are safe, decent, warm, and free from damp and mould. We have committed to bringing forward the regulations necessary to introduce Awaab’s Law in the Social Rented Sector this Autumn. This will set new time limits for social landlords to fix dangerous hazards, including damp and mould. We have also committed to extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector.

Social rented sector homes must also meet the Decent Homes Standard and all rented homes must be free of serious ‘category 1’ hazards, including damp and mould, as defined by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. The government has published consolidated guidance on the health impacts of damp and mould.

We also intend to consult on and implement a new Decent Homes Standard and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards early next year.

The Government is committed to delivering 1.5 million homes in this Parliament. Greater adoption of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), including timber frame, will be crucial to achieving this. We will set out further details as part of the Long-Term Housing Strategy.

The government has committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.

On 30 July we announced a number of changes in planning policy designed to support the delivery of affordable homes. We also confirmed a range of new flexibilities for councils and housing associations, both within the Affordable Homes Programme and in relation to how councils can use their Right to Buy receipts, and a further £450 million for councils through the Local Authority Housing Fund enabling councils to grow their housing stock.

At the Budget on 30 October, the Chancellor set out details of an immediate one-year cash injection of £500 million to top up the existing Affordable Homes Programme which will deliver up to 5,000 new social and affordable homes. This comes ahead of the multi-year Spending Review next spring, where the Government will set out details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme.

The Chancellor also confirmed that we will reduce Right to Buy discounts to their pre-2012 regional levels and allow councils to retain 100% of the receipts generated by Right to Buy sales.

In addition, the government will consult on a new 5-year social housing rent settlement to provide the sector with the certainty it needs to invest in new social housing.

As detailed in the review of the increased Right to Buy discounts introduced in 2012 published on 30 October 2024 alongside the Budget, during the period 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2021 the replacement target was 62,485 but only 47,864 replacements were delivered, which means there were 14,621 fewer replacements than the target.

The changes this government has made to the Right to Buy, including reducing maximum cash discount levels, allowing local authorities to retain the share of receipts formerly paid to HM Treasury, and increasing the flexibilities on how councils can use their receipts, will improve the ratio of replacements to sales.

Detail about the government’s proposed approach to strategic planning can be found in the English Devolution White Paper published on 16 December 2024.

Water companies are under a statutory duty to provide new water and sewage connections to residential properties, as well as planning to meet the needs of growth as part of Water Resource Management Plans and Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans.

The way that water resources are planned for is being considered as part of a commission reviewing the Water Sector Regulatory System, as recently announced by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

According to the latest published statistics, excluding second homes, there are 719,470 vacant dwellings in England. 265,061 of these dwellings are classed as Long-Term Empty Homes, meaning they have been empty for more than 6 months. These statistics are published annually and can be found on gov.uk here. They include a breakdown of vacant dwellings by local authority district. We do not hold records on vacant homes on a constituency basis.

As of 19 December 2024, no staff within Homes England are employed in full-time equivalent diversity, equality and inclusion roles.

The Department does not routinely publish responses received to public consultations. Many organisations, including councils, choose to publish their responses on their websites.

We do not routinely make requests to call in planning applications available to interested parties.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 17009 on 6 December 2024.

The standard method for calculating local housing need figures for each local authority, including Halton, and Chester West and Chester, is set out in the Government Response to the ‘Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system’. This can be found on gov.uk here.

The standard method should be used to identify the total number of homes needed in a local area. However, within this context it is for local authorities to identify the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require affordable housing.

The department has not incurred any expenses on media or voice training for ministers since 5 July 2024.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner.

Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period.

The government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

The changes to the National Planning Policy Framework announced on 12 December will support the increased provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure, including health infrastructure.

The Government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.

The government recognises that the current home buying and selling process in England is slow, costly and stressful, and that conveyancing is one reason for this.

Digitalisation can make the home buying and selling process more transparent and efficient for the conveyancing sector.

His Majesty's Land Registry (HMLR) have already made progress on this issue through their Local Land Charges programme which will assist in providing quicker, more accurate responses to property search requests, potentially taking weeks off transaction times.

The government recognises that the current home buying and selling process in England is slow, costly and stressful, and that conveyancing is one reason for this.

Digitalisation can make the home buying and selling process more transparent and efficient for the conveyancing sector.

His Majesty's Land Registry (HMLR) have already made progress on this issue through their Local Land Charges programme which will assist in providing quicker, more accurate responses to property search requests, potentially taking weeks off transaction times.

The government recognises that the current home buying and selling process in England is slow, costly and stressful, and that conveyancing is one reason for this.

Digitalisation can make the home buying and selling process more transparent and efficient for the conveyancing sector.

His Majesty's Land Registry (HMLR) have already made progress on this issue through their Local Land Charges programme which will assist in providing quicker, more accurate responses to property search requests, potentially taking weeks off transaction times.

Whilst both hotels and short-term lets are vital to many local economies, some Mayors have called for the introduction of a tourist levy and some local authorities have called for further powers to manage the impacts of short-term lets where they are affecting the affordability and availability of housing to buy and rent.

Areas can introduce a form of voluntary levy on businesses providing overnight accommodation (such as hotels) through setting up an Accommodation Business Improvement District.

The government have also committed to introducing a short-term let register and abolishing the furnished holiday lets tax regime. We are considering what further powers we might give to local authorities to help them respond to excessive concentrations of short-term lets.

As with all aspects of the tax system, any decisions on future tax changes will be taken by the Chancellor in the context of wider public finances.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes data on the average increase in rent. Private rents across the UK increased by 9.1% in the 12 months to November 2024 (provisional estimate), up from 8.7% in the 12 months to October 2024.

While there is no data available on Aldershot specifically, Aldershot is located in Rushmoor. The ONS found that the average monthly rent in Rushmoor was £1,257 in November 2024, an annual increase of 6.9% from £1,176 in November 2023.

The government recognises that paying rent is likely to be a tenant’s biggest monthly expense. The Renters’ Rights Bill will empower private rented sector tenants to challenge unreasonable within-tenancy rent increases.

The funding will be released subject to completion of the necessary business case that officials from MHCLG and officers from Torridge District Council are working hard to finalise.

The department does not engage with MEND, CAGE or the Muslim Association of Britain.

The appalling rise in antisemitism we have seen over the last year is a stain on our society, and the Government is absolutely committed to rooting out this abhorrent form of hatred. We have been working closely with the Independent Adviser on Antisemitism Lord Mann along with Jewish community voices such as the Community Security Trust on the most effective methods to tackle antisemitism.

Government has committed further funding of £54 million for the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant to provide protective security measures (such as security personnel services, CCTV and alarm systems) at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and community sites until 2028. We are in the process of finalising a more integrated and cohesive approach to tackling antisemitism and will announce more on this soon.

Ministers have been meeting a wide range of faith and belief leaders, along with interfaith practitioners, to hear more about the vital work undertaken in communities to help foster good relations.

This department was pleased to support Inter Faith Week in November, and we continue to fund a number of partners to deliver cohesion programmes in local communities which help to contribute to positive interfaith relations.

Between 4^th July 2022 and 4^th July 2024, £12,128.11 was spent on new furniture and fittings in Ministerial Offices and a breakdown of costs is below:

There were no costs on the refurbishment of these Ministerial office during this period.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 16 December 2024 (HCWS317), the government will, in due course, replace the current systems of environmental assessment with Environmental Outcomes Reports.

In accordance with the Regulator’s Code, regulators must carry out their activities in a way that supports those they regulate to comply and grow. This includes making sure they take a proportionate approach to enforcement, and educate those they regulate about their responsibilities.

MHCLG expects regulators to engage with a building’s leaseholders (including any RTMs or RMCs in place) prior to enforcement, to understand what factors are delaying remediation. If regulatory action has escalated to formal enforcement action, this may be because engagement with relevant parties has failed to produce a positive outcome. Under the Housing Act 2004, local authorities also have a duty to take enforcement action where they identify category 1 hazards (the most dangerous level).

This month, MHCLG published remediation enforcement guidance for regulators to support regulators to enforce permanent remediation at unsafe buildings. Annex D of our guidance stresses the importance of regulators taking proportionate regulatory action at leaseholder-managed buildings. We recommend that – in certain cases - non-statutory action to educate RTMs and RMCs about the remediation process and their responsibilities may be the most appropriate and helpful action a regulator can take to get an unsafe building fixed.

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given to Question UIN 18875 on 16 December 2024.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner.

Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period.

The Government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

The changes to the National Planning Policy Framework announced on 12 December will also support the increased provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure.

The Government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.

All people diagnosed with HIV are already afforded the full protections from discrimination relating to the provision of housing or services under the Equality Act 2010. Landlords and agents may not victimise or discriminate against a person based on their HIV status in relation to the offer of a tenancy, the terms on which a tenancy is offered, or in their general treatment in relation to the letting process.