Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 75194 on Planning and Infrastructure Bill: European Commission, what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials have had with the European Commission on (a) issues of environmental regression and (b) other issues in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the UK meets annually with the European Commission through the Level Playing Field Trade Specialised Committee to discuss the implementation of the Level Playing Field chapter within which Article 391 (non-regression from levels of environmental protection) sits. This year’s meeting of the Trade Specialised Committee was held on 15 October 2025.

At this meeting the UK provided an overview of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and both parties agreed to ongoing engagement once the Bill receives Royal Assent and focus shifts to its implementation.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 75447 on Trade union Officials: Facilities Agreements, whether the increase in facility time was (a) requested by trade unions and (b) approved by Ministers.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Trade union representatives have a legal right to be given time off to undertake their duties and this is requested in line with MHCLG policy. Facility time is granted in line with Cabinet Office guidance and remains within 1% of our overall pay bill. Ministerial approval is not required for facility time.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release entitled, Communities to seize control over high streets and restore pride, by what mechanism will his Department block (a) vapes stores and (b) fake barbers.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government’s Pride in Place strategy sets out how we are giving communities the tools to drive improvements on their high streets. These include powers to auction leases of long-term vacant properties, which will provide opportunities for councils to cultivate a more diverse high street offering, as well as streamlined compulsory purchase order powers, and a new community right to buy valued local assets.

Enforcement against rogue traders, such as fake barbers, is being strengthened through enhanced checks by Companies House and coordinated national enforcement. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban the advertising and sponsorship of vaping and nicotine products and provide powers for ministers to introduce a licensing scheme for the retail sale of tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure (a) transparency and (b) accountability in the management of fire safety equipment in leasehold properties.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Under Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, those responsible for fire safety in their premises (Responsible Persons) must make sure that any preventive and protective measures installed to address fire safety risks are subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. It is also a requirement on Responsible Persons for multi-occupied residential buildings to communicate the preventive and protective measures they have installed as a result of a fire risk assessment to residents in a comprehensible way.

There is a regulatory making power to mandate the frequency of this information, and we will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the legislation to identify if such a mandate is necessary.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department will make a decision on the funding of the ACM cladding remediation project at Northpoint Bromley.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

MHCLG funded the cladding remediation project at Northpoint Bromley, including work required to remove the unsafe ACM, completed in 2024.

Our delivery partner, the Greater London Authority, has since submitted a funding variation request related to the defects liability period. This is progressing this through the Department’s funding governance processes and a decision will be made in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 50 of his Department's policy paper entitled Pride in Place Strategy, published on 25 September 2025, how much funding has been allocated to Belong; and whether that funding is new funding.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 75178 on 12 September 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the policy paper entitled Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections, published on 17 July 2025, whether he plans to bring forward any further policies on elections.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government’s Strategy for Modern and Secure Elections set out the key priorities the Government plans to take on elections during this Parliament. Legislation to deliver the policies outlined in this Strategy will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78240 on Absent Voting: British Nationals Abroad, what information his Department holds on which countries had the slowest postal service for returning overseas votes in the 2024 general election.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

MHCLG does not hold information on which countries had the slowest postal service for returning overseas votes in the 2024 election.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77628 on South West: Investment, whether there are grant conditions on the use of the £281,250.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Great South West 2025/26 grant was issued to the accountable body under a section 31 grant pursuant to the Local Government Act 2003.

Alongside this, milestones were agreed between MHCLG and Great South West covering key activity around economic intelligence and insight, planning for long-term sustainability and funding options, acting as a regional business voice, and strategic collaboration for growth and inward investment.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether any changes have been made to the (a) government funding and (b) funding profile for the Eden North project following the decision to cancel the Levelling Up Fund.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The MHCLG Levelling Up Fund, Town Deals, and Simplification Pathfinder Pilot have been consolidated into the Local Regeneration Fund.

There have been no changes to government funding and no changes to the funding profile, since the MoU was fully signed in November 2024.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consideration his Department has given to allowing interested third parties to seek a review of administrative planning conditions.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Conditions on planning applications can be challenged by the applicant through appeal, but not by a third party.

Third parties can make representations on planning applications during the consultation stage and through engagement with the local planning authority.

In making a decision on a planning application, the local planning authority must have considered all the representations made and must take into account those views.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 78206 on Housing: Asylum, over what period of time the £500 million is allocated; and whether the basic alternative accommodation will involve the utilisation of existing (a) social and (b) private rented housing.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 78206 on 23 October 2025 and the answer to Question UIN 78187 on 20 October 2025. We continue to engage with local government on options for design of the fund and the best way to deliver this accommodation in different areas. We will confirm further details in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the amount that was received from (a) parish precepts, (b) mayoral precepts excluding police and (c) police precepts (i) in cash terms as receipts and (ii) on the average Band D bill in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

We do not collect data on the amount of receipts collected broken down by precepting authorities or in relation to the precept that they have set.

Data on the average Band D council tax and council tax requirement set by precepting authorities for 2025-26 can be found in Table 10 on gov.uk here.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's guidance entitled Community Recovery Fund: Guidance, published on 18 September 2024, whether councils report to his Department on how the Police Special Grant was spent.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Councils do not report to this Department on how the Police Special Grant is spent. The Police Special Grant is for police and crime commissioners to apply for and is administered by the Home Office.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 56831 on Planning Permission, and to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question HL8773, on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, if he will (a) list and (b) publish each of the post-inquiry representations that have been made since the ending of the Planning Inspectorate’s public inquiry.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Post-inquiry representations are routinely listed at the end of the final decision letter and are available on request once the decision letter has issued.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the Minister for Housing and Planning plans to respond to the correspondence sent by the hon. Member for Twickenham on 2 July 2025, reference MC2025/19101.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

A response was sent to the hon. Member on 3 November 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many residential buildings have been decanted due to (a) unsafe cladding and (b) other fire safety defects in each year since the passage of the Building Safety Act 2022.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Building decants arise in one of two ways – either in a planned way as part of a schedule of works or in an emergency situation due to emerging safety concerns. Not all decants are reported to the Department, particularly if they are planned. Emergency decants are a local operational matter led either by the entity responsible for the building or by local regulators. Where emergency decants are reported to uswe work with local regulators and responsible entities to ensure residents are placed at the centre of decision-making by all parties.

In the past year, 10 emergency decants related to fire safety defects have been reported to the Department. We have also collaboratively with local regulators and other parties to prevent decants from taking place and since December 2023 this work has allowed more than 6000 households to remain in their homes safely.

When local authorities take enforcement action against a mid or high-rise residential building, the Department asks the local authority to voluntarily upload details to a designated data platform. Local authorities share details of buildings subject to enforcement under powers within the 2004 Housing Act, including inspections, information gathering notices and statutory notices requiring action (such as improvement and prohibition notices). Local authorities can also share data pertaining to remediation orders and remediation contribution orders under the Building Safety Act 2022. We publish enforcement information as part of the monthly remediation data release on gov.uk here.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve fire service workforce resilience in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government acknowledges the vital contributions made by fire and rescue services. Decisions on how their resources are best deployed are a matter for each Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) as the employer, based on its analysis of risk and local circumstances.

Fire and rescue reform priorities continue to be shaped through regular engagement with sector leaders via the Ministerial Advisory Group on Fire and Rescue Reform (MAGFRR) and other key forums. Established by the Government, MAGFRR provides a strategic platform for addressing policy challenges and supporting the modernisation of fire and rescue services.

The Government remains committed to working collaboratively with all sector partners to deliver meaningful change and ensure services are equipped to keep the public safe.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations officials in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government have made to the Greater London Authority about the 35- per-cent affordable housing quota.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

On 23 October the Housing Secretary and Mayor of London announced a package of targeted and temporary support to drive up housebuilding in London. This includes a new, time-limited planning route and consultation on the removal of some design restrictions which limit the density of development. For further detail, please see the Written Ministerial Statement made on 23 October 2025 (HCWS991).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78232 on MHCLG: Remote Working, for what reason junior civil servants have a lower office workplace requirement than senior civil servants.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Senior Civil Servants in MHCLG have a higher expectation for Office Attendance than other employees as they have a key leadership role in the Department and have a responsibility to be visible and accessible to their colleagues. Office Attendance expectations within the Department reflect the available capacity across the MHCLG estate.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what financial support they will provide to Hillingdon Council to help it to support homeless Chagossians.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Bolton

The Government is committed to supporting Chagossian British citizens as they settle in the UK. While individuals are expected to arrange accommodation before arrival, we recognise that in some circumstances, exceptional pressures may arise locally.

Hillingdon Council has received additional funding to assist in such cases, and we continue to keep support for all councils under review.

Our 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement made available £266.3m in Core Spending Power for Hillingdon Council, which represented a 6.2% increase from 2024-25.

The Government has published guidance on GOV.UK for Chagossian British Citizens moving to the United Kingdom and to encourage individuals to arrive with savings and plans for accommodation.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to promote awareness among leaseholders of their right under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 to extend their lease to 990 years at a peppercorn ground rent; and what support his Department will provide to ensure leaseholders can exercise this right without requiring professional legal assistance.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is committed to ensuring leaseholders can take advantage of the reforms provided for by the Leasehold and Freehold Reform act 2024 as they are implemented. We will continue to work closely with delivery partners and stakeholders to raise awareness about these, including publishing guidance as and when appropriate.

Specialist legal advice should be taken from a solicitor or surveyor when considering enfranchisement or extensions. Leaseholders can also get free information and advice from the government supported Leasehold Advisory Service.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department includes purpose-built student accommodation in it's counting of affordable housing.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The definition of affordable housing used in statistical publications is the one included in Annex 2 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Any student accommodation that falls within that definition will be included, but it is not separately identified in the data collected for the Department’s affordable housing supply statistics.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Affordable Housing Programme will have a funding stream for (a) renovating and (b) getting long-term empty homes back into use as affordable housing.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

On 7 November 2025, my Department published a policy statement setting out the full details of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme as part of our plan to kickstart a decade of social and affordable housing renewal. It can be found on gov.uk here.

The new programme is designed to be flexible to support the greater diversity of supply needed, and we are asking providers to come forward with ambitious bids that reflect this diversity.

While the new programme will focus on the supply of new homes, it will also continue to support some regeneration schemes that provide a net increase in homes on a site. The programme will also allow for a limited number of acquisitions of existing housing stock, to support wider delivery while more rapidly increasing the supply of social and affordable homes.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how his Department plans to work with relevant stakeholders to resolve potential issues affecting the delivery of social housing through Section 106 on early engagement between developers and housing associations on the (a) design and (b) quality of homes in the long-term.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Section 106 agreements are, and will remain, an essential mechanism for delivering social and affordable housing.

The government continues to progress work on a holistic policy package that will deal with the legacy problem of existing uncontracted S106 units and also prevent the problem recurring. We are working with stakeholders, including registered providers, local planning authorities and housebuilders, on this.

In respect of early engagement specifically, my Department notes and welcomes the work of the G15 group of London's leading housing associations and others to develop collaboration principles aimed at improving how housebuilders and social landlords work together to deliver successful S106 agreements.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance he has issued to the Planning Inspectorate on deciding whether a site is considered grey belt when a decision by a local authority has been appealed.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Planning Inspectorate has not been issued with specific guidance to support decisions as to whether any given site is considered grey belt when a decision by a local planning authority has been appealed. Nor has it been issued with specific guidance related to consideration of the potential environmental impacts of decisions to designate land as grey belt.

In determining whether a site is classified as grey belt at appeal, the relevant Inspector will consider relevant legislation; national planning policy, including the National Planning Policy Framework; Planning Policy Guidance; and any relevant local development plan policies and material considerations.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what resources they are making available to support training and resourcing for artificial intelligence and large language models in planning departments for the purpose of (1) assessing good design, and (2) boosting productivity in those departments and local authorities.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government is committed to building more high-quality, well-designed, and sustainable homes and places. There is a clear framework through policy and guidance on how to achieve well-designed places in plan making and decision making, and the principles of good design are set out in national design guidance. We will be publishing updated guidance in due course. We are also exploring the role of digital tools to support local planning authorities to deliver good design through the planning system.

We support the responsible integration of AI across local government operations and services to reduce costs, drive efficiencies and improve service outcomes.

My department is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) Incubator for AI (i.AI) to deliver the ‘Extract’ product, which uses AI to transform planning information and maps from PDFs into data. This will unlock data, which can be made available on planning.data.gov.uk, to power innovation, analysis and new types of planning software. We intend to make this product available for all local authorities in England during 2026. We are developing Extract to make it as intuitive as possible to all users, to encourage greater adoption. As a vital part of our commitment to developing AI-enabled products responsibly, we are also identifying and meeting the need for AI literacy and training among users in local planning authorities.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of removing the statutory requirement to consult local authorities as part of the pre-application stage for nationally significant infrastructure projects, and the impact of removing that statutory requirement on local authorities securing community benefit.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Replacing the statutory requirement to consult on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) will give applicants and local authorities greater flexibility to engage in a more proportionate way. The Government has designed its policy to ensure local authorities can continue to play an important role in the NSIP regime. Applicants will be required by law to notify local authorities of their schemes. Local authorities will also be able to continue to provide Local Impact Reports to the Examining Authority and the Secretary of State outlining the impacts of a scheme on their area. The Government has also committed to extending the power for local authorities to recover costs from applicants for their advice. A consultation seeking views on how to achieve this closed on 28 October. Community benefits are typically secured through legally binding development consent obligations (DC obligations), which remain enforceable regardless of changes to consultation requirements.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 23 October (HL Deb col 945), whether the potential security threat posed by the proposed location of the Chinese Embassy is a material planning consideration; and whether the information used to assess that security threat will be published in full when the planning decision is made.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The full reasons for the decision will be set out in the final decision letter. All inquiry documents for this case are publicly available on Tower Hamlets website here . Post-inquiry representations will be listed in the decision letter and will be available on request.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the data on which they based the decision to withdraw funding for Anglian Water's waste water treatment plant relocation.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The cost to government of relocating the Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Plant with funding from the Housing Infrastructure Fund had increased from £277m to over £700m. This was unaffordable within the programme budget, and a decision was made, in line with standard Housing Infrastructure Fund processes, to withdraw the funding.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the research by Create Streets, AI Judging Architecture for Well-Being: Large Language Models Simulate Human Empathy and Predict Public Preference, published on 13 October, for the purpose of supporting the use of good design in the planning system.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government is committed to building more high-quality, well-designed, and sustainable homes and places. There is a clear framework through policy and guidance on how to achieve well-designed places in plan making and decision making, and the principles of good design are set out in national design guidance. We will be publishing updated guidance in due course. We are also exploring the role of digital tools to support local planning authorities to deliver good design through the planning system.

We support the responsible integration of AI across local government operations and services to reduce costs, drive efficiencies and improve service outcomes.

My department is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) Incubator for AI (i.AI) to deliver the ‘Extract’ product, which uses AI to transform planning information and maps from PDFs into data. This will unlock data, which can be made available on planning.data.gov.uk, to power innovation, analysis and new types of planning software. We intend to make this product available for all local authorities in England during 2026. We are developing Extract to make it as intuitive as possible to all users, to encourage greater adoption. As a vital part of our commitment to developing AI-enabled products responsibly, we are also identifying and meeting the need for AI literacy and training among users in local planning authorities.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the use of artificial intelligence by planning departments and local authorities to support good design.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government is committed to building more high-quality, well-designed, and sustainable homes and places. There is a clear framework through policy and guidance on how to achieve well-designed places in plan making and decision making, and the principles of good design are set out in national design guidance. We will be publishing updated guidance in due course. We are also exploring the role of digital tools to support local planning authorities to deliver good design through the planning system.

We support the responsible integration of AI across local government operations and services to reduce costs, drive efficiencies and improve service outcomes.

My department is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) Incubator for AI (i.AI) to deliver the ‘Extract’ product, which uses AI to transform planning information and maps from PDFs into data. This will unlock data, which can be made available on planning.data.gov.uk, to power innovation, analysis and new types of planning software. We intend to make this product available for all local authorities in England during 2026. We are developing Extract to make it as intuitive as possible to all users, to encourage greater adoption. As a vital part of our commitment to developing AI-enabled products responsibly, we are also identifying and meeting the need for AI literacy and training among users in local planning authorities.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83627 on Refugees: Social Rented Housing, how many lead tenants there are in (a) social and (b) rented housing by the nationality of those tenants.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The English Housing Survey (EHS) collects information about the characteristics of households, including the nationality of the household reference person (equivalent to lead tenant). Breakdowns by housing tenure can be found in Annex Table 1.1 of the EHS 2023-24: rented sectors on gov.uk here.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that construction of AI data centres is compatible with energy infrastructure capacity and statutory environmental targets.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires local planning authorities to plan for growth sustainably, taking account of infrastructure needs and environmental impacts. It also ensures planning decisions contribute to meeting statutory environmental targets, including by preventing unacceptable pollution and protecting local environments. Planning authorities must also consider water and wastewater capacity, with the cross-government Water Delivery Taskforce helping to ensure infrastructure keeps pace with growth.

Subject to draft Regulations that are currently before Parliament being in place, environmental impacts, including energy and water impacts will be assessed as part of the overall consideration and determination of data centre projects that have been directed to proceed through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects consenting process.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will further streamline consenting while maintaining strong environmental safeguards.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the number of houses on brownfield land rejected for planning permission since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department publishes the number of planning applications for dwellings granted and refused per quarter by local authority in the PS2 open data file in our quarterly planning application statistics release. It can be found on gov.uk here. The number of applications on brownfield land is not collected.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the number of homes on brownfield land granted planning permission since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department publishes the number of planning applications for dwellings granted and refused per quarter by local authority in the PS2 open data file in our quarterly planning application statistics release. It can be found on gov.uk here. The number of applications on brownfield land is not collected.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has had discussions with (a) Camden Council and (b) Southwark Council on (i) regulation of landlords and (ii) selective licensing since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department engages regularly with a broad range of local authorities on matters including the regulation of landlords and selective licensing.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 23 October 2025 entitled Delivering ambitious and high-quality sustainable growth in Greater Cambridge, HCWS990, what (a) water efficiency and (b) water interventions are being proposed; and whether they include changes to how households are billed for (i) water and (ii) waste water.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government’s water efficiency programme and wider water package will fund a range of measures to generate water savings and offset new development in Greater Cambridge. The first phase of the efficiency programme will roll out water retrofits in social housing and public buildings. The second phase and wider package is currently under development. The overall package is funded by government and will not impact on how households are billed.

Anglian Water is responsible for wastewater infrastructure for the Greater Cambridge area and Cambridge Water is responsible for water supply. Ofwat sets a price cap every five years for each water and sewerage company, which limits the maximum amount it can increase customer bills. Companies then use this price limit to set their individual bills.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to promote (a) traditional craftsmanship and (b) traditional British architectural styles in the building of new social housing developments.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

National planning policy makes clear that local planning authorities should prepare their own local design guides and design codes in line with the principles set out in national design guidance.

The guidance encourages integration of a mix of tenures and helps local areas to identify what good design means for them and the process for preparing a design code to introduce local design standards for new development.

It highlights the importance of understanding and responding to existing context and the identity or character of a place, including local vernacular architecture and architectural features.

We are in the process of updating national design guidance and will set out further details in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support the regeneration of town centres buildings in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Through the Pride in Place Programme, Harold Hill East in Romford will receive up to £20 million over ten years to support local priorities. The government is further enabling regeneration in places including Romford by providing multi-year local government financial settlements which will empower local councils to drive their own regeneration priorities.

This government extended the UKSPF by £900 million in England for 2025-26 and recently

consolidated the Local Regeneration Fund, to streamline funding for places in England. In September 2025, the government launched its overarching Pride in Place programme, providing 208 English places with up to £4.16 billion over 10 years.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 September 2025 to Question 69456 on British Muslim Trust, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Akeela Ahmed serving as a member of the Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition on her role as CEO of the British Muslim Trust.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Akeela Ahmed brings a wealth of expertise and a strong commitment to improving outcomes for Muslim communities. These qualities are vital to her roles in both the British Muslim Trust and the independent Working Group.

The British Muslim Trust’s work is focused on tracking anti-Muslim hate in the UK and is separate from work undertaken by the independent Working Group.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many applications for a selective licensing designation were approved between 4 July 2024 and 23 December 2024.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department approved applications for Selective Licensing submitted by Waltham Forest and Blackpool in November 2024.

Between July 2024 and the introduction of the 2024 General Approval on 23 December 2024, Burnley, Barking and Dagenham, and Lambeth submitted applications to introduce or expand large schemes.

These were superseded by the 2024 General Approval which enables local authorities to introduce selective licensing schemes of any size without seeking approval from the Secretary of State. These applications therefore did not require approval from my Department.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many (a) uncontracted and (b) unsold homes have been supported for (i) purchase and (ii) completion under the Section 106 Affordable Housing Clearing Service since its inception.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

In December 2024, the government launched the Homes England Clearing Service to help buyers and sellers of Section 106 homes find each other more effectively.

Whilst interested parties are encouraged to update when a sale is facilitated, doing so is not mandatory. As a result, we do not have exhaustive data on the number of homes sold or contracted through the service.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the guidance entitled Social Housing Innovation Fund: prospectus, published on 27 October 2025, whether recipients can bid for funds for translation into foreign languages.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The new £1m Social Housing Innovation Fund will support innovative projects that enhance tenants’ engagement with their landlord and strengthen their influence within the social housing sector.

The Fund’s prospectus, which can be found on gov.uk here, makes clear that consideration will be given to projects which ensure tenants who are currently underrepresented in engagement and scrutiny activities, in particular those with protected characteristics, are better supported to take part and their views and needs are heard and acted upon. It is not prescriptive about the types of projects that will or will not be funded.

The fund is open to applications from social landlords, arms-length management organisations (ALMOs), tenant management organisations (TMOs), and tenant representative organisations. Projects must be co-designed with tenants, scalable across the sector, and capable of generating measurable impact and learning. Projects must also introduce new or significantly improved approaches, technologies, or partnerships to the sector, challenge conventional practices and respond creatively to tenant needs.

A robust process will be established for awarding funding, supported by an independent scrutiny panel consisting of social housing residents and sector experts. This will ensure resident and sector voices are central to decision-making. The bidding window is open until 9 January 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 13 October 2025 entitled Home Buying and Selling Consultations, HCWS951, how the Home Condition Reports in the new regime would differ from the Home Conditions Reports under the pre-2010 Home Information Pack regime.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

On 6 October 2025, the government published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here.

The consultations include proposals to require sellers and estate agents to provide upfront property information and to support binding contracts.

Final decisions are subject to the outcome of these consultations.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to implement the same rules on (a) binding contracts and (b) upfront information in property transactions as are in place in Scotland.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

On 6 October 2025, the government published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here.

The consultations include proposals to require sellers and estate agents to provide upfront property information and to support binding contracts.

Final decisions are subject to the outcome of these consultations.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many foreign nationals have been granted social housing in each of the last five years.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 85086 on 4 November 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of delivery of new housing by the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation; and whether that corporation has a target for new homes to be completed in this Parliament.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The role of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) is to facilitate delivery of up to 15,000 homes at Ebbsfleet Garden City. To date, over 5,000 new homes have been completed.

EDC publishes annual business plans that show over the last five years, an average of over 550 homes have been delivered per annum, exceeding the Corporation’s annual targets in each of these years.

The next EDC business plan will be published in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support areas with a high proportion of construction sector businesses.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million new safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament.

My department is working across government and with industry to address skills shortages and improve skills, competence, and productivity across built environment professions, from construction trades to architects, planners, building inspectors and other specialist professions.

Our landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill will further streamline the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure, helping to support construction businesses across the UK.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Delivering a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing, published on 2 July 2025, when he plans to set out an (a) timetable and (b) delivery plan for the £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

On 7 November 2025, my Department published a policy statement setting out the full details of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme as part of our plan to kickstart a decade of social and affordable housing renewal.

The statement accompanies guidance to bidders from Homes England and the Greater London Authority. It can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing (a) time limits and (b) penalties for local planning authorities that do not determine small applications within statutory deadlines.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department recognises the importance of timely decision-making in the planning system, particularly for small applications which are often vital to local communities and small businesses.

Local planning authorities are already subject to statutory timeframes for determining planning application. For small or non-major application, the statutory deadline is eight weeks. Where this deadline is not met, and no extended time period has been agreed, applicants have the right to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate on the grounds of non-determination.

My Department monitors the performance of local planning authorities in terms of both the speed and quality of decision-making, with separate metrics for major and non-major applications. Speed of decision-making is measured by the proportion of decisions that are made within the statutory deadline or an agreed extended time period. The current performance threshold for non-major applications is at least 70% of decisions made within these timeframes.

Where an authority fails to meet this threshold, the Secretary of State has the power to designate the authority. Designation requires the authority to prepare an improvement plan, and applicants may choose to submit relevant applications directly to the Planning Inspectorate, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 81306 on Planning, when he plans to publish the evaluation plan on (a) gov.uk and (b) the evaluation registry.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Details of the government’s Digital Planning Programme Evaluation are published on gov.uk here.

It is not a requirement to publish an evaluation plan and the publication of one is yet to be determined for this programme.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that communities are consulted on planning applications in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East, and (e) England.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

After a local planning authority in England has received a planning application, it must undertake a period of consultation where views on the proposed development can be expressed. The formal consultation period must last for at least 21 days, and the local planning authority will identify and consult groups including a full public consultation with neighbouring residents, community groups and statutory consultees.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 23 October 2025 on Housing Delivery, HCWS991, whether the £322 million City Hall Developer Investment Fund is additional government funding or from the existing Spending Review settlement for the Greater London Authority; and what is the estimated number of dwellings it will support.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The initial allocation of £322 million to establish the City Hall Developer Investment Fund comes from capital grant funding for land and infrastructure delivered through the new National Housing Delivery Fund announced at the June 2025 Spending Review.

The fund will enable the Mayor of London to take a more direct and interventionist role in unlocking new homes in the capital.

We are currently negotiating and agreeing an integrated settlement outcomes framework with the Greater London Authority which will agree their targets for delivery.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 August 2025 to Question 68786 on Right to Buy scheme, if he will publish the (a) total value of Right to Buy receipts generated and (b) value of Right to Buy receipts retained by (i) local authorities and (ii) the Government in each of the last five years.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Receipts from Right to Buy (or equivalent) sales of local authority stock for the financial year 2012-13 onwards, including for each of the last five years, are published on gov.uk here.

The government does not publish the amount of Right to Buy receipts retained by local authorities in each financial year

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) Northumberland County Council and (b) Newcastle City Council on (i) housing targets and (ii) local planning development.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Officials from my Department met with officers from Newcastle City Council on 11 June 2025 to discuss bringing forward a new local development plan under the new plan-making system.

The Chief Planner also met senior planners from Newcastle City Council and Northumberland County Council at a meeting convened by North East Combined Authority on 31 July 2025. They discussed strategic planning; planning capacity and capability; digital planning; and the National Planning Policy Framework.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department have made of the levels of furniture poverty in North Durham; and what assessment he has made of the potential role of furnished tenancies in tackling such poverty.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84054 on 3 November 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to mandate that at least 10% of social homes be let as furnished; and if his Department will make an assessment of the feasibility of such a policy.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84054 on 3 November 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78942 on Allotments: Green Belt, if he will take steps to amend planning (a) policy and (b) practice guidance to explicitly exclude allotment land in the green belt from being classified as grey belt land.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I once again refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 58901 on 19 June 2025 and Question UIN 78942 on 20 October 2025.

The House will be updated on any proposed changes to planning policy and practice guidance in the usual way.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his planned timetable is for the (a) commencement and (b) implementation of the provisions of the Renters Rights Act 2025; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of implementation on existing tenancies.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government intends to set out detailed implementation plans in the near future.

An Impact Assessment for the Renters’ Rights Bill was published in November 2024. It can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to make provision for a portion 1.5 million homes planned to be built over the course of the Parliament to be let as furnished.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84054 on 3 November 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of requiring the disclosure of the true beneficiary of a planning application to enhance public scrutiny.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Planning permissions relate to plots of land and so the identity of the applicant and the ownership of land are not normally material considerations in planning decisions. Disclosure of the true beneficiary of a planning permission would therefore not affect the outcome of a planning decision.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 76608 on Local Government: Elections, (a) what types of information cannot be shared and (b) which (i) regulators and (ii) enforcement authorities information is shared with.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Electoral Commission currently lacks an explicit statutory gateway to share information with other regulators and enforcement authorities, making routine information-sharing burdensome and impeding effective cooperation.

Alongside other proposals in the Elections Strategy, further details will be set out in legislation which will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 78235 on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Working Group, which states that the working group did not engage with organisations which are subject to the Government's non-engagement policy, whether under that non-engagement policy consultation responses from extremist groups were disregarded and not read by the Working Group.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Working Group did not engage with anyone that government holds a non-engagement policy with. They held a call for evidence that was open to the public - any individual or organisation could respond.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 75619 on Trade Union Officials: Facilities Agreements, if he will publish his Department's policy on diversity network time.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

MHCLG is working to adopt the Civil Service Staff Network Policy which launched in September 2025. We don’t have plans to publish our internal policy.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much his Department has spent on social media advertising by (a) influencer and (b) organisation in each of the last five financial years.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of expanding the definition of vulnerable residents when identifying priority cohorts for fire and rescue services to evacuate in emergencies.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 mandate Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (Residential PEEPs) for all high-rise residential buildings and residential buildings over 11 metres in height that operate a simultaneous evacuation strategy.

Under these new regulations, which come into effect from April 2026, Fire and Rescue Services will be able to obtain information on residents with disabilities or impairments that may impact their ability to evacuate a building in the event of a fire, in case they need additional support, subject to the resident’s’ consent.

Once in force, the policy will be monitored over time which would allow the merits of any change in scope to be assessed.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of including housing costs in the Indices of Multiple Deprivation on benefit areas with higher housing values.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (IoD25) on Thursday 30th October 2025. All resources can be accessed online here - English indices of deprivation 2025 - GOV.UK

As part of the IoD25 release, the Department updated its measures of deprivation in line with recommendations from its 2022 user consultation - Indices Futures: Updating the English Indices of Deprivation (IoD) - consultation - GOV.UK - and broader stakeholder engagement. This includes accounting for housing costs within specific domains.

Full detail on the Indices methodology can be found in the IoD25 Technical Report online here - English indices of deprivation 2025: technical report - GOV.UK. Further analysis and interpretation of the data is available in our Research Report online here - English indices of deprivation 2025: research report - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on taking steps to help support (a) Merton Council’s London Borough of Sport programme and (b) other local authority-led initiatives to increase physical activity.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

DCMS, as the lead department for the Government's arm's-length body Sport England, is investing up to £250 million of National Lottery and Exchequer funding into more than 90 locations across England. This investment is being delivered in partnership with local organisations in the communities that need it most, helping more people to live active and healthier lives for longer.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the four day week trial taking place in some local authorities.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This Government is committed to working in partnership with local authorities and will not micromanage their day-today running. However, it is Government’s view that local authorities should not be offering full time pay for part time work.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of including housing costs in the Indices of Multiple Deprivation on areas with lower housing costs but higher levels of deprivation.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (IoD25) on Thursday 30th October 2025. All resources can be accessed online here - English indices of deprivation 2025 - GOV.UK

As part of the IoD25 release, the Department updated its measures of deprivation in line with recommendations from its 2022 user consultation - Indices Futures: Updating the English Indices of Deprivation (IoD) - consultation - GOV.UK - and broader stakeholder engagement. This includes accounting for housing costs within specific domains.

Full detail on the Indices methodology can be found in the IoD25 Technical Report online here - English indices of deprivation 2025: technical report - GOV.UK. Further analysis and interpretation of the data is available in our Research Report online here - English indices of deprivation 2025: research report - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 28 October 2025 entitled Local Government Reorganisation, HCWS998, what estimate his Department has made of the debt that West Surrey council will inherit when it is established.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

It is the responsibility of councils to manage their budgets, and it is standard for councils to borrow and to hold debt. The government was clear in statutory invitations for Reorganisation proposals (criterion 2f), that proposals should reflect the extent to which the implications of debt linked to historic capital practices could be managed locally.

On 28 October 2025, we announced our unprecedented commitment to repay in-principle £500 million of Woking Borough Council’s debt in 2026-27. This reflects significant unsupported debt held by the Council that cannot be managed locally. This is a first tranche of debt repayment support, and we will continue to explore what further debt support is required at a later point.

Government remains committed to achieving the best value for money for taxpayers in the rationalisation of Woking’s assets, and to providing interim financial support to the new council until a final decision is made.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local billing authorities on (a) the length of time that council taxpayers should be given to pay and (b) when council tax bills are considered to be in arrears.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This government has recently consulted on modernising and improving the administration of council tax. This included seeking views on the current processes in place to recover council tax. We are currently reviewing all responses to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.

A person is considered to be in arrears from the day they have missed a payment. Councils cannot carry out formal enforcement action until after they have issued a reminder and then acquired a liability order confirming the amount owed.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance to local authorities on the (a) civil and (b) criminal penalties for avoidance of paying the second homes council tax premium.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Councils have a range of powers available to them to recover any type of unpaid council tax, including council tax premiums. The government has recently consulted on modernising and improving the administration of council tax which seeks views on how council tax is collected and enforced. The government will publish its response to the consultation in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department collates information on which local authorities have introduced (a) boycotts, (b) divestment or (c) sanctions against firms which (i) trade or (ii) are based in (A) Israel or (B) the Occupied Territories.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department does not collate information on which local authorities have introduced boycotts, divestment or sanctions against firms trading with or based in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Cabinet Office has published guidance to public authorities prohibiting procurement boycotts against Israeli firms and firms which trade with Israel.

Found: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is a government department responsible

Found: ports contribute to […] fast-growing areas of UK economic advantage.36 34 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: Delays with the Building Safety Regulator; trust seeking approval from SofS MHCLG under the Building

Found: year, we announced, in close co-operation with TrustMark, the Building Safety Regulator, DESNZ and MHCLG

Found: year, we announced, in close co-operation with TrustMark, the Building Safety Regulator, DESNZ and MHCLG

Found: Department for Business and Trade (DBT), and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG

Found: relocation and resettlement activities delivered by the MOD, Home Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: Building standards and the like, which control what we are putting into new-build homes, are part of MHCLG

Found:  Create an industry roundtable which feeds into Defra, MHCLG, Treasury, and other government departments

Found: James Naish: I think MHCLG would be the best respondent.

Found: Also, we work closely with MHCLG on indices of deprivation and how they should be used to better reflect

Found: focused on supporting Ukrainian refugees in the UK, under the purview of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: focused on supporting Ukrainian refugees in the UK, under the purview of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: It should work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to develop a framework

Found: It should work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to develop a framework

Found: Minister unveils new opportunities for young people to re-connect with their communities - GOV.UK 21 MHCLG

Found: Not that I want to take away anything from MHCLG, but maybe communities will fit better with the DCMS

Found: In terms of diversity, there is a fantastic apprenticeship scheme that MHCLG runs that looks to find

Found: Not that I want to take away anything from MHCLG, but maybe communities will fit better with the DCMS

Found: Not that I want to take away anything from MHCLG, but maybe communities will fit better with the DCMS

Found: fire it was the Department for Communities and Local Government—now the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: A lot of those issues have been identified in the drafting of PAS 8700, which MHCLG funded.

Found: A lot of those issues have been identified in the drafting of PAS 8700, which MHCLG funded.

Found: Home Office; Rushanara Ali MP, Minister for Homelessness and Democracy, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government) on 7 April (HC40908), what communications representatives of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation have made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on (1) the Swanscombe Peninsula Site of Special Scientific Interest designation or (2) the presence or absence of distinguished jumping spiders within land owned by the Development Corporation for development, since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Other than a site visit to the Swanscombe Peninsula Site of Special Scientific Interest, hosted by Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) in July 2025 and attended by officials from Defra, Natural England, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, EDC has made no communication to the Department since 4 July 2024.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what information the Speaker's Committee holds on whether the Electoral Commission has held discussions with the Government on the length of time councillors will have remained in post during the process of unitary local government restructuring.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The Electoral Commission has had discussions with MHCLG officials about the proposals for local government reorganisation and the implications for elections.

The Commission has said that delaying elections for more than one year can affect the legitimacy of local decision making and risks damaging public confidence. Scheduled polls should only be postponed in exceptional circumstances when no alternative options are available.

The Commission understands the Government is working with councils on their reorganisation plans, and in the meantime, continues to support the electoral community as it prepares for the scheduled polls next May.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of access to affordable credit for (a) people and (b) small businesses in the 100 most deprived communities according to the English indices of multiple deprivation 2025 published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 30 October 2025.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises that credit, when provided responsibly, supports business growth, and can be crucial for people facing unexpected expenses or managing their cash flow.

The UK has a diverse landscape for credit provision to individuals and businesses, comprising traditional banks, challenger and specialist banks, and non-bank finance providers such as Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs). In 2024, CDFIs and social banks lent £96.7 million to 364 social enterprises, with 67% of this lending directed to the UK’s most disadvantaged areas.

The Government recently published its Financial Inclusion Strategy which sets out an ambitious programme of measures to improve financial inclusion and resilience for people across the UK. In recognition of the important role responsible credit can play for consumers, the strategy includes a focus on access to credit, among other priority issues, with the launch of new funding to support the credit union sector in England and a small sum lending pilot.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of holding a consultation on reforming the Electronic Communications Code 2017 to help increase the way it reflects Scotland’s freehold property structure in multi-dwelling units.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

There are no plans to consult on reforms to the Electronic Communications Code. As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement on 21 July we will consult on policy measures later in the autumn to create a new right for leaseholders in England and Wales to request a gigabit broadband connection and a duty for freeholders to not unreasonably refuse the request. We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on the policy proposals and we will seek to legislate for these measures when parliamentary time allows.

We are engaging with the Devolved Nations on a range of issues relating to the deployment of digital infrastructure, including issues relating to access.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support young people in supported accommodation.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

It remains the department’s priority to support young people in supported accommodation.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides support with rent and other living costs through Housing Benefit and Universal Credit to eligible individuals (including young people) living in supported accommodation. Subject to criteria, individuals may be eligible for help with housing costs through Housing Benefit, to pay all or part of their rent and any eligible service charges. In 2023, DWP spent an estimated £4.1bn on Housing Benefit and Universal Credit housing entitlement for people living in supported accommodation.

To drive up quality of provision for people in supported accommodation, DWP is working alongside the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to implement measures arising from the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act. A government response to the first consultation on the Act is due to be published as soon as possible.

We also acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for working age customers residing in supported and temporary accommodation.

We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while taking into account the views of stakeholders. Any future decisions will be taken in the round and in the context of the current fiscal environment.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking with (a) DHSC and (b) MHCLG to ensure (i) policing, (ii) health and (iii) local authority partnerships (A) identify and (B) respond effectively to individuals at risk of entering a cycle of reoffending.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Prolific offenders and those in a cycle of reoffending commit a disproportionate amount of crime and societal harm and generate outsized demand for the police, criminal justice system and public services, making them an important focus for intervention.

Every neighbourhood across England and Wales now has named and contactable neighbourhood officer, dedicated to addressing the issues that matter most by working closely with their communities, businesses, and partner agencies, using local intelligence to problem solve complex issues such as repeat offending.

The Government supports the use of diversion and early intervention, recognising that we cannot tackle prolific offending through policing alone. Police forces have a range of powers available, such as out of court resolutions, to divert offenders away from the criminal justice system where appropriate.

Drugs are a major cause of crime and continued investment in treatment and recovery services will be vital to help reduce levels of reoffending. Part of the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Improvement Grant funds treatment and wraparound support for people sleeping rough or at risk of rough sleeping who have a drug need. This helps deliver integrated, cross-sector working in preventing homelessness and supporting substance misuse treatment and recovery.

In addition, Combating Drugs Partnerships play an important role in tackling prolific offending. These partnerships bring together police, probation, public health, the NHS and other local partners to deliver a whole-system, multi-agency response to drug-related harms, including tackling the crime and antisocial behaviour linked to drugs.

Overall, given the demand prolific offenders generate across various services and the complexity of their needs, the Home Office has ongoing discussions with other government Departments, the police, local authorities and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) on how to continue to strengthen our approach to this cohort.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has worked with the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government to assess the implications of insulation-related building damage on housing safety and standards.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to ensuring building work is done to the highest levels of quality and safety, be that in new builds, high rise or the home retrofit space such as Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme / Great British Insulation Scheme. The Department is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Building Safety Regulator on reforms to the consumer protection system to improve accountability and support higher-quality installations including addressing the issues identified in the NAO report pertaining to the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the official invitation by the government of Israel to Stephen Yaxley-Lennon to Israel and of the impact on public order and community relations in the United Kingdom.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The Government's priority is to support and promote community cohesion across the UK, working closely with local authorities, devolved administrations, voluntary and community sector and faith organisations, and other government departments.

The government's new £2.87 million Common Ground Resilience Fund is supporting community connection and cohesion in England by funding locally led interventions to build community resilience. Furthermore, MHCLG is co-ordinating cross-Government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address deep-seated issues.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Israel's support for and association with far-right activists in the United Kingdom, and of the impact on community relations in the United Kingdom.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The Government's priority is to support and promote community cohesion across the UK, working closely with local authorities, devolved administrations, voluntary and community sector and faith organisations, and other government departments.

The government's new £2.87 million Common Ground Resilience Fund is supporting community connection and cohesion in England by funding locally led interventions to build community resilience. Furthermore, MHCLG is co-ordinating cross-Government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address deep-seated issues.

Found: Establishment) Order 2025” of which prints signed by a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: for the property tax system also includes the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG

Found: New retention zones will be introduced by MHCLG via secondary legislation, coming into effect from April

Found: New retention zones will be introduced by MHCLG via secondary legislation, coming into effect from April

Found: performance between April 2024 and March 2025 Defra has worked closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: need; this was 0.7% of all households owed a statutory homelessness duty in 2023/24 in England (MHCLG

Found: need; this was 0.7% of all households owed a statutory homelessness duty in 2023/24 in England (MHCLG

Found: criteria:  Value for money Bids will be assessed using a Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) as set out in the MHCLG

Found: LEASE is a specialist body funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG

Found: need; this was 0.7% of all households owed a statutory homelessness duty in 2023/24 in England (MHCLG

Found: need; this was 0.7% of all households owed a statutory homelessness duty in 2023/24 in England (MHCLG

Found: UK Boardroom Apprentice, supported by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, is a

Found: Local Affordable Housing Fund (LAHF) by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG

Found: statistics published by the regulator (Private Registered Providers - Social Housing Stock in England) and MHCLG

Found: statistics published by the regulator (Private Registered Providers - Social Housing Stock in England) and MHCLG

Found: by the regulator (Private Registered Providers - Social Housing Stock and Rents in England) and MHCLG

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Found: On 25 May, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published the Speeding

Found: MHCLG colleagues have engaged with The Gardens Trust to understand the impacts of potentially removing