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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the nature mitigation mechanisms in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the use of bat tunnels in new developments.

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

The government is confident that the Nature Restoration Fund proposed in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill provides a mechanism to avoid the kind of expensive intervention epitomised by the Sheephouse Wood Bat Protection Structure and instead drive meaningful outcomes for nature at the right scale.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of safeguards protecting residents of retirement homes from additional paid-for services from independent living providers.

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

The government is committed to ensuring that leaseholders, including those living in retirement homes, are protected from unfair and unreasonable practices.

There are currently two government-approved codes of practice in force in relation to the residential leasehold sector and private retirement housing. These are the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Management Service Charge Code and the Association of Retirement Housing Managers (AHRM) Code of Practice. The enforcement of standards set out in these codes can be taken into account as evidence, at court or tribunal hearings.

Individual leases set out what services leaseholders may expect to receive, and what they should pay for. By law variable service charges must be reasonable and, where costs relate to works or services, the works or services must be of a reasonable standard. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges, they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal. On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here.

The government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report, including in relation to specialist accommodation for older people.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether Articles 13 and 141 of the EU Treaty Articles have been assimilated into the English planning system.

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

Articles 13 and 14 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU have not been incorporated into the planning system in England.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on (a) due diligence and (b) vetting procedures for external contractors used for public service delivery.

Answered by Jim McMahon

Local authorities are responsible for the award of contracts in line with the procurement regulations at the time of the award. This would include undertaking due diligence on suppliers as required by those regulations.

The government must ensure that there are sufficient safeguards in place to ensure appropriate suppliers are awarded public contracts. The Procurement Act 2023 has strengthened our ability to respond where issues arise and to address poor performance. Cabinet Office has published extensive guidance to support contracting authorities, in addition to a robust and wide reaching training offer to support the implementation of the Procurement Act.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to consider the housing needs of older people in the development of her long-term housing strategy.

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

The government is committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market and we will continue to consider this issue as we develop our long-term housing strategy.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of introducing votes for 16 and 17 year olds on the size of parliamentary constituencies.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

As outlined in the recently published ‘Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections’, the Government believes that enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in all UK elections will foster early and sustained participation in civic life and enhance engagement in our democratic processes. By delivering this manifesto commitment, we want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote.

In June 2025, the House of Commons Library published constituency-level estimates of the number of 16- and 17-year-olds across the UK, based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from 2022 for Great Britain and 2023 for Northern Ireland. These figures provide indicative estimates of the population and should be treated as approximations rather than precise counts.

The government recognises the importance of understanding the implications of this policy change. Accordingly, an Impact Assessment will be published alongside forthcoming legislation 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, how many meetings she has held with activist groups who have registered concerns about the proposed Chinese embassy since July 2024.

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

In line with published propriety guidance on planning casework decisions, Planning Ministers do not hold meetings with parties where cases are before the Department for determination. More information 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, how many meetings she has had with representatives of the Chinese Government about the proposed embassy since July 2024..

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

In line with published propriety guidance on planning casework decisions, Planning Ministers do not hold meetings with parties where cases are before the Department for determination. More information 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, when she plans to bring into force the provisions of the section 102 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 to require planning authorities to have special regard to the desirability of preserving or enhancing a battlefield or its setting.

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

The government is reviewing heritage planning policy in the context of wider reforms to the planning system. As part of that work, we will consider the outstanding measures from the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 including the duty of regard to certain heritage assets in granting permissions in section 102 of the Act.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of additional electors who will be added to the electoral roll following the franchise being extended to 16 and 17 year olds in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Lancashire and (d) Fylde.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

As outlined in the recently published ‘Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections’, the Government believes that enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in all UK elections will foster early and sustained participation in civic life and enhance engagement in our democratic processes. By delivering this manifesto commitment, we want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote.

In June 2025, the House of Commons Library published constituency-level estimates of the number of 16- and 17-year-olds across the UK, based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from 2022 for Great Britain and 2023 for Northern Ireland. These figures provide indicative estimates of the population and should be treated as approximations rather than precise counts.

The government recognises the importance of understanding the implications of this policy change. Accordingly, an Impact Assessment will be published alongside forthcoming legislation 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 discussions she had with the Secretary of State for Education on the adequacy of political education in schools ahead of announcing that the franchise would be expanded to 16 and 17 year olds.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Empowering and equipping young people with the knowledge and skills they need to participate in our democracy is central to the Government’s plans for extending the franchise. We want to break down barriers and drive participation. To support this, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is already working closely with the Department for Education. We will continue this engagement to ensure the change is implemented successfully.

Teaching about democracy and elections already forms a central part of the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4 and can be taught as a non-statutory topic in primary schools. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is considering citizenship education as part of its work and the Government will consider any recommendations when they are published later this Autumn.

We will also work with the Electoral Commission, the devolved governments, civil society organisations - and importantly, with young people themselves - to consider what additional measures can ensure the successful implementation of votes at 16.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of introducing votes at 16 on costs to (a) the Exchequer and (b) local authorities.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

As outlined in the recently published ‘Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections’, the Government believes that enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in all UK elections will foster early and sustained participation in civic life and enhance engagement in our democratic processes. By delivering this manifesto commitment, we want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote.

In June 2025, the House of Commons Library published constituency-level estimates of the number of 16- and 17-year-olds across the UK, based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from 2022 for Great Britain and 2023 for Northern Ireland. These figures provide indicative estimates of the population and should be treated as approximations rather than precise counts.

The government recognises the importance of understanding the implications of this policy change. Accordingly, an Impact Assessment will be published alongside forthcoming legislation 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 discussions her Department has had with the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team on the (a) prevalence of conditional selling practices by estate agents and (b) the effectiveness of that Agency's enforcement of the Estate Agents Act (1979) in relation to conditional selling.

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

It is unacceptable for estate agents to withhold offers from sellers because the potential buyer declines to use their additional services. Where there is evidence of such practices, agents can face sanctions including a ban.

The government is committed to protecting people from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents and to improving estate agent standards more generally.

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team (NTSEAT) is the lead estate agent enforcement authority. Alongside local authority Trading Standards teams, they are responsible for ensuring estate agents comply with the Estate Agents Act 1979 and other relevant legislation. NTSEAT have powers to issue warnings and banning orders against rogue agents. In cases of conditional selling, it is essential that any misconduct or manipulation in the offer process is reported to help build a clearer picture of the problem and support potential investigations.

My Department engages regularly with NTSEAT to discuss how best to address specific issues, including conditional selling, and continue to look at options to improve standards across the estate agent sector.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help tackle conditional selling by estate agents.

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

It is unacceptable for estate agents to withhold offers from sellers because the potential buyer declines to use their additional services. Where there is evidence of such practices, agents can face sanctions including a ban.

The government is committed to protecting people from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents and to improving estate agent standards more generally.

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team (NTSEAT) is the lead estate agent enforcement authority. Alongside local authority Trading Standards teams, they are responsible for ensuring estate agents comply with the Estate Agents Act 1979 and other relevant legislation. NTSEAT have powers to issue warnings and banning orders against rogue agents. In cases of conditional selling, it is essential that any misconduct or manipulation in the offer process is reported to help build a clearer picture of the problem and support potential investigations.

My Department engages regularly with NTSEAT to discuss how best to address specific issues, including conditional selling, and continue to look at options to improve standards across the estate agent sector.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of permitted development on the number of Houses of Multiple Occupation in Hertsmere constituency.

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

My Department has made no such an assessment.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government how many applications were shortlisted and interviewed for the Combatting Hatred Against Muslims Fund; what was the total scores for each application; and how many applications were presented to the Minster for Faith, Communities and Resettlement, Lord Khan of Burnley, to consider.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley

The Combatting Hatred Against Muslims fund received 34 applications between 02 April and 18 May. Three applicants were shortlisted and interviewed, including the British Muslim Trust, and formal advice was presented to ministers for final decision following assessment and scoring. Applications were assessed against 16 criteria which can be found on the fund’s prospectus - Combatting Hate Against Muslims fund: prospectus - GOV.UK. The British Muslim Trust was named as the preferred bidder on 21^st July 2025.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total score awarded to the application of the British Muslim Trust to the Combatting Hatred Against Muslims Fund.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley

The Combatting Hatred Against Muslims fund received 34 applications between 02 April and 18 May. Three applicants were shortlisted and interviewed, including the British Muslim Trust, and formal advice was presented to ministers for final decision following assessment and scoring. Applications were assessed against 16 criteria which can be found on the fund’s prospectus - Combatting Hate Against Muslims fund: prospectus - GOV.UK. The British Muslim Trust was named as the preferred bidder on 21^st July 2025.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government how many applications for funding were received for the Combatting Hatred Against Muslims Fund by 18 May.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley

The Combatting Hatred Against Muslims fund received 34 applications between 02 April and 18 May. Three applicants were shortlisted and interviewed, including the British Muslim Trust, and formal advice was presented to ministers for final decision following assessment and scoring. Applications were assessed against 16 criteria which can be found on the fund’s prospectus - Combatting Hate Against Muslims fund: prospectus - GOV.UK. The British Muslim Trust was named as the preferred bidder on 21^st July 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued guidance on redress in circumstances where adding a storey to a property under permitted development regulations results in the blocking of the sun to pre-existing solar panels on an adjoining property.

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

My Department has not issued any such guidance.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many lower-layer super output areas are within Telford constituency; how those areas are ranked by top (a) 1%, (b) 5% and (c) 10% in the index of multiple deprivation; and what impact that data has on the allocation of funding by her Department.

Answered by Jim McMahon

The indices of multiple deprivation (IMD) are publicly available, including information about the lower super output areas.

The government has consulted on updating the distribution of local government finance in the Fair Funding Review 2.0. This includes proposals for a 'Foundation Formula' to assess relative demand for most non-social care services. More detail about the formula, including how it incorporates IMD data, can be found in the consultation document.

The consultation has now closed and the government is considering the comments received.

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 July 2025 to Question 62604 on Planning: Disclosure of Information, whether information on the internal layout of Embassy developments can be redacted by a planning applicant, before it is submitted to a local planning authority.

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

The submission of application documents is a matter for applicants themselves.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for the extension of the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The government is committed to delivering on the manifesto commitment to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all elections during this Parliament, strengthening our democracy, empowering young people to participate and building an informed and empowered electorate. Legislation will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows during the lifetime of this Parliament.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) private and (b) social homes started in London between 1 January and 31 March 2025.

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

My Department publishes a quarterly release entitled ‘Housing supply: Indicators of New Supply, England’, which includes estimates of new build starts and completions, by tenure of developer, in London. Statistics to the quarter ending March 2025 can be found in Table 217 on gov.uk here. This dataset covers new build dwellings only and should be regarded as a leading indicator of overall housing supply.

My Department also publishes an annual release entitled ‘Affordable Housing supply, England’, which is the primary and most comprehensive measure of affordable housing supply. This includes estimates of new social homes started in London, in each financial year, to 2023-24 and can be found in Table 1006-1008 on gov.uk here. Data for 2024-25 will be published in November/December 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 4 July 2025 to Question 63255 on Property Development: Repairs and Maintenance, whether the 2026-36 Affordable Homes Programme will allow a proportion of programme delivery to come from (a) acquisitions of existing (i) new build and (ii) second hand homes and (b) funding replacement homes on regeneration schemes.

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

The government’s new Social and Affordable Homes Programme will not have numerical targets for particular types of homes other than Social Rent nor will it have ringfenced budgets for particular regions or types of home beyond the portion allocated to the Greater London Authority.

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.

We will allow bids for individual projects on an ongoing basis, and for Strategic Partnerships over the life of the programme, including bids for funds over the entire 10 years of starts with homes completing after 2036 also eligible. A competitive bidding round for Strategic Partnerships will launch this winter, followed by later opportunities.

It is our intention to publish a full prospectus for the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme in autumn 2025 and open it for bids in the winter.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she has taken to (a) minimise rent increases and (b) increase affordable renting provisions.

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

The £39 billion announced at the Spending Review for the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme for 2026-27 to 2035-36 is the biggest long-term investment in social and affordable housing in recent memory.

Our ambition is to deliver up around 300,000 social and affordable homes over the programme’s lifetime. If we achieve this ambition and our target of at least 60% of the homes being for Social Rent, the new programme will deliver around 180,000 homes for Social Rent – approximately a sixfold increase on the number of grant-funded Social Rent homes delivered in the decade up to 2024.

We also announced a 10-year rent settlement (that will permit increases by up to CPI+1% each year), which will give providers the financial certainty to invest in new and existing homes, but also crucially protect tenants from excessive rent increases.

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 8 July 2025 to Question 62598 on Right to Buy Scheme, what estimate she has made of the number of Right to Buy sales per year following those further reforms to the Right to Buy.

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

Preliminary modelling of the effects of lowering percentage discounts and extending the qualifying tenancy period for the Right to Buy indicates that sales could fall to c.1,000 homes per year in the short run. This estimate is based on early analysis and should be treated as indicative, pending further refinement. We will provide a fuller assessment ahead of introducing the necessary legislation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce a cap on ground rents.

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

The government remains firmly committed to its manifesto commitment to tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and we will deliver this in legislation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to regulate second home ownership in coastal communities with housing shortages.

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

The government recognise that excessive concentrations of second homes impact on the availability and affordability of homes for local residents to buy and rent, as well as local services.

Local authorities are now able to apply a premium of up to 100% extra on the council tax bills of second homes. The premium will provide additional funding for councils and help local leaders to address the impacts of second homes and improve the sustainability of communities where they consider it necessary.

From 31 October 2024, the higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) on additional dwellings were increased from three percentage points above standard rates to five percentage points above standard rates. This is to ensure that those looking to move home, or purchase their first property, have a greater advantage over second home buyers, landlords, and businesses purchasing residential property.

We are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by second homes and short-term lets.

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 30 June 2025 to Question 61622 on MHCLG: Translation Services, if she will list (a) the foreign languages and (b) the documents that were (i) translated and (ii) interpreted.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 67129 on 22 July 2025.

The department does not hold a central list of documents that were translated and interpreted.

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 17 July 2025 to Question 66191 on Private Rented Housing: Rents, whether she has made an assessment of the reasons for those increases.

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

The factors affecting changes in rents are complex and difficult to disentangle. They include house prices, supply and demand, taxation policy, interest rates and the movement of tenants into homeownership or social rented housing. It is not possible to assess the specific impact of each of these factors.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many affordable homes were delivered as part of projects funded by the Greater Manchester Housing Investment Loan Fund in the postcodes (a) M15 4TP and (b) M15 4PA, in each of the last ten years.

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

The Greater Manchester Housing Investment Loan Fund is operated by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). GMCA is therefore best placed to respond to this question.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many approvals for the disposal of allotments were made under section 8 of the Allotments Act 1925 between 7 May 2010 and 4 July 2024; and what the (a) location and (b) reference number of each disposal was.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Between July 2018 and 4 July 2024 the sitting Secretary of State approved 58 allotment disposals. The location, town, reference number where available and date of disposal are listed in the table below. Due to a change in case management systems, records for the number of allotment disposals do not go back further than July 2018.

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 18 June 2025 to Question 59784 on MHCLG: Research, if she will publish the specification of the research commissioned from the Department for Education on 19 March 2025 costing £57,600, published in the March 2025 transparency data.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

MHCLG commissioned Policy Lab to conduct a series of workshops with the Digital Planning Programme, on supporting the growth of the Property Technology market and exploring the barriers to greater adoption. The write up of these workshops is informing current policy development but contains information that is commercially sensitive. We will take a decision on publication after that process once the commercially sensitive information has been reviewed.

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 her Department's policy paper entitled Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections, published on 17 July 2025, whether the code of conduct for campaigning will be statutory.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

As set out in our strategy, we will work with the Speaker’s Conference and the Electoral Commission to consult with political parties to develop a code of conduct which is fit for purpose. This code will be non-statutory.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the ban on upward-only rent reviews on (a) pension funds and (b) property investments owned by councils.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 68122 on 24 July 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 8 July 2025 to Question 64625 on Electoral Register: Young People, whether political parties were consulted.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Pursuant to the answer given to Question UIN 64625 on 8 July 2025, the government was elected on a manifesto commitment to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all elections. We are committed to act during this Parliament to do so – in turn strengthening our democracy, empowering young people to participate and building an informed and engaged electorate.

We will take time to engage with stakeholders in the electoral sector, devolved and local government, education, civil society - and importantly, with young people themselves - to ensure the change is implemented successfully.

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, what estimate her Department has made of the number of electors per district councillor in Huntingdonshire after the voting age is lowered to 16.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

As outlined in the recently published ‘Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections’, the government believes that enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in all UK elections will foster early and sustained participation in civic life and enhance engagement in our democratic processes. By delivering this manifesto commitment, we want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote.

In June 2025, the House of Commons Library published constituency-level estimates of the number of 16- and 17-year-olds across the UK, based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from 2022 for Great Britain and 2023 for Northern Ireland. These figures provide indicative estimates of the population and should be treated as approximations rather than precise counts.

The government recognises the importance of understanding the implications of this policy change. Accordingly, an Impact Assessment will be published alongside forthcoming legislation 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 assessment she has made of the potential impact of extending the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds on the size of the proposed unitary councils in Cambridgeshire.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

As outlined in the recently published ‘Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections’, the government believes that enabling 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in all UK elections will foster early and sustained participation in civic life and enhance engagement in our democratic processes. By delivering this manifesto commitment, we want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote.

In June 2025, the House of Commons Library published constituency-level estimates of the number of 16- and 17-year-olds across the UK, based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from 2022 for Great Britain and 2023 for Northern Ireland. These figures provide indicative estimates of the population and should be treated as approximations rather than precise counts.

The government recognises the importance of understanding the implications of this policy change. Accordingly, an Impact Assessment will be published alongside forthcoming legislation 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 the guidance entitled Summary: Planning and Infrastructure Bill, Government Amendments to Part 3 (Lords Committee Stage), published on 17 July 2025, in what circumstances the mitigation measures would have to be (a) in place and (b) be completed before the substantive development is allowed to be (i) started and (ii) occupied.

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

Where a developer has been granted permission relying on the payment of the Nature Restoration Levy, Natural England will be responsible for securing the necessary conservation measures to outweigh the negative effects of the development.

Natural England are being given the powers they need to deliver conservation measures at pace, to reduce any short-term impacts on the environment. There is no strict requirement to always have conservation measures in place in advance of impacts as there are instances when this could unnecessarily delay development and create liabilities for public finances.

However, an Environmental Delivery Plan must however set out the anticipated sequencing of the implementation of the conservation measures by reference to the development to which the Environmental Delivery Plan applies.

Ultimately, an Environmental Delivery Plan can only be put in place where the Secretary of State is satisfied the delivery of conservation measures will materially outweigh the negative effects of development by the plan’s end date.

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 proposed local government reorganisation in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, what protection will be given to the (a) culture and (b) interests of the New Forest Commoners when considering any proposal to subdivide the area currently administered by New Forest District Council by separating Totton and the Waterside from the perambulation of the Forest.

Answered by Jim McMahon

Local government reorganisation will lead to better outcomes for residents, save significant money which can be reinvested in public services, and improve accountability.

The government has been clear with councils on the importance of local engagement in developing their proposals for unitary government. This should include residents, community groups, public service providers, workforces and their representatives, Members of Parliament and businesses.

Boundary changes are possible, and as a starting point existing district areas should be considered the building blocks for proposals. Where there is a strong justification, including having regard to local identity, then more complex boundary changes will be considered.

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 63 of her Department's policy paper entitled Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections, published on 17 July 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of allowing dual registration on election spending limits.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN HL9888 on 4 August 2025.

With regards to the impact on election spending limits, we continue to work through the detail on the application of this measure.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she consulted the Parliamentary Parties Panel on the policy paper entitled Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections, published on 17 July 2025.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The government has worked closely with its partners in local and devolved government, with the electoral sector, with education providers and civil society, and with citizens themselves in the development of the strategy for modern and secure elections. We will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders, including with political parties and sector representative organisations such as the Association of Electoral Administrators, to ensure these changes are delivered successfully.

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 63 of her Department's policy paper entitled Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections, published on 17 July 2025, which organisations were impacted by the prohibition on dual registration.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN HL9888 on 4 August 2025.

With regards to the impact on election spending limits, we continue to work through the detail on the application of this measure.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will undertake a public consultation on proposed changes to election law.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The government has worked closely with its partners in local and devolved government, with the electoral sector, with education providers and civil society, and with citizens themselves in the development of the strategy for modern and secure elections. We will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders, including with political parties and sector representative organisations such as the Association of Electoral Administrators, to ensure these changes are delivered successfully.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that new housing developments incorporate measures to reduce noise pollution.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to, and enhance, the natural and local environment by preventing new and existing development from contributing to, being put at unacceptable risk from, or being adversely affected by, unacceptable levels of noise pollution.

New development should be appropriate for its location taking into account the likely effects (including cumulative effects) of pollution on health, living conditions and the natural environment, as well as the potential sensitivity of the site to the wider area.

Guidance sets out further detail on how new housing developments can incorporate measures to mitigate noise pollution, including the use of engineering, layout and planning conditions.

It is for local authorities to assess excessive noise in a neighbourhood. Local authorities have a range of powers available to them to assess nuisance such as in cases where there is excessive noise from residential and commercial properties. These are set out in various pieces of legislation, including the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Noise Act 1996.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with her US counterpart on the security of the proposed embassy.

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

The government regularly engages with representatives of foreign governments, including the United States government, to discuss a broad range of issues. The details of these discussions are not made public.

In dealing with any planning application, Ministers act in accordance with published propriety guidance on planning casework decisions. More information 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 guidance her Department has provided to local planning authorities on whether a reserved matters planning application can be rejected on the principle of development established in approved outline planning application.

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

The government have published no such guidance. Guidance relating to outline planning permission and approval of reserved matters is set out in Planning Practice Guidance on making an application which 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 her policy is on the use of Special Development Orders for private sector development which does not engage matters of national security.

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

Special Development Orders are a long-established part of the planning system. Each case is considered on its individual merits. The government has no plans to change this approach.

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 reduce the amount of planning paperwork for new build (a) homes and (b) flats.

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

On 28 May 2025, the government published the Planning Reform Working Paper: Reforming Site Thresholds (which can be found on gov.uk here) which sought views on taking a gradated approach to the planning system, removing and streamlining disproportionate requirements on small and medium sites.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the effectiveness of procedures for opposing local development.

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

The Impact Assessment for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill was published 6 May 2025 and 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, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 65373 on Private Rented Housing: Licensing, what estimate she has made of the average annual licensing and registration fee under (a) selective licensing, (b) Private Rented Sector Database and (c) PRS Ombudsman.

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

Selective licensing schemes are introduced by local authorities. Fees differ based on regional variations in the administrative and operational costs of schemes. Due to these factors, no estimate of an annual average across all schemes has been made.

Fees to register on the PRS Database will be set out in secondary legislation and will take account a range of factors, including burden on landlords.

In line with practice across other ombudsmen, the PRS ombudsman will set the fee members would be required to pay. This will be on the basis of their running costs and service provision. The ombudsman would not be able to make profit and the government will ensure that the fee is proportionate and is good value.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of delivery timescales for New Towns Development Corporations on the ability of those corporations to build beautiful houses.

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

Development corporations are well placed to achieve significant volumes of housebuilding at the same time as delivering high-quality and well-designed homes and neighbourhoods.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to reinstate funding for local Neighbourhood Development Plans.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 59114 on 19 June 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to merge Homes England into her Department.

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

There are no plans to merge Homes England into MHCLG.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment her Department has made of noise pollution in urban areas.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to, and enhance, the natural and local environment by preventing new and existing development from contributing to, being put at unacceptable risk from, or being adversely affected by, unacceptable levels of noise pollution.

New development should be appropriate for its location taking into account the likely effects (including cumulative effects) of pollution on health, living conditions and the natural environment, as well as the potential sensitivity of the site to the wider area.

Guidance sets out further detail on how new housing developments can incorporate measures to mitigate noise pollution, including the use of engineering, layout and planning conditions.

It is for local authorities to assess excessive noise in a neighbourhood. Local authorities have a range of powers available to them to assess nuisance such as in cases where there is excessive noise from residential and commercial properties. These are set out in various pieces of legislation, including the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Noise Act 1996.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Molior London report entitled Residential Development in London: Q1 2025, April 2025.

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

The government recognises the significant challenges affecting housing delivery challenge in London. We are committed to working in partnership with the Mayor of London, boroughs, and others to significantly increase rates of housebuilding in the capital.

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 July 2025 to Question 62977 on Housing Construction, what financial guarantees for housing will be provided by her Department for 2025-26.

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

As of 30 June 2025, MHCLG has provided £270 million of financial guarantees for housing in the 2025-26 financial year.

My Department’s guarantees schemes are demand-led and it is therefore not possible to estimate the total guarantees the Department will provide in the 2025-26 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 assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on (a) levels of access to green spaces and (b) wildlife.

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

The Impact Assessment for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill was published 6 May 2025 and 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 steps her Department is taking to help ensure that there is adequate infrastructure in place to support new housing developments.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 65505 on 14 July 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure new housing developments have adequate (a) infrastructure and (b) public service provision.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 65505 on 14 July 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to increase protection of town and parish council clerks against bullying by elected councillors.

Answered by Jim McMahon

In December the Government launched a consultation seeking views on proposed measures to strengthen the local government standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England. The response to the consultation will be issued in due course. After its release, we will continue to work actively with local government on developing the detailed policies for implementation.

We are committed to empowering local authorities of all types and tiers, including town and parish councils, to deal with member misconduct where it arises.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if the Class F exemption for The Council Tax Exempt Dwelling Order 1992 will be extended to include properties where the conclusion or Final Order has been made on an Inheritance Act 1975 claim and the property is ordered to be vacated.

Answered by Jim McMahon

When a property has been left empty following the death of its owner or occupant, it is exempt from council tax for as long as it remains unoccupied and until probate is granted. Following a grant of probate (or the signing of letters of administration), a further six months exemption is possible, so long as the property remains unoccupied and has not been sold or transferred to someone else.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance she has provided to local authorities on (a) spending Community Infrastructure Levy receipts, (b) deriving related interest from unspent funds and (c) how such interest should be allocated in two-tier areas between districts and counties.

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

My Department has published guidance on CIL which includes how receipts should be spent. The guidance, which is available gov.uk here, makes clear that charging authorities should work closely with county councils in setting priorities for how CIL receipts will be spent.

I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 56282 on 10 June 2025 and Question UIN 54059 on 6 June 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 14 June 2025 to Question 59791 on Greater Manchester Combined Authority: Housing Investment Programmes, whether (a) her Department and (b) Homes England have had recent discussions with (i) Sheikh Mansour and (ii) Abu Dhabi United Group on housing development in Greater Manchester.

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

I am not aware of any recent engagements between my Department or Homes England with Sheikh Mansour and the Abu Dhabi United Group regarding housing development in Greater Manchester.

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 her Department's transparency data entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, April 2025, published on 30 May 2025, what the research commissioned from the Greater London Authority on 22 April 2025 was.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 60469 on 20 June 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 17 July 2025 to Question 64085 on Oxford Growth Commission: Public Appointments, if she will publish the letter.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Department does not routinely publish information on the remuneration of direct ministerial appointments as they are not regulated public appointments. The Chair of the Oxford Growth Commission wrote to the previous shadow Secretary of State sharing details of his remuneration on 16 July.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of people rough sleeping in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

The government has increased funding for homelessness services by £233 million in 2025/26 to a total of £1 billion to prevent rises in the number of households in temporary accommodation and to help prevent rough sleeping. This includes £185.6 million through the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant. The allocations for this grant can be found on gov.uk here.

The government’s forthcoming homelessness strategy will set out the steps to be taken by government, in partnerships with Mayors, local authorities, and the homelessness sector, to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia has had meetings with (a) MEND, (b) CAGE, (c) MCB and (d) Palestine Action; and whether that group plans to accept written representations from those bodies.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Working Group has not met with any of the mentioned groups. The Working Group launched a Call for Evidence to build on the extensive consultation they’ve already undertaken which closed on Sunday 20 July. It was open to the public and any individual or organisation was welcome to submit evidence.

Per the Terms of Reference for the Working Group, the Group is supported by a small secretariat function based within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, with Senior Civil Servant-level oversight provided in the usual manner.

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 17 July 2025 to Question 65809 on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Working Group, what the (a) grade and (b) title is of the senior civil servant providing oversight of the working group.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Working Group has not met with any of the mentioned groups. The Working Group launched a Call for Evidence to build on the extensive consultation they’ve already undertaken which closed on Sunday 20 July. It was open to the public and any individual or organisation was welcome to submit evidence.

Per the Terms of Reference for the Working Group, the Group is supported by a small secretariat function based within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, with Senior Civil Servant-level oversight provided in the usual manner.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Future Homes Standard will permit (a) air conditioning and (b) air to air reversible heat pumps in (i) new build and (ii) refurbished dwellings.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Under the Future Homes Standard (FHS), which will apply to new builds only, new homes will be required to be built with low carbon heating. We do not mandate specific technologies in the Building Regulations and so we expect a range of different types of heat pumps or other low carbon technologies to be used.

While the FHS will not be focused on overheating, Part O of the Building Regulations requires that new residential buildings are built to mitigate the risk of overheating. Mechanical cooling can be used, however, given the government’s net zero commitment, our preferred means of mitigating overheating is through passive means. Developers must demonstrate that all possible passive means of cooling a dwelling have been implemented before adopting mechanical cooling. As part of the Future Homes and Buildings Standard consultation, which closed in March 2024, we sought evidence on whether current overheating standards are appropriate or require amendment. The government will set out the evidence it received and its response to this in Autumn 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the licensing regime for Houses in multiple occupation in (a) identifying and (b) addressing potential conflicts of interest involving public contract holders.

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

It is important that private rented properties are safe, well-maintained, and properly managed. Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing schemes play a crucial role in achieving this. Local authorities have robust powers to ensure landlords of HMOs comply with all relevant regulations.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support is available for leaseholders in buildings under eleven metres in height impacted by building safety issues; and whether her Department plans to review the exclusion of such buildings from financial remediation schemes under the Building Safety Act 2022.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Fire risks from cladding are generally proportionate to building height. If remediation is required in buildings under 11 metres in height, the responsibility should rest with building owners. They should not pass these costs on to leaseholders but should seek to recover costs from those who were responsible for building unsafe homes.

The department announced targeted funding for multi-occupied residential buildings under 11 metres in the Remediation Acceleration Plan update. This funding will be available in exceptional cases, where there are life-critical fire safety risks from cladding and no alternative route to funding. This will protect leaseholders from unjust costs. Clear eligibility criteria which outline the application process for this exceptional funding 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, with reference to her Department's news story entitled British Muslim Trust appointed as new partner to monitor and tackle anti-Muslim hatred, published on 21 July 2025, when her Department was informed that Akeela Ahmed would be appointed CEO of the British Muslim Trust.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Combatting Hatred Against Muslims Fund was established this year to respond to the evolving nature of religious intolerance and targeted hate incidents faced by Muslim communities, which are at the highest level on record.

The British Muslim Trust (BMT) was appointed as the recipient of the Fund following a rigorous and transparent application process, in which it was the highest scoring applicant.

The application submitted by BMT on 18 May 2025 included information on their intentions for the staffing of key individuals, including the CEO. These plans were dependent on being identified as the preferred bidder for the Fund.

In establishing the BMT, The Aziz Foundation and Randeree Charitable Trust have worked closely with Akeela Ahmed MBE, who they intend to appoint as CEO, drawing on her decades of experience in working with grassroots organisations and policy-level anti-hate work.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support Hong Kong British National (Overseas) passport holders in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 58070 on 30 June 2025, Question UIN 23695 on 21 January 2025, and Question UIN 52871 on 4 June 2025.

In Surrey Heath, BN(O)s benefit from the support of the South East Welcome Hub, which offers advice and guidance to new arrivals.

Surrey County Council has supported BN(O)s to access English language course via the Welcome Programme.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had recent discussions with the Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London Adjudication Joint Committee on automatic number plate recognition powers for off-street car parks.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Whilst the Secretary of State has held no meetings with the Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London Adjudication Joint Committee, the government is committed to raising standards for off-street private parking operators.

On 11 July, the government published a consultation document setting out its proposals for raising standards across the private parking industry ahead of preparing a code of practice and an accompanying compliance framework for private parking operators. The consultation document can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation closes on 5 September.

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 leaseholders receive cladding remediation as swiftly as possible.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

On 2 December 2024, the government set out the Remediation Acceleration Plan (RAP) which, for the first time, set targets for remediation so that by the end of 2029 all 18m+ buildings with unsafe cladding in a government funded scheme will have been remediated. It further committed that by the end of 2029 every building of 11m+ with unsafe cladding will either have been remediated, have a completion date, or the landlord will be liable for severe penalties.

On 17 July 2025, the government published an update to the RAP which set out the next steps for addressing the barriers to remediation so buildings can be fixed faster, work can be done to identify those buildings still at risk and that residents and leaseholders can be supported through the process. The update included our intention to create new powers to accelerate remediation and force landlords to act, including through a remediation backstop, which will give powers for government to get work done where landlords fail. A Remediation Bill will be brought forward implementing measures to compel landlords to remediate their buildings 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, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of building regulations on the speed of development of new towns.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Building Regulations 2010 are intended to protect people’s safety, health and welfare. They establish minimum legal performance standards for the design and construction of new building work. The government assesses the impact of any proposed changes to building regulations, including the potential impact on development where appropriate and proportionate.

The New Towns Taskforce will submit its final report with detailed recommendations on new towns this summer, including on potential locations. We will start building as quickly as possible, with work beginning in some sites by the end of the Parliament.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Plan for Neighbourhoods on Hastings.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The £1.5 billion Plan for Neighbourhoods programme announced in March 2025 will deliver up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade into 75 communities, including Hastings. The programme will lay the foundations to help bring communities together, kickstart growth and drive-up living standards.

We look forward to receiving Hastings’ 10-year vision and 4-year investment plan for the local area. We have already provided £450,000 in capacity funding for Hastings Neighbourhood Board which they can use for high-quality community engagement the results of which we will want to see in their Regeneration Plan.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) reducing the remit of the Commissioners appointed to oversee Birmingham City Council and (b) recalling them with immediate effect.

Answered by Jim McMahon

Commissioners appointed to Birmingham City Council play a key role in supporting the Council’s recovery and ensuring it returns to a sustainable footing. They provide oversight, advice and challenge across the Council’s operations and exercise all functions associated with the Council’s governance and scrutiny of strategic decision making, and all functions relating to senior appointments. They have powers to make decisions directly should they deem that necessary.

There are currently no plans to make changes to the Commissioner team.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Commissioners appointed to oversee Birmingham City Council in reaching a negotiated settlement of the Birmingham bin strikes.

Answered by Jim McMahon

Commissioners appointed to Birmingham City Council play a key role in supporting the Council’s recovery and ensuring it returns to a sustainable footing. They provide oversight, advice and challenge across the Council’s operations and exercise all functions associated with the Council’s governance and scrutiny of strategic decision making, and all functions relating to senior appointments. They have powers to make decisions directly should they deem that necessary.

There are currently no plans to make changes to the Commissioner team.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to encourage local authorities to undertake high street rental auctions.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The government is working with eleven early adopter councils who are taking steps to implement High Street Rental Auction powers to showcase their benefits and provide a source of best practice for other councils. My officials are also providing practical support and guidance to other councils and we have made up to £1 million available in 2025/26 to support the creation of vacancy registers and fund property refurbishments, as well as new burdens funding for local authority administrative costs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support community ownership of local assets.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

We want to support communities to take ownership of assets that are important to them. Community Right to Buy, introduced in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, will empower local people to bring community spaces back into community ownership and help to end the blight of empty properties on our high streets.

This new measure will give community groups the first option to purchase registered assets when they are put up for sale and a longer timeframe to raise funding to purchase the asset.

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 14 July 2025 to Question 65373 on Private Rented Housing: Licensing, whether the restrictions on using selective licensing revenues is in scope of the Fair Funding Review's consideration of flexibility on fees and charges.

Answered by Jim McMahon

As stated in the answer to Question UIN 65367 on 14 July 2025, selective licensing fees paid by landlords to local authorities should only be used to cover the costs of running schemes, and local authorities are not expected to profit, nor should they use licensing revenues to fund other local authority services.

Through the Fair Funding Review 2.0, the government is consulting on proposals to review local authority fees and charges where they no longer recover the cost of delivery, and to consider where there is a case for updating or devolving the fee. We welcome views on this, including the scope of proposed reforms.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which (a) existing and (b) new combined mayoral elections will take place in May (i) 2026 and (ii) 2027.

Answered by Jim McMahon

The government announced on 17 July that we are taking forward all six places on the Devolution Priority Programme and establishing mayoral strategic authorities via secondary legislation. Subject to the consent of local councils, legislation will be brought before Parliament in order to establish institutions early in 2026. Inaugural Mayoral elections in Hampshire and the Solent, Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk and Sussex and Brighton would be held in May 2026.

Following requests by the local authority leaders of Cheshire & Warrington and Cumbria, we’ve agreed the inaugural mayoral elections for those two areas will take place in May 2027.

No existing mayoral strategic authorities have elections in 2026 or 2027.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department had with relevant stakeholders on the inclusion of measures on supplementary vote in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

Answered by Jim McMahon

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has engaged with a wide range of local government stakeholders during the development of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. On the measure regarding the supplementary vote, we have discussed this measure with both Mayors and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, given this measure will revert the voting system back to the supplementary vote system for both Mayors and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). We will continue to engage with Mayors and PCCs on this measure, and all other measures in the Bill, during the passage of the Bill through Parliament.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has produced guidance on the political restrictions of the deputy mayors of the (a) Greater London Authority and (b) combined authority mayors.

Answered by Jim McMahon

The department has not published guidance on the political restrictions of the deputy mayors of the Greater London Authority, or the deputy mayors appointed by combined authority mayors.

Officers working in local government are subject to the Local Government Officers (Political Restrictions) Regulations 1990, which sets out the political restrictions they are subject to. For the deputy mayors of combined authorities it would not be necessary to publish guidance because the postholders are not officers. The deputy mayors appointed under 67(1)(b) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 are subject to political restriction, and the Greater London Authority published guidance on politically restricted posts.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local government restructuring will split up district councils when creating new unitaries.

Answered by Jim McMahon

Government has set an ambitious timetable for local government reorganisation, with three deadlines for submitting proposals for unitary local government set out in the invitation letters.

• Surrey: Proposals received on 9 May 202569677 a. Expect elections to new authorities in May 2026, with new authorities going live in April 2027.
• Areas that are part of the Devolution Priority Programme: proposals are due by 26 September. Expect elections to new authorities in May 2027, going live in April 2028.
• All other areas: Proposals are due by 28 November. The fastest possible timetable has elections to new authorities in May 2027 and new authorities going live in April 2028.

The invitation letter sets out that boundary changes are possible, but that existing district areas should be considered the building blocks for proposals. Any proposals that involve boundary changes or affect wider public services such as fire and rescue authorities will require a strong public services and financial sustainability related justification.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether unitary local government restructuring changes will take place at the same time.

Answered by Jim McMahon

Government has set an ambitious timetable for local government reorganisation, with three deadlines for submitting proposals for unitary local government set out in the invitation letters.

• Surrey: Proposals received on 9 May 202569677 a. Expect elections to new authorities in May 2026, with new authorities going live in April 2027.
• Areas that are part of the Devolution Priority Programme: proposals are due by 26 September. Expect elections to new authorities in May 2027, going live in April 2028.
• All other areas: Proposals are due by 28 November. The fastest possible timetable has elections to new authorities in May 2027 and new authorities going live in April 2028.

The invitation letter sets out that boundary changes are possible, but that existing district areas should be considered the building blocks for proposals. Any proposals that involve boundary changes or affect wider public services such as fire and rescue authorities will require a strong public services and financial sustainability related justification.

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 oral contribution of the Prime Minister during the oral question on council tax of 9 July 2025, Official Report, Column 939, what the evidential basis for the level of council tax in this Parliament is.

Answered by Jim McMahon

The government is not responsible for council tax levels, which are decided by local authorities, taking account of their local circumstances. The government does set referendum principles on these increases. Referendum principles strike a balance between giving councils the flexibility to generate income for local services and giving taxpayers the final say over excessive increases.

At this year’s Spending Review the government confirmed, in line with the previous government’s policy and OBR forecasts, that it intends to maintain the 3% threshold with an additional 2% for the adult social care precept. Final principles will be confirmed at the local government finance settlement and be subject to approval by the House of Commons 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, whether at any stage of the local government reorganisation process she will bar the formation of new (a) town and (b) parish councils.

Answered by Jim McMahon

The formation of new town and parish councils is devolved to principal local authorities through the Community Governance Review process. The government believes that these should remain local decisions.

Areas considering the establishment of new town and parish councils should think carefully about how these might be funded to avoid putting further pressure on local authority finances and/or new burdens on the taxpayer.

We encourage local authorities to consider local neighbourhood working arrangements in their own structures to empower local residents and frontline councillors to work together for positive change in their area.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether strategic authorities will have responsibilities for social care provision.

Answered by Jim McMahon

Local Authorities will retain responsibility for social care provision. Strategic authorities will gain a new duty in relation to health improvement and inequalities through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, but this will not alter the duty for Local Authorities to deliver adult’s or children’s social care services.

Strategic Authorities have a key role to play in taking action, particularly on the social determinants of health, through the exercise of their functions in areas such as transport, housing, and planning. By working with other local leaders, they can move away from traditional forms of service delivery to a holistic approach organised around service users.

To support Strategic Authorities in being active leaders in this space and driving a “health in all policies” approach in line with our Mission government approach, the government is introducing a new bespoke duty in relation to health improvement and health inequalities. Additionally, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill sets out a new standardised Devolution Framework, which positions Strategic Authorities as convenors on public service reform. They will work in partnership with Local Authorities to bring partners together to drive forward public service reform and prevention.

Our programme of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) will unitarise the remaining 21 two-tier areas; LGR will bring upper and lower tier councils together so all social care services are delivered in one place. On 25 July, the Department published clarifying information for areas developing Local Government Reorganisation proposals, including reference to social care: Local government reorganisation: Considerations for partnership working in social care for new unitary authorities. This reiterated the point that ‘new unitary councils will take over statutory responsibility for service delivery, including social care responsibilities which will continue to sit with the Director of Children’s Services (DCS) and Director of Adult Social Services (DASS).’

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 July 2025 to Question 64190 on Unitary Councils: Cambridgeshire, whether the same timetable will apply to other proposed new unitary councils with (a) November and (b) September response deadlines.

Answered by Jim McMahon

The government is committed to ending two-tier local government in England and moving to a single tier of local government in all parts of the country as soon as practicable. This will create simpler structures for the public, strengthen disjointed services and help councils pursue efficiencies. We anticipate that for areas submitting final proposals at the end of September, a consultation could be launched in November, closing in the new year, and for areas submitting final proposals at the end of November a consultation could be launched in the new year closing after the local elections in May 2026.

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 14 July 2025 to Question 65428 on Local Government: Elections, if he will list the councils which could have their elections replaced with elections to new unitary councils in May 2026.

Answered by Jim McMahon

Government is working with local leaders in Surrey to facilitate reorganisation to the most ambitious timeframe possible, meaning that Surrey could have elections to new unitary councils in May 2026, in advance of those councils going live in April 2027.

Elections are currently scheduled for May 2026 in Surrey are Elmbridge Borough Council, Mole Valley District Council, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, Runnymede Borough Council, Tandridge District Council, Surrey County Council and Woking Borough Council.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government has funded any (a) local authorities and (b) arm’s length bodies for the purposes of waste management in the jurisdiction of Birmingham City Council from 11 March 2025.

Answered by Jim McMahon

Councils in England, including Birmingham City Council, are funded for waste services via the Local Government Finance Settlement. In the Settlement for 2025-26, Birmingham City Council received an overall 9.8% increase in Core Spending Power from £1,337.5 million in 2024-25 to £1,468.8 million in 2025-26. Details of the 2025-26 Settlement can be found here. The Government also agreed Exceptional Financial Support in-principle for Birmingham City Council of £180 million for 2025-26.

In addition to this, local government in England is expected to receive £1.1 billion of new funding in 2025-26 through the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) scheme to support local collection and disposal services, including recycling services.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is also providing transitional resource funding to councils in England, including Birmingham City Council, for weekly food waste collections. Councils will receive their allocations for this financial year in the coming weeks.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether mayors in (a) mayoral and (b) county combined authorities will have rights of veto.

Answered by Jim McMahon

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, introduced to the House of Commons on 10 July 2025, makes provision to standardise voting arrangements for mayoral combined authorities and mayoral county combined authorities when making decisions. Unless prescribed otherwise, the standard voting arrangement will be a simple majority of the authority’s members voting and present, including the mayor. This means the mayor must be in the majority for a decision to pass.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that people who automatically qualified for full Council Tax Support under legacy benefits will continue to receive support under revised local support schemes.

Answered by Jim McMahon

Councils are required to provide a Local Council Tax Support (LCTS) scheme to support low-income households. Support for working age households, including the treatment of benefits, is designed by councils in consultation with their residents, taking into account the needs and circumstances of their local communities. Each year, councils must consider whether to revise or replace their scheme. For pension age households, councils administer a centrally prescribed LCTS scheme, which is reviewed annually. The Department for Work and Pensions provides data to councils for use in the administration of LCTS schemes in order to determine eligibility.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the withdrawal of passporting to full Council Tax support for legacy benefit recipients on low-income households.

Answered by Jim McMahon

Councils are required to provide a Local Council Tax Support (LCTS) scheme to support low-income households. Support for working age households, including the treatment of benefits, is designed by councils in consultation with their residents, taking into account the needs and circumstances of their local communities. Each year, councils must consider whether to revise or replace their scheme. For pension age households, councils administer a centrally prescribed LCTS scheme, which is reviewed annually. The Department for Work and Pensions provides data to councils for use in the administration of LCTS schemes in order to determine eligibility.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) Dorset Council and (b) other local authorities on the treatment of legacy benefit claimants in Council Tax support schemes.

Answered by Jim McMahon

Councils are required to provide a Local Council Tax Support (LCTS) scheme to support low-income households. Support for working age households, including the treatment of benefits, is designed by councils in consultation with their residents, taking into account the needs and circumstances of their local communities. Each year, councils must consider whether to revise or replace their scheme. For pension age households, councils administer a centrally prescribed LCTS scheme, which is reviewed annually. The Department for Work and Pensions provides data to councils for use in the administration of LCTS schemes in order to determine eligibility.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued guidance to local authorities on the electronic submission of governance petitions.

Answered by Jim McMahon

My Department has not issued guidance to local authorities on the electronic submission of governance petitions.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities have been subject to ransomware attacks in the last 12 months; and how much has been spent on recovering public data from those attacks.

Answered by Jim McMahon

MHCLG have supported local authorities to respond to two ransomware incidents in the last 12 months. Historically, MHCLG has not collected data on local authority ransomware related expenditure but maintains a clear opposition to ransom payments. This government intends to introduce a targeted ban to prohibit public sector bodies and operators of critical national infrastructure, including local government, from paying ransom demands to criminals.

Since 2020, MHCLG has provided £23 million of cyber grant funding and technical support to local government. This includes support to deliver the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) for local government, which sets a clear cyber security standard for the sector.

MHCLG will also be launching a local government Cyber Incident Response service to support English local authorities respond to successful ransomware attacks, helping to limit the impact these have on data and services.

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) town and (b) parish councils have Band D council tax precepts above £100.

Answered by Jim McMahon

The Department publishes data on council tax for all local precepting authorities (parish and town councils, charter trustees and the Temples of London) which can be found on gov.uk here

Of the 8,911 local precepting authorities that set a precept for 2025-26, 1,563 authorities set the average Band D council tax at £100 or above.

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 24 June 2025 on Simplified Local Leadership Structures, HCWS736, through what legislative means the committee system will be abolished.

Answered by Jim McMahon

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, introduced to the House of Commons on 10 July 2025, makes provision to change the available governance arrangements for councils in England, by amending the Local Government Act 2000 to remove the committee system and require those currently operating the committee system to move to the leader and cabinet model.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities have adequate resource capacity to enforce the Renters' Rights Bill.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 32068 on 5 March 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support people who have purchased a new home and subsequently believe they have been mis sold.

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

The government expects all housebuilders to deliver good quality homes, and we know that the vast majority do so. When things do go wrong, the government expects housebuilders to make things right.

To help customers resolve issues with new homes which developers have been unable or unwilling to fix, the government has committed to establishing a statutory UK-wide New Homes Ombudsman to investigate and resolve complaints and provide new home buyers with effective redress. We will set out further details in due course.

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Found: The need to address this situation has been recognised by successive governments, with an MHCLG report

Found: standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England | Local Government Association 5 MHCLG

Found: Kingdom Constitution Monitoring Group, The Constitution in Review IV, p. 23. 30 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: benefits of wider join up across local services, we are working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: oversight for both reassurance and guidance, and the leverage to bring in stakeholder capability (MHCLG

Found: Communities & Local Government 4th Floor, Fry Building 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF www.gov.uk/mhclg

Found: According to the last data published by MHCLG, 1,019 applications were still awaiting a decision at

Found: For example, a call for evidence on risk prioritisation in existing buildings conducted by MHCLG in

Found: the Managing Agent Recognising the problems faced by resident-led organisations, in December 2022 MHCLG

Found: Without immediate intervention by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)

Found: inquiry into building safety regulations with a focus on the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), and MHCLG

Found: stakeholders, including policy makers, trade associations, government ministers, the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government

Found: Then the announcement was made BSR will be taken at arms length by MHCLG.

Found: government departments (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: the next LGFS will support greater investment in prevention, with further detail to be set out by MHCLG

Found: Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government relating

Found: In December 2024, MHCLG published a strategy to overhaul the local audit system in England.

Found: Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government relating

Found: Under Secretary of State for Building Safety, Fire and Local Growth at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: people by setting aside £555 million over the Spending Review period from the Transformation Fund for MHCLG

Found: call in’ the application.”.5 Reference was made to the DCLG (now known as Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: It is also worth pointing out that, separately, MHCLG are engaging with the local government sector

Found: We keep harping away at MHCLG about this.

Found: department—the Department for Business and Trade—but we deliver this particular part of the work for the MHCLG

Found: I think that the task given to the BSR by MHCLG was incredibly difficult.

Found: MHCLG will set out details on the distribution and further funding for the Families First Partnership

Found: In 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Work and Pensions

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the treatment of SSIP funds as savings rather than pensions by local authorities.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

DWP does not take into account the value of a pension fund (such as a SIPP) that someone and/or their employer has paid into, this protects investments for retirement. Monies drawn from a pension fund, either as a lump-sum, a pension/annuity or both will be taken into account in means-tested benefits in the usual way. This includes where someone reaches the age for state pension credit and has chosen to continue to defer their private/occupational or state pension, in which case this may be taken into account as notional income.

How SIPPs are treated by local authorities is a matter for them and MHCLG.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the National Protective Security Authority has provided advice on the proposed new Chinese Embassy.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The planning application has been called in by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and he will make this quasi-judicial decision independent from the rest of Government.

We have been clear that national security is the first duty of Government and that we have considered the breadth of national security issues. Where necessary, relevant agencies and departments have been consulted on the national security implications of the application. It would be inappropriate to provide any further specific detail.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has made an assessment ​of the potential impact of the Renters' Rights Bill on levels of capacity in (a) the civil courts and (b) tribunals.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice (including its executive agency His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service) is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to assess the potential impact of the Renter’s Rights Bill on the justice system, to ensure that there is sufficient resource in the civil courts and tribunals to respond to demand.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2025 to Question 68002 on Business Rates: Tax Allowances, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the communication with affected businesses of the change to reliefs in April 2025; and whether he has held discussions with stakeholders on that communication and the extent to which it allowed businesses to plan for the changes.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief has been extended year-by-year by previous Governments since the pandemic, creating uncertainty for businesses and an unsustainable fiscal pressure for Government.

Without any Government intervention, RHL relief would have ended entirely in April 2025, creating a cliff-edge for businesses. Instead, the Government extended the relief at 40 per cent in 2025-26, up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, ahead of our intended introduction of permanently lower rates for RHL properties from 2026-27.

As is typical with fiscal announcements, the Government announced this decision at Autumn Budget 2024, ahead of it coming into force in April 2025. On 19 November 2024, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) communicated the Budget measures to Local Authorities via a Business Rates Information Letter. On 16 January 2025, MHCLG published final scheme guidance to help local authorities implement the relief.

The Government also carried out extensive engagement with stakeholders following Autumn Budget 2024 on business rates.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 65009 on Islamophobia, whether her Department has (a) submitted evidence to and (b) had meetings with the Working Group.

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

The work he refers to is being overseen by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

As agreed with the Home Secretary, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing are currently conducting a review of non-crime hate incidents. We will update Parliament in due course on the findings of that review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to use the Islamophobia Working Group definition for non-criminal hate incidents.

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

The work he refers to is being overseen by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

As agreed with the Home Secretary, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing are currently conducting a review of non-crime hate incidents. We will update Parliament in due course on the findings of that review.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of combined authorities on youth services funding.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

We are working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the introduction of combined authorities and the potential impact this will have on youth services.

Local Authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people in their area. DCMS published the updated, more fit-for-purpose guidance in 2023 to support local authorities to better understand what their existing duty is and how to deliver it.

We have launched the Local Youth Transformation Pilot which will test a new way of working and supporting local authorities to deliver for young people.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 26 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, what discussions his Department has held with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, on plans to expand community-based Cadet Forces by 30% by 2030.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The campaign to increase the Cadet Forces by 30% by 2030 (’30 by 30’) is backed by £70 million of extra funding. The diverse and unique nature of the individual Cadet Forces and the federated approach to delivery mean that this funding will be spread across the single Services, Ministry of Defence (MOD) Centre, and supporting organisations. Work is currently underway to establish how the 30% increase will be realised, and costings will be refined through the ongoing Defence Investment Plan process.

The recommendation of the Strategic Defence Review covers both school and community-based Cadet Forces across the country. For a number of years, one focus for Cadet growth has been through the ongoing joint Department for Education (DfE)/MOD Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP) in schools. The CEP will form a key component of the new ‘30 by 30’ campaign, and our important engagement with DfE on the delivery of this discreet element will continue.

We wish to grow Cadets in areas where the need is greatest. The MOD and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) are working together to achieve this aim. In addition to our ’30 by 30’ campaign, MOD future growth plans will be aligned with areas with the highest deprivation levels and the weakest social infrastructure, including MHCLG’s Plan for Neighbourhoods programme places.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 26 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025, what discussions his Department has held with the Department for Education on plans to expand in-school Cadet Forces by 30% by 2030.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The campaign to increase the Cadet Forces by 30% by 2030 (’30 by 30’) is backed by £70 million of extra funding. The diverse and unique nature of the individual Cadet Forces and the federated approach to delivery mean that this funding will be spread across the single Services, Ministry of Defence (MOD) Centre, and supporting organisations. Work is currently underway to establish how the 30% increase will be realised, and costings will be refined through the ongoing Defence Investment Plan process.

The recommendation of the Strategic Defence Review covers both school and community-based Cadet Forces across the country. For a number of years, one focus for Cadet growth has been through the ongoing joint Department for Education (DfE)/MOD Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP) in schools. The CEP will form a key component of the new ‘30 by 30’ campaign, and our important engagement with DfE on the delivery of this discreet element will continue.

We wish to grow Cadets in areas where the need is greatest. The MOD and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) are working together to achieve this aim. In addition to our ’30 by 30’ campaign, MOD future growth plans will be aligned with areas with the highest deprivation levels and the weakest social infrastructure, including MHCLG’s Plan for Neighbourhoods programme places.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 26 of the Strategic Defence Review: Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad, published on 2 June 2025,what the cost to his Department is of increasing the Cadet Forces by 30% by 2030.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The campaign to increase the Cadet Forces by 30% by 2030 (’30 by 30’) is backed by £70 million of extra funding. The diverse and unique nature of the individual Cadet Forces and the federated approach to delivery mean that this funding will be spread across the single Services, Ministry of Defence (MOD) Centre, and supporting organisations. Work is currently underway to establish how the 30% increase will be realised, and costings will be refined through the ongoing Defence Investment Plan process.

The recommendation of the Strategic Defence Review covers both school and community-based Cadet Forces across the country. For a number of years, one focus for Cadet growth has been through the ongoing joint Department for Education (DfE)/MOD Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP) in schools. The CEP will form a key component of the new ‘30 by 30’ campaign, and our important engagement with DfE on the delivery of this discreet element will continue.

We wish to grow Cadets in areas where the need is greatest. The MOD and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) are working together to achieve this aim. In addition to our ’30 by 30’ campaign, MOD future growth plans will be aligned with areas with the highest deprivation levels and the weakest social infrastructure, including MHCLG’s Plan for Neighbourhoods programme places.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many lower-layer super output areas are within Telford constituency; how those areas are ranked by top (a) 1%, (b) 5% and (c) 10% in the index of multiple deprivation; and what impact that data has on the allocation of funding by her Department.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have published the Indices of Deprivation Local Authority dashboard which displays the number and level of deprivation of each Lower-layer Super Output Area (LSOA) within every local authority. This dashboard can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/english-indices-of-deprivation-2019-mapping-resources.

Whilst the Index of Multiple Deprivation is not used to allocate funding in the schools, high needs or early years national funding formulae (NFFs), the associated Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI), is used in all three of these NFFs to target funding towards deprivation.

In the schools NFF, IDACI funding is based on the IDACI 2019 area-based index measuring the relative deprivation of LSOAs. IDACI ranks are divided into seven bands, with more funding directed to pupils in the more deprived bands.

In the high needs NFF, the IDACI factor targets funding towards more deprived local authorities, assuming high needs costs are greater in these areas.

In the early years NFF, the IDACI factor is used as a proxy for relative levels of deprivation and is used in the 2 year-old and under 2s formula.

Further information on the NFFs is available here:

• Schools NFF: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-funding-formula-for-schools-and-high-needs-2025-to-2026.
• High needs NFF: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-funding-formula-tables-for-schools-and-high-needs-2025-to-2026.
• Early years NFF: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-funding-2025-to-2026/2025-to-2026-early-years-national-funding-formulae-technical-note.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to help tackle the backlog of possession proceedings in court (a) in advance and (b) on implementation of the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The most recent published statistics show the median time from claim to order falls within the Civil Procedure Rules stipulation that possession claims should be listed within 4 to 8 weeks. HMCTS is making improvements to bailiff recruitment and retention practices to ensure staffing resources are available to enforce judgments made by the County Courts in those cases where it is subsequently needed.

The Ministry of Justice is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the justice system is fully prepared for the implementation of the Renters Rights’ Bill.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the provision of funding to support cross-community interfaith work.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Interfaith relations are vital for strong, cohesive communities.

That is why the Government funded Inter Faith Week last year and then commissioned a consultation on its future.

The consultation report was published in May and provides a strong evidence base for future planning and co-ordination of interfaith relations.

Government is currently finalising support for Inter Faith Week 2025.

Alongside this, MHCLG funds grassroots programmes such as Near Neighbours and Schools Linking which promote dialogue and understanding across communities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of light pollution on biodiversity.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra has supported international assessments of drivers of change on insects and wider biodiversity such as the global IPBES Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production (2016), which notes that the effect of light on nocturnal insects may be growing and identifies the need for further study.

The National Planning Policy Framework, updated in 2024, sets out how the possible ecological impacts of artificial light should be considered in the planning system. It includes a specific requirement to limit the impact of light pollution on nature conservation. Defra has also contributed to associated guidance published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

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Found: any other aspects of the legal process. 4 The MoD, the Home Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: a partnership between the Government (led by the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: line with homelessness legislation (Part 7, Housing Act 1996, owned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: The Board continues to engage with key stakeholders, including CIPFA and MHCLG, to identify and support

Found: The Board continues to engage with key stakeholders, including CIPFA and MHCLG, to identify and support

Found: The Board continues to engage with key stakeholders, including CIPFA and MHCLG, to identify and support

Found: STEWARDSHIP OF EXISTING REGIMES

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Found: ), MHCLG of £1.179m to strengthen its reserves for the year ahead: additional

Found: (MHCLG) its most successful revenue and second most successful net surplus financial

Found: (MHCLG) its most successful financial performance since its opening in 1986.

Found: (MHCLG) its most successful financial performance since its opening in 1986.

Found: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Commercial leasehold Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: Indices of Multiple Deprivation and English Housing Survey, produced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: (MHCLG) by 1 September 2025.