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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) capital and (b) resource funding was allocated to the Levelling Up Fund in 2024-25 in (i) May 2024 and (ii) March 2025.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

In 2024-25, the Levelling Up Fund received £797 million in Capital DEL funding. Additionally, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government allocated £20 million in Resource DEL funding for the same period. These allocations were consistent for both May 2024 and March 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 has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of AXA’s report entitled Extreme weather risks: An analysis of England’s vulnerability to flooding and heat.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Under the Third National Adaptation Plan, MHCLG has shared responsibility with Defra and DESNZ for addressing risks to buildings from extreme heat and flooding.

On overheating, MHCLG introduced Part O of the Building Regulations in 2021, which requires that new buildings are built to mitigate the risk of overheating. Part O came into force in June 2022.

On flooding, statutory guidance to the Building Regulations in Approved Document C, already promotes the use of flood resilient and resistant construction in flood prone areas.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 also sets out that the planning system should take full account of all climate impacts, including overheating, storm and flood risk. Planning should help to ensure that development minimises vulnerability and improves resilience to the effects of climate change.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) capital and (b) resource funding was allocated to the Future High Streets Fund in 2024-25 by the previous Government; and what funding is now allocated.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Future High Streets Fund was originally intended to run up until the end of financial year 23/24. In August 2023 MHCLG was granted approval from the HM Treasury to extend the Future High Streets Fund and rollover any remaining payments into financial year 24/25. The below allocation was forecast in March 2024 under the previous government based on remaining payments due. This has now been paid in full.

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 the (a) implementation and (b) effectiveness of high street rental auctions in Gloucester.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is fully committed to revitalising our high streets and supporting businesses to make our towns and cities, including Gloucester, successful. High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs) are supported by a fund of over £1 million, a new burdens payment and a suite of detailed guidance and practical templates to support implementation. My department are working closely with 11 local authority early adopters, who will be amongst the first to deliver, and will help shape future guidance and champion these powers.

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 issued to local authorities on how they can ensure the enforcement of the golden rules around the development on green belt sites, particularly with regard to the provision of appropriate infrastructure.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework sets clear expectations on when development should comply with the Golden Rules.

Ahead of further updates, the relevant planning practice guidance on viability also makes clear that, where development takes place on land situated in, or released from, the Green Belt and is subject to the Golden Rules, site-specific viability assessment should not be undertaken or taken into account for the purpose of reducing developer contributions, including affordable housing and appropriate infrastructure.

As set out in the Framework and supporting guidance, local authorities should, where appropriate, consider the use of conditions or planning obligations. Authorities may take enforcement action against the breach of planning obligations contained in a section 106 agreement. Through our wider reforms to planning fees, including the relevant provisions in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, local planning authorities will be better resourced to deliver their responsibilities, including enforcement activities where relevant.

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 second homes council premium on recent trends in the number of properties being switched to hereditaments paying business rates.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government annually publishes data on properties liable for business rates and intends to publish the next set of data in June. The current data does not show a trend of second homes switching to business rates however the government will continue to monitor this.

This government has maintained the previous government’s position that a property must meet a minimum lettings threshold before being assessed as a short-term let for business rates purposes. Where a property does not meet these criteria, it would usually be liable for council tax. The government will keep this policy under review.

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 English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether she plans to publish guidance for parish and town councils on how to engage with her Department on shaping the parish council role in local government devolution.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Town and parish councils are the first tier of local government and play a crucial role in community engagement and provide key local services.

The English Devolution White Paper emphasises the value of governance on a community scale and that the government wants to see stronger community arrangements during reorganisation, enhancing how councils engage at a neighbourhood level. At present, there are no plans to publish specific guidance for parish and town councils on how to engage with the Department on shaping their role in local government devolution.

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 (a) paragraph 5.140 of the Spring Budget 2024 and (b) her Department's press release entitled £1.5 billion to restore pride in Britain's neighbourhoods, published on 4 March 2025, whether the funding awarded on 4 March 2025 differs from that announced in the Spring Budget; and whether there has been changes to (a) locations covered and (b) the total endowment funding.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Long-Term Plan for Towns programme was launched in 55 towns in September 2023 by the previous administration and expanded to an additional 20 places in March 2024, as confirmed in paragraph 5.410 of the Spring Budget 2024.

This programme was an unfunded commitment for which the previous administration had no plan as to how that promise would be delivered.

All 75 towns across the UK that were originally selected to receive Long-Term Plan for Towns funding will receive the funding under the Plan for Neighbourhoods package, the funding for which was announced at Autumn Budget 2024, and further policy detail published on 4 March. We are making good on those commitments, giving each of the 75 places the certainty that they will receive up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade.

The Long-Term Plan for Towns: Technical Q&A, published 28 March 2024, outlined that the total funding and support offered to local authorities would be up to £20 million. The Plan for Neighbourhoods prospectus, published 4 March, outlines that the total funding and support offered to local authorities will be up to £20 million.

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 review legislation on new home developers selling land in and around new housing estates to maintenance companies which then charge back to homeowners.

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

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

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 identify young people at risk of homelessness and provide them with appropriate support.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Homelessness levels are far too high and this can have a devastating impact on those affected, including young people. We will look at these issues carefully and will consider youth homelessness as we develop our long-term, cross-government strategy working with Mayors and councils across the country, to get us back on track to ending homelessness.

As announced at the Budget in October, funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to this year (2024/25). This brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26.

The £200 million Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) is delivering up to 2,000 homes and accompanying support services for people with long or cyclical histories of sleeping rough.  Of these, up to 650 homes will be specifically for young people sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough, alongside accompanying support services.

Local authorities are expected to have regard to the homelessness code of guidance when exercising their functions relating to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, which includes young people.

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 increase the availability of (a) affordable and (b) energy-efficient housing in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 November 2025 (HCWS549).

The investment made at Spring statement follows the £800 million in new in-year funding which has been made available for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme and that will support the delivery of up to 7,800 new homes, with more than half of them being Social Rent homes.

We will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.

The government has also announced the £450m third round of the Local Authority Housing Fund, followed by an uplift of £50m, enabling councils to grow their housing stock.

We also confirmed a range of new flexibilities for councils and housing associations, both within the Affordable Homes Programme and in relation to how councils can use their Right to Buy receipts. Having reduced Right to Buy discounts to their pre-2012 regional levels, we have allowed councils to retain 100% of the receipts generated by Right to Buy sales.

The government recognise that Registered Providers need support to build their capacity and make a greater contribution to affordable housing supply. Between 30 October 2024 and 23 December 2024, the government consulted on a new 5-year social housing rent settlement, to give Registered Providers the certainty they need to invest in new social and affordable housing.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 includes a number of changes that make the planning system more supportive of affordable housing, in particular Social Rent homes. These include new Golden Rules for development on the Green Belt. Prior to development plan policies for affordable housing being updated in accordance with the revised NPPF, the affordable housing contribution required to satisfy the ‘Golden Rules’ is 15 percentage points above the highest existing affordable housing requirement that would otherwise apply to the development, subject to a cap of 50%. We estimate that under this model, the median Green Belt local planning authority affordable housing requirement will be 50%.

The Government already intend to amend building regulations later this year as part of the introduction of future standards that will set more ambitious energy efficiency and carbon emissions requirements for new homes. The new standards will ensure that all new homes are future-proof, with low-carbon heating and very high-quality building fabric. Not only will they help us to deliver our commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, but they will reduce bills, tackle fuel poverty, grow skills, foster diverse job markets and make Britain energy secure.

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 increase available social housing in the Forest of Dean.

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

At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 November 2025 (HCWS549).

The investment made at Spring statement follows the £800 million in new in-year funding which has been made available for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme and that will support the delivery of up to 7,800 new homes, with more than half of them being Social Rent homes.

We will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.

The government has also announced the £450m third round of the Local Authority Housing Fund, followed by an uplift of £50m, enabling councils to grow their housing stock.

We also confirmed a range of new flexibilities for councils and housing associations, both within the Affordable Homes Programme and in relation to how councils can use their Right to Buy receipts. Having reduced Right to Buy discounts to their pre-2012 regional levels, we have allowed councils to retain 100% of the receipts generated by Right to Buy sales.

The government recognise that Registered Providers need support to build their capacity and make a greater contribution to affordable housing supply. Between 30 October 2024 and 23 December 2024, the government consulted on a new 5-year social housing rent settlement, to give Registered Providers the certainty they need to invest in new social and affordable housing.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 includes a number of changes that make the planning system more supportive of affordable housing, in particular Social Rent homes. These include new Golden Rules for development on the Green Belt. Prior to development plan policies for affordable housing being updated in accordance with the revised NPPF, the affordable housing contribution required to satisfy the ‘Golden Rules’ is 15 percentage points above the highest existing affordable housing requirement that would otherwise apply to the development, subject to a cap of 50%. We estimate that under this model, the median Green Belt local planning authority affordable housing requirement will be 50%.

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 make provision for grampian conditions to apply to any housing development planning applications where Ofwat has opened enforcement cases on the delayed delivery of environmental improvement schemes.

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

My Department is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to ensure necessary water infrastructure is in place to support the housing the country needs.

If there are firm infrastructure plans in place, our planning practice guidance is clear that local planning authorities can grant planning permission with Grampian conditions linked to those plans to help developers bring forward the development.

Strategic planning for water infrastructure is being considered as part of the independent commission on the water sector regulatory system, as announced by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 23 October 2024.

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 press release entitled Government unveils plans for next generation of new towns, published 13 February 2025, whether the £51.5m funding to increase regeneration and brownfield delivery is additional to funding outlined at the Autumn Budget 2024.

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

The £51.5 million package announced on 13 February 2025 is additional to the funding outlined at the Autumn Budget 2024.

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 requiring the Land Registry to (a) record and (b) publish a property owner's Company Registration Number on title register documents.

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

HM Land Registry (HMLR) requires that the registration number of a company is supplied when a UK company is being registered. Company registration numbers are recorded in the proprietorship entry of the title register.

Copies of title registers are normally available from HMLR’s Search for land and property information page on gov.uk here.

HMLR publishes information about registered land and property in England and Wales owned by UK companies 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 land transactions for nationally significant infrastructure projects were via compulsory purchase order since 4 July 2024.

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

Since July 2024, 13 Development Consent Orders (DCOs) have been determined by the government. The number of land transactions relating to compulsory purchase will depend on the relevant DCOs, the relevant agreement between parties, and the extent of powers granted that was necessary for the project. The number of transactions may also change over the lifetime of a project. This information is not collected by the government.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring housing developers to consult with water companies at every stage when building new homes, in the context of establishing sewage infrastructure.

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

As set out in Paragraph 7 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of homes, commercial development and supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner. Sustainable development should be pursued both through the preparation and implementation of local development plans, and the application of policies in the framework.

The government is clear that housing must come with appropriate infrastructure, including appropriate water infrastructure. We believe that strategic issues such as water capacity are best dealt with at a strategic level through the plan-making process, rather than through individual planning applications.

A key function of local development plans is to guide development to the most suitable and sustainable locations and to ensure that the associated infrastructure requirements are addressed. Effective co-operation early in the plan-making process is essential to ensuring not only that housing and infrastructure need is appropriately planned for, but that they are aligned with each other. The NPPF makes it clear that local planning authorities should collaborate with each other and with other public bodies, including infrastructure providers, to identify relevant strategic matters to be addressed, including providing for sustainable water supplies.

Water companies are under a statutory duty to provide new water and sewerage connections to residential properties, as well as planning to meet the needs of growth as part of water resource management plans, and drainage and wastewater management plans. The water resources planning guidance published by the government set out how those companies should forecast demand for water based on existing customers and planned levels of household and non-household growth, with the number of planned developments being based on published local plans.

Relevant planning practice guidance sets out that good design and mitigation measures should be secured during development, both through site-specific and non-site-specific policies on water infrastructure. The revised NPPF published on 12 December 2024 makes clear that developments of all sizes should use sustainable drainage techniques when the development could have drainage impacts and should have appropriate maintenance arrangements in place. We continue to explore whether more needs to be done to ensure sustainable drainage technologies are taken up more widely in new development, either through planning policy or by commencing schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, and a decision on the best way forward will be made in the coming months.

Ensuring that we take a strategic spatial planning approach to the management of water, including tackling pollution and managing pressures on the water environment at a catchment, regional and national scale, is a core objective of the ongoing independent review into the regulatory system of the water sector, launched in October 2024 by the UK and Welsh Governments. The review is expected to report next year, and we will carefully consider its findings.

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 contribution of statutory planning consultees in protecting the role of playing fields for sports and exercise.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).

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 work with (a) Vale of Glamorgan Council and (b) other local authorities to (i) prevent homelessness and (ii) provide sustainable housing solutions for people at risk.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected.

We must address this and deliver long term solutions. The Government is looking at these issues carefully and will develop a new cross government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness.

We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, grant funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to this year (FY2024-25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025-26.

More widely, we are taking action to tackle the root causes of homelessness, including delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament. We are also Abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, preventing private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empowering people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.

Homelessness legislation is a devolved matter in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

MHCLG is always keen to learn from other countries’ approaches. Ministers and officials engage regularly with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss a range of issues, including tackling homelessness.

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 oral contribution in the Second Reading of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on 24 March 2025, Official Report, column 659, what steps she is taking to protect high-quality agricultural land.

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

The government places great importance upon our agricultural land and food production.

We are maintaining the existing strong protection for the best and most versatile agricultural land.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out how the best and most versatile agricultural land should be reflected in planning policies and decisions. The Framework is clear that where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality.

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 25 March 2025 to Question 39650 on Housing: Construction, whether a bedsit qualifies as a dwelling.

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

The definition of a dwelling is published on gov.uk here under “Dwelling (Housing supply; net additional dwellings)”.

The conversion of an existing residential property into a house of multiple occupancy does not count as a net additional dwelling in the official statistics on housing supply or dwelling stock estimates.

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 25 March 2025 to Question 39650 on Housing: Construction, what types of property qualify as a dwelling.

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

The definition of a dwelling is published on gov.uk here under “Dwelling (Housing supply; net additional dwellings)”.

The conversion of an existing residential property into a house of multiple occupancy does not count as a net additional dwelling in the official statistics on housing supply or dwelling stock estimates.

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 bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that families in all forms of temporary accommodation have access to adequate cooking facilities.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Our Homelessness Code of Guidance provides a summary of the homelessness legislation duties, powers and obligations on local housing authorities, including the quality standards of temporary accommodation.

Legislation is clear that temporary accommodation must be suitable for the needs of the household and that suitability of accommodation should be kept under review. Households may ask for a review of their accommodation if they feel it is unsuitable.

The Government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors. It is the government’s intention that the Decent Homes Standard should apply to as much of the temporary accommodation sector as possible. We will consult on the detail of the new standard 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 Government response to the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation, last updated on 27 February 2025, whether she plans to provide local authorities with powers to charge a fee for Listed Building Consent planning applications.

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

Planning fees in England are set by the Secretary of State. Local planning authorities cannot charge a fee for listed building consent applications.

Under the government’s proposals for localised fee setting in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, government may continue to prescribe where a fee should not be charged for a particular type of application.

The government intends to consult on the details of localised fee setting later this year.

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 25 March 2025 to Question 39650 on Housing: Construction, whether the conversion of houses into houses in multiple occupation counts as an increase in the number of new dwellings.

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

The definition of a dwelling is published on gov.uk here under “Dwelling (Housing supply; net additional dwellings)”.

The conversion of an existing residential property into a house of multiple occupancy does not count as a net additional dwelling in the official statistics on housing supply or dwelling stock estimates.

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 the number of new homes built to high standards of environmental resilience by 2030; and what proportion of existing housebuilding projects are meeting these standards.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

MHCLG has already taken a number of steps to deliver climate resilient homes, including:

Revising the National Planning Policy Framework (published on 12 December 2024) to set out that the planning system should take full account of all climate impacts, including overheating, storm and flood risk. Planning should help to shape places in a way that minimises vulnerability and improves resilience to the effects of climate change though suitable adaptation measures, including through incorporating green infrastructure and sustainable drainagesystems.

Building regulations are intended to protect people’s safety, health and welfare through setting a minimum acceptable standard for the design and construction of properties. Introducing Part O of the Building Regulations, which came into force in June 2022, to require that new homes are built to mitigate the risk of overheating. Whilst Approved Document C promotes the use of flood resilient and resistant construction in flood prone areas.

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 guidance entitled Plan for Neighbourhoods: prospectus, published on 4 March 2025, for what reasons the programme operates on a bidding fund basis.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Long-Term Plan for Towns programme was launched during the previous administration. It was an unfunded commitment for which the previous administration had no funded plan as to how that promise would be delivered. All 75 towns across the UK that were originally selected to receive Long-Term Plan for Towns funding will receive the Plan for Neighbourhoods package. We are making good on those commitments, giving each of the 75 places the certainty that they will receive up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade.

There are no plans to expand the programme at this time, this would be a decision for the upcoming Spending Review.

The Plan for Neighbourhoods represents a break from the competitive bidding process and micromanaging of previous regeneration funds.

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 Plan for Neighbourhoods: prospectus, published on 4 March 2025, for what reason the programme is restricted to the 75 selected places.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Long-Term Plan for Towns programme was launched during the previous administration. It was an unfunded commitment for which the previous administration had no funded plan as to how that promise would be delivered. All 75 towns across the UK that were originally selected to receive Long-Term Plan for Towns funding will receive the Plan for Neighbourhoods package. We are making good on those commitments, giving each of the 75 places the certainty that they will receive up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade.

There are no plans to expand the programme at this time, this would be a decision for the upcoming Spending Review.

The Plan for Neighbourhoods represents a break from the competitive bidding process and micromanaging of previous regeneration funds.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2025 to Question 32217 on Homes England: Consultants, what the consultancy spend is as a percentage of the total funding provided by her Department to Homes England since the 5 July 2024.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Full details of Homes England’s expenditure will be published in the annual report and accounts 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 major housing developments have been completed in Mid Leicestershire constituency in the last ten years.

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

Numbers of major and minor residential applications granted permission each quarter for each local planning authority are available here. As more than one planning application is often associated with a single residential development, the published figures should not be regarded as numbers of residential developments granted permission.

Figures are not collected at parliamentary constituency level.

The Department does not collect or publish numbers of completed major housing developments.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many housing developments have been approved in Mid Leicestershire in the last ten years.

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

Numbers of major and minor residential applications granted permission each quarter for each local planning authority are available here. As more than one planning application is often associated with a single residential development, the published figures should not be regarded as numbers of residential developments granted permission.

Figures are not collected at parliamentary constituency level.

The Department does not collect or publish numbers of completed major housing developments.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) capital and (b) resource funding was allocated to town deals in (i) 2024 and (ii) 2025.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Like all other departmental expenditure, Town Deal programme allocations are broken down by financial year (FY) rather than by calendar year. The forecast allocation for future financial years is subject to change due to the way that Town Deal payments are determined, however we do not expect this shift to be significant. Please see financial year allocations covering the scope of your query set out below.

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 3 March 2025 to Question 31949 on Temporary Accommodation: Construction, what proportion of new homes built under that scheme will be for social rent.

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

All homes delivered through the Local Authority Housing Fund must be affordable/low-cost. It is up to local planning authorities to determine the precise rent level and tenure of homes delivered in line with the scheme objectives. This could include social rent, affordable rent, or a temporary accommodation rent.

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 strengthening the Decent Homes Standard for all forms of tenure.

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

The government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.

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 discussions with the Child Poverty Taskforce on (a) furnished tenancies and (b) the potential impact of the Decent Homes Standard on trends in the levels of furniture poverty.

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

The government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.

The Deputy Prime Minister is part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is aiming to publish a Child Poverty Strategy. As part of the development of the strategy, the Taskforce is considering the impacts of living in poor quality housing.

People in need may be able to get help for essential furniture from their local council through the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.

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 it her policy to update the Decent Homes Standard to provide for at least 10 per cent of homes for social rent to be offered furnished.

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

The government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.

The Deputy Prime Minister is part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is aiming to publish a Child Poverty Strategy. As part of the development of the strategy, the Taskforce is considering the impacts of living in poor quality housing.

People in need may be able to get help for essential furniture from their local council through the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether pubs which are reclassified by their owners as restaurants are deemed to be pubs for change of use applications.

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

Planning permission is always required for the material change of use of a pub, including to a restaurant. It is for the local planning authority to determine whether there has been a material change of use for which a planning application was required.

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 the Centre for Ageing Better on its Good Home Hubs initiative.

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

My Department and I engage in regular discussions with a wide range of housing stakeholders.

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage met with the Centre for Ageing Better in September last year and discussed a range of topics, including its Good Homes Hubs initiative.

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 implications for her policies of the Institute for Public Policy Research's report entitled Strategic planning for green prosperity, published on 14 February 2025.

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

The government has not made an assessment of the potential implications of the Institute for Public Policy Research’s report in question.

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 letter to her department from Innovate UK on the Chinese Embassy call-in request, disclosed under EIR reference EIR2024/31081 on 3 March 2025, whether Innovate UK re-submitted their 2022 call-in request when the current planning application was re-submitted by the Chinese Government.

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

A further call-in request was received from Innovate UK on 16 October 2024, after the planning application had been called in on 14 October 2024.

We do not routinely publish planning representations seeking call in of applications.

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 9 December 2024 to Question 16572 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, if she will publish the information disclosed under the Environmental Information Regulations with reference EIR2024/31081 of 3 March 2025.

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

A further call-in request was received from Innovate UK on 16 October 2024, after the planning application had been called in on 14 October 2024.

We do not routinely publish planning representations seeking call in of applications.

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 support young people to get onto the housing ladder in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

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

The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership. This government is determined to change that, ensuring that young families and hardworking renters can buy a home of their own.

Boosting the supply of homes of all tenures must be at the heart of any strategy to improve housing affordability which is why the government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament.

In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, we are committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme, to support first-time buyers, including those in South Holland and the Deepings constituency and Lincolnshire, who struggle to save for a large deposit, with lower mortgage costs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) capital and (b) resource funding was allocated to devolution deals in 2024-25 in (i) May 2024 and (ii) March 2025.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Three devolution agreements were implemented across 2024-25 in the North East; York and North Yorkshire; and East Midlands. Full details of the funding allocated to each area can be found in their individual devolution deals, published on gov.uk. Funding specifically allocated in the months of May 24 and March 25 from MHCLG is listed in the table below.

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 3 March 2025 to Question 30616, on Asylum: Health services, what the (a) forecast and (b) budgeted aggregate spend on refugees and asylum seekers by local government in England was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The most recent data collected by the department regarding budgeted spending on refugees and asylum seekers by local government in England is from 2024-25 and can be found here. The relevant lines are: RA326 Children's social care – Asylum seekers; and RA349 Social support – Asylum seeker support.

The most recent data collected by the department regarding outturn spending on refugees and asylum seekers by local government in England is from 2023-24 and can be found here. The relevant lines are: RO3 Line 18 Children looked after – asylum seeking children who are looked after; RO3 Line 26 Children’s social care – Asylum Seekers; and RO3 Line 49 Social support – Asylum seeker support.

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 3 March 2025 to Question 30616 on Asylum: Health services, what the outturn aggregate spend was on refugees and asylum seekers by local government in England in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The most recent data collected by the department regarding budgeted spending on refugees and asylum seekers by local government in England is from 2024-25 and can be found here. The relevant lines are: RA326 Children's social care – Asylum seekers; and RA349 Social support – Asylum seeker support.

The most recent data collected by the department regarding outturn spending on refugees and asylum seekers by local government in England is from 2023-24 and can be found here. The relevant lines are: RO3 Line 18 Children looked after – asylum seeking children who are looked after; RO3 Line 26 Children’s social care – Asylum Seekers; and RO3 Line 49 Social support – Asylum seeker support.

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 provide guidance to councils on balancing the needs for (a) new housing and (b) nature recovery.

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

As set out in Paragraph 7 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of homes, commercial development and supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner. Sustainable development should be pursued both through the preparation and implementation of local development plans, and the application of policies in the framework.

Paragraph 187 of the Framework also makes clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment. The revised NPPF published on 12 December 2024 included several changes designed to enhance and protect the environment. For example, it expects developments to provide net gains for biodiversity, including through incorporating features which support priority or threatened species such as swifts, bats, and hedgehogs.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies are being prepared across England to set out priorities for nature recovery, map important habitats and identify opportunities for improvements. The government recently updated its Planning Practice Guidance to explain the role of Local Nature Recovery Strategies in the planning system and made clear as part of that update that these strategies will form an evidence base which may be a material consideration when making planning decisions.

When it comes to development and the environment, we know we can do better than the status quo, which too often sees both sustainable housebuilding and nature recovery stall. Instead of environmental protections being seen as a barrier to growth, we want to unlock a win-win for the economy and for nature. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will introduce a new Nature Restoration Fund that will unlock and accelerate development while going beyond simply offsetting harm to unlock the positive impact development can have in driving nature recovery.

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 Local Government Finance Settlement 2025-26 on fire and rescue services provision in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

For Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Authority, the final Settlement makes available a total of up to £74.9 million in 2025-26, representing an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £2.4 million.

The government will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure Fire and Rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities. Decisions on how their resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each fire and rescue authority.

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 what types of decision are required to be made by (a) the council’s executive and (b) the full council.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Local Authorities (Functions and Responsibilities) (England) Regulations 2000, as amended, set out what types of decisions are to be taken by a council’s executive, and which are to be taken by the full council.

Guidance was issued in 2000 and 2001 to assist the initial implementation of executive arrangements in local authorities; we do not consider guidance is currently required to assist authorities in their operation under the Regulations.

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 19 March 2025 to Question 37213 on Local Government: Disclosure of Information, what powers she has to intervene if councils do not meet obligations under the Transparency Code.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Local Government Transparency Code does not contain specific powers to intervene in the event of non-compliance with its requirements by authorities. It is the role of the courts to enforce the law and not ministers or government departments.

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 19 March 2025 to Question 37213 on Local Government: Disclosure of Information, whether her Department has considered updating the guidance entitled Local government transparency code 2015, last updated on 29 January 2015, to enable local government data to be made available through open API or XML formats.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

We are keeping the Code under review in the context of work to ensure local government is fit, legal and decent. Local authorities are expected to provide data in an open and reusable format – the Code states “Public data should be published in a format and under a licence that allows open reuse, including for commercial and research activities, in order to maximise value to the public”.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2025 to Question 33755 on Members: Prison Sentences, whether her Department plans to change the disqualification rules for councillors in local government.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local government members already face disqualification if they receive a custodial sentence. When a person is convicted of any offence and receives a custodial sentence, whether suspended or not, of three months or more, they are disqualified from either standing for or holding office as a local authority member for a period of five years.

We consulted on necessary reforms to the local government standards regime, including proposals to reform disqualification criteria. The consultation closed on 26 February 2025, and we will respond 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, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37169 on Neighbourhood Boards, what steps her Department plans to take to allow (a) public scrutiny and (b) questions from communities.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Undertaking meaningful engagement with the local community is a central pillar of the Plan for Neighbourhoods. Building trust and empowering the local community requires consistency, dedication and time, and evidence that people’s priorities have been acted upon. Together the Neighbourhood Board and local authority should ensure that residents, businesses, and grassroots organisations are actively involved in programme design and decision-making to ensure delivery reflects the priorities of local people and helps build capacity within the community.

In line with the principles of public life and to ensure the local community can hold the board to account, the board’s operations must be transparent. The board should publish membership and governance arrangements (including minutes of meetings and decision logs) on the lead council’s website. Boards should establish their own practices in line with the Nolan Principles and Managing Public Money principles.

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 takes to monitor the response times of complaints made against registered architects to the Architects Registration Board.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Architects Registration Board (ARB) is an independent regulator. As the sponsoring department, MHCLG regularly engages with the ARB to stay abreast of its activities. This includes consideration of performance figures, which the ARB publishes quarterly, and any potential risks regarding compliance with its statutory responsibilities. However, MHCLG has no role in the oversight of individual cases or ARB’s operational decisions, to maintain ARB’s regulatory independence.

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 Plan for Neighbourhoods: prospectus, published on 12 March 2025, if she will publish the evaluation reports on the New Deal for Communities.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Plan for Neighbourhoods prospectus was published on 4 March, and the Plan for Neighbourhoods: governance and boundary guidance was published on 12 March.

The prospectus drew from the publicly available evaluation and analysis of the New Deal for Communities and where analysis is referenced or cited, there is a link to the source material in the prospectus.

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 re-introduce pensions for councillors.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

MHCLG keeps access to the Local Government Pension Scheme under regular review.

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 review provisions within the Building Safety Act 2022 on removing the leasehold protection provisions for shared ownership leaseholders who staircase to 100% ownership and lose the statutory protections provided in their original lease.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Building Safety Act ensures that those who built defective buildings take responsibility for remedying them, that the industry contributes to fixing the problem, and that leaseholders are protected in law from crippling bills for historical safety defects. These leaseholder protections came into force on 28 June 2022, with new financial protections for leaseholders in relevant buildings with relevant historical safety defects.

Schedule 8, paragraph 6(5) of the Building Safety Act provides that any contributions required towards remediation costs are capped according to the share of the lease the leaseholder owned at the time the lease became qualified for the protections. This position does not change should a shared owner later increase their share by staircasing, including up to 100%. Further information on this can be found in the explanatory notes on the legislation, starting with note 1731: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/30/notes/division/18/index.htm.

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 plans to take steps to monitor the adequacy of the professional indemnity insurance required for architects; and what steps her Department is taking to help support consumers with consumer recourse.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

It is important for all architects to maintain appropriate financial protection against liability so that clients and building users have a route to redress in the event of a negligence claim. The independent regulator, the Architects Registration Board (ARB), has set expectations for architects to hold adequate insurance arrangements. MHCLG is supportive of the ARB’s work on this topic and has no plans to implement a monitoring regime for architects’ professional indemnity insurance at the moment.

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 estimate of the potential impact of the average time taken to receive building control decisions on applications to carry out works on higher risk buildings on the costs of those works.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Our priority with the new regime is to ensure buildings are safe and decent. The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has 12 weeks to determine a building control approval application for new higher-risk buildings and 8 weeks to determine the applications for building work to existing higher-risk buildings. This is longer than had previously been the case. It is expected that dutyholders will consider and plan for any additional costs and adjust their programme of works to ensure that building work is carried out in a cost effective and efficient manner.

However, we recognise there are delays in processing building control approval applications for higher-risk building work and that these may have associated costs for developers. We are currently working to address delays within the higher-risk regime through a range of measures. The sector must also play its part in ensuring building control applications are of a good quality, extensive guidance is available on gov.uk.

As the higher-risk regime was introduced in October 2023, it is too soon to provide an impact assessment for the time it takes to get building control approval from the BSR. Under the Building Safety Act, the Secretary of State must appoint an independent person to review the effectiveness of the BSR and the higher-risk regime by 28 April 2027, which may include the cost impacts of the higher-risk regime on developers.

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 plans to review the types of building work that can be undertaken through (a) competent person schemes and (b) third party certification schemes.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Building Safety Regulator is responsible for oversight of the competent person schemes and has committed in its Strategic Plan 2023-2026 to carry out a review of the conditions of authorisation, which must be met by all competent person schemes to ensure they are fit for purpose.

In addition, the department is always looking to improve public and building safety and intends to review the operation of competent person schemes to identify whether improvements can be made, working with the Building Safety Regulator. This will include reviewing the types of work that can be carried out under the competent person schemes. We will consider whether and how this review might touch on third party certification schemes.

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 plans to review it's guidance on competent person schemes: conditions of authorisation.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Building Safety Regulator is responsible for oversight of the competent person schemes and has committed in its Strategic Plan 2023-2026 to carry out a review of the conditions of authorisation, which must be met by all competent person schemes to ensure they are fit for purpose.

In addition, the department is always looking to improve public and building safety and intends to review the operation of competent person schemes to identify whether improvements can be made, working with the Building Safety Regulator. This will include reviewing the types of work that can be carried out under the competent person schemes. We will consider whether and how this review might touch on third party certification schemes.

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 plans to review authorised competent person schemes providers.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Building Safety Regulator is responsible for oversight of the competent person schemes and has committed in its Strategic Plan 2023-2026 to carry out a review of the conditions of authorisation, which must be met by all competent person schemes to ensure they are fit for purpose.

In addition, the department is always looking to improve public and building safety and intends to review the operation of competent person schemes to identify whether improvements can be made, working with the Building Safety Regulator. This will include reviewing the types of work that can be carried out under the competent person schemes. We will consider whether and how this review might touch on third party certification schemes.

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 regulate private parking companies.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the Government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities.

This government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector and will announce its plans for the new Code in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support British Muslim communities.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government recognises the importance of supporting faith and belief groups.

The Secretary of State and the Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement work closely together to demonstrate support for Muslim communities nationwide, connecting with women, young people, and community leaders through extensive outreach efforts. This has included engagement with numerous Muslim leaders in the aftermath of the Southport incident and subsequent riots and attending numerous Iftars during Ramadan to emphasise the important contributions that Muslim communities make to our society.

The Secretary of State is also committed to tackling all forms of hate crime. She has recently committed to the new working group on an anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia definition which will advise government on how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims.

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 19 March 2025 to Question 37220 on Admiralty House, how many civil servants provided support to the Deputy Prime Minister for the move.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As this support was provided in relation to the move to an official residence it is not possible to identify a specific number of staff.

Professional removal and cleaning services were hired and paid for personally by the Deputy Prime Minister and at no cost to the Department.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of the time spent by the Building Safety Regulator to (a) determine and (b) issue a decision on an application for a building assessment certificate on costs for accountable persons.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Building Safety Act 2022 (“the Act”) requires the Principal Accountable Person to apply for a Building Assessment Certificate when directed to do so by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). Under the Act, accountable persons may pass on costs they incur in meeting their building safety obligations to leaseholders via the service charge. The government recognises that there will be costs associated with implementing building safety requirements and considers these to be vital to ensuring fire and structural risks in higher-risk buildings are properly managed to ensure residents are and feel safe in their homes.

The assumptions for the Building Assessment Certificate process do not distinguish between "Determine" and "Issue". The Regulator operates independently of MHCLG and the BSR have advised that their initial estimates range from £7,488 to £20,736 per assessment depending on the complexity and quality of the submission. The BSR have stated that they consider it too early to assess how many buildings will fall into each category or whether they will need to update these assumptions over time.

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 publish the full tranching model from the Building Safety Regulator setting out the approach to be taken for calling in applications for building assessment certificates for existing higher-risk buildings.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) advised the Department on 26 March 2025 that:

(a) 1454 directions have been issued

(b) 1368 BAC applications have been submitted

(c) 12 Building Assessment Certificates have been issued

(d) 1 application has been refused

The BSR have also set out that in year 1, the first tranche of buildings have been directed based on meeting at least one of the following criteria:

• over 30 metres to 49.99 metres high with more than 217 residential units
• over 50 metres high with more than 11 residential units
• clad with combustible aluminium composite material
• buildings of large panel system construction built between 1956 and 1973 with a gas supply, where it was unclear if reinforcement work has been carried out.

Plans for future tranches are still being determined.

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) directions to apply for a building assessment certificate have been issued, (b) applications for a building assessment certificate had been received, (c) building safety certificates have been issued by and (d) applications for a building assessment certificate have been refused by the Building Safety Regulator.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) advised the Department on 26 March 2025 that:

(a) 1454 directions have been issued

(b) 1368 BAC applications have been submitted

(c) 12 Building Assessment Certificates have been issued

(d) 1 application has been refused

The BSR have also set out that in year 1, the first tranche of buildings have been directed based on meeting at least one of the following criteria:

• over 30 metres to 49.99 metres high with more than 217 residential units
• over 50 metres high with more than 11 residential units
• clad with combustible aluminium composite material
• buildings of large panel system construction built between 1956 and 1973 with a gas supply, where it was unclear if reinforcement work has been carried out.

Plans for future tranches are still being determined.

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 (a) maintain protections for (i) habitats and (ii) species in the context of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and (b) provide adequate habitat replacement in (i) Kent and (ii) other areas with limited land availability.

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

When it comes to development and the environment, we know we can do better than the status quo, which too often sees both sustainable housebuilding and nature recovery stall. Instead of environmental protections being seen as barriers to growth, we want to unlock a win-win for the economy and for nature. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will introduce a new Nature Restoration Fund that will unlock and accelerate development while going beyond neutrality to unlock the positive impact development can have in driving nature recovery.

Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs), and the conservation measures they propose, must be evidence-based and properly scrutinised before being put in place. An EDP can only be put in place where the Secretary of State is satisfied the delivery of conservation measures will outweigh the negative effects of development.

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 Ministerial Statement on Local Government Finance on 24 February 2025, HCWS461, whether her Department plans to take steps to prevent local authorities from disposing of community and heritage assets.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is clear that public ownership of locally significant assets should be protected to ensure residents can continue to benefit from them. In February, government set out an expectation to councils in receipt of Exceptional Financial Support that, where a council is considering funding this support through asset sales, they should avoid the disposal of community heritage assets where possible. It is for a local authority to ensure they satisfy this expectation in the context of their overall financial position.

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 correspondence entitled Local government reorganisation: invitation to local authorities in two-tier areas, published on 6 February 2025, if she will place in the House of Commons Library a copy of each individual council response to her Department's interim plan invitation letters.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government has no plans to place interim plans received from councils in the House of Commons Library. Interim plans are not a decision-making point but are designed to enable areas to set out their progress on developing proposals in line with the criteria and guidance, and receive feedback to support them to develop final proposals. A number of councils have published their interim plans on their websites, which is a matter for local decision.

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 it her policy to require full planning permission to convert commercial premises for residential use.

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

The government recognises that there has been criticism of some of the homes delivered under permitted development rights for change of use. We continue to keep permitted development rights under review.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 25703 on MHCLG: consultants, what the monetary value is of the target to reduce spending by 50%.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This information will be published in due course as part of MHCLG’s annual report and accounts for financial year 2024-25.

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 it her policy to re-introduce the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government will not be reintroducing the Bill.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the median age is of computers issued to officials in their Department.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The median age of devices in use at MHCLG is 2.5 years old (deployed in 2023).

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 March 2025 to Question 35254 on MHCLG: Wolverhampton, for what reason the Deputy Prime Minister does not regularly work from those offices.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Deputy Prime Minister and ministerial team work from a number of locations and offices across the country.

Since coming into office, the Deputy Prime Minister has led an ambitious legislative agenda in Parliament to boost renters' rights, fix the planning system to support growth, and make work pay, alongside engagements across the UK on the Government's plan for change. Where the pressures of these commitments allow, the Deputy Prime Minister will visit and work from locations across the UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to develop a rural economic strategy that provides regional funding for rural communities.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The UK Government is committed to supporting economic growth across the UK, including in our rural communities. Through the Plan for Change programme, we are working closely with the Welsh Government to ensure Wales can benefit from future investment and support. Our focus will be on working closely with the Welsh Government to inform their strategies and plans for rural communities in Wales. The UK Government is supporting through programmes like the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), Freeports and Investment Zones, which collectively aim to target growth and investment across Wales.

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 young people move on from supported housing.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Supported housing can play an important role for young people transitioning into independent living, particularly where they have no or limited family support, including those leaving care. It can help them to build emotional wellbeing, skills and confidence and to develop their independence ready for move on.

The Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme supports young people who are rough sleeping or at risk of homelessness into longer term supported accommodation. Once in their new home, support is provided by specialist staff to access the help they need, such as support for mental health and substance abuse problems, and support to help them into independent living as appropriate.

The Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant, a consolidated rough sleeping fund aimed at tackling rough sleeping, is providing a total of £185.6 million to local authorities across England in 2025-26. Local and combined authorities have the flexibility to use the funding to provide rough sleeping services driven by local need, including to support move on.

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 investment in social rent homes at the spending review.

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

At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549).

The investment made at Spring statement follows the £800 million in new in-year funding which has been made available for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme and that will support the delivery of up to 7,800 new homes, with more than half of them being Social Rent homes.

We will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.

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 Chancellor of the Exchequer's Spring Statement of 26 March 2025, Official Report, column 945, how many and what proportion of the 1.3 million homes to be built in the UK this parliament will be built in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.

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

The 1.3 million homes figure referenced represents a forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) based solely on the impact of the changes the government made to the National Planning Policy Framework on 12 December 2024. The OBR does not provide a breakdown between England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

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 considered setting targets for the development of retirement housing within her new homes target.

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

The government is committed to helping older people to live independently at home for as long as possible.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local planning authorities should assess the size, types and tenure of housing needed for different groups, including older people, and to reflect this in their planning policies. My Department has set out guidance for councils in preparing planning policies on housing for older and disabled people. This can be found on gov.uk here.

The Affordable Homes Programme for 2021-26 includes delivery of specialist housing for older people. Councils which are registered providers can also bid into the programme, alongside private registered providers.

At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549).

The investment made at Spring statement follows the £800 million in new in-year funding which has been made available for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme and that will support the delivery of up to 7,800 new homes, with more than half of them being Social Rent homes.

We will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.

The government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations in the final report of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce and are committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market. 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 support she is providing to local authorities to encourage the development of specialist retirement housing.

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

The government is committed to helping older people to live independently at home for as long as possible.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local planning authorities should assess the size, types and tenure of housing needed for different groups, including older people, and to reflect this in their planning policies. My Department has set out guidance for councils in preparing planning policies on housing for older and disabled people. This can be found on gov.uk here.

The Affordable Homes Programme for 2021-26 includes delivery of specialist housing for older people. Councils which are registered providers can also bid into the programme, alongside private registered providers.

At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549).

The investment made at Spring statement follows the £800 million in new in-year funding which has been made available for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme and that will support the delivery of up to 7,800 new homes, with more than half of them being Social Rent homes.

We will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.

The government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations in the final report of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce and are committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market. 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 information her Department holds on the number of families on waiting lists for social housing.

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

The number of households on social housing registers (waiting lists) in England and for each local authority in England is available each year since 1987 in live table 600 on gov.uk here.

My Department only collects data on housing registers for local authorities in England as social housing is a devolved matter.

The number of households on the housing register (waiting list) is not the same as the number of households waiting.

Local authorities periodically review their registers to remove households who no longer require housing, so the total number of households on housing registers may overstate the number of households who still require social housing at any one time. Housing register size may also be affected by other factors. For example, there is the potential for some households to be on the housing register of more than one local authority.

The frequency of reviews varies between local authorities.

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 amending the Decent Homes Stand to ensure at least 10% of social rent homes are offered as furnished.

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

The government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.

The Deputy Prime Minister is part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is aiming to publish a Child Poverty Strategy. As part of the development of the strategy, the Taskforce is considering the impacts of living in poor quality housing.

People in need may be able to get help for essential furniture from their local council through the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.

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 all new social housing developments include a proportion of homes to be let as furnished.

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

The government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.

The Deputy Prime Minister is part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is aiming to publish a Child Poverty Strategy. As part of the development of the strategy, the Taskforce is considering the impacts of living in poor quality housing.

People in need may be able to get help for essential furniture from their local council through the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.

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 the potential impact of poor behaviour from managing agents on leaseholders.

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

The government is committed to ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents.

Property agents must belong to a government-approved redress scheme. This legislation is currently enforced by local authorities and by the National Trading Standards’ Lettings and Estate Agency Team, who have the power to issue warnings and banning orders to rogue estate and letting agents.

The previous government committed to regulate the property agent sector in 2018 and asked a working group chaired by Lord Best to advise them on how best to do it. However, they failed to respond to the recommendations set out in the working group’s 2019 Regulation of Property Agents: working group report which can be found on gov.uk here.

Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of multi-occupancy buildings and freehold estates, and their importance will only increase as we transition toward a commonhold future. As a result, we are looking again at the 2019 report.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), the government has made clear it intends to strengthen regulation of managing agents to drive up the standard of their service. As a minimum, this should include mandatory professional qualifications which set a new basic standard that managing agents will be required to meet. We will consult on this matter this year.

We will set out our full position on regulation of estate, letting and managing agents 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 her Department has made of the potential merits of consulting on regulating the property management sector.

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

The government is committed to ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents.

Property agents must belong to a government-approved redress scheme. This legislation is currently enforced by local authorities and by the National Trading Standards’ Lettings and Estate Agency Team, who have the power to issue warnings and banning orders to rogue estate and letting agents.

The previous government committed to regulate the property agent sector in 2018 and asked a working group chaired by Lord Best to advise them on how best to do it. However, they failed to respond to the recommendations set out in the working group’s 2019 Regulation of Property Agents: working group report which can be found on gov.uk here.

Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of multi-occupancy buildings and freehold estates, and their importance will only increase as we transition toward a commonhold future. As a result, we are looking again at the 2019 report.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), the government has made clear it intends to strengthen regulation of managing agents to drive up the standard of their service. As a minimum, this should include mandatory professional qualifications which set a new basic standard that managing agents will be required to meet. We will consult on this matter this year.

We will set out our full position on regulation of estate, letting and managing agents 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 empty dwelling management orders were used in England in each of the last five years.

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

The Department does not collect data on the number of Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMOs) that have been issued.

Local authorities can apply for an EDMO when a property has been empty for more than two years, subject to the production of evidence that the property has been causing a nuisance to the community and evidence of community support for their proposal. 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, whether her Department plans to introduce greater flexibility in the National Planning Policy Framework to support small almshouse charities in building affordable homes.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 31178 on 24 February 2025.

Found: Net Zero (DESNZ) to accelerate planning processes, in conjunction with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: cross-government approach to skills and drive partnerships with key government departments such as DBT, DWP and MHCLG

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

Found: HSE the new Building Safety Regulator (BSR) and both policy responsibility and sponsorship sit with MHCLG

Found: EFS is the framework that MHCLG uses to support local authorities.

Found: 2025, thirty councils received £1.5 billion in emergency support due to severe budget shortfalls (MHCLG

Found: //metro.co.uk/2025/02/20/keir- starmer-responds-metro-readers-questions-housing-plans-22595353/ 2 MHCLG

Found: Association (LGFS0024) Six questions for the Public Accounts Committee to ask the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: Consultation: provisional local government finance settlement 2025 to 2026’ (2024), Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% London Boroughs Metropolitan Districts Unitary Authorities Source: MHCLG

Found: We made an application to the MHCLG for Exceptional Financial Support for 2025/26 but it was unfortunately

Found: MHCLG also model risks and future funding scenarios, review secondary sources (e.g. local authority

Found: differences from council to council.7 7 Statutory homelessness in England: financial year 2023-24, MHCLG

Found: with normal processes, we have provided a summary at the beginning of the evidence Please note: The MHCLG

Found: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) should develop and implement robust

Found: Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG

Found: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: The JESP Unit is a joint unit between the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Home Office, and Ministry of Housing

Found: Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Home Office, and Ministry of Housing

Found: We work very closely with DESNZ, MHCLG, The Crown Estate and other partners to try to build that picture

Found: We work very closely with DESNZ, MHCLG, The Crown Estate and other partners to try to build that picture

Found: that you have strong ideas in this area, and you should definitely feed them through to me and, at MHCLG

Found: example, Homes England will have its own strategic asset management plan, rather than being part of MHCLG

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

Found: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 11.

Found: this is the PCS and it is not to do with FDA or UNISON, but there is all sorts of press now on the MHCLG

Found: with the Prime Minister’s Office and officials in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: On the work that we have done with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the Planning

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he ha made of the potential merits of using swift bricks when building new homes.

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

Natural England has identified that the lack of nest sites is a pressure on certain bird species, including the swift. Therefore, provision of swift bricks may aid recovery alongside other actions, such as to increase food resources.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in December 2024, included several changes designed to enhance and protect the environment. For example, it expects developments to provide net gains for biodiversity, including through incorporating features such as swift bricks which support priority or threatened species. Defra policy officials are also working with MHCLG colleagues to consider what action may be appropriate to drive up rates of swift brick installation in new build properties.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 20 March (HL5602), what representations the government of China or its representatives have made to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office relating to the latest planning application for the Chinese Embassy, prior to and after the Secretary of State's call-in decision, and on what dates.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The planning application has been called in by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and she will make this decision independent from the rest of Government corresponding to her quasi-judicial role. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials speak regularly with the Chinese Government about a range of issues.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ways in which artificial intelligence technologies can be used to predict, and plan resourcing for managing, natural disasters.

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

Defra is the Lead Government Department in England with risk ownership for air quality, drought and flooding hazards. MHCLG lead on earthquake and wildfire hazards. The Met Office lead on storms, high temperatures, heatwaves, cold temperatures, snow and severe space weather hazards.

Defra is keen to make use of Artificial Intelligence to improve its capability to reduce harm from natural hazards. Defra is upskilling staff members to make appropriate use of Artificial Intelligence and will be examining how to strengthen its resilience capabilities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the impact of (a) housing, (b) income, (c) access to education and (d) other social determinants of health on maternal health outcomes for ethnic minority women.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to addressing the stark inequalities for women and babies, so that everyone can receive the high-quality care they deserve regardless of their background, circumstance, or ethnicity.

The Department is working with NHS England, other Government departments, and the wider sector to identify and embed the right actions and interventions that will help deliver improvements. For example, we are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to develop non-statutory guidance to support the implementation of Awaab’s Law from October 2025. This law introduces additional hazards, such as excess cold, which increase health risks for pregnant women, as well as for unborn and born children.

To find new ways to tackle maternity disparities, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, funded by the Department, launched the first challenge on maternity inequalities in March 2024. Over the subsequent five years, funding of up to £50 million will be made available to develop research and evidence that will drive action to reduce maternity inequalities and improve outcomes for women.

Question to the Leader of the House:

To ask the Leader of the House, how many (a) oral statements, (b) urgent questions, (c) end of day adjournment debates and (d) Westminster Hall debates each Department has responded to since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Lucy Powell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

Urgent questions, adjournment debates and Westminster Hall debates are a matter for the House. Information relating to each of these is available on the Parliament website.

The Government is responsible for the arrangement of oral statements. As of 3rd April 2025, there have been 129 oral statements from the following departments:

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) fly-tipping and (b) uncollected rubbish on public health.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has not made an assessment of the potential impact of fly-tipping and uncollected rubbish on public health.

During specific incidents, for instance with the Birmingham City Council, the UKHSA has provided standard guidance to the local authority on the public health risk associated with household waste. The UKHSA is also part of a multi-agency response Strategic Commissioning Group (SCG), and has contributed to a risk assessment concerning the potential health impacts of uncollected waste. The UKHSA will continue to provide advice and support to Birmingham City Council, as part of this SCG.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency produce the Statutory guidance for Waste duty of care: code of practice, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice

Guidance for waste planning policy is published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waste

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 20 March (HL5602), what representations the government of China or its representatives have made to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport relating to the latest planning application for the Chinese Embassy, prior to and after the Secretary of State's call-in decision, and on what dates.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not received any representations on this matter from the Government of China or its representatives. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the lead department on planning matters, and the final decision rests with its Secretary of State.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to (a) pavement licences and (b) take-away pints on regulatory costs for businesses.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 27 Feb on the lapse of the easement on takeaway pints.

A new impact assessment relating to the lapse of the easement was not required as no new policy or legislation has been introduced.

The pavement licensing regime, owned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, is separate to the regime regulating the sale and supply of alcohol. The pavement licensing regime has not been impacted by the lapse of the aforementioned easement.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of recent changes made to her Department's guidance entitled Nationality: good character requirement, published on 10 February 2025, on community cohesion.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The British Nationality Act 1981 is clear that it is for the Home Secretary to determine the good character policy. There is no definition of good character in primary legislation, nor is there statutory guidance as to how this should be interpreted or defined. Changes to the good character policy are at the discretion of the Home Secretary.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is leading cross-Government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues. A new cross-government ministerial ‘Communities & Recovery Steering Group’ has been stood up to oversee this work and this group includes the Home Secretary.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to coordinate cross-Government compute-related (a) planning and (b) infrastructure.

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

The AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out how the UK can lay the foundations for AI growth, by building the cutting-edge compute infrastructure needed to lead in AI development and deployment. To deliver this commitment, we are working closely across government, including on the creation of AI Growth Zones.

With MHCLG we have updated the National Planning Policy Framework to make it easier to build data infrastructure.

MHCLG will be introducing legislation this year to enable larger data centres to be directed into the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects consenting regime on request. As part of this work, DSIT will be producing a National Policy Statement (NPS) on data infrastructure to guide future planning decisions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which Department or agency leads on the Cross Government Working Level Group on Indoor Air Quality; how often it has met since Public Health England closed in September 2021; and which Ministers are involved in its meetings.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department co-ordinated the Cross Government Working Level Group on Indoor Air Quality following the closure of Public Health England in September 2021. Since that date the group has met five times, most recently in July 2023. Ministers have not attended this official-level group. Government departments involved in the group have included the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Education, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Department for Transport, as well as the Scottish Government, the UK Health Security Agency, and the Health and Safety Executive.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle fly-tipping.

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

We are seeking powers in the Home Office’s Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of their fly-tipping enforcement powers. These include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000, vehicle seizure and prosecution action which can lead to a significant fine or even imprisonment.

We have committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment in due course.

Defra officials chair the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders, including officials from the Department for Transport, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and devolved governments, to promote good practice on preventing fly-tipping. Various practical tools are available from their webpage which can be found at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board on the proposed Wixams GP surgery.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, general practice (GP) services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB has advised that they updated the Central Bedfordshire Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee about the ICB’s intention to deliver a permanent healthcare facility in Wixams, with a further update to follow in the spring. The ICB has committed to undertaking further analysis with the new developers of Wixams town centre, to understand the dependencies, such as roads and power connections, and to assess the facility's delivery timeline against the likely costs and affordability. Further information about the Central Bedfordshire Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee is available at the following link:

https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/31/meetings/231/social_care_health_and_housing_overview_and_scrutiny_committee_-_meetings_and_agendas

We know that there is pressure on primary care estates and service provision in areas of high population growth. At a national level, we continue to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that all new and existing developments have an adequate level of healthcare infrastructure for the community.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has plans to introduce dedicated capital funding for fire and rescue services to allow them to invest in (a) training facilities, (b) fleet, and (c) estate maintenance.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. In 2025/26, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority has a core spending power of £74.9m, an increase of £2.4m or 3.3% compared to 2024/25.

The Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26, (published on 3 February 2025) sets out that standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities, such as Dorset and Wiltshire, will see an increase in core spending power of up to £65.5 million in 2025/26. Including the National Insurance Contribution Grant, this is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25.

It is the responsibility of each Fire and Rescue Authority to determine how to allocate the funding that they receive based on its analysis of risk and local circumstances. Officials in the Home Office and MHCLG are working with the National Fire Chiefs Council to collate evidence on the fire and rescue sector’s funding needs to HM Treasury. Decisions on any capital funding will be subject to an assessment at the next Spending Review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing the three grant income streams on the financial sustainability of fire and rescue services in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. In 2025/26, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority has a core spending power of £74.9m, an increase of £2.4m or 3.3% compared to 2024/25.

The Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26, (published on 3 February 2025) sets out that standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities, such as Dorset and Wiltshire, will see an increase in core spending power of up to £65.5 million in 2025/26. Including the National Insurance Contribution Grant, this is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25.

It is the responsibility of each Fire and Rescue Authority to determine how to allocate the funding that they receive based on its analysis of risk and local circumstances. Officials in the Home Office and MHCLG are working with the National Fire Chiefs Council to collate evidence on the fire and rescue sector’s funding needs to HM Treasury. Decisions on any capital funding will be subject to an assessment at the next Spending Review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure fire and rescue services have sustainable funding to maintain emergency response capabilities and prevention services.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. In 2025/26, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority has a core spending power of £74.9m, an increase of £2.4m or 3.3% compared to 2024/25.

The Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26, (published on 3 February 2025) sets out that standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities, such as Dorset and Wiltshire, will see an increase in core spending power of up to £65.5 million in 2025/26. Including the National Insurance Contribution Grant, this is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25.

It is the responsibility of each Fire and Rescue Authority to determine how to allocate the funding that they receive based on its analysis of risk and local circumstances. Officials in the Home Office and MHCLG are working with the National Fire Chiefs Council to collate evidence on the fire and rescue sector’s funding needs to HM Treasury. Decisions on any capital funding will be subject to an assessment at the next Spending Review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the financial settlements for fire and rescue services.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. In 2025/26, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority has a core spending power of £74.9m, an increase of £2.4m or 3.3% compared to 2024/25.

The Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26, (published on 3 February 2025) sets out that standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities, such as Dorset and Wiltshire, will see an increase in core spending power of up to £65.5 million in 2025/26. Including the National Insurance Contribution Grant, this is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25.

It is the responsibility of each Fire and Rescue Authority to determine how to allocate the funding that they receive based on its analysis of risk and local circumstances. Officials in the Home Office and MHCLG are working with the National Fire Chiefs Council to collate evidence on the fire and rescue sector’s funding needs to HM Treasury. Decisions on any capital funding will be subject to an assessment at the next Spending Review.

Found: bills/3155/publications and can be inspected at the Planning Directorate, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: bills/3155/publications and can be inspected at the Planning Directorate, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: children placed in unregistered settings with no regulatory oversight.28 23 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: children placed in unregistered settings with no regulatory oversight.28 23 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: The proposals remain subject to a planning decision from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: Responsibility for all fire functions moves to MHCLG

Found: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has policy responsibility for tackling

Found: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has policy responsibility for tackling

Found: Other departments with large decreases were Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which

Found: 0.0107760144977326 186.06887211 0.0132281245201033 20.72199819 0.125324402564913 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: DBT would need to work with Environment Agency, DEFRA, and MHCLG to implement this policy.

Found: Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 39 Guidance: Consultation and pre-decision matters | MHCLG

Found: The proposals remain subject to a planning decision from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2014).

Found: can be taken to reform national planning policy to ensure future development is safe from floods (MHCLG

Found: Hub will accommodate around 2,600 civil servants from departments including Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: From: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Department for Levelling Up, Housing

Found: Buildings are resilient to other climate risks Key UK government department Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

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

Found: Registry When completed, the form should be returned to: Rentcharges Unit, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: documents we will write to you.This form should be returned to: Rentcharges Unit, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: at this stage.The completed form should be returned to: Rentcharges Unit, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Cabinet Office Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: The Stronger Towns Fund and Future High Street Fund programmes originate from Central Government (MHCLG

Found: and working with World Jewish Relief on an English training programme for Ukrainians in the UK for MHCLG

Found: The Bill is sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). 9.

Found: It is sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. 2.

Found: contextualisation has been completed by the LRFs, who are directed by the Welsh Government, Cabinet Office and MHCLG

Found: The Bill is sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and was first

Found: It is sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. 2.

Found: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is sponsoring the Bill. 2.

Found: the Bill 4) The Bill is sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Local Government and Communities (MHCLG

Found: It is sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. 2.

Found: It is sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. 2.

Found: The Bill is sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. 7.

Found: It is sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. 2.

Found: The Bill is sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. 7.

Found: The Bill is sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. 9.

Found: It is sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). 2.

Found: It is sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). 2.

Found: Committee, RoP [para 18], 7 November 2024 128 UK Government, Press release: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: Survey high streets data is classified by land use type as defined by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: it intends to implement the new system “from summer or autumn 2025”: see Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: Wales (ONS)(published October 2023) we have worked with analysts from ONS and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government