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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to protect leaseholders in retirement villages from freeholders and managing agents who act in bad faith.

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

The government recognise that some specialist retirement housing providers have distinct operational and financing arrangements, and we value the important contribution that this sector makes to supporting older people.

We want to ensure providers can continue to operate effectively and with confidence.

As per the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 HLWS1278 (attached), we will consider through the scrutiny and consultation process whether particular arrangements may be appropriate for certain forms of specialist provision.

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

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

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

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

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult with hospitality and tourism businesses before introducing an overnight visitor levy; and what steps they will take to ensure that views of small and medium-sized enterprises are represented in that consultation.

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

The government is empowering Mayors to introduce an overnight visitor levy in their region to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.

The government is consulting on the design of the new power but the decision of whether or not to introduce the levy will be for mayors who will need to consult when they do so. The precise design and scope of the power is still under development, but the impacts will largely be determined by local decisions.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of an overnight visitor levy on recruitment, hiring intentions and employment levels within the hospitality and tourism sectors.

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

The government is empowering Mayors to introduce an overnight visitor levy in their region to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.

The government is consulting on the design of the new power but the decision of whether or not to introduce the levy will be for mayors who will need to consult when they do so. The precise design and scope of the power is still under development, but the impacts will largely be determined by local decisions.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of an overnight visitor levy on small and independent businesses operating in the hospitality sector.

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

The government is empowering Mayors to introduce an overnight visitor levy in their region to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.

The government is consulting on the design of the new power but the decision of whether or not to introduce the levy will be for mayors who will need to consult when they do so. The precise design and scope of the power is still under development, but the impacts will largely be determined by local decisions.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the statement on X by the Minister for Housing and Planning on 31 January that the Government could not commence the "relevant enfranchisement provisions" in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 until specific flaws within the Act were rectified, what specific flaws he was referring to; what plans they have to rectify these flaws through legislation; whether the Draft Leasehold and Commonhold Bill contains those legislative proposals; and if it does not, for what reason they are not included.

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

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 contains a small number of specific but serious flaws which would prevent certain provisions from operating as intended and that need to be rectified via primary legislation.

The Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 HLWS240 (attached) outlined two flaws regarding a loophole in the valuation scheme set out in the Act, and an omission on shared ownership lease extensions.

Primary legislation will also be needed to address the following flaws:

• Allow third parties to leases, such as resident-led management companies, to recover contributions toward their process costs in some instances. Without this change, these companies may be at risk of insolvency, which would be an unintended outcome of the reforms requiring landlords to pay their process costs;
• Correct an unintended constraint on landlords’ existing redevelopment break rights that applies in certain limited circumstances; and
• Correct technical cross references and make consequential amendments to ensure the smooth implementation of the Act.

As set out in the WMS of 27 January 2026 HLWS1278 (attached), the government will rectify these flaws in primary legislation.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Minister for Housing and Planning’s statement on 27 January (HC Deb col 750) that an immediate peppercorn cap on lease payments “could carry significant risks”, what are those risks; what assessment of those risks have been made by (1) the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, and (2) the Treasury, and if they will publish these analyses; what meetings ministers have had with representatives of freehold estates and pension funds since taking office; and what risks, if any, they consider an immediate peppercorn cap poses to building remediation and safety.

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

The government is capping ground rent at £250 per year, before changing to a peppercorn in 40 years. These measures, as set out in the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, deliver on the manifesto commitment to “tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rent charges” and “bring the feudal leasehold system to an end”. This policy will directly address cost of living pressures for leaseholders, and issues with buying, selling and mortgaging properties with high ground rents, before ending ground rents for good.

We recognise that these reforms will have a significant impact on freeholders and investors, but the government considers this is a justified and proportionate intervention to address harms and deliver a fair and effective housing market. We have taken investors’ concerns into account when developing this policy, which we believe strikes a fair balance between leaseholders, freeholders and those invested in ground rents.

For further information, I refer the Noble Baroness to the (attached) Policy statement on ground rents published on 27 January 2026.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the concerns raised by the Resident Freehold Association that capping ground rents could cause a significant number of professional freeholders to become insolvent and impact remediation on up to 12,000 buildings.

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

The government is capping ground rent at £250 per year, before changing to a peppercorn in 40 years. These measures, as set out in the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, deliver on the manifesto commitment to “tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rent charges” and “bring the feudal leasehold system to an end”. This policy will directly address cost of living pressures for leaseholders, and issues with buying, selling and mortgaging properties with high ground rents, before ending ground rents for good.

We recognise that these reforms will have a significant impact on freeholders and investors, but the government considers this is a justified and proportionate intervention to address harms and deliver a fair and effective housing market. We have taken investors’ concerns into account when developing this policy, which we believe strikes a fair balance between leaseholders, freeholders and those invested in ground rents.

For further information, I refer the Noble Baroness to the (attached) Policy statement on ground rents published on 27 January 2026.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Minister for Housing and Planning’s statement on 27 January (HC Deb col 750) that there is a difference between regulating the creation of new leases and affecting existing contracts and investments, what is the legal basis for this analysis, and what role the ECHR has had, if any, in informing this analysis.

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

When considering reforms to leasehold, the government naturally takes account of number of factors including the right to peaceful enjoyment of property under Article 1 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights. The courts have held that the government has a wide margin of appreciation in this area, including when making changes that have a purely prospective effect on existing leases.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Women’s Budget Group and the Traveller Movement Uneven Paths: Socio-Economic and Structural Inequalities Facing Women from Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller Communities, published on 5 February; and what plans they have, if any, to implement the recommendations of that report.

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

The government thanks the Women’s Budget Group and the Traveller Movement for their work on this report which highlights the intersecting socio-economic and structural inequalities faced by women and girls from Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities.

The government acknowledges the multiple challenges these communities are facing and is committed to tackling inequality and discrimination in education, employment, health and the criminal justice system, and reducing violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The VAWG Strategy lays out the government’s ambition and action to halve these abhorrent crimes in a decade. All victims, including the Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller community are considered and integrated into our response, and every commitment set out in the Strategy will consider the Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller community.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the proposed overnight visitor levy on the ability of lower income families to afford domestic holidays.

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

The government is empowering Mayors to introduce an overnight visitor levy in their region to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.

The government is consulting on the design of the new power but the decision of whether or not to introduce the levy will be for mayors who will need to consult when they do so. The precise design and scope of the power is still under development, but the impacts will largely be determined by local decisions.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether (a) his Department and (b) any of its arms-length bodies are (i) investigating and (ii) undertaking enforcement action against Rockwell (FC100) Ltd in relation to its residential building remediation obligations.

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

The Department is not actively investigating or taking enforcement action against Rockwell (FC100), nor to our knowledge are any of the Department’s arm’s length bodies.

The Government is working with local authorities and fire and rescue services to take enforcement action against building owners who are failing to get on with remediation.

Regulators are operationally independent and are subject to their own duties and regulatory regimes. As such it would be inappropriate for the department to comment on regulatory decision making.

Where remediation is not progressing, local authorities and fire and rescue services have a range of tools to compel building owners to fix their unsafe buildings.

Regulators have long-standing powers under the Housing Act 2004 and Fire Safety Order 2005 to make sure building owners fix their unsafe buildings.

The Building Safety Act 2022 bolstered these powers by introducing remediation orders and remediation contribution orders. These powers allow regulators to apply to the First-tier Tribunal for an order that requires a building owner to fix, or pay to fix, unsafe buildings. In addition, the Fire Safety Order has been strengthened through changes to Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022.

Section 116 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 makes it clear that a Remediation Contribution Order, under section 124 of the Building Safety Act, can include associated costs of alternative accommodation when residents are decanted from relevant buildings on building safety grounds. There is also provision for local authorities to apply to the Courts, to recover their costs if they pay to rehouse residents in these circumstances.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of large-scale commercial events held in public parks in London on local communities, biodiversity, and long-term access to green space; and whether he plans to increase protections for such spaces.

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

We have made no central assessment on the impact of large-scale commercial events held in public parks in London. Whilst we recognise that open and green spaces are an essential part of local social infrastructure and must be protected for future generations, we also recognise that responsibility for funding, managing and maintaining urban parks lies mainly with local authorities. The government is committed to supporting Local Authorities in developing best practice to manage parks and green spaces.

We are consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including policies on areas of high biodiversity value, and a new requirement for local plans to set standards for green infrastructure drawing on the Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework. The consultation on changes to the NPPF will remain open for responses until 10th March 2026.

On protections for these spaces, last year we announced our intention to review existing protections for public recreational green spaces. We will seek to examine and understand the fragmented and outdated nature of current legislative protections, assess how these protections complement those in the planning system, and consider the lack of central records on protected land.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what deadline the Government has set for residential freeholders to complete remediation works on buildings with unsafe cladding; and what steps he will take in cases where such works are not completed by that deadline.

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

In the Remediation Acceleration Plan, we set a clear target that, by the end of 2029, every residential building over 11 metres with unsafe cladding will have either completed remediation works or have a firm completion date in place, otherwise the responsible entity will face enforcement action. To this end, we are legislating to give regulators access to new criminal and civil penalties to deal with those that are not doing all they can to remediate their buildings and any party that stands in their way.

The Remediation Acceleration Plan sets out the Government’s intentions to give regulators the power to identify beneficial owners and hold all relevant parties to account. We will also create a new Remediation Backstop, which grants the State step-in powers for remediation. No matter where the responsible entity is based and their responsiveness to enforcement, resident safety must be ensured.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to secure compliance with building safety remediation requirements where the freeholder is registered overseas.

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

In the Remediation Acceleration Plan, we set a clear target that, by the end of 2029, every residential building over 11 metres with unsafe cladding will have either completed remediation works or have a firm completion date in place, otherwise the responsible entity will face enforcement action. To this end, we are legislating to give regulators access to new criminal and civil penalties to deal with those that are not doing all they can to remediate their buildings and any party that stands in their way.

The Remediation Acceleration Plan sets out the Government’s intentions to give regulators the power to identify beneficial owners and hold all relevant parties to account. We will also create a new Remediation Backstop, which grants the State step-in powers for remediation. No matter where the responsible entity is based and their responsiveness to enforcement, resident safety must be ensured.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many headcount staff in his Department work compressed hours on full pay.

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

At 31 January 2026 there were 760 active payroll staff who worked full‑time hours over a compressed period, meaning they received full pay. This figure includes a range of different compressed full‑time working arrangements.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Minister for Housing and Planning’s statement on 27 January (HC Deb col 753) that the Government do not plan to implement a service charge cap but that existing provisions in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 would be “switched on at the earliest possible opportunity”, what assessment they have made of when the referred to provisions will be used.

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

The consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 closed on 26 September 2025. We are analysing responses, including on service charges, and will bring the relevant measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether it is their policy that shops, medical centres and other amenities should be provided at the same time as the construction of homes in greenfield developments.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that significant weight should be placed on the importance of new, expanded or upgraded public service infrastructure when considering proposals for development.

The government is consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, more ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making, designed to make planning policy easier to use and underpin the delivery of faster and simpler local plans. The consultation includes policies supporting the delivery of new and improved community facilities and public service infrastructure serving new development, setting out that planning conditions and obligations should be used to secure the timely delivery of community facilities and public service infrastructure required to serve new development, so that these facilities are available for use when the development (or an agreed proportion of the development) is first occupied or comes into use.

We are inviting views on these proposals through the consultation, which is available here (attached) and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent young people from becoming homeless.

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

We are taking action across government to provide targeted support to young people and their families at an earlier stage. The government has provided more than £1 billion funding for homelessness and rough sleeping services this year, which councils can use to meet the needs of people in their area including young people.

Through our National Plan to End Homelessness we also committed to develop a national Youth Homelessness Prevention Toolkit and develop a dedicated chapter of the Homelessness Code of Guidance on young people, to support councils to work collaboratively with other public services to prevent youth homelessness.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of places of worship in current plans for large-scale greenfield housing developments.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that planning policies and decisions should plan positively for the provision and use of community facilities, such as places of worship. It is for local planning authorities to make decisions on individual development proposals, and the government does not collate information on proposals to provide new places of worship as part of these.

The government is consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, more ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making, designed to make planning policy easier to use and underpin the delivery of faster and simpler local plans. The consultation includes policies to support the provision of places of worship, including where a development proposal for housing, employment or other development would give rise to significant numbers of additional people living in, working in or visiting an area.

We are inviting views on these proposals through the consultation, which is available here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill will include provisions for leaseholders in retirement villages.

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

The government recognise that some specialist retirement housing providers have distinct operational and financing arrangements, and we value the important contribution that this sector makes to supporting older people.

We want to ensure providers can continue to operate effectively and with confidence.

As per the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 HLWS1278 (attached), we will consider through the scrutiny and consultation process whether particular arrangements may be appropriate for certain forms of specialist provision.

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

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

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

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

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cumulative financial impact on hospitality businesses of an overnight visitor levy alongside existing cost pressures, including energy prices, wage growth, and taxation.

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

The government carefully considers the impact of tax measures on communities as well as on hospitality and tourism sectors. Evidence from international and domestic schemes suggested modest rates have minimal impact on visitor numbers.

Where changes are made to tax policy, relevant impact notes and assessments are published at fiscal events and otherwise as necessary in line with the government’s usual practice.

The overnight visitor levy would be a discretionary power for Mayors, who would be responsible for considering its local economic impact, including on hotels, consumers and visitor numbers. Mayors will need to decide whether to implement a levy, subject to a local consultation on specific proposals. This consultation will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied, and how any revenue is invested in their region.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of an overnight visitor levy on rural and coastal businesses which rely heavily on domestic tourism.

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

The government carefully considers the impact of tax measures on communities as well as on hospitality and tourism sectors. Evidence from international and domestic schemes suggested modest rates have minimal impact on visitor numbers.

Where changes are made to tax policy, relevant impact notes and assessments are published at fiscal events and otherwise as necessary in line with the government’s usual practice.

The overnight visitor levy would be a discretionary power for Mayors, who would be responsible for considering its local economic impact, including on hotels, consumers and visitor numbers. Mayors will need to decide whether to implement a levy, subject to a local consultation on specific proposals. This consultation will inform their decisions regarding whether and how a levy will be applied, and how any revenue is invested in their region.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to deliver a sustainable supported housing sector.

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

The government values the vital role played by supported housing in helping older, disabled and other vulnerable people to live independently and well, and the contribution it makes to wider government objectives, including tackling rough sleeping and homelessness.

Funding for the local commissioning of local housing-related support services is through the Local Government Finance Settlement. The final 2026-27 Settlement makes available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The final 2026-27 to 2028-29 Settlement confirms £740 million in new grant funding additional to the provisional Settlement, bringing the total new grant funding delivered through the multi-year Settlement to over £4 billion.

As part of the Local Government Finance Settlement, we have provided £159 million for targeted areas over 2026-29 for support services in supported housing, with the primary focus on reducing single homelessness and rough sleeping.

At the Spending Review, the government announced £39 billion for a new Social and Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36. This programme also seeks to support an increase in the delivery of specialist and supported housing.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of Critical Time Intervention programmes for local authorities on preventing homelessness amongst people leaving prison.

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

We recognise the importance of public sector organisations working closely together to support people during key transition points. Within the National Plan to End Homelessness, we have worked collaboratively across Government to set ambitious targets to reduce the number of people leaving institutions into homelessness, enabling local authorities and local partners to deliver better support at transition points.

This includes a commitment to a 50% reduction in the proportion of people who become homeless on their first night out of prison and are subject to probation supervision by the end of this parliament.

To deliver on this commitment, we want to ensure the right support is available as people transition out of prison. This includes continued investing in Community Accommodation Service models and embedding as standard practice local partnerships, co-location and pre-release planning.

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 Prime Minister’s oral contribution during Prime Minister's Questions, Column 780, 11 February 2026, what steps the Government is taking to bring a negotiated settlement to the Birmingham bin strikes; and what representations he has made to Birmingham City Council on re-entering negotiations with Unite the Union.

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

The success of Birmingham is vital for the wider region, and the government therefore takes the progress made across Birmingham City Council very seriously. My department regularly engages with both the Council and Commissioners, alongside receiving regular updates on progress, including on the waste dispute.

While the government is not a party to this dispute, we continue to urge both parties to work together to bring about a sustainable solution to end the strike, in the interests of the people of Birmingham.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to provide capacity funding to local authorities for strategic economic development in Cornwall.

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

The government is establishing a £30 million fund to invest in Cornwall’s comparative sectoral advantages, including critical minerals, renewable energy and marine innovation, subject to a full business case.

Funding will be devolved to Cornwall Council, in line with the government’s devolution agenda, empowering local leaders to invest in projects that best meet local needs. Project management costs are eligible as part of a capital project budget.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of wheelchair accessible homes that are being built; and what action they plan to take to encourage local planning authorities to provide more housing built to wheelchair accessible M4 standards.

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

Data relating to the number of wheelchair accessible homes is not collected centrally, although the (attached) English Housing Survey collects occasional series on accessibility and adaptations within the home.

The government is currently consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making.

The consultation includes proposals for local planning authorities to set requirements for the delivery of M4(2) and M4(3) housing that will meet or exceed their locally assessed need for these types of housing.

In relation to M4(2) requirements, the government is proposing a national minimum that ensures at least 40% of new housing over the course of the plan period is delivered to M4(2) standards. This approach is intended to ensure that necessary levels of accessible housing are provided, while providing authorities with an appropriate degree of flexibility to maximise housebuilding overall.

Through the consultation we are seeking views on these proposals, including whether 40% is the right minimum proportion or whether an alternative requirement is preferable, and on the potential impacts of our proposals on protected groups under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

The consultation can be found on gov.uk here (attached) and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to deliver a sustainable supported housing sector.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 112725 on 25 February 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will list the expert advisers who are not civil servants or special advisers that provide advice the Minister for Housing and Planning.

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

MHCLG ministers are advised by civil servants employed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Details of all meetings with external stakeholders are published on a quarterly basis on gov.uk.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to take steps to support local authorities seeking to build social housing to access finance to purchase land being sold by NHS Trusts.

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

The government is not taking any specific action to support local authorities to purchase land being sold by NHS Trusts.

However, in January we announced that we would extend the ‘preferential’ borrowing rate for council housebuilding from the Public Works Loan Board for another year until the end of March 2027. This will provide councils with greater certainty to increase their supply plans, including through land-led development.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with Homes England about access to grant funding for small housing providers.

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

Small housing providers can bid for grant funding through the government’s new 10-year £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme.

Guidance to bidders from Homes England can be found on gov.uk here, and to bidders from the Greater London Authority here. The government’s policy statement to accompany this guidance can be found on gov.uk here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made on introducing legislated protections for freeholders against uncapped service charges.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 4 July 2025 (HCWS780) and the answer given to Question UIN 103549 on 14 January 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding is available to faith-based organisations to help them support communities.

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

The Government works closely with faith and belief groups and organisations to support communities, and there are a wide range of potential sources of support available to them.

The Common Ground Resilience Fund is providing over £3m funding to local communities in England to insulate them against threats to local social cohesion and resilience. Through the Common Ground Award, which forms part of this Fund, we are supporting the voluntary and community sector organisations - including faith-based organisations, with capital investments into the infrastructure and equipment which enables them to serve communities.

The Government also supports interfaith activities through which faith and belief organisations work with their wider communities. The Government supported Inter Faith Week 2025 by providing £141,720 of funding to ensure the Week remains a key part of the national calendar for dialogue, learning, and connection between people of different faiths and beliefs.

MHCLG has allocated up to £515,000 for the current financial year to fund the Near Neighbours programme in England, which is delivered by the Church Urban Fund. This programme brings together communities from diverse backgrounds and faiths to build relationships of trust and work together on initiatives that improve their communities.

Faith‑based organisations across England are also eligible to apply to the annual Windrush Day Grant Scheme, funded by MHCLG. Since 2019, the scheme has funded 268 projects, awarding a total of £3.75 million. Faith‑linked groups may receive funding where proposals align with the scheme’s aims of raising awareness of the Windrush story and strengthening community cohesion.

Supporting faith and belief communities’ physical buildings may help them in their work with communities. A new £92 million fund called the Places of Worship Renewal Fund will replace the £23 million Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme and bring these important buildings into line with other heritage assets. It will give them access to the same level of financial support from the Government as historic houses, monuments and other heritage sites.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of legal protections preventing leaseholders from being pursued for (a) service-charge and (b) balancing-charge debts relating to periods before they acquired their property.

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

The government recognises the importance of potential buyers having the information they need to decide whether a home is right for them.

There is already a requirement under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 that any information that would help a prospective homebuyer to make an informed decision must not be hidden or omitted.

We would strongly advise prospective buyers and their legal representative to check that all relevant information has been provided. If this information was not provided at the time of purchase, a legal representative could advise on possible options.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help ensure affordable housing for young people.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 113747 on 2 March 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he plans to extend the Brownfield Land Release Fund.

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

The third round of the Brownfield Land Release Fund will launch this year. Design options are currently being explored by officials.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of putting the agent of change principle on a statutory footing on i) the speed of the planning process ii) the number of grassroots music venues iii) new housing starts iv) urban development.

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

The agent of change policy is given effect through the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which makes clear that where the operation of an existing business or community facility could have a significant adverse effect on new development in its vicinity, the applicant (or ‘agent of change’) should be required to provide suitable mitigation before the development has been completed.

The government is currently consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation includes a proposed update to the agent of change policy which sets out in more detail the types of matters which should be considered. These include early engagement with existing uses to identify potential impacts; the use of planning conditions to secure agreed mitigation measures; and the need to consider both current and permitted levels of activity to reduce the risk of conflict.

The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he will provide guidance to developers on the role of the agent of change principle in pre-application engagement.

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

The agent of change policy is given effect through the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which makes clear that where the operation of an existing business or community facility could have a significant adverse effect on new development in its vicinity, the applicant (or ‘agent of change’) should be required to provide suitable mitigation before the development has been completed.

The government is currently consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation includes a proposed update to the agent of change policy which sets out in more detail the types of matters which should be considered. These include early engagement with existing uses to identify potential impacts; the use of planning conditions to secure agreed mitigation measures; and the need to consider both current and permitted levels of activity to reduce the risk of conflict.

The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions the Department has had with Teignbridge District Council regarding the application of national environmental policy frameworks to the NA3 allocation affecting Wolborough Fen.

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

Due to the quasi-judicial role of MHCLG Ministers in the planning system, neither the Secretary of State nor I are able to comment on the details of specific planning proposals, including discussing them with the relevant local planning authority.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to support local authorities to fast-track planning applications that deliver 100% affordable housing.

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

The government has no specific plans to fast-track planning applications that deliver 100% affordable housing.

We have already taken a number of steps to streamline planning processes generally.

We are currently consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework, that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will make it a requirement for developers of sites near rail stations to contribute to Section 106 monies to help deliver future accessibility improvements at those rail stations.

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

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 90834 on 21 November 2025, UIN 111724 on 2 March 2026, and UIN 26106 on 5 February 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the report from Liverpool and Sheffield Hallam Universities on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission, published in June 2022.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97962 on 15 December 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the impact of the commission charge on the sale of park homes on park home owners.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97962 on 15 December 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to include a reference to noise levels in part 4 of the updated National Planning Policy Framework.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that planning policies and decisions should prevent new and existing development from contributing to, being put at unacceptable risk from, or being adversely affected by, unacceptable levels of noise pollution.

The government is currently consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including a new chapter (17) on Pollution, Public Protection and Security. This sets out that development proposals should not result in levels of noise exposure which would have a significant observed adverse effect. This is defined as the level of noise exposure above which significant adverse effects on health and quality of life occur.

The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department has made on ensuring infrastructure accompanies new housing delivery.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner. It also supports the increased provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure.

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

The government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through Land and Infrastructure funding programmes, such as the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

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

Our Planning and Infrastructure Act includes various provisions designed to streamline the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure.

The government is currently consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation includes policies designed to further strengthen support for proposals that provide new or improved community facilities and public service infrastructure.

The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations on improving community cohesion in the Khan Review - Threats To Social Cohesion And Democratic Resilience: A New Strategic Approach, published in March 2024.

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

MHCLG is co-ordinating cross-Government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with local government, communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues. As part of this work officials have considered a wide range of evidence including from reviews such as the Khan Review.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local government reorganisation processes in Gloucestershire will enable new unitary authority elections to take place in 2027.

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

The government remains committed to the indicative timetable published in July 2025, with elections to new councils in May 2027 with a go live date of April 2028.

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 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's report entitled Deprivation in Rural Areas, published in October 2025, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the report's finding that 14 of the 20 most-deprived rural Lower Layer Super Output Areas are in former mining areas.

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

Our Pride in Place strategy sets out how we will deliver up to £5.8 billion over ten years to 284 neighbourhoods (Middle Super Output Areas) experiencing the highest levels of deprivation across the country. Many coalfield communities – including very deprived Lower Super Output Areas - are part of this programme: Bentilee and Ubberley, Peterlee East, Grassmoor & Holmewood, Platt Bridge & Spring View, amongst many others.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness on 23 February 2026, whether the removal of the pay-day loan premium will apply to the reorganised councils who will inherit the debt of areas such as Thurrock.

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

The previous government made a sustained recovery for councils even harder by charging a premium on borrowing for councils needing Exceptional Financial Support. In December 2024, the government confirmed that the additional 1% premium on Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) borrowing would not apply to any council borrowing or refinancing going forward.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the the potential merits of using the private rented sector to fulfil the statutory duty to homeless households.

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

High-quality accommodation in the private rented sector plays an important role in councils discharging their homelessness duties. In England in 2024/25, 52,870 households had their prevention or relief duty ended with accommodation secured in the private rented sector, and 4,070 households had their main duty ended having accepted a private rented sector offer.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether it is his policy for Gloucestershire to be placed in a mayoral combined authority devolution deal with Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

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

On 12 February, the government wrote to all local authorities – including in Gloucestershire and its neighbours – that do not currently have a devolution agreement inviting them to come forward with to agree a non-mayoral, Foundation Strategic Authority across a sensible geography.

It is for councils to propose new devolution arrangements where local consensus has been reached with their neighbours, and we will consider any proposals brought forward, subject to it meeting the criteria set out in the English Devolution White Paper and the forthcoming English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what is his proposed timetable for Gloucestershire to join a mayoral combined authority.

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

On 12 February, the government wrote to all local authorities – including in Gloucestershire and its neighbours – that do not currently have a devolution agreement inviting them to come forward with to agree a non-mayoral, Foundation Strategic Authority across a sensible geography.

It is for councils to propose new devolution arrangements where local consensus has been reached with their neighbours, and we will consider any proposals brought forward, subject to it meeting the criteria set out in the English Devolution White Paper and the forthcoming English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness on 23 February 2026, how much less Thurrock council will need to repay each year following the removal of the pay-day loan premium.

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

The previous government made a sustained recovery for councils even harder by charging a premium on borrowing for councils needing Exceptional Financial Support. In December 2024, the government confirmed that the additional 1% premium on Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) borrowing would not apply to any council borrowing or refinancing going forward.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness on 23 February 2026, whether the removal of the pay-day loan premium will apply to councils not currently in receipt of Exceptional Financial Support.

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

The previous government made a sustained recovery for councils even harder by charging a premium on borrowing for councils needing Exceptional Financial Support. In December 2024, the government confirmed that the additional 1% premium on Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) borrowing would not apply to any council borrowing or refinancing going forward.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities have forecast a structural budget deficit beyond 2026–27 at the same time as applying the maximum council tax increase; and what assessment he has made of the level of likelihood of further Section 114 notices.

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

The recent Local Government Finance Settlement is our most significant step yet to make English local government more sustainable. Our reforms are delivering a fairer Settlement which puts funding where it is needed most. Before our reforms, only around a third of councils were given the funding that broadly matched their assessed need. Our reforms bring that up to nine in ten councils by 2028-29.

However, delivering reform will take time, and the government recognises the challenging financial context for local authorities as they continue to deal with the legacy of the previous flawed system. That is why the government previously confirmed that there will continue to be a framework in place to support councils in the most difficult financial positions ahead of 2026-27, as councils start the transition to new funding allocations. On 23 February 2026 we wrote to a number of councils to confirm in-principle support through the Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) process. Details of these councils and the support provided have been published on GOV.UK.

Councils are responsible for their own financial management and under the relevant legislation the decision to issue a Section 114 notice is an entirely local one. It would not be appropriate for the government to speculate on these decisions.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of council tax exemption and discount rules for families required to live away from their homes for extended periods due to a child undergoing prolonged hospital treatment.

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

Councils are responsible for administering the council tax system, including considering the circumstances applying to a household and its eligibility for a discount or exemption. As well as the mandatory 25% discount where a household only has one adult occupant, councils have discretion over the level of discount provided in respect of unoccupied or second homes, which may be relevant where a family or family member is temporarily absent for medical reasons. Councils are able to design their working age council tax reduction schemes to ensure that households continue to receive support during periods of absence. In addition, councils have discretionary powers to provide a discount to taxpayer for any reason where they consider this appropriate.

The government recently consulted on modernising and improving the administration council tax. This included seeking views on any other groups which should be considered for council tax disregard/discounts. The consultation has now closed, and we are currently reviewing all responses. The government will publish its response to this consultation in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for her policies of Australia's Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026.

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

Tackling all forms of hatred is an issue of global significance. This government is committed to eradicating hated from our society, working to ensure that no individual should ever experience hatred or live in fear due to their race, religion, beliefs or the way they choose to live their lives.

The government works closely with allies and international partners including Australia to achieve this. This exchanging of relevant and up-to-date policy information helps to inform and develop effective strategies for addressing the global rise of antisemitism both at home and abroad.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward regeneration funding for rural market towns.

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

In September 2025 we announced the Local Regeneration Fund, which brings together the Levelling Up Fund, Towns Deals and Pathfinder Pilots into a single, flexible capital pot, responding to Local Authority feedback for less bureaucratic oversight and more local autonomy.

This partnership approach empowers local authorities to allocate resources based on their own priorities, which will help rural councils. Decisions on how to manage these allocations rest with each authority’s Section 151 Officer or equivalent. In the small number of cases where projects are no longer viable, we expect projects to rescope their plans and use the funding for other initiatives in the same area that originally stood to benefit.

Earlier this month, the Prime Minister confirmed that 40 further places will join the Pride in Place Programme. That means that nearly 300 communities will benefit from this transformational programme. Funding for the Pride in Place programme is going to communities with the greatest need: places that have been overlooked and stand to benefit most, including market towns.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure landlord and property rules to hold directors owners accountable.

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

Building owners are responsible for managing and addressing fire and structural safety risks in their buildings. They are required to apply for a Building Assessment Certificate (BAC), which includes an assessment by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) of whether they understand and are managing their building safety risks to an acceptable standard.

Where a BAC is rejected by the BSR, the building owner will be notified by the Regulator of the issues they need to fix, and the deadline they must fix them by. The BSR can also take further enforcement action for non-compliance. The building owner is often the principal accountable person. Where the principal accountable person is not meeting their duties, residents should raise a complaint to them directly. If the resident is not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint, they can contact the Building Safety Regulator.

One of the significant challenges local regulators (local authorities and fire and rescue authorities) can face in relation to building safety, is identifying who is practically responsible for each building. While determining the legal owner is usually straightforward, the identity of the parent company, which makes decisions and benefits financially, is often hidden behind layers of corporate ownership. This obfuscation makes it difficult to pinpoint where the real decision-making power lies.

To address this issue, the government is proposing legislation that will provide regulators with the powers to compel the disclosure of full ownership structures. This measure aims to enhance transparency and ensure that enforcement bodies can hold the appropriate parties accountable. This legislation will be brought forward in the Remediation Bill, when parliamentary time allows.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled Tougher rules on political interference to keep UK elections secure, published on 12 February 2026, in which local authorities election pilots will take place in May 2026; and what type of pilot will take place in each.

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

The Government committed in its manifesto to encourage greater participation in democracy. To support this, the Government is exploring ways to make voting in person more efficient, more convenient, and better aligned with the expectations of today’s electors.

Orders designating the pilots for May 2026 have been signed and shared with participating local authorities and the Electoral Commission. I refer the Rt. Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made yesterday, which details participating local authorities and nature of each pilot.

No flexible voting pilots are due to be held in local authority areas where elections due to run in May 2026 were previously postponed.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether election pilots will be held in the local authorities which had local elections cancelled, but which are being reinstated.

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

The Government committed in its manifesto to encourage greater participation in democracy. To support this, the Government is exploring ways to make voting in person more efficient, more convenient, and better aligned with the expectations of today’s electors.

Orders designating the pilots for May 2026 have been signed and shared with participating local authorities and the Electoral Commission. I refer the Rt. Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made yesterday, which details participating local authorities and nature of each pilot.

No flexible voting pilots are due to be held in local authority areas where elections due to run in May 2026 were previously postponed.

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Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether a decision has been made on the proposal to raise the threshold for consulting Active Travel England on residential developments from 150 to 250 units; and if she will publish the outcome of the consultation.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The proposal to amend Active Travel England's consultation criteria for new planning applications forms part of a wider consultation undertaken by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

As the department responsible for the planning system, MHCLG is leading on the formal response to the consultation. Any decision on whether to raise the threshold for consulting Active Travel England on residential developments from 150 to 250 units, and the publication of the consultation outcome, will be announced by MHCLG in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of local government reorganisation on the (a) implementation of transport infrastructure projects and (b) strategic planning.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the lead department for the planning system, and the Department for Transport works with it closely on the impacts of local government reorganisation.

Existing district councils have responsibilities for taxi licencing and spatial planning, but transport infrastructure is generally delivered by county and unitary authorities. New unitary authorities formed by local government reorganisation should have appropriate scale to effectively deliver transport infrastructure projects and, outside of Strategic Authorities, to undertake their local transport authority responsibilities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Voluntary Code of Practice for Food on the Go in reducing litter; and whether she made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) reviewing and (b) strengthening the Code, including through statutory measures.

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

No assessment has been made of the code of practice.

Councils and others have powers to tackle persistent, unreasonable behaviour that is having a negative effect on a community’s quality of life. They can issue Community Protection Notices which can be used to require the owner of premises, such as fast-food outlets, to take certain actions to tackle litter created by their activities.

To support local councils to make good use of their powers for littering and related offences we have laid new Statutory Guidance: Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them in Parliament. Local authorities will need to have regard to this guidance when using their powers.

Guidance published by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government clarifies the powers available to councils to ensure new hot food takeaways do not increase the impact of litter on local communities. The guidance gives councils advice on what rules they can enforce when new takeaways open, such as ensuring they install more bins and anti-litter signs around shops or have staff members pick up litter regularly.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the risk to public safety arising from the publication of sensitive information relating to the physical security of properties on local authority planning registers.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 106884 on 27 January 2026 by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the document entitled Government’s Principles of Engagement, published on 14 March 2024, remains active; and whether those principles should guide engagement with stakeholders and the public during government consultations.

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

The Government Principles of Engagement was published under the 2022 to 2024 Conservative government. Responsibility for decisions and due diligence around who departments engage with sits with those departments and the appropriate policy areas.

It is for individual government departments to decide to use these principles, or their own due diligence processes around engagement.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Chines Government made representation to her Department, outside of the planning process, on permissions for the proposed Chinese Embassy.

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

As the Hon Member knows, the decision on the planning application was made by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government independent from the rest of Government in line with his quasi-judicial role.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the position paper by the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities entitled The challenges around the increasing residential use of waterways.

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

Navigation authorities are not housing authorities. Defra will consider the matters raised in the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities position paper about the residential use of inland waterways, and will engage with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the housing-related and other issues that fall within its policy responsibilities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of food supply chain resilience in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK has a resilient food supply chain underpinned by diverse sources, robust domestic production and reliable import routes. Defra works with industry and across Government, including Cabinet Office, to monitor risks to food supply chain resilience that may arise.

This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. At the local level Defra engages with local resilience forums, with support from MHCLG, to build additional resilience to supply chain shocks and emergencies.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what conversations she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on streamlining Fire and Rescue Authority powers with statutory PCC powers in local mayors.

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

The Police Reform White Paper, published on 26 January 2026, committed to abolish the Police and Crime Commissioner model and transfer policing functions to Strategic Authority Mayors or Policing and Crime Boards. This involves Police, Fire and Commissioners.

Separately, the Government continues to implement the proposals set in the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, which committed, where geographies align with Police and Crime Commissioner and Fire and Rescue Authorities, Mayors will, by default, be responsible for those services.

Home Office and MHCLG officials meet regularly to consider future arrangements for both police and fire governance to meet the direction set by the two White Papers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether (a) guidance has been provided to Dudley Council on the treatment of Armed Forces compensation in means-testing for Disabled Facilities Grants and (b) the Government’s commission on adult social care will consider reform to the treatment of Armed Forces compensation in means testing for the Disabled Facilities Grant.

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

In March 2022, the Government published Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) guidance for local authorities in England. It includes a section on the Armed Forces community and can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/disabled-facilities-grant-dfg-delivery-guidance-for-local-authorities-in-england

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government funds Foundations, the national body for the Disabled Facilities Grant and Home Improvement Agencies, to work with local authorities on all aspects of delivery. We are not aware of any specific guidance provided to Dudley Council; however, local authorities have a considerable degree of discretion in how they deliver home adaptation grants. This includes the power to fully disregard all military compensation payments in the application of the means test.

Baroness Casey, chair of the Independent Commission into adult social care, is looking at what fundamental reforms will be needed in adult social care. The Commission's Terms of Reference is sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to define its remit to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Reforming planning rules to accelerate deployment of digital infrastructure, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the permitted width upgrades to existing ground-based mobile masts.

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

The call for evidence, “Reforming planning rules to accelerate deployment of digital infrastructure”, closed on 26 February and was led jointly by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The call for evidence sought evidence and information on how targeted reforms to the planning framework, including potentially expanded permitted development rights, could better support the rollout of fixed and mobile digital infrastructure in England.

We are currently reviewing the responses and supporting evidence received through the call for evidence. This includes evidence on proposals relating to ground‑based masts, including taller monopoles, alongside other planning measures aimed at accelerating rollout of digital infrastructure while ensuring sufficient safeguards are in place.

Subject to the evidence, we will determine next steps. This may include consulting on draft measures and—where appropriate—bringing forward legislation in the future.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of environmental regulation since 2010 on trends in environmental outcomes, including the condition of protected sites, species recovery and wildfire incidence.

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

The England and UK Biodiversity Indicators are published annually and the latest annual update (England) was published on 2 December 2025.

Figures on the condition and extent of protected areas and trends since 2016 can be found here while those those for species can be found here.

On 22 January 2026 Defra published its 2019-24 Habitat Regulations implementation report for England. It evaluates how conservation measures have supported the protection and restoration of biodiversity. It succeeds the reporting obligation previously required under the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives respectively.

Defra does not hold details on wildfire incidence. MHCLG is responsible for fire policy and operations.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to ensure the enforcement of regular risk assessment and monitoring of private water supplies by local authorities as per their responsibilities outlined in the Private Water Supplies Regulations 2016.

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

Private water supplies are regulated by local authorities. They are responsible for identifying risks to the quality of the water and must have comprehensive monitoring programmes in place to sample the drinking water for any element, organism or substance that they believe may cause the supply not to be wholesome.

Defra expects all local authorities to undertake their statutory duties. Local authorities are regularly reminded of their duties, and where they may not be being complied with, in the Chief Inspector of Drinking Water’s annual reports on the quality of private water supplies in England. Local authorities’ compliance with reporting duties is raised by officials from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government through their regular liaison meeting with the Local Government Association.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that data held by her Department on the condition of roads in England is a) consistent and b) of high quality.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Official statistics on the condition of local roads in England are published annually Road conditions in England to March 2025 - GOV.UK. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality, and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics.

Local Highway Authorities are required to provide consistent Road Condition data in line with MHCLG single data list requirements 130-01 and 130-02.

In September 2024, DfT released a new standard for road condition monitoring. This new standard transforms the use of data in highway maintenance by introducing innovative new methods for monitoring the condition of local roads in England, while ensuring the quality and comparability of road condition data across the country.

Local authorities must procure a survey that has demonstrated that they can deliver data against PAS 2161 in the approval process defined by DfT. Regular approval exercises will be conducted to assess whether technologies can produce comparable and standardised road condition data. Only those technologies that meet the defined criteria and performance thresholds will be approved for use in national reporting.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support high street businesses.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Our Small Business Plan sets out how government will support high street businesses in the everyday economy. Later this year, MHCLG will publish a new High Streets Strategy setting out how we can support high streets to thrive.

This will build upon MHCLG's £5 billion Pride in Place Programme to renew our neighbourhoods and high streets. Kirkby-in-Ashfield was announced in the first 75 places to receive up to £20 million over the next decade as part of the Pride in Place programme and Ashfield will be in receipt of £1.5 million as part of the Pride in Place Impact Fund.

Found: /58-03/0169/LevellingUpandRegenerationBillImpactAssessment.pdf or from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: Hard copies can be obtained free of charge by writing to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: /58-03/0169/LevellingUpandRegenerationBillImpactAssessment.pdf or from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: /58-03/0169/LevellingUpandRegenerationBillImpactAssessment.pdf or from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: override A ‘statutory override’ for SEND-related deficits was introduced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) funds the commission’s work and provides

Found: Serving the country 10 PQ 5416 [on Members: Age], 11 October 2024 11 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

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Found: complex needs and/or disability. 3.6 The department is working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: 0.163763066202091 1 0.00348432055749129 317 23 0.0725552050473186 1 0.00315457413249211 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: 0.163763066202091 1 0.00348432055749129 317 23 0.0725552050473186 1 0.00315457413249211 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: our estimate at the time of the March 2025 forecast.13 Provisional monthly Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

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Found: Guidance and resources   MHCLG has also published a roadmap for the Create or Update a Local Plan guidance

Found: Guidance and resources  MHCLG has also published a roadmap for the Create or Update a Local Plan guidance

Found: Health & Social Care Department for Work & Pensions Department for Education Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Found: Last year, MHCLG published an independent research study examining the impacts to business of carrying

Found: Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government (MHCLG

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Found: Defence; Ministry of Justice. 4 Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

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Found: marco de los programas de rehabilitación del Ministerio de Vivienda, Comunidades y Gobierno Local (MHCLG

Found: metros ou mais de altura que se espera serem remediados como parte dos programas de remediação do MHCLG

Found: yahay 11 mitir iyo ka weyn oo la filayo in la hagaajiyo iyadoo qayb ka ah barnaamijyada hagaajinta ee MHCLG

Found: ng gusaling may taas na 11 metro pataas ang inaasahang maaayos bilang bahag i ng mga programa ng MHCLG

Found: مبر و بیشبر است که انتظار می رود در چارچوب برنامه های بازسازی وزارت مسکن، جوامع و دولتهای محل ( MHCLG

Found: መንደቅ)) ከምዘለዎምን ዝተለለዩ 5,570 መንበሪ ህንጻታት ይከታተል ኣሎ። እዚ ድማ ካብ ኩሎም 11 ሜትሮን ልዕሊኡን ቁመት ዘለዎም ህንጻታት ከም ኣካል ናይ MHCLG

Found: sicurezza nell’ambito dei programmi del Ministero per l’Edilizia, le Comunità e il Governo Locale (MHCLG

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Found: এটি প্রায় ৬৫–৯৭% ভিসের িেয, োসদর উচ্চিা ১১ ডিটার িা িার ফিডশ, ো MHCLG-এর ফিরািডির ফপ্রাোসি ফিরািি

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