Asked by: Lord Gascoigne (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they expect to meet their target of building 1.5 million homes by the end of this Parliament; and, if so, what proportion of these homes will be delivered through the New Towns Programme.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The consultation into the draft New Towns Programme closed earlier this year. The government continues to make progress with the programme and plans to publish our consultation response, and confirm the New Town locations, later this year.
The government remains committed to delivering 1.5 million homes over this Parliament. Each new town will deliver at least 10,000 homes, with many expected to exceed that figure. The Taskforce recommended that new towns should aim for at least 40% affordable housing, with half for social rent.
The government is considering the Taskforce's recommendations and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Lord Gascoigne (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of greenfield new towns compared to urban extensions when implementing the New Towns Programme.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The consultation into the draft New Towns Programme closed earlier this year. The government continues to make progress with the programme and plans to publish our consultation response, and confirm the New Town locations, later this year.
The government remains committed to delivering 1.5 million homes over this Parliament. Each new town will deliver at least 10,000 homes, with many expected to exceed that figure. The Taskforce recommended that new towns should aim for at least 40% affordable housing, with half for social rent.
The government is considering the Taskforce's recommendations and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Lord Gascoigne (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the recommendations of the New Towns Taskforce; and by when they expect to do so.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The consultation into the draft New Towns Programme closed earlier this year. The government continues to make progress with the programme and plans to publish our consultation response, and confirm the New Town locations, later this year.
The government remains committed to delivering 1.5 million homes over this Parliament. Each new town will deliver at least 10,000 homes, with many expected to exceed that figure. The Taskforce recommended that new towns should aim for at least 40% affordable housing, with half for social rent.
The government is considering the Taskforce's recommendations and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Lord Gascoigne (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish their response to the consultation on the New Towns Draft Programme.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The consultation into the draft New Towns Programme closed earlier this year. The government continues to make progress with the programme and plans to publish our consultation response, and confirm the New Town locations, later this year.
The government remains committed to delivering 1.5 million homes over this Parliament. Each new town will deliver at least 10,000 homes, with many expected to exceed that figure. The Taskforce recommended that new towns should aim for at least 40% affordable housing, with half for social rent.
The government is considering the Taskforce's recommendations and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many acres of land Homes England owns.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the noble lady to the answer given on 17 July 2026 to Question HL1623 (attached).
Since 2022/23, Homes England has supported the delivery of 17,014 homes on land owned by the Agency.
Year | Total HE Land Completions |
2022/23 | 5,155 |
2023/24 | 4,818 |
2024/25 | 3,365 |
2025/26 | 3,676 |
| 17,014 |
Asked by: Lord Gascoigne (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of houses in new towns delivered through the New Towns Programme will be council-owned social houses.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The consultation into the draft New Towns Programme closed earlier this year. The government continues to make progress with the programme and plans to publish our consultation response, and confirm the New Town locations, later this year.
The government remains committed to delivering 1.5 million homes over this Parliament. Each new town will deliver at least 10,000 homes, with many expected to exceed that figure. The Taskforce recommended that new towns should aim for at least 40% affordable housing, with half for social rent.
The government is considering the Taskforce's recommendations and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many houses have been built on land owned by Homes England in each year since 2022.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the noble lady to the answer given on 17 July 2026 to Question HL1623 (attached).
Since 2022/23, Homes England has supported the delivery of 17,014 homes on land owned by the Agency.
Year | Total HE Land Completions |
2022/23 | 5,155 |
2023/24 | 4,818 |
2024/25 | 3,365 |
2025/26 | 3,676 |
| 17,014 |
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is meant by “hostility” in the new anti-Muslim hostility definition, and how they distinguish hostility towards Muslims as people from disagreement with, opposition to, or criticism of Islamic beliefs, practices, or political movements.
Answered by Baroness Blake of Leeds - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has not adopted the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims Definition of Islamophobia, and has not issued guidance to organisations who have.
On the 9 March, the Government adopted a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility, informed by advice from an independent Working Group. An overview of the definition, including its coverage, scope and terminology, is published on GOV.UK (and attached).
The definition uses the terminology “anti-Muslim hostility”, which reflects the wider prejudice and discrimination Muslims face, and squarely focuses on Muslims as individuals rather than Islam as a religion. “Hostility” focuses on actions and conduct rather than simply the holding of beliefs.
The definition covers the different aspects of hostility Muslims face: criminal acts, discrimination on the basis of being Muslim or perceived to be Muslim, and also the way in which Muslims can be treated as a collective group defined by fixed and negative characteristics with the intention to encourage hatred against them.
The definition upholds our shared fundamental right to free speech, and the accompanying text in the definition publication underscores how lawful criticism, debate and even ridicule of all religions, including Islam, is safeguarded, as are raising concerns in the public interest. But hostility with the intention of encouraging hatred against others because they are Muslim or perceived to be Muslim is conduct government is committed to challenging.
The definition is non-statutory and does not change what is or is not a crime, nor does it equate anti-Muslim hostility with crime. Some actions set out in the definition would constitute criminal acts as well as being examples of anti-Muslim hostility, but the definition also sets out non-criminal conduct or behaviour which would constitute anti-Muslim hostility.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the new definition of anti-Muslim hostility is intended to define unlawful conduct, or whether it also covers non-criminal conduct; and if the latter, what safeguards exist to prevent non-criminal speech being treated as misconduct by employers, regulators, or public bodies.
Answered by Baroness Blake of Leeds - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has not adopted the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims Definition of Islamophobia, and has not issued guidance to organisations who have.
On the 9 March, the Government adopted a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility, informed by advice from an independent Working Group. An overview of the definition, including its coverage, scope and terminology, is published on GOV.UK (and attached).
The definition uses the terminology “anti-Muslim hostility”, which reflects the wider prejudice and discrimination Muslims face, and squarely focuses on Muslims as individuals rather than Islam as a religion. “Hostility” focuses on actions and conduct rather than simply the holding of beliefs.
The definition covers the different aspects of hostility Muslims face: criminal acts, discrimination on the basis of being Muslim or perceived to be Muslim, and also the way in which Muslims can be treated as a collective group defined by fixed and negative characteristics with the intention to encourage hatred against them.
The definition upholds our shared fundamental right to free speech, and the accompanying text in the definition publication underscores how lawful criticism, debate and even ridicule of all religions, including Islam, is safeguarded, as are raising concerns in the public interest. But hostility with the intention of encouraging hatred against others because they are Muslim or perceived to be Muslim is conduct government is committed to challenging.
The definition is non-statutory and does not change what is or is not a crime, nor does it equate anti-Muslim hostility with crime. Some actions set out in the definition would constitute criminal acts as well as being examples of anti-Muslim hostility, but the definition also sets out non-criminal conduct or behaviour which would constitute anti-Muslim hostility.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued to public bodies, political parties, and local authorities which have adopted the definition of Islamophobia proposed by the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims on the criticism of Islam.
Answered by Baroness Blake of Leeds - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has not adopted the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims Definition of Islamophobia, and has not issued guidance to organisations who have.
On the 9 March, the Government adopted a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility, informed by advice from an independent Working Group. An overview of the definition, including its coverage, scope and terminology, is published on GOV.UK (and attached).
The definition uses the terminology “anti-Muslim hostility”, which reflects the wider prejudice and discrimination Muslims face, and squarely focuses on Muslims as individuals rather than Islam as a religion. “Hostility” focuses on actions and conduct rather than simply the holding of beliefs.
The definition covers the different aspects of hostility Muslims face: criminal acts, discrimination on the basis of being Muslim or perceived to be Muslim, and also the way in which Muslims can be treated as a collective group defined by fixed and negative characteristics with the intention to encourage hatred against them.
The definition upholds our shared fundamental right to free speech, and the accompanying text in the definition publication underscores how lawful criticism, debate and even ridicule of all religions, including Islam, is safeguarded, as are raising concerns in the public interest. But hostility with the intention of encouraging hatred against others because they are Muslim or perceived to be Muslim is conduct government is committed to challenging.
The definition is non-statutory and does not change what is or is not a crime, nor does it equate anti-Muslim hostility with crime. Some actions set out in the definition would constitute criminal acts as well as being examples of anti-Muslim hostility, but the definition also sets out non-criminal conduct or behaviour which would constitute anti-Muslim hostility.