Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
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 the time taken to finalise infrastructure agreements for residential planning permissions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Developers may be asked to provide contributions for infrastructure in several ways. Planning obligations, in the form of S106 agreements, should only be used where it is not possible to address unacceptable impacts through a planning condition.
The government is aware that the negotiation of S106 agreements can create delays in the planning process and increase costs for developers and local planning authorities. As per the Written Ministerial Statement made on 28 January 2026 (HCWS1286), the government intend to work closely with local planning authorities, registered providers and developers to deliver a series of measures that will provide for a simpler, more transparent and more resilient S106 system. These include a standardised template S106 agreement to speed up the process of drafting and concluding new S106 agreements.
Section 278 agreements may also be required where developers need to carry out essential highways improvements to facilitate their projects. It is important that both developers and highways authorities engage early on the works needed to support development proposals to ensure timely decisions
The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a charge which can be levied by local authorities on new development in their area. The levy only applies in areas where a local authority has consulted on, and approved, a charging schedule which sets out its levy rates and has published the schedule on its website. Where CIL is in place for an area, charging authorities should work proactively with developers to ensure they are clear about the authorities’ infrastructure needs. My Department’s published guidance on CIL can be found on gov.uk here.
Any local planning authority that receives a developer contribution through CIL or S106 planning obligations is required to publish an Infrastructure Funding Statement at least annually, ensuring a transparent and accountable system.
To support local planning authorities in negotiating and concluding agreements in a timely manner, the government is investing in their capacity and capability. At the Autumn Budget 2024, the Chanceller announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026. At the Budget on 26 November 2025, the Chancellor announced a further £48 million of investment over three years to support local planning authorities to attract, retain and develop skilled planners over a sustained period.
Of this, £28.8 million has been allocated to MHCLG’s Planning Capacity and Capability Programme, equating to £9.6 million additional per year for the next three years. This allocation will supplement existing budgets. This funding supports the recruitment of new planners and targeted skills development through the Planning Advisory Service, helping local authorities manage S106 and CIL processes effectively and accelerate infrastructure delivery.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 the change to the Housing Ombudsman Service's level of fees on the financial burden on local authorities; and what steps he will take to encourage the Housing Ombudsman Service to consult in a more timely fashion with local authorities on potential changes to annual fees in the next financial year.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Following consultation, the Housing Ombudsman published its 2026-27 Business Plan on 15 April. Both the final Business Plan and a consultation response summary can be found on the Housing Ombudsman’s website here.
Fees will be increased to £9.64 per home in 2026-27 to deal with ongoing increases in demand.
The Business Plan also makes clear that in 2026-27 the Housing Ombudsman will undertake a discovery exercise on alternative fee models that recognise positive complaint handling to potentially replace the per home charge and will work with my Department to support an earlier consultation.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2026, to Question 108220, on Affordable Housing: Greater London, whether any other assessment has been made of affordable housing starts in London which have then not been built, despite being registered as started.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Affordable Housing Supply statistical release that my Department publishes is produced using a number of different sources. These include data from local authorities, Homes England and the Greater London Authority (GLA).
The GLA and Homes England provide information in respect of individual developments, but this is only at the point they start or complete. As such, the data my Department publishes does not distinguish between developments where construction has started and is ongoing and developments where construction has started but has stalled or been abandoned.
The GLA expect all schemes will continue to proceed. In instances where that does not prove possible, they will ensure that all grant is recouped and reinvested in social and affordable housing.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 3 February 2026, to Question 108220, on Affordable Housing: Greater London, whether affordable housing starts in London are tracked from start on site to competition, to ascertain that they are (a) actually delivered and (b) not stalled.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Affordable Housing Supply statistical release that my Department publishes is produced using a number of different sources. These include data from local authorities, Homes England and the Greater London Authority (GLA).
The GLA and Homes England provide information in respect of individual developments, but this is only at the point they start or complete. As such, the data my Department publishes does not distinguish between developments where construction has started and is ongoing and developments where construction has started but has stalled or been abandoned.
The GLA expect all schemes will continue to proceed. In instances where that does not prove possible, they will ensure that all grant is recouped and reinvested in social and affordable housing.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether an Environmental Principles Assessment was produced for the Revised Planning Practice Guidance published in December 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 44485 on 22 April 2025.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
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 impact of the introduction of a visitor levy on the number of young people employed in hospitality.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The impacts of introducing a visitor levy will depend on decisions taken locally. It would be for Mayors and local leaders to decide whether a levy is appropriate for their area, following local consultation on specific proposals.
The detailed design and scope of any visitor levy remain under development. The Government’s response to the consultation, which closed on 18 February, will be published in due course.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2026, to Question 120664, on Travellers: Caravan sites, how the changes to the National Planning Policy Framework on traveller sites are a material consideration in the application for a possession order in relation to land that the travellers do not own but are residing on without the landowner’s permission.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals to incorporate policies relating to traveller sites, currently set out in Planning Policy for Traveller Sites, within relevant chapters of the draft NPPF.
The consultation also included a proposed policy on retrospective planning applications and unauthorised development which sets out that if it is concluded, based on evidence, that the unauthorised development was intentional, that fact should be given substantial weight in considering whether to grant planning permission.
We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for each of the past five years, what proportion of households who left their last settled home due to domestic abuse held an immigration status conferring eligibility for social housing, including (a) refugee status, (b) humanitarian protection, (c) settled status, (d) pre‑settled status with a qualifying right to reside and (e) indefinite leave to remain.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government publishes quarterly data on the number of applicants owed a prevention or relief duty where the reason for loss of last settled home was domestic abuse. This is available in tables A2P and A2R here. We do not publish separate data on the immigration status of applicants whose reason for loss of last settled home was domestic abuse.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for each of the past five years, what proportion of households who left their last settled home due to domestic abuse were (a) UK nationals and (b) non‑UK nationals.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government publishes quarterly data on the number of applicants owed a prevention or relief duty where the reason for loss of last settled home was domestic abuse. This is available in tables A2P and A2R here. We do not publish separate data on the immigration status of applicants whose reason for loss of last settled home was domestic abuse.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that new towns are built with adequate mobile connectivity infrastructure.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the public consultation on the proposed New Towns Programme and its environmental implications launched on 23 March 2026. This can be found on gov.uk here.