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 9 March 2026, to Question 116488, on Absent Voting: British Nationals Abroad, what consideration has the Electoral Commission made of this issue.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Electoral Commission operates independently of Government and addressed the experience of Overseas Electors in its report on the 2024 General Election.
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, what criteria the Electoral Commission uses to accredit election observers.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Electoral Commission operates independently of government. I would recommend that the Rt Hon. Member contacts them directly to discuss their approach to accrediting election observers.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support his Department is providing to Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service following the recent HMICERS report.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government follows His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) inspection reports closely, and thanks the Inspectorate for its recent report on Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (FRS).
As with all Fire and Rescue Services, we stand ready to support Bedfordshire FRS in addressing the recommendations made by HMICFRS, including working with the Inspectorate and fire sector leaders to determine any assistance that could aid the service in the delivery of the required improvements.
The Department will continue to work closely with all FRSs, including Bedfordshire, to ensure they have the resources they need to protect their communities and look after their people.
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, if he will publish the election pilots prospectus that has been sent to councils.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has no plans to publish the prospectus regarding flexible voting pilots, which was previously shared with local authorities.
The government has published full details of the flexible voting pilots in the form of the orders, and factsheet.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
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 building regulations in ensuring the quality, efficiency, and resilience of installed heat network systems.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Building Regulations set performance requirements for buildings, including buildings connected to heat networks, but they are not responsible for regulating the detailed design or operation of heat network systems themselves. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is also consulting on mandatory technical standards for heat networks, that include proposals to ensure new and existing heat networks are designed, built, and operated to a standard, that will deliver good outcomes for consumers.
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, if he will publish all substantive communications made to the court by the Government in the context of the legal challenge on the cancellation of the May 2026 local elections.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Correspondence with the court has been routine and administrative; there are therefore no substantive communications to publish.
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, what guidance has been given on whether overseas broadcasts to influence elections in the United Kingdom are permitted.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Since March 2025, the Foreign Interference Offence has been a priority offence under the Online Safety Act, requiring platforms to put in place proportionate systems and processes designed to prevent users from encountering content that amounts to the Foreign Interference Offence, minimise the length of time it is on their service and remove any illegal content on user-to-user services where they become aware of it.
Ofcom has published its Codes of Practice which outline guidance on how platforms can comply with these duties. Platforms have already been required to assess the risk of illegal content (including foreign interference) on their services against this guidance.
Ofcom has robust enforcement powers to enforce compliance with the illegal safety duties, with providers being required to implement the safety measures set out in the Codes or use other effective measures to protect users from illegal content and activity.
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 9 March 2026, to Question 116488, on Absent Voting: British Nationals Abroad, what consideration has been made of using a QR code.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 116488 on 9 March 2026; the government has no plans to allow electors to use a QR code to download and print their own ballot papers.
The government also has no plans to introduce online voting in the UK or introduce QR codes to link to an online voting system. At present, there are serious concerns - shared internationally - about the risks of online voting, including cyber threats, fraud, and the challenge of ensuring a fully secure and anonymous ballot.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 merits of mandating technologies such as solar panels or electric vehicle chargers in the Future Homes Standard.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Future Homes Standard (FHS) was published on 24 March 2026.
The Future Homes Standard will require new homes to achieve very low carbon emissions and high levels of energy efficiency. Although the FHS is performance based, and does not mandate specific technologies, we expect that in most cases, the requirements will be met through the installation of rooftop solar panels, subject to practical constraints such as site conditions. We expect the majority of new homes to include solar, helping to save families hundreds of pounds a year, while also strengthening energy security by reducing families’ exposure to international gas markets.
Electric vehicle charging points are already required for new residential buildings with parking spaces under existing Building Regulations introduced in 2021, and this requirement will continue to apply.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 plans to include solar panels as a default requirement in the Future Homes Standard.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Future Homes Standard (FHS) was published on 24 March 2026.
The Future Homes Standard will require new homes to achieve very low carbon emissions and high levels of energy efficiency. Although the FHS is performance based, and does not mandate specific technologies, we expect that in most cases, the requirements will be met through the installation of rooftop solar panels, subject to practical constraints such as site conditions. We expect the majority of new homes to include solar, helping to save families hundreds of pounds a year, while also strengthening energy security by reducing families’ exposure to international gas markets.
Electric vehicle charging points are already required for new residential buildings with parking spaces under existing Building Regulations introduced in 2021, and this requirement will continue to apply.