Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of basing eligibility for cladding remediation support on fire safety risk.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government provides funding to address fire risks associated with cladding on residential buildings over 11 metres in height, in England. The building must have an intolerable risk to life as assessed in a Fire Risk Appraisal of the External Walls, and where all other routes to fund the required works have been exhausted.
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 the process for proposed know your donor checks will be for (a) hon. Members and (b) political parties; and what role House authorities will have in the process.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Know Your Donor rules will be implemented alongside clear, practical support for all recipients of donations. That is why the regime is underpinned by statutory guidance issued by the Electoral Commission, which will set out how recipients of donations should assess the relevant risk factors, the kinds of circumstances that may signal a heightened level of risk and the steps they can take to reduce that risk.
To keep the system responsive to evolving threats and campaigning practices, the legislation also enables this guidance to be updated as needed.
We will continue to work closely with the Commission and relevant stakeholders as the guidance is developed.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the UK Shared Prosperity Fund programme contributed to the Northern Ireland Economic Strategy.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My department has worked closely with Northern Ireland partners to ensure the funds address the needs and opportunities of Northern Ireland’s people, businesses, and communities, contributing towards the delivery of the Northern Ireland Economic Strategy.
In Northern Ireland, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund invested £150 million into over 60 projects 2022-23 to 2025-26, helping people move towards work, support local businesses to start, thrive and grow, and invest in communities across Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much under-spending was identified in the first two years of the Shared Prosperity Fund and was any of this under-spending used to support funding in the third year.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In the first two years of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), covering the financial years 2022–23 and 2023–24, the total core UKSPF allocation was £762,669,654. Of this total allocation, £174,447,409 remained unspent at the end of 2023-24 and this amount was carried forward to support UKSPF delivery in 2024-25.
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 make reconsider the cancellation of the combined authority mayoral elections originally scheduled for May 2026.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Government intends to hold inaugural mayoral elections for the four Devolution Priority Programme places that are also undertaking local government reorganisation in May 2028, so that areas can complete the reorganisation process before Mayors take office. The inaugural elections will take place following the establishment of the Strategic Authorities by Secondary Legislation, which is subject to the areas consent. Devolution is strongest when it is built on firm foundations, and this extra time will allow these four areas to establish robust institutions ahead of their Mayors taking office in 2028.
Cheshire and Warrington and Cumbria have previously requested a delay of their inaugural elections to May 2027, to align with the majority of planned local elections. Both Strategic Authorities have now been established.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
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 was invited by the Office for National Statistics to provide evidence or input into its review of the ethnicity harmonised standard; and what evidence it submitted, including in relation to the recording of Sikhs and Jewish people as ethnic groups.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
A review of the harmonised standard for ethnicity data collection is underway by the Government Statistical Service Harmonisation team.
A public consultation between October 2025 and February 2026 sought views from a wide range of users, including Government Departments and public bodies, to understand user needs for ethnic group data. This was supplemented by a programme of engagement activity, including with representatives of all government departments.
ONS have committed to providing an initial response to the public consultation in April, and a full report on the consultation in late summer 2026 will include more detailed information on the departments that responded to the consultation.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether there will be an open call for the new Local Growth Fund.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department are working in close partnership with the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Executive to design and deliver the new Local Growth Fund in Northern Ireland. More detailed information on delivery of the funding will follow.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
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 whether the proposed funding allocations of the Local Growth Fund align with the Northern Ireland Economic Strategy.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Local Growth Fund will drive economic growth and improve living standards by supporting infrastructure, innovation, business support and skills. MHCLG and the Northern Ireland Office are working with the Northern Ireland Executive to design and deliver the funding in Northern Ireland, ensuring that investment aligns with Northern Ireland’s priorities and delivers meaningful impact for local people.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with North East Lincolnshire Council on the closure of Grimsby Central Library.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has held no specific discussions with North East Lincolnshire Council regarding the closure of Grimsby Central Library.
In November 2024, the Department agreed a project adjustment request to Grimsby’s Town Deal for the diversion of £3.7m of funding between the Green Energy Hub Project to be located within Grimsby’s central library, and the Freshney Place development. This request was supported by the Council and a quorum of the Towns Fund Board.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 for 15 December 97962 on Park Home Sales, if he will list the representative bodies he has met to discuss the commission on receipt of a park home sale in the last year.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 113661 on 2 March 2026.