Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

The £7.6 million will be made available in the form of local government reorganisation proposal development contributions, to be split across the 21 areas that have been invited to submit proposals for unitary local government. This is the first time that capacity funding has been made available for reorganisation proposals, recognising the priority that this government attaches to this. Further information will be provided on how this will be allocated soon, and we intend to make payments as soon as possible.

As set out in the invitation to areas, considering the efficiencies that are possible through reorganisation, we expect that areas will be able to meet transition costs over time from existing budgets, including from the flexible use of capital receipts that can support authorities in taking forward transformation and invest-to-save projects. We asked areas to include indicative costs in their interim plans.

The £7.6 million will be made available in the form of local government reorganisation proposal development contributions, to be split across the 21 areas that have been invited to submit proposals for unitary local government. This is the first time that capacity funding has been made available for reorganisation proposals, recognising the priority that this government attaches to this. Further information will be provided on how this will be allocated soon, and we intend to make payments as soon as possible.

As set out in the invitation to areas, considering the efficiencies that are possible through reorganisation, we expect that areas will be able to meet transition costs over time from existing budgets, including from the flexible use of capital receipts that can support authorities in taking forward transformation and invest-to-save projects. We asked areas to include indicative costs in their interim plans.

The £7.6 million will be made available in the form of local government reorganisation proposal development contributions, to be split across the 21 areas that have been invited to submit proposals for unitary local government. This is the first time that capacity funding has been made available for reorganisation proposals, recognising the priority that this government attaches to this. Further information will be provided on how this will be allocated soon, and we intend to make payments as soon as possible.

As set out in the invitation to areas, considering the efficiencies that are possible through reorganisation, we expect that areas will be able to meet transition costs over time from existing budgets, including from the flexible use of capital receipts that can support authorities in taking forward transformation and invest-to-save projects. We asked areas to include indicative costs in their interim plans.

In line with established practice under successive administrations, the relevant interests of Non-Executive Board Members are updated and published bi-annually. This is consistent with the approach set out in previous responses (15 January 2025, Question 22321, and 22 January 2023, Question 25697). Further information is available on Non-Executive Board Member declaration of interests process - GOV.UK.

Requirement T1 of the Building Regulations calls for universal toilets to be provided where space allows and is also clear that universal toilets may be provided in addition to single-sex toilets.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) have a duty under the Building Safety Act 2022 to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review. The BSR continually reviews the suite of Approved Documents to ensure the statutory guidance remains relevant, as well as advising government on the safety and standards of all buildings.

This Government is always keen to receive feedback on the real-world application of the Building Regulations and will consider comments received, monitor stakeholder experience, and keep the new Approved Document T under review.

As with any changes to employment legislation, the department will review the position on facility time as appropriate and in line with the Employment Rights Bill 2024 and any applicable Cabinet Office guidance.

As the Impact Assessment accompanying the Employment Rights Bill highlighted, facility time provides significant benefits to employers and employees.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published an updated register of board members’ interests on Gov.uk on 07 May 2025.

MHCLG made changes to its thresholds for publishing spending date in January 2025. This change bought MHCLG’s publication of spending data in line with Cabinet Office requirements and in line with the rest of government.

Supporting local planning authorities to attract, retain and develop skilled planners is crucial to ensuring they provide a proactive, efficient planning service for local communities and that new developments are well designed and facilitate local growth.

The government appreciates that planning departments across the country, including in rural areas, are experiencing challenges with recruitment, retention, and skills gaps and that in many cases these issues are having a negative impact on service delivery.

At the Budget, the Chanceller announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026.

Our manifesto committed us to appointing 300 new planning officers into LPAs. We are on track to meet that commitment through two routes, namely graduate recruitment through the Pathways to Planning scheme run by the Local Government Association and mid-career recruitment through Public Practice.

On 27 February, the government announced funding to support salaries and complement graduate bursaries. Further information can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 27 February 2025 (HCWS480).

On 25 February, the draft Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 were agreed. These regulations increase planning fees for householder and other applications, with a view to providing much-needed additional resources for hard-pressed LPAs.

More broadly, the Department’s established Planning Capacity and Capability programme is also developing a wider programme of support, working with partners across the planning sector, to ensure that LPAs have the skills and capacity they need, both now and in the future, to modernise local plans and speed up decision making, including through innovative use of digital planning data and software.

Lastly, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which was introduced on 11 March includes provisions that will allow LPAs to set planning fees or charges at a level that reflects the individual costs to the LPA to carry out the function for which it is imposed and to ensure that the income from planning fees or charges is applied towards the delivery of the planning function.

Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the recruitment and retention of their own workforces.

The government was elected on a manifesto that pledged to fix the foundations of local government alongside a transfer of power and funding out of Westminster through devolution. Local government reorganisation is central to this pledge, and we have set out the rationale for reorganisation in the English Devolution White Paper.

The local government reorganisation programme invites all councils in two tier areas and their neighbouring small unitary authorities to put forward reorganisations proposals. Accordingly, Portsmouth City Council, together with the twelve two tier councils in Hampshire, Isle of Wight Council and Southampton City Council, were invited to submit proposals for unitary local government. Existing district areas should be considered the building blocks for proposals, but where there is a strong justification more complex boundary changes will be considered. Ultimately it is for councils to develop robust and sustainable proposals that are in the best interests of their whole area.

As set out in the answer to Question UIN 32149 on 3 March 2025, we set out in the English Devolution White Paper that we will learn from the experience and successes of others who have been through the local government reorganisation process.

We welcome the partnership approach that is being taken across the sector to respond to the ambitious plans set out in the White Paper, including sharing expertise on delivering reorganisation effectively given each area’s unique circumstances. For example, unitarisation has helped North Yorkshire Council, established in April 2023 to manage financial pressures through structural changes and service transformation which are expected to achieve more than £40 million in savings by March 2026.

The English Devolution White Paper, and the Statutory Invitation set a guiding principle that new unitary councils should have a population size of 500,000 or more. This is not a hard target and it is recognised that there should be flexibility, especially given our ambition to build out devolution and take account of housing growth, alongside local government reorganisation.

All proposals, whether they are at the guided level, above it, or below it should clearly set out the rationale for the proposed approach. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the guidance and the available evidence.

On 5 February, the government issued invitations to councils in two-tier areas in England and neighbouring unitary councils to prepare proposals for local government reorganisation.

The invitation is clear on the importance of engagement in developing proposals for strong, stable unitary councils that are fit for the future. This engagement should include local residents and stakeholders, including public service providers, workforce and their representatives, Members of Parliament and businesses.

Final proposals put forward should include evidence of local engagement, an explanation of the views that have been put forward and how concerns will be addressed.

Once a proposal has been submitted it will be for the government to decide on taking a proposal forward and to consult as required by statute.

The government’s invitation on 5 February 2025 to two-tier authorities asked them to develop interim plans by 21 March 2025 for local government reorganisation. All proposals will be assessed against all the criteria in the invitation.

We are currently reviewing the interim plans that were submitted and providing feedback to support councils as they progress work on developing final proposals. Once a full proposal has been submitted it will be for the government to decide on taking a proposal forward and to consult as required by statute.

The Electoral Commission, as the independent electoral regulator, holds responsibility for issuance of guidance for local authorities on electoral registration and voting.

This can be found at - Our guidance | Electoral Commission.

The Electoral Commission also worked (and has continued to work) with voter groups and civil society organisations by providing information and raising awareness on changes to voter registration and eligibility requirements following the passage of the Elections Act 2022.

The Electoral Commission, as the independent electoral regulator, holds responsibility for issuance of guidance for local authorities on electoral registration and voting.

This can be found at - Our guidance | Electoral Commission.

The Electoral Commission also worked (and has continued to work) with voter groups and civil society organisations by providing information and raising awareness on changes to voter registration and eligibility requirements following the passage of the Elections Act 2022.

The funding of costs necessarily incurred for the delivery of local elections is a matter for local authorities.

Homelessness levels are far too high. The Government is taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness, including rural homelessness. As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services has increased by £233 million this year, taking total spend to nearly £1 billion.

The Government is also developing a new cross-Government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness, including rural homelessness.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN HL6958 on 9 May 2025.

The developer remediation contract sets the standard that developers must meet when remediating buildings covered by the contract. Remediation of external defects must be undertaken in line with PAS 9980 and remediation of internal defects must be undertaken in line with relevant industry standards and applicable law. Remedial works must reduce life-critical fire safety defects in the building to a tolerable level, in line with these standards.

The department reviews cases brought to its attention which includes undertaking audits of fire risk appraisals of external walls to make sure that proposed works are necessary and proportionate. We engage with freeholders and managing agents to reinforce our position that leaseholders should not face cladding remediation costs.

New section 12H(3) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 as inserted by clause 47 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill sets out a range of community-based bodies and interest groups that a strategic planning authority must consider notifying about the publication of the draft strategy. The bodies listed under this provision are by no means exhaustive nor exclusive. The decision as to which bodies and groups to ultimately notify remains at the discretion of the strategic planning authority.

This provision closely matches the equivalent provision in the Greater London Authority Act 1999 regarding the Mayor of London’s London Plan.

We will meet the statutory requirement for a review of the Permission in Principle Order 2017.

The costs of establishing and running Mayoral Combined (County) Authorities are managed by its constituent councils and the Authority itself once established. Government provides support to help with these costs. For Greater Lincolnshire the government provided £500k Mayoral Capacity Funding in 2024-25.

There are considerable benefits for Greater Lincolnshire from the devolution agreement, which include £24 million a year investment funding for 30 years, and the transport and adult skills budgets that were previously controlled from Whitehall.

On 5^th February I wrote to all councils in two tier areas and their neighbouring small unitaries, including Surrey, to formally invite them to submit unitary proposals. In this invitation, we set out that we expect local leaders to engage their Members of Parliament, and to ensure there is wide engagement with local partners and stakeholders, residents, workforce and their representatives, and businesses on a proposal.

We are committed to updating Parliament on the progress of local government reorganisation.

MHCLG collects data through the Fire and Rescue Service Incident Recording System (IRS) on equipment used by Fire & Rescue Services at the scene of an incident. It does not include data for the specific equipment category of inflatable crash mat.

This data is published in a variety of publications, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fire-statistics and data tables here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fire-statistics-data-tables; though no statistics are published on the equipment used at incidents.

An e-Visa is accepted as a form of identification at the polling station, as a digital version of ‘a biometric immigration document issued in accordance with regulations under section 5 of the UK Borders Act 2007’.

All electors may also choose to apply to their local authority for a Voter Authority Certificate – an accepted form of identification available free of charge.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 48979 on 7 May 2025. It is for individual councils to consider the local impact of council tax premiums and their appropriateness. The government has published guidance on the implementation of premiums and exceptions which councils are expected to consider when making their decisions.

The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme allows existing Ukraine scheme visa holders to apply for further permission to remain in the UK for an additional 18-months. To support Ukrainians who are still in Homes for Ukraine sponsorship arrangements as they transition to living independently, the government has also extended thank you payments for 18-months under the UPE scheme only.

The UPE visa period provides guests and sponsors with time to plan to live independently and, if needed, to secure independently funded accommodation.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) are currently updating their Code of Practice to reflect the Supreme Court ruling of 16 April 2025. The Government will consider the EHRC’s updated guidance as necessary once it is published.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) have a duty under the Building Safety Act 2022 to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review in England. The BSR continually reviews the suite of Approved Documents to ensure the statutory guidance remains relevant, as well as advising government on the safety and standards of all buildings.

This Government is always keen to receive feedback on the real-world application of the Building Regulations and will consider comments received, monitor stakeholder experience, and keep the new Approved Document T under review.

Communities for Afghans phase 2 aims to accommodate 500 Afghan households (approximately 2,750 individuals) on Afghan resettlement schemes by the end of March 2031.

Further detail on the scheme is here.

The government considered requests to postpone local elections from May 2025 to May 2026 where it could be shown to help deliver both reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timeframe.

The government will work with areas to hold elections for new unitary councils as soon as possible as is the usual arrangement in the process of local government reorganisation. For Surrey, our expectation is that the only elections that will take place in May 2026 are elections to new shadow unitary local government, with a view to going live in April 2027.

The government remain committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges. This year we will consult on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act’s new consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager.

The government is determined to end the injustice of ‘fleecehold’ entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders. This consultation will help gather further data on this matter.

The Department do not hold specific information on the number of open public spaces in new housing developments that are owned by private companies.

The government remain committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges. This year we will consult on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act’s new consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager.

The government is determined to end the injustice of ‘fleecehold’ entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders. This consultation will help gather further data on this matter.

The Department do not hold specific information on the number of open public spaces in new housing developments that are owned by private companies.

The government remain committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges. This year we will consult on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act’s new consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager.

The government is determined to end the injustice of ‘fleecehold’ entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders. This consultation will help gather further data on this matter.

The Department do not hold specific information on the number of open public spaces in new housing developments that are owned by private companies.

It is the responsibility of fire and rescue authorities to ensure that firefighters receive the equipment and training they need to safely respond to incidents, and to do so in light of their individual areas’ risk profiles and Community Risk Management Plans. We work closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council to ensure that the fire and rescue sector has sufficient resource to keep the public safe.

The government does not hold any data or publish any statistics on equipment used at incidents.

All ministers are recused from policy decisions where there are competing interests. The Deputy Prime Minister has declared her interests in the usual way.

The government has awarded 134 local authorities a share of £9.38 million of Green Belt review funding. A full list of LPAs in receipt of funding is available on gov.uk here.

The government intends to provide tenants and landlords – including those operating within rent-to-rent arrangements – with a full suite of guidance to help them prepare for the commencement of the Renters’ Rights Bill.

We expect our guidance to be sufficiently comprehensive that all landlords affected by the reforms it contains will know what their responsibilities are, and tenants across the sector will feel empowered to hold landlords to account when things go wrong.

83% of landlords own fewer than five properties, representing 51% of tenancies. It is essential that our Renters’ Rights Bill provides confidence for good landlords, whether they have small or larger portfolios.

The government values responsible landlords who provide quality homes to their tenants and believes they must enjoy robust grounds for possession where there is good reason to take their property back.

The Department published an Impact Assessment on 22 November 2024. It received a ‘Green’ rating from the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC), indicating that it is ‘fit for purpose’.

The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 groups together uses which have similar land use impacts into classes, allowing flexibility to change between uses within each class.

It is for the local planning authority to consider the use of a particular property based on the specific details of the individual case.

We have not issued guidance on dog grooming parlours.

The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 groups together uses which have similar land use impacts into classes, allowing flexibility to change between uses within each class.

It is for the local planning authority to consider the use of a particular property based on the specific details of the individual case.

We have not issued guidance on dog grooming parlours.

The government will meet the statutory requirement for a review of the Planning (Hazardous Substances Regulations) 2015.