Lord Bailey of Paddington

Independent public body reviews are one of our most effective levers to drive improvement and ensure public bodies deliver value for the taxpayer.The Cabinet Office guidance on the undertaking and requirements for reviews of public bodies is published on gov.uk, and was last updated in April 2024.

The UK benefits from a competitive mortgage market, including products that are based on a tenant’s history of rental payments. Any prospective first-time buyer should speak to a mortgage broker, who will be able to assist them in finding the best possible product for their circumstances.

The pricing and availability of mortgages is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene. Lenders need to balance the risk of default and losses when making their decisions, which is why mortgage affordability assessments consider a range of factors.

The Government recognises and values the professionalism, dedication and sacrifice shown by volunteers in policing. Volunteers enhance the effectiveness of policing by bringing diverse and valuable skills that complement the roles officers and staff play in delivering the best service to the public.

Police forces are responsible for running their local volunteering programmes, including volunteer police cadet schemes.

The annual Lord Ferrers Awards ceremony, which will take place on 5 December, is organised by the Home Office to recognise the time and effort that volunteer police cadets and other volunteers contribute to their local communities.

The Government is committed to consulting on the implementation of measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023. We will provide an update on our next steps in relation to the implementation of measures in the Act shortly.

The Department will shortly be publishing research on the supply and demand for supported housing. The Department will consider the findings of this research as it formulates future government policy on supported housing supply.

The Government set out its proposed approach to grey belt in its consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, which closed on 24 September.

Officials in my department are now analysing the responses with a view to publishing the Government’s conclusions, alongside a revised Framework, before the end of the year.

The Government is committed to working in partnership with the Mayor of London to significantly increase housing delivery in London. This includes working collaboratively with the Mayor to deliver an ambitious London Plan and provide additional support to unlock stalled sites through the New Homes Accelerator.

The Government has also allocated £4 billion of the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme to London as well as £203 million of the Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land Fund to unlock strategic housing sites in London.