Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the delay to the police officer pay award has had on (1) staff morale, and (2) police recruitment.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 1 August, the Home Secretary announced that the Government has accepted the PRRB’s recommendations in full, including a 4.2% consolidated pay increase for police officers (up to and including the rank of Chief Superintendent), effective from 1 September 2025. This decision reflected the PRRB’s assessment of the economic context, recruitment and retention data, and the specific challenges facing the police workforce. The full PRRB report and related Government response can be found here: Police Remuneration Review Body report: 2025 England and Wales - GOV.UK
The Government is carefully considering the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) recommendations for Chief Officers and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and will set out its decision in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to urgently resolve the police officer pay award issue over the summer.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 1 August, the Home Secretary announced that the Government has accepted the PRRB’s recommendations in full, including a 4.2% consolidated pay increase for police officers (up to and including the rank of Chief Superintendent), effective from 1 September 2025. This decision reflected the PRRB’s assessment of the economic context, recruitment and retention data, and the specific challenges facing the police workforce. The full PRRB report and related Government response can be found here: Police Remuneration Review Body report: 2025 England and Wales - GOV.UK
The Government is carefully considering the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) recommendations for Chief Officers and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and will set out its decision in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the reasons for the delay to the police officer pay award.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 1 August, the Home Secretary announced that the Government has accepted the PRRB’s recommendations in full, including a 4.2% consolidated pay increase for police officers (up to and including the rank of Chief Superintendent), effective from 1 September 2025. This decision reflected the PRRB’s assessment of the economic context, recruitment and retention data, and the specific challenges facing the police workforce. The full PRRB report and related Government response can be found here: Police Remuneration Review Body report: 2025 England and Wales - GOV.UK
The Government is carefully considering the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) recommendations for Chief Officers and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and will set out its decision in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide an update about the ongoing pay review for police officers.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 1 August, the Home Secretary announced that the Government has accepted the PRRB’s recommendations in full, including a 4.2% consolidated pay increase for police officers (up to and including the rank of Chief Superintendent), effective from 1 September 2025. This decision reflected the PRRB’s assessment of the economic context, recruitment and retention data, and the specific challenges facing the police workforce. The full PRRB report and related Government response can be found here: Police Remuneration Review Body report: 2025 England and Wales - GOV.UK
The Government is carefully considering the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) recommendations for Chief Officers and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and will set out its decision in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide any transition funding to councils in London facing financial cuts due to the implementation of Fair Funding 2.0; and if so, how much will be available to each London council.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The proposals in the Fair Funding Review 2.0 are subject to consultation and decisions have yet to be taken that will determine final allocations and the design of transitional arrangements. These proposals will target central government grant where it is needed most and we expect that the vast majority of councils with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement.
We are also inviting views on a package of transitional arrangements available over the multi-year Spending Review period. For those councils who would see their funding fall as a result of these changes, our intention is to protect the vast majority of these councils’ income through a ‘flat cash’ (or 0%) funding floor. The consultation is live until 15th August. We will publish further information in the consultation response in autumn, followed by the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what financial assessment they have made of the impact of the Fair Funding Review 2.0, published on 20 June, on each London council.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The proposals in the Fair Funding Review 2.0 are subject to consultation and decisions have yet to be taken that will determine final allocations and the design of transitional arrangements. These proposals will target central government grant where it is needed most and we expect that the vast majority of councils with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement.
We are also inviting views on a package of transitional arrangements available over the multi-year Spending Review period. For those councils who would see their funding fall as a result of these changes, our intention is to protect the vast majority of these councils’ income through a ‘flat cash’ (or 0%) funding floor. The consultation is live until 15th August. We will publish further information in the consultation response in autumn, followed by the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what communications they have had with Westminster City Council about whether the Deputy Prime Minister's official residence in Admiralty House is registered with the council as a second home.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As has been the case under successive administrations, the Cabinet Office is responsible for liaising with Westminster City Council for matters concerning residency at Admiralty House. The Deputy Prime Minister’s council tax responsibility is properly discharged.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the £11.7 billion allocated to London to build homes over the next 10 years, how many homes will be built with that funding; how they will ensure those homes are delivered; what milestones they have set to ensure delivery of those homes within the 10-year period; and what assessment they have made of whether that funding will be sufficient to support delivery of the London building target of 88,000 homes per year.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Delivering historic levels of housebuilding in London is a critical part of this government’s commitment to build 1.5 million homes within this parliament.
At the Spending Review, the Chancellor confirmed £39 billion for a successor to the Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36. Our ambition is to deliver around 300,000 social and affordable homes over the programme’s lifetime.
Up to 30% of the funding over the programme (up to £11.7 billion over the 10 years) will be delivered by the GLA to use in London. We will set initial targets for Homes England and the GLA after we have received bids from providers, and will review these targets through the lifetime of the new programme to drive progress towards our ambition. It is our intention to publish a full prospectus for the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme in autumn 2025 and open it for bids in the winter.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many hectares of (1) brownfield land, and (2) greenfield land, there are in (a) the Metropolitan Open Land, and (b) the Green Belt, in each local authority in Greater London.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The department does not hold data on Metropolitan Open Land, which is entirely a matter for the Mayor.
The information requested is not recorded in that form. However, our general statistical estimates do record the hectarage of Green Belt land within each local authority that is in Non-Developed Use and Developed Use. These are available here.
For other information on Metropolitan Open Land and Green Belt, I refer the Noble Lord to the answer in the other place to Question 53097 of 28 May here.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the target to build 1.5 million homes in this Parliament is deliverable.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We have always been clear that building 1.5m homes is an ambitious target – which is vital given we have inherited the worst housing crisis in living memory. It will require a rate of housebuilding and infrastructure construction not seen in over 50 years. We recognise the scale of the challenge, and we are taking bold action to deliver the homes our country needs and unlock economic growth, but it will take time before that translates into delivery.