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 all units in a multi-phase development scheme under the Affordable Homes Programme would be defined as a "start on site" when only part of the scheme has commenced enabling works.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The definition of start on site for the Affordable Homes Programme is set out in the Capital Funding Guides (attached) for Homes England and Greater London Authority. Start on site is achieved when:
Start on site can be recorded where demolition works, or other infrastructure work eligible under the published definition, have commenced.
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 a unit would be defined as a "start of site" if the building designs had not been updated to comply with fire-safety regulations.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The definition of start on site for the Affordable Homes Programme is set out in the Capital Funding Guides (attached) for Homes England and Greater London Authority. Start on site is achieved when:
Start on site can be recorded where demolition works, or other infrastructure work eligible under the published definition, have commenced.
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 a unit would be defined as a "start on site" under the Affordable Homes Programme were it located on part of a site where existing residents are living in buildings that would need to be demolished before development can begin.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The definition of start on site for the Affordable Homes Programme is set out in the Capital Funding Guides (attached) for Homes England and Greater London Authority. Start on site is achieved when:
Start on site can be recorded where demolition works, or other infrastructure work eligible under the published definition, have commenced.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government (1) what assessment they have made of the impact of Zipcar's closure on the London economy, and (2) what discussions they have had with the company owners.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL).
The Minister for Local Transport met with the shared mobility industry in November, including Zipcar representatives, to discuss its challenges and opportunities and how Government can continue to best support the sector. The Department is actively considering what more can be done and is using feedback from the ministerial meeting and further stakeholder engagement to inform next steps.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support police officers guarding the Israeli Embassy in London with their (1) working conditions, and (2) safety.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government takes the protective security of diplomatic missions extremely seriously. The UK Government's protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our longstanding policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' and sites' security.
More broadly in terms of the support available to police officers, through the Police Covenant the Home Office are supporting the police workforce with their physical and mental health.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK National Screening Committee's draft prostate cancer screening recommendation does not discourage testing among higher risk men, including black men and those with a family history, and that those men receive clear information to support informed decision-making; and whether they will ensure that those men can access a test if they request one.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Wes Streeting MP) will consider the final recommendation of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) on screening for prostate cancer when it is received. At that point, he will decide on implementation, including any changes to guidance around testing that may be required.
It is anticipated that the final recommendation will be provided in early 2026 after the conclusion of a 12-week consultation which opened on 28 November 2025. This seeks views on an evidence review and a draft recommendation to:
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer and remarks by Lord Hanson of Flint on 17 November (HL11520) and 10 November (HL Deb col 66), whether for-profit social housing providers will be granted the same powers as not-for-profit housing providers under the Crime and Policing Bill.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are strengthening the powers available to relevant agencies under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
For-profit Social Housing Providers have grown in prominence since the 2014 Act first came into force. While it is important that all agencies have the powers they need to tackle ASB, it is also important that changes to the agencies that can use the powers in the 2014 ASB Crime and Policing Act are considered carefully, on a case-by-case basis. The addition of for-profit social housing providers as applicant agencies for Respect Orders, Housing Injunctions and Youth Injunctions remains under consideration, as mentioned in previous answers.
We are, however, legislating in the Crime and Policing Bill to extend the power to issue Closure Notices to Registered Social Housing Providers, including For Profit Housing Providers. This will make it easier for Housing Providers to take swift action to prevent disruptive ASB.
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 plan to give councils powers to seize or impound vehicles linked to unpaid penalty charge notices; and what discussions they have had with governments of foreign countries about sharing vehicle data for the payment of those notices.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Local authorities are required under the Traffic Management Act 2004 to ensure that their parking policies are proportionate, support town centre prosperity, and reconcile competing demands for space whilst ensuring traffic moves freely and quickly on their roads and the roads of nearby authorities.
In line with the need for proportionality, there are no plans to allow councils to seize or impound vehicles for unpaid penalty charges.
However, under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978,local authorities can remove abandoned vehicles on parking sites. Before a local authority can remove an abandoned vehicle, the authority must first give the landowner 15 days’ notice. This is done so the law protects individuals from having their property removed without due process.
Vehicle keeper data cannot be shared internationally for civil debt enforcement, and as such cannot be traced outside the UK. Where fines are due from foreign registered vehicles that have already left the country, parking companies and local authorities can and do use international debt collection agencies to pursue unpaid charges.
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 the impact of post-planning early- and late-stage reviews on development viability in London.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Planning practice guidance on viability states that plans should set out circumstances where review mechanisms may be appropriate and how they will operate. The application of this and wider guidance in London is a matter for local planning authorities and the Greater London Authority.
While viability pressures are impacting residential development in many parts of the country, we know they are particularly acute in London. Those pressures were already resulting in proportions of affordable housing being reduced on schemes following viability assessment. According to Greater London Authority (GLA) monitoring data, the average affordable housing level of referable applications that have been approved through their viability tested route was 20 per cent between 2022-2024.
To address this, the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London announced a new package of support for housebuilding in London that included developers to access a new, time-limited planning route to incentivise build out. This will sit alongside the existing Fast Track and Viability Tested routes and will enable developers to secure planning permission without a viability assessment on private land within certain conditions.
The GLA opened a consultation for this time-limited measure, and the proposal of the targeted withdrawal of guidance that limits density, on Thursday 27 November which can be found at Support for Housebuilding LPG | London City Hall (attached).
My Department also launched a consultation on the temporary relief from the Community Infrastructure Levy and changes to Mayoral planning powers which can be found at Support for housebuilding in London - GOV.UK (attached). These consultations close on 22 January 2026.
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 plans they have to ensure that empty properties on high streets and in town centres are brought back into use.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This government is committed to tackling high street vacancy. In December 2024, we introduced High Street Rental Auction powers which enable local authorities to auction the lease of persistently vacant properties so they can be brought back into use. We are working with 12 early adopter councils who are prioritising implementation of the powers, and initial results suggest the powers can be effective at reoccupying vacant units.
Through the Pride in Place strategy, we are equipping councils with a wider range of new tools to support the high street, including streamlined compulsory purchase powers and a new Community Right to Buy.
We are also supporting high street businesses with permanently lower business rates multipliers from 2026/27, and by banning upwards only rent reviews in commercial leases.