Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much capital funding has been allocated to the first year of the 2026–2036 Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Spending Review 2025 policy paper (which can be found on gov.uk here) sets out that spending on our new £39 billion, 10-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme (2026-27 to 2035-36) will reach £4 billion per year in 2029-30 and rise in line with inflation subsequently.
As a result government spending on affordable housing investment will almost double by the end of this Parliament.
The government does not usually publish year-by-year spend on specific programmes in advance. We will continue to publish past year’s expenditure figures in the department's Annual Report and Accounts
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the proposed Chinese Embassy development at the Royal Mint in London, whether they have contacted the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to obtain (1) the security statement, and (2) the blast assessment, which were not placed before the planning inquiry.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government does not comment on live planning cases.
Where potentially relevant additional information is drawn to the Department’s attention during the decision-making process, it is routine for its potential relevance to be assessed, including consideration of whether it is necessary to obtain that information or refer back to parties.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the (1) district council, (2) delayed county council, and (3) existing unitary council, elections scheduled for May 2026 in the Greater Essex area will be cancelled; and if so, whether they will be replaced with (a) a Mayoral Combined County Authority election in May 2026, or (b) a new unitary council election in May 2027.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government’s starting point is for all elections to go ahead, unless there is strong justification. In May 2026, we intend that mayoral elections for new strategic authorities will take place, subject to parliamentary approval for the necessary legislation, alongside those district and unitary elections already scheduled and elections postponed from May 2025. 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. We anticipate elections to new unitary authorities in May 2027.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that political finance law cannot be changed for partisan advantage.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to safeguarding the UK electoral system. As set out in our Elections strategy paper, we are introducing tougher rules on political donations to protect UK elections, striking the right balance between safeguarding against foreign interference while making sure legitimate donors can continue to fund electoral campaigns.
Our reforms build on recommendations from expert stakeholders such as the Electoral Commission and the Committee on Standards in Public Life. Any proposed changes will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny through the Bill process.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 15 September (HL Deb cols 1885–88), whether they will provide assurance to private landlords that the cost cap to meet Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards will not be raised, and that a higher energy efficiency will not be required.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation included proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C by 2030. In the consultation, government set out proposals on maximum spend required from landlords and the exemptions regime to manage the cost burden placed on landlords and the impact on the rental market, whilst still achieving our ambition to deliver significant bill savings for tenants and lift households out of fuel poverty. No final decisions have been made and a government response to the consultation with be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of the United States of America, including the US Embassy in London, relating to the proposed Chinese Embassy development at the Royal Mint in London.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government regularly engages with representatives of foreign governments, including the United States government, to discuss a broad range of issues. The details of these discussions are not made public.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to Appendix 2, page 61, Annex 1: Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects reform, of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Impact assessment (published May 2025) Appendix 2, page 61, and the November 2027 target date for the updated Airports National Policy Statement, whether they anticipate that the infrastructure planning application for the Heathrow Airport expansion can be submitted before the publication and ratification of the revised Airports National Policy Statement.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the Government will review the Airports National Policy Statement in line with the requirements of the Planning Act 2008.
When the ANPS has been reviewed, and depending on the outcome of the review, it will be for scheme promoters to decide when to submit a Development Consent Order application for a third runway scheme.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance has been provided by either the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government or the Planning Inspectorate on whether a planning inspector is able to give less weight to planning representations if they believe that the representations are a result of, or have been fettered by, foreign interference.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The weight attaching to a representation is a matter for the decision-maker.
In dealing with the application, officials and Ministers will act in accordance with published propriety guidance on planning casework decisions. Further information is available here.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the Mayor of London press release of 9 May, Mayor: We must build on the green belt to help fix London’s housing crisis, whether the Government’s support for reviewing Green Belt in Greater London includes support for reviewing Metropolitan Open Land in London.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The designation, management and review of Metropolitan Open Land is a matter for the Mayor of London.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to paragraph 19 of the Guidance on planning propriety: planning casework decisions published in December 2021, and MHCLG guidance on Crown Development and Urgent Crown development regarding security sensitive information in planning applications, whether all representations made by other government departments on a called-in planning application or recovered appeal, including on sensitive security matters, must be disclosed to the applicant.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Representations on planning applications are dealt with in accordance with paragraphs 18, 19 and 20 of the published propriety guidance on planning casework decisions which can be found here.
Ministers are able to issue a direction under section 321 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 on an application where required. This allows evidence to only be heard by specified persons.