Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve the affordability of homes on new housing developments for first-time buyers.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership. This Government is determined to change that, ensuring that young families and hardworking renters can buy a home of their own.
The most sustainable long-term method to improve housing affordability and help people into homeownership is to increase the supply of housing. That is why the government committed to deliver 1.5m homes over the Parliament in the Plan for Change.
In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, we are committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme meaning first-time buyers will be able to take their crucial first step on to the property ladder.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of social homes built each year.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to Question UIN 31737 on 27 February 2025.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - 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 housing needs of rural communities, particularly in regard to land availability and infrastructure.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
It is for local planning authorities, including those in rural areas, to assess the housing need of their communities. This should be informed by a local housing need assessment, conducted using the government’s revised standard method.
Local authorities should also make an assessment of the amount of new homes that can be provided in an area, which should be justified by evidence on land availability, constraints on development, and any other relevant matters.
The revised NPPF is clear that in rural areas, planning policies and decisions should be responsive to local circumstances. This includes ensuring that housing is located where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities and support local services.
In relation to infrastructure provision to support housing, I refer the noble Lord to the answer to Question UIN 26106 on 5 February 2025.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - 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 new housing developments meet sustainability and energy efficiency standards set in the Environment Act 2021.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Environment Act introduced a new mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirement of 10% for new housing developments last year. This means new housing developments will result in more high quality natural habitat than there was before the development. The government is working closely with the sector to make BNG work effectively.
The government is also taking steps to ensure new housing developments meet ambitious energy efficiency standards through the Building Regulations. The Future Homes Standard is due to be implemented later this year, which will ensure that new homes are highly energy efficient and that they are “zero carbon ready”, meaning that they will become zero carbon over time as the electricity grid decarbonises, without the need for any retrofit work.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve infrastructure around new housing developments to support growing populations.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Lord to the answer to Question UIN 26106 on 5 February 2025.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to streamline planning regulations to expedite house building.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government is delivering on our Plan for Change commitment to deliver a pro-growth planning system. In December 2024 we published a revised national planning policy framework, which strengthened housing targets and allowed for development on poor quality ‘grey belt’ land. The government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill will also speed up and streamline the planning process to build more homes of all tenures and accelerate the delivery of major infrastructure projects, aligning with our industrial, energy and transport strategies.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government in what ways they are supporting the integration of immigrants into UK society, and what measures are in place to promote community cohesion and reduce discrimination.
Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All immigrants with valid status in the UK should be able to fully integrate into British life. Immigrants who come to the UK usually integrate on their own initiative; there is not a one size fits all approach to integration, but we provide specific help to certain cohorts. For example Ukrainians through the STEP programme which provides an intensive 12 week English language and employment support course to support better employment outcomes and economic independence. Other cohorts supported include Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) and Afghans arriving in the UK through relocation schemes.
Most refugees and those granted protection in the UK integrate successfully and become self-sufficient, providing for themselves and their families, and contributing to the economy, to support this we are working across Government and with local authorities to ensure they have access to the labour market, to mainstream benefits (where eligible) and services, and to mainstream English language provision to enable their integration.
Government policy places a key role in supporting thriving, cohesive and resilient communities. Work is now underway in my Department to develop a stronger approach to support our communities and to build resilience against the challenges they face.
Asked by: Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour - 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 the closure of the Help to Buy scheme on the property market.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne
In line with the recommendation of the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee, the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has committed to undertaking an evaluation of the Help to Buy scheme, with a target date for publication of Autumn 2024. This will seek to investigate, amongst other matters, the effect of the Help to Buy scheme on the housing market within its lifetime and, where possible, after its closure.