Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will publish the rationale for cancelling or delaying certain council elections scheduled for May 2025; what assessment she has made of the potential impact of this decision on local democratic representation; and what steps she is taking to ensure transparency and accountability in the electoral process during local government reorganisation.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 16 December I wrote to leaders of all two-tier councils and of neighbouring unitary authorities, explaining that government would only postpone elections where it will help deliver both reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timeframe. I carefully considered each request, along with all relevant information including the representations we received, according to the criteria in that letter. The bar for agreeing to these requests is very high. My letter has been published and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-reorganisation-letter-to-two-tier-areas; my statement to the House of 5 February provides more detail and is available here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-02-05/hcws418
We will work with areas where elections have been postponed to move to elections to new ‘shadow’ unitary councils as soon as possible as is the usual arrangement in the process of local government reorganisation. Elections to shadow councils are subject to the same requirements, including for transparency and accountability, as those to established councils.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to (a) help tackle the disparity between house prices and average earnings and (b) ensure that affordable housing is accessible to (i) first-time buyers and (ii) low-income families.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government’s Plan for Change includes an ambitious milestone of delivering 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. We are also committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. This government will work in partnership with councils, housing associations and the wider sector to build their capacity and ensure we hit our ambitious target to build the homes Britain needs.
At the Budget on 30 October, the Chancellor announced a cash injection of £500 million to the Affordable Homes Programme. This is due to deliver up to 5,000 additional affordable homes, with bidding already open to local authorities and other registered providers of social housing.
We will set out details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for Social Rent.
The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership. In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, the government has committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme to support those first-time buyers who struggle to save for a large deposit.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment the Department has made of the adequacy of public toilet provision; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of appointing a public toilet commissioner to ensure (a) consistent standards and (b) accessibility for all communities.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities are best placed to understand local priorities, including on the important issue of provision of public toilets whether they are operated by local councils directly or through community schemes.
As set out in the Local government finance policy statement 2025 to 2026 published on 28 November, we are taking action to address the significant challenges councils face, including through the first multi-year funding settlement for local government in 10 years and reducing the number of funding pots so that councils have more certainty and flexibility to judge local priorities, to meet the needs of local people, and to decide how best to deliver on our national priorities.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to increase the (a) affordability and (b) availability of housing for young people.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
With regard to the supply of social and affordable housing, I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 11383 on 31 October 2024.
To support first-time buyers, the Government has committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme and to giving first-time buyers the first chance to buy homes.
The Renters' Rights Bill will provide more security for tenants and empower them to challenge poor practice and unreasonable within-tenancy rent increases without fear of eviction.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding her Department plans to provide through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to projects in Northern Ireland in the 2024-25 financial year; and if she will take steps to ensure that further allocations are used to help tackle economic inactivity.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides £67.5 million for projects in Northern Ireland this financial year.
The Autumn Budget announced that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, for which the previous government made no plans beyond March 2025, will be extended for 2025-26 at a reduced level of £900 million.
With this transitional arrangement, Northern Ireland will continue to benefit from investment next year in local growth, providing certainty of funding in advance of wider local growth funding reforms. This will provide the flexibility to deliver the most important local projects for Northern Ireland, including projects helping those at risk of being left behind.
My department will update the fund prospectus and confirm the Northern Ireland funding allocation for 2025-26 as soon as possible.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of a statutory requirement to include people on the housing waiting list in planning consultations for new homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government are exploring new ways to increase and enhance community engagement in the planning process, including by improving access to planning data through its digitisation drawing on provisions in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. This will help remove barriers to participation in the planning process, including among those on housing waiting lists.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Competition and Markets Authority on the potential impact of the number of large housebuilders in the construction sector on (a) the role of SMEs and (b) their ability to expand in that sector.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Small and medium sized housebuilders are essential to meeting the government’s housing ambitions and supporting local economies. Our recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework included proposals to support the SME housebuilding sector to grow by strengthening small site policy. The consultation closed on the 24 September and officials in my department are currently analysing responses with a view to publishing a government response before the end of the year.
The Government published its response to the CMA Housebuilding Study on 22 October. Officials spoke to the CMA on a range of issues during their market study.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will instruct councils to identify sites suitable for fewer than 100 dwellings, in the context of Government steps to increase house building.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Small and medium sized housebuilders are essential to meeting the government’s housing ambitions and supporting local economies. Our recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework included proposals to support the SME housebuilding sector to grow by strengthening small site policy. The consultation closed on the 24 September and officials in my department are currently analysing responses with a view to publishing a government response before the end of the year.
The Government published its response to the CMA Housebuilding Study on 22 October. Officials spoke to the CMA on a range of issues during their market study.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will introduce a long- term rent settlement to allow housing associations to borrow to acquire social housing under section 106 of the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As set out in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Written Ministerial Statement on Monday 28th October (HCWS169), the government will consult on a new 5-year social housing rent settlement to provide the sector with the certainty it needs to invest in new social housing. The intention would be for this to increase with Consumer Price Index inflation figures and an additional 1%. The consultation will also seek views on other potential options to give greater certainty, such as providing a 10-year settlement.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to emphasise the importance of delivery of affordable housing in her proposals for planning reform.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 8302 on 18 October 2024.