Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the £442 million Rough Sleeping Programme funding to ensure that everyone sleeping rough is offered a route off the streets before Christmas 2026.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On his first day in office the Prime Minister launched an urgent national drive to end rough sleeping at the earliest opportunity. We are providing £442 million new funding to local areas through a new Rough Sleeping Programme to ensure that everyone who needs it is offered a route off the streets before Christmas this year, while providing longer-term accommodation and support for people with the most complex and long-term experiences of rough sleeping.
This takes total investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services over the next three years to more than £4 billion.
The Programme has been designed to respond to the different pressures facing different parts of the country. Funding has been targeted towards areas with the greatest rough sleeping pressures, while giving Mayoral Strategic Authorities and local authorities flexibility to shape services around local needs and priorities. MHCLG will work closely with local areas and partners to support mobilisation and delivery.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what specific measures the Community Renewal Taskforce will take to reduce high street vacancy rates.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognises that boosting demand is key to reducing high street vacancy rates. Through the new National Planning Policy Framework, we have placed a stronger emphasis on mixed-use development, including residential development in town centres.
We are also creating the conditions for businesses to occupy vacant units, including by reforming business rates and banning upwards-only rent reviews. We have also introduced High Street Rental Auctions giving local authorities powers to take over the lease of long-term vacant units and bring them back into use.
Later this year, the Government will publish its new High Streets Strategy, setting out further measures to support thriving, resilient high streets and town centres.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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 an estimate of the number of hours spent (a) responding to and (b) preparing for Westminster Hall Debates by (i) government ministers, (ii) civil servants and (iii) special advisers in her Department for each parliamentary session for which the information is available.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 17475 on 15 July 2026.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the review of registered political party and Third party Campaigner spending limits will include consideration of expenditure by third-party campaigners and unincorporated associations.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 10 July 2026, the then Minister for Democracy wrote to the Electoral Commission asking it to review registered political party and third-party campaigner spending limits and provide recommendations by July 2027. On 29 August 2026, the Secretary of State and First Secretary of State expanded the review to include candidate spending limits. The relevant letters are publicly available on GOV.UK.
The Government has not provided the Electoral Commission with formal terms of reference. As the independent regulator for elections, it is appropriate that the Electoral Commission determines how best to conduct the review and consider interactions across the electoral spending framework.
Unincorporated associations are not currently subject to spending limits and are therefore outside the scope of the review. Separately, the Representation of the People Bill contains measures to strengthen the rules that apply to unincorporated associations.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the review into political party spending will examine interactions between candidate spending limits and national party spending limits.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 10 July 2026, the then Minister for Democracy wrote to the Electoral Commission asking it to review registered political party and third-party campaigner spending limits and provide recommendations by July 2027. On 29 August 2026, the Secretary of State and First Secretary of State expanded the review to include candidate spending limits. The relevant letters are publicly available on GOV.UK.
The Government has not provided the Electoral Commission with formal terms of reference. As the independent regulator for elections, it is appropriate that the Electoral Commission determines how best to conduct the review and consider interactions across the electoral spending framework.
Unincorporated associations are not currently subject to spending limits and are therefore outside the scope of the review. Separately, the Representation of the People Bill contains measures to strengthen the rules that apply to unincorporated associations.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to improve the identification of women experiencing rough sleeping who may be at risk of violence, abuse or exploitation.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognises that women experiencing rough sleeping are often less visible and may be at greater risk of violence, abuse and exploitation.
On his first day in office, the Prime Minister launched an urgent national drive to end rough sleeping. We have announced £442 million new funding to support this ambition, taking total investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services over the next three years to over £4 billion.
Local areas should not rely on outreach to identify women who may need support, and instead work proactively with specialist women’s services, domestic abuse and violence against women and girls services, health partners and community organisations to identify and support women who may be sleeping rough or at risk of doing so. Further guidance on how local authorities are expected to support women through the Rough Sleeping Programme can be found here: Rough Sleeping Programme Guidance - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she plans to launch the consultation on making vape shops a sui generis planning use.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
To give communities and councils greater control over the future of their high streets, we will consult on new planning rules so that most shops changing use to vape shops and adult gaming centres will need to submit a planning application before opening. The consultation on the change will be published in the Autumn.
Whilst the introduction of a licensing for tobacco and vaping retailers using powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 will strengthen enforcement, these changes will give councils greater powers to prevent clustering or new shops opening in inappropriate locations, such as near schools.
A clearer definition of a vape shop, combined with planning controls, will help local planning authorities identify and monitor premises whose primary purpose is the sale of vapes. Evidence on likely impacts and whether other premises should also be restricted will be gathered through consultation and considered before final policy decisions are made.
We will also review business rates reliefs for businesses that do not make a positive contribution to local communities. Further detail will be set out at the Budget, following careful consideration of the impact of different policy options and definitions on different types of businesses.
These measures are initial steps towards a wider High Streets Strategy, to be published later this year.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance he has issued to local authorities on their enforcement responsibilities under the Housing Act 2004 in respect of Houses in Multiple Occupation used to house asylum seekers by the Home Office or its contractors.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has published no such guidance.
I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 75141 on 16 September 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2026 to Question 10293 on Housing Associations: Tenants, how the consultation will be advertised to prospective consultees.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department will announce details of the consultation, including how prospective consultees can contribute, in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2026 to Question 10293 on Housing Associations: Tenants, when he plans for the consultation to close.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department will announce details of the consultation, including how prospective consultees can contribute, in due course.