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, how many additional council homes she expects councils to build during this Parliament as a result of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme; and how many of those will be in Fylde constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Social and Affordable Homes Programme does not have numerical targets or ringfenced budgets for particular regions or types of home, beyond a confirmed portion allocated to London.
I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 1 September 2026 (HCWS299).
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, how much was paid to households to participate in the English Housing Survey in each of the last five years.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The English Housing Survey (EHS) is my Department’s main source of evidence for housing policies. We offer a £5 post office voucher to each household who participates in the EHS as a token of appreciation for their time and effort.
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, how many railway stations in Fylde constituency are within scope of the new default yes planning policy.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The definition of ‘well-connected’ station is set out in the glossary at Annex B of the National Planning Policy Framework. It is for decision makers to determine whether any given station meets the definition of ‘well-connected’. My Department has not made an estimate of the impact of the policy around any specific station.
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 she has made of the potential impact of uncertainty surrounding local government reorganisation on the ability of Lancashire councils to undertake long-term financial and strategic planning.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In my statement to the House on 29 October 2026, I set out the latest position on local government reorganisation, including in Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool. The previous decision for the area has been withdrawn to allow more time for consideration, and all proposals remain under consideration. We recognise the uncertainty this creates for councils and will inform them at the earliest practical opportunity once consideration is complete.
The Government has also committed to provide £450,000 per previously announced new unitary in transition funding, recognising the costs incurred by areas in good faith. These payments will be made in the coming weeks and are not dependent on the outcome of the review.
I will provide a further update on outcomes by Christmas, and every area will have an outcome by early 2027.
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 publish the evidence, assessments and representations considered by Ministers prior to the decision to withdraw the previous minded-to decision for Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In my statement to the House on 29 October 2026, I set out the latest position on local government reorganisation, including in Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool. The previous decision for the area has been withdrawn to allow more time for consideration, and all proposals remain under consideration. We recognise the uncertainty this creates for councils and will inform them at the earliest practical opportunity once consideration is complete.
The Government has also committed to provide £450,000 per previously announced new unitary in transition funding, recognising the costs incurred by areas in good faith. These payments will be made in the coming weeks and are not dependent on the outcome of the review.
I will provide a further update on outcomes by Christmas, and every area will have an outcome by early 2027.
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 she will provide additional financial assistance to Lancashire councils if the costs of local government reorganisation exceed allocated transition funding.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In my statement to the House on 29 October 2026, I set out the latest position on local government reorganisation, including in Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool. The previous decision for the area has been withdrawn to allow more time for consideration, and all proposals remain under consideration. We recognise the uncertainty this creates for councils and will inform them at the earliest practical opportunity once consideration is complete.
The Government has also committed to provide £450,000 per previously announced new unitary in transition funding, recognising the costs incurred by areas in good faith. These payments will be made in the coming weeks and are not dependent on the outcome of the review.
I will provide a further update on outcomes by Christmas, and every area will have an outcome by early 2027.
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, how much transition funding Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool councils will receive following the withdrawal of the previous minded-to decision.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In my statement to the House on 29 October 2026, I set out the latest position on local government reorganisation, including in Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool. The previous decision for the area has been withdrawn to allow more time for consideration, and all proposals remain under consideration. We recognise the uncertainty this creates for councils and will inform them at the earliest practical opportunity once consideration is complete.
The Government has also committed to provide £450,000 per previously announced new unitary in transition funding, recognising the costs incurred by areas in good faith. These payments will be made in the coming weeks and are not dependent on the outcome of the review.
I will provide a further update on outcomes by Christmas, and every area will have an outcome by early 2027.
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 announce a new minded-to decision on local government reorganisation in Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In my statement to the House on 29 October 2026, I set out the latest position on local government reorganisation, including in Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool. The previous decision for the area has been withdrawn to allow more time for consideration, and all proposals remain under consideration. We recognise the uncertainty this creates for councils and will inform them at the earliest practical opportunity once consideration is complete.
The Government has also committed to provide £450,000 per previously announced new unitary in transition funding, recognising the costs incurred by areas in good faith. These payments will be made in the coming weeks and are not dependent on the outcome of the review.
I will provide a further update on outcomes by Christmas, and every area will have an outcome by early 2027.
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 arrangements will govern the sharing of information between the landlord registration service, local authorities and HM Revenue and Customs.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is considering how different agencies and organisations, including HM Revenue and Customs and local authorities, will be able to access the relevant data collected on the landlord registration service to support their statutory functions.
We will carefully assess the potential benefits and risks to the different parties of sharing different data points and will ensure that any sharing of information is proportionate and is in accordance with data protection and landlord privacy rights.
Details of the data sharing arrangements with other organisations will be set out in future legislation, which will be announced after the initial rollout of the service is completed.
Local authorities will have access to the full range of information in order to carry out relevant enforcement duties.
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 support will be provided to landlords to sign up to the new digital registration service.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Guidance on how to use the ‘Register your rental property’ service will be published on gov.uk in due course.
The service has been designed in collaboration with users and stakeholder groups. There will also be a helpdesk that landlords can contact for support or to register offline if they need to.
Further information can be found on our ‘Register your rental property’ campaign site on gov.uk here.