Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that the planning system delivers sufficient affordable homes to meet the needs of families currently living in temporary accommodation.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that local authorities should assess the size, type, and tenure of housing needed for different groups, including those who require affordable and social rent homes, and should reflect this in their planning policies and decisions.
Assessments of affordable housing need should estimate the numbers of those who cannot meet their needs in the market, including those in temporary accommodation. Local planning authorities are expected to set out the proportion and type of affordable and social rent housing that new development will be required to provide.
The government is currently consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, rules- based policies for plan-making and decision-making. The consultation includes policies to increase the viable provision of more affordable homes.
The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to increase the pension rights of retired firefighters who retired before 2000 on the retained duty system through their modified pension scheme.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department has no plans to extend pension rights under the modified scheme to retained firefighters who retired before 2000.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
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 takes to encourage developers to build (a) in partnership with nature and (b) using swift bricks.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 62367 on 2 July 2025.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to review the disparity in targeted funding for young people experiencing homelessness.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has increased funding for homelessness services this year by £233 million to a total of £1 billion. Local authorities can use this funding flexibly to meet the needs of people experiencing and at risk of homelessness in their area, including young people, according to local need.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to ensure that funding allocations for (a) rural and (b) coastal communities adequately (i) recognise and (i) reflect the additional costs of delivering services in those areas.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
From 2026-27 we want to fundamentally improve the way we fund local authorities and direct funding to where it is needed most.
The Fair Funding Review 2.0 set out a proposal for an updated assessment that will effectively account for the different needs felt by communities across the country including considering the impact of remoteness on costs faced by rural and coastal communities, and the impact of commuters and tourists on major cities and coastal towns alike.
The consultation invited respondents to provide additional evidence for the impact of remoteness on the cost of delivering services.
We are reviewing responses and will publish more details in the consultation response in Autumn, followed by the provisional local government finance settlement.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
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 ensure that funding allocations for coastal communities adequately (a) recognise and (b) reflect the (i) circumstances of and (ii) impact of seasonality on public services in those communities.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
From 2026-27 we want to fundamentally improve the way we fund local authorities and direct funding to where it is needed most.
The Fair Funding Review 2.0 set out a proposal for an updated assessment that will effectively account for the different needs felt by communities across the country including considering the impact of remoteness on costs faced by rural and coastal communities, and the impact of commuters and tourists on major cities and coastal towns alike.
The consultation invited respondents to provide additional evidence for the impact of remoteness on the cost of delivering services.
We are reviewing responses and will publish more details in the consultation response in Autumn, followed by the provisional local government finance settlement.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that adequate levels of infrastructure are provided alongside new housing developments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 65505 on 14 July 2025.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to (a) reform and (b) remove the 10% commission charge on the sale of park homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 69040 on 24 July 2025.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of the annual income to site owners generated by the 10% commission on park home sales.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 69040 on 24 July 2025.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
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 the 10% commission charge on the sale of park homes on (a) elderly and (b) vulnerable residents.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 69040 on 24 July 2025.