Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
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 plans to take to ensure that the 60% of affordable homes provided through the new route at social rent are not renegotiated out at a later stage in the development process.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 23 October 2025, the Secretary of State and the Mayor of London announced a new package of support for housebuilding in London. Details can be found on gov.uk here. A consultation on these London-specific measures will be launched in November 2025.
The package includes a new, time-limited planning route, which will sit alongside the Greater London Authority’s existing Fast Track and Viability Tested routes. This new route is designed to encourage schemes to come forward, and existing schemes to progress, in the near-term, in order to support a rapid recovery in housing delivery.
In order to access this time-limited route, schemes will be required to provide at least 20 per cent affordable housing, with a minimum of 60 per cent social rent (and the rest intermediate tenures in line with London Plan policy). Boroughs will be expected to consider applications that meet these minimum levels. This route will be available until 31 March 2028 or the publication of the revised London Plan, whichever is earlier. All planning decisions on applications will need to have been issued by the local planning authority by the deadline.
A gain-share review mechanism will be applicable where construction on the scheme has not reached a fixed milestone by the end of March 2030 – meaning that if additional returns result from improved market conditions, these benefit fairly both the developer and the community.
Any proposed reductions in affordable housing will be subject to full viability assessment and will no longer be eligible for the time limited planning route. In this case a review would then apply regardless of whether the delivery milestone was met to determine whether additional affordable housing contributions can be provided if viability improves over the lifetime of the development.
In respect of existing schemes, the GLA encourages partners to deliver affordable housing in excess of 20 per cent where possible, especially where planning consents are in place, and will make grant available at or above the announced benchmark grant rates for such projects where it provides value for money to do so. Projects consented at 35 per cent or more affordable housing, that are currently stalled due to viability reasons, are encouraged to assess the availability of grant where this is needed to support delivery and to increase the level of affordable housing above this. For bids providing less than 35 per cent affordable housing, where the grant requested is higher than the said benchmarks, the GLA will require Additionality Viability Assessments to be undertaken. In all cases, the GLA will undertake checks to ensure that any grant allocated is compliant with subsidy control rules
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
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 meet with the Fire Brigades Union to discuss the safety of firefighters when tackling wildfires.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The health and safety of firefighters is of the utmost importance. The government recognises the risks that firefighters face and is grateful to them for their bravery.
Fire and rescue authorities, as employers, must take action to protect firefighter physical and mental health, this includes ensuring that firefighters receive the appropriate equipment and training they need.
The government is proactively engaging with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) alongside other fire and rescue sector stakeholders both at Ministerial and at official level.
The FBU is also a member of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Fire and Rescue Reform (MAGFRR) which has been established under this government. The MAGFRR brings together key fire and rescue sector leaders to discuss policy and key issues.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
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 plans to take to (a) maintain social housing commitments in existing planning permissions in London and (b) ensure that levels of social housing are not reduced in instances where developments are already approved in London.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As part of the Government’s drive to build 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament, the Mayor of London and the government have developed a package of support for housebuilding in the capital. This package includes a new time-limited planning route designed to improve the viability of housing developments in the near term, boosting the number of new homes, including affordable homes delivered in the next few years. Details of the package, including the impacts of the programme, were set out in a policy statement published on 23 October 2025, available on gov.uk here.
As set out in the policy statement, once the new time-limited planning route comes into effect applicants will be expected to seek grant where needed to maintain or increase the level of affordable housing in existing section 106 agreements.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 79909 on 20 October 2025.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what alternative options for helping to deliver (a) affordable and (b) social housing in London have been considered by his Department.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
When developing policy, the government considers the merits of an extensive range of potential policy solutions.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how his Department plans to work with relevant stakeholders to resolve potential issues affecting the delivery of social housing through Section 106 on early engagement between developers and housing associations on the (a) design and (b) quality of homes in the long-term.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Section 106 agreements are, and will remain, an essential mechanism for delivering social and affordable housing.
The government continues to progress work on a holistic policy package that will deal with the legacy problem of existing uncontracted S106 units and also prevent the problem recurring. We are working with stakeholders, including registered providers, local planning authorities and housebuilders, on this.
In respect of early engagement specifically, my Department notes and welcomes the work of the G15 group of London's leading housing associations and others to develop collaboration principles aimed at improving how housebuilders and social landlords work together to deliver successful S106 agreements.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the final version of the regulations for implementing measures for a licensing regime for supported housing, as introduced under the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
The government has recently consulted on proposals for implementing the measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023. We are carefully considering all the responses and recognise that it is crucial that we get the details right to protect residents and minimise unintended consequences.
My department will provide an update in relation to the implementation of the measures of the Act shortly.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the outcomes of the recent consultation on the implementation of measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023, which closed on 15 May 2025.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
The government has recently consulted on proposals for implementing the measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023. We are carefully considering all the responses and recognise that it is crucial that we get the details right to protect residents and minimise unintended consequences.
My department will provide an update in relation to the implementation of the measures of the Act shortly.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department plans to take to support displaced people to (a) build English language skills and (b) secure well-paid employment to support their ability to rent.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises that the ability to speak English is key to helping people integrate into life in the UK, as well as supporting people to access education, employment and other opportunities. We regularly monitor the English language and employment support available to new arrivals alongside other government departments.
We have launched a competitive tender process for the delivery of a new programme to continue our English language and employment support for Ukrainians and Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) visa holders. This programme will provide support for up to 4,000 individuals. This builds on the success of the STEP Ukraine pilot which has supported over 13,000 Ukrainians, with an impressive 84% successfully completing the programme and 73% achieving a 100% in their English language test.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department has taken to support the integration of displaced Ukrainians following the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises that the ability to speak English is key to helping people integrate into life in the UK, as well as supporting people to access education, employment and other opportunities. We regularly monitor the English language and employment support available to new arrivals alongside other government departments.
We have launched a competitive tender process for the delivery of a new programme to continue our English language and employment support for Ukrainians and Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) visa holders. This programme will provide support for up to 4,000 individuals. This builds on the success of the STEP Ukraine pilot which has supported over 13,000 Ukrainians, with an impressive 84% successfully completing the programme and 73% achieving a 100% in their English language test.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the new Local Authority Housing Fund is available to support new arrivals across safe routes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The £950 million fourth round of Local Authority Housing Fund will primarily support local authorities in England to increase the supply of better-quality temporary accommodation and drive down the use of Bed and Breakfasts for families with children.
It will also provide safe and suitable housing for those on the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP), to fulfil the UK’s humanitarian duties to assist those who assisted British efforts in Afghanistan and are at risk of homelessness.