Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 respond to the consultation entitled Strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services: consultation, which closed on 26 September 2025.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department is currently analysing responses to this consultation and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the average increase in social housing rents was in Gosport constituency in 2024-25.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Government policy limits how much rents are permitted to increase each year for Social Rent and Affordable Rent homes let by registered providers of social housing.
In 2024-25, these rents were permitted to increase by up to CPI+1% based on the CPI rate in September 2023 (6.7%), which meant that rents were permitted to increase by up to 7.7%.
The Regulator of Social Housing collects annual data from registered providers of social housing regarding their rents, which can be viewed by local authority area. Data for the year 2024-25 is scheduled to be released on 28 October. Statistics for previous years, along with a look-up tool, can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 make adherence to the Service Charge Residential Management Code mandatory for residential leasehold property managers.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The current edition of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Service Charge Residential Management Code, approved in 2016 using powers under Section 87 of the Leasehold Reform and Urban Development Act 1993, may be used as evidence by the First-tier Tribunal or County Court in any decisions they make. Failure to comply with the Code alone does not make a managing agent or landlord liable to court/tribunal proceedings.
We intend to strengthen the regulation of managing agents by introducing mandatory professional qualifications that will set a new basic standard that managing agents will be required to meet. Proposals to that effect are set out in our consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services, which can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 trends in the number of (a) properties and (b) property management companies owned by private equity firms on (i) service charges paid by and (ii) the quality of services provided to residents of leasehold properties.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold data on the impact of properties and property management companies owned by private equity firms on service charges and the quality of services provided to residents of leasehold properties.
On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. For an overview of the proposals set out in the consultation, I refer the hon. Member to the associated Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS780). We invite views on the proposals from leaseholders and all those involved in managing leasehold buildings.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 assessment of the potential merits of requiring landlords to re-tender for a new property management company when than 50% of all leaseholders support re-tendering.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here.
The consultation seeks views on proposals to strengthen regulation of managing agents, including powers to appoint a manager or replace a managing agent and the introduction of mandatory professional qualifications for managing agents.
The government will set out further measures to strengthen regulation of managing agents in due course.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her plans for English devolution will give Mayors powers over waterborne transport networks.
Answered by Jim McMahon
The government understands how important maritime transport is in the Solent region, and the role that waterborne transport networks play in the local transport strategy. Chapter 3 of the English Devolution White Paper sets out the responsibilities of strategic authorities and does not contain any specific powers over waterborne transport networks. However, other strategic authorities have used their wider transport powers to support local waterborne transport networks. The White Paper also sets out the floor of our ambition, not the ceiling, and we will regularly review and evaluate the powers available to strategic authorities in collaboration with them.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 (a) local government reorganisation and (b) housing targets on (i) air quality, (ii) parks per capita, (iii) household waste volume, (iv) recycling rates, (v) greenhouse gas emissions and (vi) annual energy consumption in Gosport.
Answered by Jim McMahon
In regard to local government reorganisation, on the 5 February I invited unitary proposals from all two-tier councils and neighbouring unitaries including those councils in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton. It will be for local councils to consider the delivery of public services and potential impacts as they develop their proposals for reorganisation.
The invitations were clear that proposals should be supported by robust evidence and analysis and include an explanation of the outcomes it is expected to achieve. As set out in the published criteria, proposals should be for a sensible geography which will help to increase housing supply and meet local needs.
The government is clear all local planning authorities should continue work on local plans and get them in place as soon as possible. While the implications of local government reorganisation will be considered in light of the specific circumstances of any given area, local plans should still be progressed as they will act as the foundation for any new plans as required.
To inform this, local planning authorities are expected to use the government's revised standard method to assess housing needs. This is a starting point used by councils to inform the preparation of their local development plans.
The revised National Planning Policy Framework should be taken into account by local planning authorities when preparing their local plans. The Framework sets out strong policies to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote low-carbon energy use. It also provides strong protections for existing open space, including playing fields and formal play spaces. The revised National Planning Policy Framework should be read in conjunction with the government’s planning policy for waste.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 assessment of the potential impact of changes in the Autumn Budget 2024 to the level of funding for cultural regeneration through levelling up projects on (a) local economic regeneration and (b) the maintenance of cultural assets.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed that the government is minded to cancel unfunded Levelling Up Culture and Capital Projects, and the West Midlands culture and inward investment funding, that were announced at Spring Budget 2024, but will consult with potential funding recipients before making a final decision. This consultation is now underway.
Potential recipients have been given the opportunity until mid-December to set out the financial, strategic and community impacts which withdrawing this funding would have. Ministers will then take these into consideration and will confirm the outcome of this process as soon as possible.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with stakeholders on levelling up funding decisions for previously announced (a) culture and (b) regeneration projects, in the context of the Autumn Budget 2024.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed that the government is minded to cancel unfunded Levelling Up Culture and Capital Projects, and the West Midlands culture and inward investment funding, that were announced at Spring Budget 2024, but will consult with potential funding recipients before making a final decision. This consultation is now underway.
Potential recipients have been given the opportunity until mid-December to set out the financial, strategic and community impacts which withdrawing this funding would have. Ministers will then take these into consideration and will confirm the outcome of this process as soon as possible.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 amend the Future Homes and Buildings Standards to ensure that all newbuild homes include solar photovoltaic panels.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Future standards next year will set our new homes and buildings on a path that moves away from relying on volatile fossil fuels and ensures they are fit for a net zero future. This will support our ambition that the 1.5 million homes we will build over the course of this parliament will be high quality, well designed and sustainable. That is why the Deputy Prime Minister and I are clear that rooftop solar should play an important role, where appropriate, as part of the future standards for homes and buildings. Responses to the recent Future Homes and Buildings standards consultation are being reviewed, and government will publish a response in due course.