Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
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 is taking to ensure that her target for new home building is not impacted by local government reorganisation.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Government has recommitted to delivering 1.5 million homes over this Parliament in our Plan for Change. These targets still apply to councils throughout the process of reorganisation.
The potential impact of local government reorganisation on individual areas will be a matter for local councils to consider as they develop their proposals for reorganisation. As set out in the published criteria for proposals, unitary structures must prioritise the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services to citizens; proposals should show how new structures will improve local government and service delivery and should avoid unnecessary fragmentation of services.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
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 her proposed abolition of district and borough councils on housing targets.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Government has recommitted to delivering 1.5 million homes over this Parliament in our Plan for Change. These targets still apply to councils throughout the process of reorganisation.
The potential impact of local government reorganisation on individual areas will be a matter for local councils to consider as they develop their proposals for reorganisation. As set out in the published criteria for proposals, unitary structures must prioritise the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services to citizens; proposals should show how new structures will improve local government and service delivery and should avoid unnecessary fragmentation of services.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how the prospective unitary authorities will prioritise housing provision.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This Government has recommitted to delivering 1.5 million homes over this Parliament in our Plan for Change. These targets still apply to councils throughout the process of reorganisation.
The potential impact of local government reorganisation on individual areas will be a matter for local councils to consider as they develop their proposals for reorganisation. As set out in the published criteria for proposals, unitary structures must prioritise the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services to citizens; proposals should show how new structures will improve local government and service delivery and should avoid unnecessary fragmentation of services.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
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 town and parish councils are in place prior to the abolition of district and borough councils.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The English Devolution White Paper was clear that we know people value the role of governance at the community scale. All levels of local government have a part to play in bringing improved structures to their area through reorganisation. We will therefore want to see stronger community arrangements when reorganisation happens in the way councils engage at a neighbourhood or area level.
The power to create and restructure town and parish councils is devolved to principal local authorities, which can review and make changes to local governance arrangements through Community Governance Reviews. In doing so, they are expected to take the views of local people into account.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the ongoing consultation entitled Jointly owned properties, if she will (a) review the interpretation of joint ownership within the Building Safety Act 2022 and (b) amend that Act to ensure equitable treatment of leaseholders.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
A call for evidence on jointly owned residential leasehold properties was undertaken by the previous government between Thursday 21 March 2024 to Sunday 7 April 2024. That call for evidence is, therefore, complete. The Government is, however, reviewing how to better protect leaseholders from costs relating to building safety.
Currently, two individuals who own all of their properties jointly will be capped at three properties but two individuals who own all or some property individually will be capped at six if they live separately, and five if they live together in one property.
Those who jointly own properties will always have their principal residence protected to reflect this position.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
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 is taking to ensure that there is sufficient local representation in the new unitary authorities.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I wrote to all councils in two-tier areas and to neighbouring small unitaries on 5th February to formally invite unitary proposals, with interim plans to be provided on or before 21 March 2025. The interim plans should include a view as to the councillors’ numbers that will ensure both effective democratic representation for all parts of the area and also effective governance and decision-making arrangements which will balance the unique needs of your cities, towns, rural and coastal areas, in line with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England guidance. These letters are published at Local government reorganisation: invitation to local authorities in two-tier areas - GOV.UK
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
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 compatibility of recent parliamentary constituency boundary changes with proposed local government reorganisation.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local government boundaries are not directly related to Parliamentary constituency boundaries. Local government boundary changes may be considered when undertaking a future Parliamentary constituency boundary review.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of her policies on house-building on house prices.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The effects of housing undersupply can be seen in affordability and rent pressures. That is precisely why the government’s Plan for Change includes an ambitious milestone of delivering 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament and why we remain committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. We continue to review the impacts of our policies on a range of outcomes as they develop.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
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 integrate the proposals outlined in the English Devolution White Paper with important strategic transport infrastructure such as Gatwick Airport.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The White Paper sets out the comprehensive devolution of local transport functions to strategic authorities in England, including a comprehensive rail devolution offer for the first time. Combined with their new powers over strategic spatial planning, this will empower them to deliver strategic transport infrastructure to deliver growth across England. However, the proposals and Devolution Framework set out in the English Devolution White Paper do not cover aviation policy and would not have any direct impact on the operation of Gatwick Airport.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, what checks and balances there will be on directly-elected Mayors when strategic authorities are implemented.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There is an existing system of accountability and scrutiny arrangements for Mayoral Combined Authorities and Mayoral Combined County Authorities to ensure that public spending is achieving value for money.
The government is committed to strengthening the accountability and scrutiny arrangements that will enable central government, Mayors, and Combined Authorities to shift gear into a new mode of genuine partnership. The English Devolution White Paper set out how the government plans to go further.