Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the oral answer of 24 November 2025, Official Report, on Social and Affordable Housing: South Shields, to the Hon Member for Orpington, what the value of that grant is in each year of this Parliament in real terms expressed in 2024 figures.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 60128 on 4 July 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2025 to Question 87323 on Affordable Housing: Expenditure, how much has been budgeted for the affordable housing programme in 2025-26.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 60128 on 4 July 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 24 November 2025 to Question 90710 on MHCLG: Glenigan, whether the data received included unbuilt-out planning permissions.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Rt hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 78185 on 20 October 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has a policy on social tenants in high-value social housing passing on lifetime tenancies to their children.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The assessed value of a social rent property has no bearing on tenants’ rights to pass down their tenancy to their children. Those living in high-value social rent homes will be subject to the same succession rights set out in legislation as other social housing tenants on secure tenancies.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what data (a) his Department and (b) the Land Registry holds on the proportion of leasehold flats that have a lease less than (i) 99 and (ii) 80 years.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Data on lease lengths at time of purchase are detailed on page 76 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 Impact Assessment, which can be found on gov.uk here.

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 has (a) commissioned and (b) previously produced research on regulatory barriers to housing development on brownfield land.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has not commissioned or previously produced a specific piece of research on regulatory barriers to housing development on brownfield land.

I otherwise refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84470 on 30 October 2025.

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 written statement of 18 November 2025, HCWS1062, on Next phase of planning reform, what the geographical distance is around a train station that the policy would apply to; and whether the definition includes (a) Trams, (b) light-rail, (c) Metros and (d) the London Underground.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is currently consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

The consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, sets out how different proposed policies would apply to land around stations, including those that are defined as well-connected and those that are within and outside of settlements.

The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

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 written statement of 18 November 2025, HCWS1062, on Next phase of planning reform, whether the land near train stations would (a) have Green Belt disapplied, (b) be treated as Grey Belt and (c) be treated as brownfield land in the Green Belt.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is currently consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

The consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, sets out how different proposed policies would apply to land around stations, including those that are defined as well-connected and those that are within and outside of settlements.

The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

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 answer of 15 September 202, to Question HL10015, Planning Permission, and with reference to paragraph 3.25 of the Budget 2025, HC1492, 26 November 2025, in what financial years the funding for the 350 planning officers will be allocated; and whether previous funding for planning officers was for one year only.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

At the Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026.

At the Budget on 26 November 2025, the Chancellor announced a further £48 million of investment over three years to support local planning authorities to attract, retain and develop skilled planners over a sustained period.

Of this, £28.8 million has been allocated to MHCLG’s Planning Capacity and Capability Programme, equating to £9.6 million additional per year for the next three years. This allocation will supplement existing budgets.

In total, the Programme now aims to deliver around 1,325 planners by the end of this Parliament, significantly exceeding our original manifesto commitment to deliver 300 new planning officers. Wider cross-government recruitment and investment in planning capacity and capability will increase this figure further to approximately 1,400 planners.

The new funding will support both graduate and mid-career entry routes into planning, including by means of expanding the Pathways to Planning Graduate Scheme and establishing a Planning Careers Hub.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions the Government has had with the EU on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Under the terms of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), the UK meets annually with the European Commission through the Level Playing Field Trade Specialised Committee to discuss the implementation of the Level Playing Field chapter within which Article 391 (non-regression from levels of environmental protection) sits.

Last year’s meeting of the Trade Specialised Committee was held on 15 October. The Trade Partnership Committee also met on the 4 December 2025 under the EU-UK TCA.

At both meetings, the UK provided an overview of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (now Act) and both parties agreed to ongoing engagement following Royal Assent, where the focus will shift to the implementation of the measures.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025, to Question 87319, and to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 58975 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Remote Working, whether his Department holds data on levels of workforce attendance in each of those offices.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department regularly monitors Office Attendance for its employees and is able to assess utilisation of available capacity in its offices.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2025 to Question HL11495 on Housing: Construction, whether the net additional dwellings metric will include communal accommodation.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 78186 on 20 October 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 17 November 2025, to Question 87785, on Planning Permission: Applications, whether (a) supporters and (b) objectors to a planning application proposed by a (i) called-in planning application and (ii) Special Development Order have access to the other representations made before the decision notice by the Secretary of State is published.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Post-inquiry representations are listed in the decision letter issued for any called-in planning application and are available on request after the decision is published.

There is no statutory requirement to publish representations received in relation to Special Development Orders.

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 receives and collates Infrastructure Funding Statements by local authorities.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 90718 on 21 November 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consultation the New Homes Taskforce has undertaken on the proposed Adlington New Town.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

No such Taskforce exists.