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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of brownfield regeneration on community cohesion.

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

My Department has made no such assessment.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Poolway Centre site in Garretts Green, Birmingham, is eligible for funding under current brownfield regeneration schemes.

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

The government has announced £5bn of capital grant funding for infrastructure and land through the National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF).

£175 million of the NHDF has been allocated to West Midlands Combined Authority through the Integrated Settlement to deliver projects in the region. Eligibility of site in question will be determined by the Combined Authority.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made towards meeting the Government's brownfield-first housing delivery targets in urban areas with high unemployment.

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 91369 on 27 November 2025 and Question UIN 106779 on 27 January 2026. My Department is currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation on the new National Planning Policy Framework and will publish our response in due course.

In December 2024, the government implemented a new standard method for assessing housing needs, that better directs new homes to where they are most needed and least affordable. The new method focusses growth in our city regions – housing need across Mayoral Combined Authority areas increases by over 20% compared to the previous method.

During 2024/25 over 27 hectares of brownfield land were reclaimed on schemes supported by Homes England. Our Brownfield Infrastructure and Land programmes had unlocked capacity for over 51,000 homes by the end of 2024/25. Homes England will be reporting further delivery on brownfield land in its Annual Report and Accounts for 2025/26 to be published later in July.

The £5 billion National Housing Delivery Fund, launched in April 2026, will be the main funding point for brownfield land, through Homes England and devolved allocations.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps is the Department taking to accelerate housing delivery on derelict urban sites?

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 91369 on 27 November 2025 and Question UIN 106779 on 27 January 2026. My Department is currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation on the new National Planning Policy Framework and will publish our response in due course.

In December 2024, the government implemented a new standard method for assessing housing needs, that better directs new homes to where they are most needed and least affordable. The new method focusses growth in our city regions – housing need across Mayoral Combined Authority areas increases by over 20% compared to the previous method.

During 2024/25 over 27 hectares of brownfield land were reclaimed on schemes supported by Homes England. Our Brownfield Infrastructure and Land programmes had unlocked capacity for over 51,000 homes by the end of 2024/25. Homes England will be reporting further delivery on brownfield land in its Annual Report and Accounts for 2025/26 to be published later in July.

The £5 billion National Housing Delivery Fund, launched in April 2026, will be the main funding point for brownfield land, through Homes England and devolved allocations.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps is the Department taking to accelerate housing delivery on long-term derelict urban brownfield sites.

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 91369 on 27 November 2025 and Question UIN 106779 on 27 January 2026. My Department is currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation on the new National Planning Policy Framework and will publish our response in due course.

In December 2024, the government implemented a new standard method for assessing housing needs, that better directs new homes to where they are most needed and least affordable. The new method focusses growth in our city regions – housing need across Mayoral Combined Authority areas increases by over 20% compared to the previous method.

During 2024/25 over 27 hectares of brownfield land were reclaimed on schemes supported by Homes England. Our Brownfield Infrastructure and Land programmes had unlocked capacity for over 51,000 homes by the end of 2024/25. Homes England will be reporting further delivery on brownfield land in its Annual Report and Accounts for 2025/26 to be published later in July.

The £5 billion National Housing Delivery Fund, launched in April 2026, will be the main funding point for brownfield land, through Homes England and devolved allocations.

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 is taking to ensure brownfield regeneration funding reaches projects in the most deprived constituencies.

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

My Department has announced £5 billion of land and infrastructure capital grant funding. This funding, to be administered by a new, single National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF) that will complement investment from our National Housing Bank, can be used to address viability gaps on brownfield sites.

NHDF funding is delivered by delivery partners including Homes England, established and non-established mayoral strategic authorities, One Public Estate, and others for specific place-based programmes, providing funding across the country.

Homes England will deliver a national programme, drawing on its strong track record of managing major housing and land programmes. Funding has also been devolved to mayoral authorities, with £1.3bn provided to Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, through Integrated Settlements, and £234m to non-established Mayoral Strategic Authorities through the Brownfield Housing Fund. This gives local leaders flexibility to drive delivery in their areas.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of funding availability for brownfield housing schemes in areas of high deprivation.

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

My Department has announced £5 billion of land and infrastructure capital grant funding. This funding, to be administered by a new, single National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF) that will complement investment from our National Housing Bank, can be used to address viability gaps on brownfield sites.

NHDF funding is delivered by delivery partners including Homes England, established and non-established mayoral strategic authorities, One Public Estate, and others for specific place-based programmes, providing funding across the country.

Homes England will deliver a national programme, drawing on its strong track record of managing major housing and land programmes. Funding has also been devolved to mayoral authorities, with £1.3bn provided to Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, through Integrated Settlements, and £234m to non-established Mayoral Strategic Authorities through the Brownfield Housing Fund. This gives local leaders flexibility to drive delivery in their areas.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms exist to provide financial support for housing developments that include community facilities and retail space in areas lacking basic amenities.

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

My Department has announced £5 billion of land and infrastructure capital grant funding. This funding, to be administered by a new, single National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF) that will complement investment from our National Housing Bank, can be used to address viability gaps on brownfield sites.

NHDF funding is delivered by delivery partners including Homes England, established and non-established mayoral strategic authorities, One Public Estate, and others for specific place-based programmes, providing funding across the country.

Homes England will deliver a national programme, drawing on its strong track record of managing major housing and land programmes. Funding has also been devolved to mayoral authorities, with £1.3bn provided to Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, through Integrated Settlements, and £234m to non-established Mayoral Strategic Authorities through the Brownfield Housing Fund. This gives local leaders flexibility to drive delivery in their areas.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding is available for mixed-use regeneration projects that combine housing and retail development in areas of high deprivation.

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

My Department has announced £5 billion of land and infrastructure capital grant funding. This funding, to be administered by a new, single National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF) that will complement investment from our National Housing Bank, can be used to address viability gaps on brownfield sites.

NHDF funding is delivered by delivery partners including Homes England, established and non-established mayoral strategic authorities, One Public Estate, and others for specific place-based programmes, providing funding across the country.

Homes England will deliver a national programme, drawing on its strong track record of managing major housing and land programmes. Funding has also been devolved to mayoral authorities, with £1.3bn provided to Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, through Integrated Settlements, and £234m to non-established Mayoral Strategic Authorities through the Brownfield Housing Fund. This gives local leaders flexibility to drive delivery in their areas.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what is the average time taken from council approval to development commencement for mixed-use brownfield sites in (a) the West Midlands and (b) England as a whole.

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

My Department does not hold the information requested.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding has been allocated to brownfield regeneration projects in Birmingham in each of the last five years, and what is planned for the next three years.

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

Over the last 5 years, West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) was allocated approximately £140million through the Brownfield Housing Fund. The Combined Authority separately contracted £68.5million in brownfield regeneration projects within Birmingham through the Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land Fund.

We have now launched the National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF) to drive housing delivery, including with support for brownfield regeneration projects. We have allocated £175million to the WMCA through the Integrated Settlement and they will make decisions on how to use that funding to support projects in the region.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of new housing starts in the West Midlands in the last year were on brownfield sites.

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

My Department does not hold the requested information.

The government previously published statistics on the percentage of new residential addresses created on previously developed (brownfield) land. The most recent figures, for 2021-22, can be found on gov.uk here.

My Department is updating the land use statistics, which includes the new residential addresses release, to take advantage of new, more granular data from Ordnance Survey. Publication is expected to resume this year.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many applications for brownfield regeneration funding in the West Midlands have been (a) received, (b) approved and (c) rejected in each of the last three years.

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

Over the past three years, the West Midlands Combined Authority has been allocated approximately £42 million through the Brownfield Housing Fund.

The Combined Authority separately contracted £54.5million in brownfield regeneration projects within West Midlands through the Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land Fund.

Homes England allocates funding for these brownfield programmes via continuous market engagement rather than applications during bidding windows.

The Combined Authority collects and holds information on the specific number of received, approved, and rejected schemes.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the availability of capital funding for brownfield housing developments led by housing associations.

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

My Department has made no such specific assessment.

Registered Providers can bid for grant funding for eligible developments through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme, including those on brownfield land.

My Department launched the National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF) on 1 April 2026. The NHDF will provide c.£5 billion of capital grant funding for infrastructure and land from 2026 to 2030. This includes £1.3 billion allocated through the Integrated Settlement for Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities (EMSAs) to support mayors to deliver more housing over the Spending Review period.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the next spending review will include provision for completing the East Birmingham tram extension.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Extensions to the Birmingham Metro are being delivered by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). WMCA has been allocated £2.4 billion of Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding for the period up until 2031/32. This funding settlement is devolved, and it is for the Mayor to determine how this funding is allocated across the city region in line with local transport priorities. Decisions on funding at future Spending Reviews have not been made and will be taken in the usual way.

Found: UKCommonsCommittees X: @HoCcommitteesUK Youtube: @ukparliament parliament.uk Yours sincerely, Rt Hon Liam Byrne

Found: Yours sincerely, Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP Chair of the Business and Trade Committee 1 Business and

Found: Yours sincerely, Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP Chair of the Business and Trade Committee

Found: Watch the meeting Business and Trade Sub-Committee members present: Liam Byrne (Chair); John Cooper;

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Liam Byrne (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Antonia Bance; John Cooper; Justin

Sustainable Plastics APPG
Wednesday 26th August 2026

Found: Julia Buckley MP says there could be interest from Liam Byrne MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull

Found: attention in Parliament, notably from the Business and Trade Select Committee and its Chairman, Liam Byrne

Found: Letter dated 20/07/2026 from Kate Dearden MP to Liam Byrne MP regarding the Acas Framework document.

Found: Letter dated 20/07/2026 from Kate Dearden MP to Liam Byrne MP regarding the Acas Framework document.

Submit Evidence (by 30 Oct 2026)

The Liaison Committee is examining whether the core tasks that guide select committee work remain fit for purpose. The inquiry will consider how committees can most effectively scrutinise government policy, strategy, spending and public appointments, and whether any changes to committee procedures or parliamentary privilege are needed to support this work.