Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
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 on existing freehold homeowners of the time taken in commencing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 relating to estate management charges.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he expects the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 relating to estate management charges for freehold homeowners to be commenced during the 2026 calendar year.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he expects to lay before Parliament the secondary legislation required to implement the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 relating to estate management charges.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
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 hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon and their constituents to discuss how to improve access to appropriate accommodation for families with significant medical needs.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Government recognises how important the right home environment is in enabling disabled people to live as safely, well and independently as possible.
As part of the legislative framework for social housing allocations, Local Housing Authorities are required to give reasonable preference (priority) to people who need to move on medical or welfare grounds, including grounds relating to a disability. This is to ensure that social housing goes to those who need it most.
The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published on 12 December 2024, requires local planning authorities to assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those of disabled people, and to reflect this in planning policies. Where an identified need exists, plans are expected to help bring forward an adequate supply of accessible housing. This can include setting out the proportion of new homes to be delivered to accessibility standards. The government will shortly set out its policies on accessible new build housing, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring everyone has access to a safe, suitable home.
The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is a capital grant administered by local authorities in England that can help meet the cost of adaptations for people of all ages and tenures to make their home safe and suitable for their needs.
The DFG is there to enable all eligible disabled people to access vital home adaptations, subject to a needs assessment and means test. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide adaptations for people who satisfy a needs assessment, eligibility criteria and a means test, and have powers to agree a more generous local policy. To support this duty, government have boosted funding for the DFG to £711 million for both 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Government continues to keep all aspects of the DFG under consideration. We have consulted on a new approach to allocating DFG funding to local authorities in England to ensure funding for the grant is better aligned with local needs. Responses have been carefully analysed and we are now considering next steps.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to help families in which at least one person has a serious medical condition to access appropriate housing.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Government recognises how important the right home environment is in enabling disabled people to live as safely, well and independently as possible.
As part of the legislative framework for social housing allocations, Local Housing Authorities are required to give reasonable preference (priority) to people who need to move on medical or welfare grounds, including grounds relating to a disability. This is to ensure that social housing goes to those who need it most.
The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published on 12 December 2024, requires local planning authorities to assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those of disabled people, and to reflect this in planning policies. Where an identified need exists, plans are expected to help bring forward an adequate supply of accessible housing. This can include setting out the proportion of new homes to be delivered to accessibility standards. The government will shortly set out its policies on accessible new build housing, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring everyone has access to a safe, suitable home.
The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is a capital grant administered by local authorities in England that can help meet the cost of adaptations for people of all ages and tenures to make their home safe and suitable for their needs.
The DFG is there to enable all eligible disabled people to access vital home adaptations, subject to a needs assessment and means test. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide adaptations for people who satisfy a needs assessment, eligibility criteria and a means test, and have powers to agree a more generous local policy. To support this duty, government have boosted funding for the DFG to £711 million for both 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Government continues to keep all aspects of the DFG under consideration. We have consulted on a new approach to allocating DFG funding to local authorities in England to ensure funding for the grant is better aligned with local needs. Responses have been carefully analysed and we are now considering next steps.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will reform the Disabled Facilities Grant system to improve support for families who need to move to access an adaptable property.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Government recognises how important the right home environment is in enabling disabled people to live as safely, well and independently as possible.
As part of the legislative framework for social housing allocations, Local Housing Authorities are required to give reasonable preference (priority) to people who need to move on medical or welfare grounds, including grounds relating to a disability. This is to ensure that social housing goes to those who need it most.
The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published on 12 December 2024, requires local planning authorities to assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those of disabled people, and to reflect this in planning policies. Where an identified need exists, plans are expected to help bring forward an adequate supply of accessible housing. This can include setting out the proportion of new homes to be delivered to accessibility standards. The government will shortly set out its policies on accessible new build housing, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring everyone has access to a safe, suitable home.
The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is a capital grant administered by local authorities in England that can help meet the cost of adaptations for people of all ages and tenures to make their home safe and suitable for their needs.
The DFG is there to enable all eligible disabled people to access vital home adaptations, subject to a needs assessment and means test. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide adaptations for people who satisfy a needs assessment, eligibility criteria and a means test, and have powers to agree a more generous local policy. To support this duty, government have boosted funding for the DFG to £711 million for both 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Government continues to keep all aspects of the DFG under consideration. We have consulted on a new approach to allocating DFG funding to local authorities in England to ensure funding for the grant is better aligned with local needs. Responses have been carefully analysed and we are now considering next steps.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to strengthen national guidance on accessible housing provision within local plans.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Government recognises how important the right home environment is in enabling disabled people to live as safely, well and independently as possible.
As part of the legislative framework for social housing allocations, Local Housing Authorities are required to give reasonable preference (priority) to people who need to move on medical or welfare grounds, including grounds relating to a disability. This is to ensure that social housing goes to those who need it most.
The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published on 12 December 2024, requires local planning authorities to assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those of disabled people, and to reflect this in planning policies. Where an identified need exists, plans are expected to help bring forward an adequate supply of accessible housing. This can include setting out the proportion of new homes to be delivered to accessibility standards. The government will shortly set out its policies on accessible new build housing, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring everyone has access to a safe, suitable home.
The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is a capital grant administered by local authorities in England that can help meet the cost of adaptations for people of all ages and tenures to make their home safe and suitable for their needs.
The DFG is there to enable all eligible disabled people to access vital home adaptations, subject to a needs assessment and means test. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide adaptations for people who satisfy a needs assessment, eligibility criteria and a means test, and have powers to agree a more generous local policy. To support this duty, government have boosted funding for the DFG to £711 million for both 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Government continues to keep all aspects of the DFG under consideration. We have consulted on a new approach to allocating DFG funding to local authorities in England to ensure funding for the grant is better aligned with local needs. Responses have been carefully analysed and we are now considering next steps.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
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 is taking to improve the provision of supported accommodation for (a) young people and (b) adults with special needs and disabilities in (i) Stratford-on-Avon constituency and (ii) Warwickshire.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises the important role played by supported housing in helping disabled young people and adults, as well as other vulnerable people, to live safely, well and independently. The Affordable Housing Programme 2021-26 includes delivery of supported housing. At the Spending Review, the government announced £39 billion for a new Social and Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36. In particular, the government recognises some types of homes that are much needed can often cost more to deliver. The new programme is designed to be flexible to support the greater diversity of supply needed, and we are asking providers, including supported housing providers, to come forward with ambitious bids that reflect this diversity.
In addition, social housing rent policy exempts ‘specialised supported housing’ - serving those with the most complex needs, including people with learning disabilities and or autism, and mental health issues – from the Rent standard. This means providers can set rents that enable them to finance and bring forward high cost, high-specification housing to meet the needs of this cohort.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
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 his Department's policy paper entitled UK government response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) market study into housebuilding, published on 22 October 2024, when he plans to implement the recommendations agreed to in that paper.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is already acting on many of the CMA’s recommendations and remains fully committed to delivering solutions that address the challenges identified in its October 2024 market study into housebuilding.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
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 she taking to ensure that ECP assessment reports include the full list of recommendations.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The recommendations included within an EPC are generated automatically by the software used, based on the information collected during an assessment. The department sets out a number of requirements to ensure that EPCs are accurate and therefore contain appropriate recommendations for the building which has been assessed. We require accreditation schemes to verify that any prospective members have met the competency criteria for the strand applied for (by way of a qualification or through Approved Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)) before they are accredited as an energy assessor. Assessors are also required to undertake ongoing continuing professional development to maintain their competency.
We also require accreditation schemes to audit a sample of assessments to ensure they are accurate and have been undertaken as per agreed requirements.
Additionally, any software used for undertaking an energy assessment must be validated to ensure that it is operating in line with the relevant approved calculation methodology.