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 has taken with Homes England to help support start-up builders.

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

Small and medium sized housebuilders are essential to meeting the government’s housing ambitions and supporting local economies.

The government is acting to support SME housebuilders by increasing their access to land, providing further financial assistance and easing the burden of regulation.

To that end, we have provided a £700 million extension to the Home Building Fund to help them build a further 12,000 homes and doubled the ENABLE Build Guarantee scheme to boost SME access to finance.

We are making more Homes England land available to the sector through SME-only land sales with less bureaucratic sales process.

We have also committed to simplifying the planning system with proposals for a new medium site size definition with corresponding policy and regulatory easements to help SME housebuilders thrive and grow. For further detail, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 16 December 2025 (HCWS1187).

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure the widest set of projects as part of biodiversity net-gain calculations.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Biodiversity net gain (BNG) applies to every planning permission in England granted under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, unless exempted. The Government has announced plans to remove BNG requirements for sites under 0.2 hectares, and that BNG will apply to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects from May this year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of widening the eligibility of the NHS Low Income Scheme to include those who are on a state pension.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

No such assessment has been made. People aged 60 years old and over are automatically entitled to free National Health Service prescriptions and free NHS eye tests.

People on the state pension can apply for the NHS Low Income Scheme and depending on their income and requirements, may receive either full or partial help with health costs. Alternatively, they may be eligible for Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, which provides full help with health costs. Full help covers:

- NHS prescription charges;

- NHS dental treatment charges;

- the cost of sight tests, glasses, and contact lenses;

- the cost of travelling to receive NHS treatment; and

- NHS wigs and fabric supports.

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 ensure that the Kernow Industrial Growth Fund can be deployed as investment capital which can be recouped by Cornwall County Council for future projects.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Funding will be devolved to Cornwall Council, in line with the Government’s devolution agenda, empowering local leaders to invest in projects that best meet local needs. Final release of funding will be subject to a robust business case.

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 provide capacity funding to local authorities for strategic economic development in Cornwall.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is establishing a £30 million fund to invest in Cornwall’s comparative sectoral advantages, including critical minerals, renewable energy and marine innovation, subject to a full business case.

Funding will be devolved to Cornwall Council, in line with the government’s devolution agenda, empowering local leaders to invest in projects that best meet local needs. Project management costs are eligible as part of a capital project budget.

Protections for Cornish produce

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Monica Harding; Noah Law; Brian

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Monica Harding; Noah Law; Brian

Found: Gilbert (Labour; Edinburgh North and Leith) Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat; Esher and Walton) Noah Law

Found: Gilbert (Labour; Edinburgh North and Leith) Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat; Esher and Walton) Noah Law

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Noah Law; David Mundell; James

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Champion (Chair); Janet Daby; Noah Law; David Mundell; James

Submit Evidence (by 15 Apr 2026)

The International Development Committee will explore the FCDO’s approach to higher education and research partnerships as part of its development strategy; how this may shift in response to a reduced aid budget and in the light of the new International Education Strategy; and the medium to long-term benefits of higher education and research partnerships to the UK’s international development goals.