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 adequacy of the time taken to finalise infrastructure agreements for residential planning permissions.

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

Developers may be asked to provide contributions for infrastructure in several ways. Planning obligations, in the form of S106 agreements, should only be used where it is not possible to address unacceptable impacts through a planning condition.

The government is aware that the negotiation of S106 agreements can create delays in the planning process and increase costs for developers and local planning authorities. As per the Written Ministerial Statement made on 28 January 2026 (HCWS1286), the government intend to work closely with local planning authorities, registered providers and developers to deliver a series of measures that will provide for a simpler, more transparent and more resilient S106 system. These include a standardised template S106 agreement to speed up the process of drafting and concluding new S106 agreements.

Section 278 agreements may also be required where developers need to carry out essential highways improvements to facilitate their projects. It is important that both developers and highways authorities engage early on the works needed to support development proposals to ensure timely decisions

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a charge which can be levied by local authorities on new development in their area. The levy only applies in areas where a local authority has consulted on, and approved, a charging schedule which sets out its levy rates and has published the schedule on its website. Where CIL is in place for an area, charging authorities should work proactively with developers to ensure they are clear about the authorities’ infrastructure needs. My Department’s published guidance on CIL can be found on gov.uk here.

Any local planning authority that receives a developer contribution through CIL or S106 planning obligations is required to publish an Infrastructure Funding Statement at least annually, ensuring a transparent and accountable system.

To support local planning authorities in negotiating and concluding agreements in a timely manner, the government is investing in their capacity and capability. At the Autumn Budget 2024, the Chanceller 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. This funding supports the recruitment of new planners and targeted skills development through the Planning Advisory Service, helping local authorities manage S106 and CIL processes effectively and accelerate infrastructure delivery.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the new Deputy Prime Minister will have an office in 70 Whitehall office; how many staff he will have; and whether he plans to create an Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Answered by David Lammy - Deputy Prime Minister

The Deputy Prime Minister has an office in Dover House. He is supported by an Office of Deputy Prime Minister which coordinates work across Departments and supports the delivery of the Deputy Prime Minister’s priorities.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the policy responsibilities will be of the new Deputy Prime Minister; and whether he will have responsibility for (a) industrial relations and (b) employment law.

Answered by David Lammy - Deputy Prime Minister

Responsibilities of the Deputy Prime Minister are published on gov.uk.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to ensure the Modern Service Framework for Palliative and End of Life Care is put into practice by ICBs.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We will publish an interim update on the Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care shortly. The final MSF will be published this autumn.

The MSF will provide a clinically-led, evidence-based framework to support sustained improvement in patient and carer outcomes, including reducing both inequality and unwarranted variation. Areas of action will be identified for those commissioning and delivering services, with associated performance and outcome metrics to support system accountability. The MSF will seek to embed palliative care and end-of-life care within a strategic commissioning model that is centred on population need.

We have been engaging with a range of stakeholders, from approximately 70 organisations, to inform the MSF’s development, including the Ambitions Partnership. We are also undertaking engagement with integrated care systems through National Health Service regional teams. We have also been working closely with teams leading on the other MSFs, to ensure that they align with each other.

Following the publication of the interim update, Department and NHS England officials will continue to engage closely with stakeholders on the development of the final MSF.

Energy Conservation

Found: Harris (Conservative, Castle Point) (added 30 Jul 2024; removed 18 Nov 2024) 5 of 7 (71.4%) Paul Holmes

Found: Parr, Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC) Marie Anderson, The Police Ombudsman Paul Holmes