Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on levels of housebuilding in Scotland.
Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
My officials regularly engage with the Scottish Government on a range of matters to exchange learning and share best practice.
Housing and planning are devolved matters, so responsibility for housebuilding policy in Scotland rests with the Scottish Government.
Of particular concern is the increasing number of children living in temporary accommodation in Scotland. And whereas our Prime Minister is determined to end rough sleeping, in Scotland it is on the rise: homelessness charities say this should be a wake-up call for the Scottish Government - and they are right.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to increase access to a) social b) private rented homes for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Our National Plan to End Homelessness will drive long-term sustainable change to address the root causes of homelessness, including housing availability and affordability.
In the Plan, the Government committed to reviewing statutory guidance on social housing allocations in England to ensure it supports wider social housing and homelessness objectives. Work is underway with stakeholders and we will publish updated guidance for consultation next year. In addition, we are legislating through the Social Housing Bill to enable councils to refer a homeless household to a private registered provider of social housing to be offered housing unless the private provider has a good reason not to do so. This is delivering on another commitment made in National Plan to End Homelessness. Finally, we have delivered the biggest boost to grant funding in recent memory through our new 10-year £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme with a core objective to maximise supply, particularly of Social Rent homes.
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026 and strengthens tenants’ rights. The Act ends unfair bidding wars, prevents landlords from demanding large amounts of rent in advance, and tackles rental discrimination. It also bans Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions and provides stronger powers for tenants to challenge excessive rent hikes.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether there will be any a) preference b) requirement for local authorities to deliver Housing First programmes as part of the Rough Sleeping Programme.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As set out in the programme guidance for the Rough Sleeping Programme, local areas (including both Mayoral Strategic Authorities and local authorities) will have flexibility to design both the support and accommodation offer to meet the needs of their area.
For the settled accommodation part of the programme, areas should deliver housing with wraparound support that is suitable for people who have experienced long-term rough sleeping and may experience multiple disadvantage. This may include, but is not limited to, a Housing First approach, which evidence has shown can transform the lives of people with complex needs.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many responses to her Department’s consultation on Tobacco and Vapes: packaging, appearance and display, which closed on 2 October 2026, referred to cigars.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As per standard practice, full details of the responses to the Tobacco and Vapes: packaging, appearance and display consultation, launched on 10 July 2026, will be published in due course alongside the Government’s response to this consultation.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many responses her Department has received to its consultation on Tobacco and Vapes: packaging, appearance and display, which closed on 2 October 2026.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As per standard practice, full details of the responses to the Tobacco and Vapes: packaging, appearance and display consultation, launched on 10 July 2026, will be published in due course alongside the Government’s response to this consultation.