Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
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 homelessness accommodation providers' reliance on Housing Benefit as an income source on homelessness services.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department for Work and Pensions provides Housing Benefit subsidy to local authorities to help meet the cost of supporting households in temporary accommodation. In Great Britain, local authorities spent approximately £1.4 billion on Housing Benefit for temporary accommodation in 2024/25, of which around £980 million was subsidised. In addition, the Government is providing just over £3.6 billion in homelessness and rough sleeping funding to English local authorities between 2026/27 and 2028/29. The cross-government Homelessness Value for Money Review has identified pressures across the temporary accommodation and supported housing sectors, including rising costs, increasing demand, and provider sustainability. It is considering whether current funding arrangements support effective homelessness prevention, deliver good outcomes for service users, and provide long-term value for money for taxpayers. The review is expected to conclude in advance of Spending Review 2027.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many retrospective planning applications have remained undetermined by local planning authorities for more than (a) six, (b) twelve and (c) eighteen months since validation; and what guidance his Department has issued to local planning authorities on enforcement action in cases where commercial operations are conducted on sites subject to outstanding retrospective applications for development carried out without prior planning consent.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not collect data specifically relating to the number of retrospective planning applications.
Guidance on enforcement action can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a system of proportional representation for Parliamentary elections.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Government has no plans to change the voting system for Parliamentary elections.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a tenancy support duty for possessions proceedings for the private rented sector.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Renters’ Rights Bill will support quicker, cheaper resolution when there are disputes, preventing them escalating to court. A new ombudsman service for the private rented sector will provide fair, impartial and binding resolution to both landlords and tenants.
My department will continue to work alongside the Ministry of Justice to explore options for pre-action resolution, to help ensure that only cases which need adjudication come to court.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to tackle overcrowding in Bolton South East constituency.
Answered by Jacob Young
We are committed to reducing overcrowding by increasing the supply of affordable housing and enabling councils and other social landlords to make better use of their existing stock.
Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes for both rent and to buy right across the country.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating protections for landscapes featured in classic works of literature under planning rules.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
While literary landscapes are not subject to a separate designation within the planning system, they are protected more generally through the National Planning Policy Framework. For example, the Framework states that planning policies and decisions should recognise the character and beauty of the countryside, and local authorities are expected to protect heritage assets which can include landscapes.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether there is a set amount of match funding needed for charities and organisations to access Community Ownership Fund support.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
Information on the fund is set out in the COF prospectus published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the Brownfield Land Release Fund on (a) retrofits of industrial buildings, (b) housing pressures, (c) economic growth and (d) place-based renewal.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Brownfield Land Release Fund was launched in April 2021 and is supporting local authorities to release their surplus brownfield sites for housing by March 2024.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the proportion of houses that have an EPC rating of (a) A, (b) B, (c) C, (d) D and (e) E in Bolton South East constituency.
Answered by Lee Rowley
This information is publicly available on the Open Data Service.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of updating the valuations upon which Council Tax bands are set.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Policy announcements will be set out in the usual way.