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 the speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 8 July 2024, whether additional funding will be provided for the recruitment of 300 planning officers.

In our manifesto, we committed to hiring 300 planners over the next five years. We are looking at a variety of options to ensure that these are recruited in a way that best supports housing delivery. We will update Parliament on our progress in the usual manner, including on funding.

The department’s wider Planning Capability and Capacity programme continues to provide the direct support to Local Planning Authorities that is needed now and to develop the recruitment pipeline into the planning profession.