Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to encourage the prioritisation of retrofitting over demolition and rebuilding for (a) public buildings, (b) high-rise flats and (c) other public housing.

It is important to find the right balance between demolition and retrofitting of buildings to enable sustainable development.

We believe that consideration of the prioritisation allotted to retrofit compared to demolition is best addressed through a holistic review of national planning policy as part of our programme of changes to the planning system. We have also committed to consulting this year on our approach to measurement and reduction of embodied carbon in new buildings.

Planning is a devolved power, so it is up to each individual Administration to decide how they wish to develop policy in these areas.