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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for the publication of the Future Homes Standard announced by his Department in 2019; and whether that standard will apply to the whole of the UK.

The Government remains committed to meeting its target of net zero emissions by 2050 and recognises the important contribution that the energy efficiency of buildings has to make in meeting it.

We have proposed an ambitious uplift in the energy efficiency of new homes through the introduction of the Future Homes Standard from 2025. We expect that homes built to the Future Homes Standard will have carbon dioxide emissions 75-80 per cent lower than those built to current Building Regulations standards, which means they will be fit for the future, with low carbon heating and very high fabric standards.

Ahead of this, we have consulted on a meaningful and achievable increase to the energy efficiency standards for new homes to act as a stepping stone to the Future Homes Standard. The Future Homes Standard consultation closed on 7 February. The responses we received will be considered carefully, and a government response will be published in due course.

These matters relate to England only, as Building Regulations are a devolved matter.