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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the health benefits of retirement housing and its potential in reducing local authority adult social care bills.

Ministers and officials from both departments meet when necessary to discuss a range of issues of interest to both departments.

Older people have a wide range of different housing needs, ranging from suitable and appropriately located market housing through to residential institutions and we are clear in the National Planning Policy Framework that councils should plan for a mix of housing, based on the needs of different groups in the community, including older people. We strengthened planning guidance last year to reinforce our expectations.

Housing is an important element to people's health and wellbeing and provision of suitable housing can and does play a role within the wider integration of health and social care to which we are committed.