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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to change the definition of affordable housing to reflect the higher cost of housing in London.

The definition of affordable housing for planning purposes is set out in Annex 2 to the National Planning Policy Framework, and the Housing White Paper sets out proposed changes to the definition as part of our plan to help households who are currently priced out of the housing market to buy or rent a home of their own. The Mayor must have regard to national planning policy when preparing the Spatial Development Strategy and Supplementary Planning Guidance for Greater London.

The Government recently agreed a record-breaking £3.15 billion funding for affordable housing that will deliver at least 90,000 new homes in London. London will also get a share of the additional £1.4 billion investment in affordable housing announced at Autumn Statement.