Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help ensure that rural communities have access to affordable housing.

The government is committed to boosting the supply of rural social and affordable housing.

The new National Planning Policy Framework strengthens support for Rural Exception Sites which enable additional affordable housing to be brought forward on small, unallocated sites with land provided at below market value.

The Social and Affordable Homes Programme also provides grant rate flexibility to cover the higher upfront costs of building affordable housing in rural areas.