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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the provision of sufficient affordable housing in rural areas to enable young people to remain in the villages where they live and work, ensuring the long-term viability of those communities.

The government recently consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework, that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making.

That consultation includes proposals to strengthen support for rural exception sites, which deliver affordable housing to meet local needs in rural areas, and to make it easier for authorities to require affordable housing on smaller sites in rural areas.

We have confirmed a new 10-year £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme to kickstart social and affordable housebuilding at scale across the country.

I otherwise refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statements made on 2 July 2025 (HLWS770 attached) and 28 January (HLWS1283 attached).