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

To ask Her Majesty's Government why they are proposing to remove the term "social rent" from the glossary definition of affordable housing on their proposed new National Planning Policy Framework.

In the draft National Planning Policy Framework we have consulted on a revised definition of affordable housing for planning purposes. The proposed definition does not remove social rent as a type of affordable housing. The Government’s rent policy sets out guidelines for rent setting for social rent properties and is specifically referenced in the proposed definition. We are considering whether any further amendments to the definition are needed in the light of the comments received, and intend to publish a final version this summer.