Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if chalk streams will be added to the National Planning Policy Framework as an irreplaceable habitat.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As per the commitment I made in the House on 13 November during consideration of Lords Amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government intend to include explicit recognition of chalk streams in the new suite of national policies for decision-making that we will consult on before the end of this year.
This will ensure that chalk streams are explicitly recognised as features of high environmental value in national planning policy and that clear expectations are set for plan-makers and decision-makers in respect of managing the impacts of development on these sensitive waterbodies.
Asked by: Lord Risby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK's tax regime on foreign direct investment competitiveness.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK has considerable economic strengths. It is the second largest services exporter in the world, the second most attractive location to invest in Europe and is ranked sixth in the Global Innovation Index.
Investment is at the heart of the government’s growth mission and is one of its key pillars alongside stability and reform. The UK continues to champion free trade and global investment, supported by over 70 international trade agreements and a competitive tax regime. Our stable fiscal rules and competitive tax system enable international firms to invest confidently and drive innovation across advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and digital technologies.
Investment is critical to growth and we are taking further steps to make the UK the most attractive destination for global investment. As confirmed at the Budget in November 2025, the government has committed over £120 billion of additional departmental capital spending over the course of the Parliament. This investment is being directed to infrastructure and planning priorities that support growth, including supporting regional growth by bringing new affordable homes and improved transport connectivity to more places and supporting energy and net zero priorities through new nuclear power. The National Wealth Fund and the British Business Bank are catalysing private investment and the new National Housing Bank will extend that catalytic effect to the housing market. The strategy is working: the UK is attracting international investment, with £150 billion of new confirmed inward investment commitments at the US State Visit in September and further commitments at the Regional Investment Summit in October.
In addition, following the commitments in the Corporate Tax Roadmap in 2024, the government continues to maintain the parts of the UK corporate tax offer that are most important for attracting new investment: a low Corporation Tax main rate of 25% - the lowest in the G7 - a flexible and competitive regime for intangible assets, the Patent Box, and one of the most generous and competitive capital allowances regimes in the world.
The UK is an attractive location for groups to locate their headquarters or holding companies, offering broad exemptions for gains on disposals of substantial shareholdings and a broad exemption for dividends paid to UK companies. There are also limited withholding taxes on outbound payments such as dividends, interest and royalties.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government will publish its guidance to local authorities on Neighbourhood Health Plans.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Neighbourhood health will move care out of hospitals and into communities, with more personalised, proactive, and integrated services starting from where and how people live their lives. This will involve building stronger links to wider local government services such as housing, family hubs, and programmes such as Pride in Place, as well as links with wider civil society including the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector.
The Planning Framework for the NHS in England, published on 8 September, reiterates the commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan, that place partners develop a local neighbourhood plan, which integrated care boards will bring together into a population health improvement plan. These local plans will be drawn up by local government, the National Health Service, and its partners at single or upper tier local authority level under the leadership of the Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs).
We will be publishing further guidance to support local areas to develop neighbourhood health plans in due course. This will set out how the NHS, local authorities, and partners should work together under the leadership of HWBs to develop and implement plans.
Asked by: Baroness Maclean of Redditch (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister for Housing on 5 February 2024 (HC8158), what proportion of the budget for social and affordable housing is spent on (1) Ukrainian and Afghan refugee and guests schemes, (2) asylum seekers, (3) migrant workers on the shortage occupation list, (4) dependents of such migrant workers, (5) workers on the health and social care visa scheme and (6) non-UK citizens.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There is not a single budget for social and affordable housing. Most of the income for social housing providers come from rent paid by tenants, some of whom have help from the welfare system to pay it. New social and affordable homes are typically funded by a mix of subsidy from government grant programmes, or through Section 106 agreements in planning permissions, combined with borrowing by landlords against future rental income.
Completed new social homes are allocated to new tenants by local authorities, unless agreed otherwise. Local authorities are responsible for their own allocation scheme for social housing within the framework of legislation.
Eligibility for social housing is tightly controlled. If a person’s visa means that they cannot access state benefits or local authority housing assistance, they are not eligible for an allocation of social housing. Asylum seekers and migrants in the UK on work or student visas are not eligible for social housing.
Data is available for all social housing lettings in England. This data does not include details of official refugee or immigration status, or route into the country. However, it does include details of nationality, based on the self-reported nationality of the lead tenant. The data shows that between April 2024 and March 2025:
These figures are publicly available (attached) in Social housing lettings in England, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the infrastructure and energy requirements of new housing developments, and how those requirements align with net zero and industrial growth strategies.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Reforming the planning system is key to building 1.5 million homes and delivering our modern industrial Strategy. The revised National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that planning policies should positively and proactively encourage sustainable economic growth whilst making sufficient provision for infrastructure and energy. These policies should also have regard to the national Industrial Strategy and any relevant Local Industrial Strategies.
The Government remains committed to meeting its target of net zero emissions by 2050 and recognises the importance of energy efficient buildings in meeting it. We are consulting on a set of national policies for decision-making before the end of the year. We intend to update the energy efficiency standards in the Building Regulations in the next few months.
Asked by: Baroness Northover (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what processes are in place to assess the impact of new housing developments on existing local businesses and industrial areas, and how those assessments are considered when granting building permits.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Planning law requires decision-makers to consider the potential land-use impacts that proposals have on neighbouring development when determining planning applications.
Our National Planning Policy Framework sets out that planning policies and decisions should ensure that new development can be integrated effectively with existing businesses. Where the operation of an existing business could have a significant adverse effect on new development in its vicinity, the applicant (or ‘agent of change’) should be required to provide suitable mitigation before the development has been completed.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which Minister would be responsible for the planning decision regarding the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre following the passage of the Holocaust Memorial Bill.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Arrangements for handling of the planning application for the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre are publicly available on gov.uk here.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the arrangements between local planning authorities and advisory Lead Local Flood Authorities on decision making in the planning system.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) are statutory consultees within the planning system and provide expert advice on surface water drainage for major planning applications, supporting local planning authorities in the decision-making process.
Local planning authorities must take into account comments raised by LLFAs when determining whether to grant planning permission.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure accountability for flood risk considerations in the planning process.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 81948 on 14 October 2025.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of homes in (a) Surrey and (b) England have been built on land classified as grey belt land.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold the requested information.
It is for individual local planning authorities to undertake the necessary assessments to identify if land is grey belt, either through plan making or through considering specific applications that come forward.