Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's report entitled Initial government response - September 2025, published on 28 September 2025, which of the proposed 12 new towns are supported by the local (a) planning and (b) highways authority.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the government’s initial response to the New Towns Taskforce’s final report which can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 77558 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Aviation, whether his Department has a policy on undertaking domestic flights where direct train journeys are available.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
MHCLG has a Travel and Expenses Policy which requires colleagues to consider cost, business need, sustainability and practicability when planning journeys. Low carbon options, such as Rail travel, must be considered first.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 78195 on Housing: Greater London, whether his Department has had discussions with the Greater London Authority on the potential merits of (a) reducing the affordable housing quota in London to help encourage more housebuilding and (b) removing regulatory requirements in planning that only apply to London.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made by the Secretary of State on 23 October 2025 (HCWS991).
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has received the remaining unredacted internal drawings for the proposed development of the Chinese Embassy.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Planning Inspector's Report was received by the Department on 10 June.
Following careful analysis of the report, the Secretary of State referred back to parties on a number of matters, including the redacted drawings, on 6 August. The reference back process is on-going.
Full reasons for the decision and a list of post-inquiry representations will be set out in the final decision letter.
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, how many new house builds have been (a) started and (b) completed since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government publishes quarterly data on planning applications and housing starts and completions.
The latest data on planning application statistics can be found on gov.uk here.
Data on housing starts and completions can be found on gov.uk here.
The main measure of housing supply is net additional dwellings, the latest data on which can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Baroness Eaton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many local authorities will not be able to deliver a five-year housing land supply in their local plan following the decision to increase mandatory housing targets, and which local authorities will not be able to deliver that supply.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The National Planning Policy Frameworks sets out that local authorities should identify and update annually a five-year housing land supply (5YHLS) of deliverable housing sites (with appropriate buffer) for decision making. We have restored this test to safeguard the delivery of homes.
While the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) may be aware of an authority’s 5YHLS position at the time of a specific appeal, this position is not static. It may change over time due to annual updates or as a result of subsequent planning appeal decisions. As such, my Department does not collect live data on the 5YHLS status of individual local planning authorities.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the initial Government response to the independent report entitled New Towns Taskforce, published on 28 September 2025, whether the (a) plan-making for the site and (b) outline planning permissions will be decided by (i) the Government, (ii) development corporations and (iii) local authorities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the government’s initial response to the New Towns Taskforce’s final report which can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to recognise (a) private and (b) communal gardens as a part of green infrastructure in the delivery of (i) net zero and (ii) climate resilience strategies.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework defines green infrastructure as a network of multi-functional green and blue spaces and other natural features – urban and rural – that are capable of delivering a wide range of environmental, economic, health, and wellbeing benefits for nature, climate, local and wider communities and prosperity.
In this context, private and communal gardens can form part of green infrastructure, as they are capable of falling under this broad definition.
The Framework further makes clear that new development should be planned for in ways that avoid increased vulnerability to the range of impacts arising from climate change. When new development is brought forward in areas which are vulnerable, care should be taken to ensure that risks can be managed through suitable adaptation measures, including through incorporating green infrastructure.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support the construction of new build bungalows.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 includes a new Standard Method for assessing housing needs that is aligned to our Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million new safe and decent homes in England by the end of this Parliament.
Indicative local housing need figures resulting from the new Standard Method do not specify the proportion or type of dwelling that should be provided.
The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local planning authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, and reflect this in their Local Plans.
Each Local Plan is subject to a public examination in front of an independent inspector, who plays an important role in examining plans to ensure they are consistent with national policy, supported by evidence and take the views of local people into account.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 September 2025 to Question 76143, on Planning Permission: Multiple Occupation, what guidance his Department provides on whether local authorities are permitted to use an Article 4 Direction to remove permitted development rights for Houses in Multiple Occupation that are specifically occupied by asylum seekers.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We have not issued any such guidance.