Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department’s consultation entitled Reforming planning rules to accelerate deployment of digital infrastructure will consider increasing permitted width upgrades to existing ground-based mobile masts alongside proposed increases to permitted height upgrades.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The call for evidence, Reforming planning rules to accelerate the deployment of digital infrastructure, closed on 26 February 2026 and was jointly led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It sought views on a range of proposals to reform planning rules in England to support investment in, and the rollout of, digital infrastructure.
These proposals focused on expanding permitted development rights for digital infrastructure such as ground-based masts, rooftop equipment and fibre exchanges, as well as extending the period for temporary deployment without planning permission. This included proposals to increase the height of ground-based masts, including monopoles, currently permitted under prior approval.
As part of the review of responses, we will assess the evidence received, including where it may relate to limits on infrastructure size permitted under existing planning regulations, to inform ongoing policy development in this area. Subject to the evidence, we will determine next steps, which may include consulting on draft measures and, where appropriate, bringing forward legislation.
Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with the EU on the 90/180-day rule for UK nationals visiting the Schengen area; and whether it plans to seek changes to that rule.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
HMG officials and Ministers, including myself, regularly engage the EU and EU Member State counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals.
The UK and the EU allow for visa-free, short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals. The UK allows EU citizens visa-free travel for up to six months; the EU allows for visa-free travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period which is standard for third nationals travelling visa-free to the EU. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.
Asked by: Lord Banner (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Levitt on 26 February (HL14912), whether their answer was informed by statistical data relating to the duration taken to determine cases concerning challenges to planning permissions granted under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in 2025 and 2026; and if so, what patterns this data showed, (1) compared to the target timescales set out in the Practice Direction, and (2) compared to performance in previous years.
Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Written Answer of 26 February 2026 (HL14912) was informed, not by statistical data, but by the knowledge of the Planning Liaison Judge, based on his work as judge in charge managing claims in the Planning Court.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
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 delays related to the Planning Inspectorate’s processes of appeals against local authority enforcement notices have on the ability of councils to comply with planning law; what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that enforcement action is not undermined by appeal processing times.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to the efficient handling of planning appeals, and the Planning Inspectorate has been working to improve processing and handling times in respect of them. As part of those efforts, it is trialling a pilot service of enforcement appeals through digital services.
The Planning Inspectorate's Strategic Plan commits to removing all casework backlogs by 2027. The Inspectorate continues to make considerable progress towards meeting that ambition across all casework areas.
To help improve service delivery and user experience, the Inspectorate is expanding the ‘Manage your appeals’ service to include enforcement.
In 2025/26, funding increased for PINS’s Resource Delivery budget (to £97.9 million) and their Capital Budget (to £15 million).
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support Ofsted in processing the backlog of applications for the a) registration and b) inspections of residential family centres.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Twenty Residential Family Centres have been registered by Ofsted since 1 April 2025, with three registrations rejected following a registration visit. Ofsted undertake a range of checks as part of the registration process, including ensuring Residential Family Centres have the correct planning permission and staff teams in place. While efficiencies in handling applications are necessary, they must not come at the expense of the scrutiny needed to ensure safe, high-quality provision. Residential Family Centres are inspected once in every three-year period.
Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, Ofsted forecast to complete 54 full inspections, and have completed 56. In addition, two Residential Family Centres had their inspections brought forward into the previous inspection year due to identified concerns.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the final version of the Section 106 agreement for the Chinese Embassy planning permission.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All Inquiry documents for this case are publicly available on Tower Hamlets’ website here.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 protect settlement hierarchy and the character of rural villages in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency. .
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 103589 on 14 January 2026 and UIN 104394 on 15 January 2026.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many data centre developments have been granted consent under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
To date, no data centres have been granted consent under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had discussions with EU counterparts on establishing reciprocal arrangements for the duration of visa-free tourist stays between the UK and countries in the Schengen Area.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
HMG officials and Ministers, including myself, regularly engage the EU and EU Member State counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals.
The UK and the EU allow for visa-free, short-term travel in line with their respective arrangements for third country nationals. The UK allows EU citizens visa-free travel for up to six months; the EU allows for visa-free travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period which is standard for third nationals travelling visa-free to the EU. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
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 made an estimate of the number of playing fields that will be developed as a result of proposals to remove Sport England as a statutory consultee.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) includes strong protections for existing open space, sports and recreational buildings, and land, including playing fields, setting out that they should not be built on unless they are no longer needed, equivalent or better provision is made, or the development is for alternative sports or recreational provision which offers benefits that clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use.
The government recently consulted on a new NPPF that includes clearer, more rules-based policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation included updated policy on development affecting existing recreation facilities, including playing fields. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.
The government is committed to maintaining and improving our stock of playing fields. We recognise that Sport England can play a valuable strategic role in supporting local planning authorities in the development of local planning policy. However, we do not believe that statutory consultation on individual cases to a national body is proportionate.
In our recent consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system, we proposed a series of mitigations which could minimise the potential impacts of removing Sport England’s statutory consultee status, while delivering the benefits of reducing regulatory requirements. These include the introduction of a new notification requirement in relation to housing and commercial development on playing fields. Under this approach, local planning authorities would be required to notify Sport England when such applications would result in the wholesale or substantial loss of playing fields.
The consultation closed on 13 January 2026, and we are currently analysing the feedback received.