theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled Fairer funding for councils across the country in major reform, published on 20 June 2025, what steps he is taking to ensure the effectiveness of the formula used by his Department to calculate levels of funding based on rural deprivation. \p Alison McGovern: This government is absolutely committed to tackling the issues that matter to rural communities. The Fair Funding Review 2.0 ran from 20 June to 15 August 2025, and proposed reforming the local government funding system.

The updated assessment which was consulted on more effectively captures variations in demand for services within a local authority. It also proposed to continue to apply Area Cost Adjustments to account for the different costs faced in delivering services, including in rural and urban areas. We will ensure our approach is informed by the latest data and evidence.

We are currently considering responses to the consultation and will publish our response in the autumn.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to provide capital funding to local authorities on an annual basis. \p Alison McGovern: The government has taken steps towards the simplification of capital local growth funding by consolidating the Levelling Up Fund, Town Deals and Simplification Pathfinders Pilot Fund into a single Local Regeneration Fund - providing greater flexibility and supporting local leaders to drive growth.

The Fair Funding Review 2.0 set out our plans to consolidate revenue grants in at least four “thematic pots” from 2026/27. We will set out details of the revenue grants that will be consolidated, and our future plans for capital funding, at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement.
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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the affordability of ground rents in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government is committed to addressing unregulated and unaffordable ground rents and we will do this in legislation. We will set out further details on our detailed plans for existing ground rents in due course.

Data on ground rents is collected as part of the English Housing Survey and published in the leasehold experience fact sheet. The latest publication found that 77% of leaseholders currently pay a ground rent with an average ground rent of £304. This publication includes information on ground rents by region.

High ground rents which escalate rapidly create affordability issues both directly through the increased cost leaseholders face by also by making it harder for leaseholders to mortgage or sell their properties. In a 2023 survey undertaken by Propertymark, a leading membership body for property agents, 78 per cent of their members reported that a leasehold property with an escalating ground rent will struggle to sell, even if priced correctly.
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Patricia Ferguson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has considered the potential merits of regulating estate agents to ensure best practise. \p Matthew Pennycook: It is unacceptable for estate agents to withhold offers from sellers because the potential buyer declines to use their additional services. Where there is evidence of such practices, agents can face sanctions including a ban.

The government is committed to protecting people from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents and to improving estate agent standards more generally.

The National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team (NTSEAT) is the lead estate agent enforcement authority. Alongside local authority Trading Standards teams, they are responsible for ensuring estate agents comply with the Estate Agents Act 1979 and other relevant legislation. NTSEAT have powers to issue warnings and banning orders against rogue agents. In cases of conditional selling, it is essential that any misconduct or manipulation in the offer process is reported to help build a clearer picture of the problem and support potential investigations.

My Department engages regularly with NTSEAT to discuss how best to address specific issues, including conditional selling, and continue to look at options to improve standards across the estate agent sector.

The previous government committed to regulate the property agent sector in 2018 and asked a working group chaired by Lord Richard Best to advise them on how best to do it. However, they failed to respond to the recommendations set out in the working group’s 2019 Regulation of Property Agents: working group report which can be found on gov.uk here. We will set out our full position on regulation of estate, letting and managing agents in due course.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of short term holiday lets on accessibility to local housing stock for communities in the Scottish Highlands. \p Matthew Pennycook: As the hon. Member will be aware, housing within Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Government.
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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of the annual income to site owners generated by the 10% commission on park home sales. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 69040 on 24 July 2025.
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2025 to Question 62596 on Greater Manchester Combined Authority: Property Development, what information (a) her Department and (b) Homes England holds on the monetary value of developments that have received funding from the Greater Manchester Housing Investment Loans Fund in each of the last ten years. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Greater Manchester Housing Investment Loan Fund is operated by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). MHCLG and Homes England do not hold information in individual developments in this programme. GMCA is therefore best placed to respond to this question.
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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will consider the potential merits of establishing an (a) Ombudsman service and (b) similar government-supported body to support park home owners. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 63787 on 4 July 2025.
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Sir Ashley Fox:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of potential impact of the Renter's Rights Bill on the supply of private rented housing for people from each (a) income group and (b) geographic region. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government published an Impact Assessment for the Renters' Rights Bill on 22 November 2024. It received a 'Green' rating from the Regulatory Policy Committee, indicating that it is 'fit for purpose'.

While we acknowledge that it will take time for the sector to adjust to a significant change in regulation, we do not believe that our Renters’ Rights Bill will have a harmful impact on future rental supply.

Although landlords have been aware of successive governments’ plans to reform the private rented sector since 2019, the size of the sector as a whole has remained broadly stable since 2013-14.

The Bill will make sure good landlords have the confidence they need to continue to invest and operate in the sector. We will continue to work with good landlords and their representative associations throughout implementation.
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting shared ownership staircasing valuations to be (a) appealed or (b) negotiated by shared owners, using evidence of significant local variations between (i) RICS valuations and (ii) actual sale prices of (1) similar or (2) identical properties. \p Matthew Pennycook: The price paid by shared owners for staircasing is based on the property's full open 'Market Value' (defined in the shared ownership model leases) as determined by an independent Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) valuer.

RICS valuations will include the use of comparable data from recent sales of similar properties in the locality. They will also account for the property's condition and any home improvements, meaning that shared owners do not have to pay a higher price for staircasing as a result of improvements that they have made to the home.

Valuations are normally final and cannot be challenged. However, if in exceptional circumstances the 'Market Value' of the property has not been properly assessed, then a request for a revaluation could be made by the shared owner or the provider.

A RICS valuation is not required on 1% staircasing transactions; instead, the House Price Index is used to determine the price to be paid by the shared owner.
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Bobby Dean:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of financial incentives requested by (a) landlords and (b) agencies on the ability of charities to house rough sleepers. \p Alison McGovern: It is the responsibility of Councils and their partners to develop a range of housing options that reflect local needs, including housing with support and making use of the private rented sector where is suitable for the needs of the individual.

Financial support including helping individuals with deposits, first month’s rent in advance, or one-off payments to landlords can be an effective means of securing private rented tenancies for people who have experienced rough sleeping.
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of waiting times for the processing of Disabled Facilities Grants for people with (a) motor neurone disease and (b) other rapidly progressing diseases. \p Alison McGovern: The government recognises the importance of timely home adaptations, especially for individuals with rapidly progressing conditions, such as motor neurone disease.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide adaptations for people who satisfy a needs assessment, eligibility criteria and a means test, and have powers to agree a more generous local policy.

Local authorities also have a statutory duty to provide a decision on Disabled Facilities Grants applications within 6 months of receipt, and the works must usually be completed within 12 months of the approval date. Government guidance sets out that local authorities should prioritise urgent cases, and work to quicker, best practice timescales. The guidance is available here.

To support effective delivery, government also funds a national body for home improvement

agencies, currently Foundations, to provide support and advice to local authorities to help them deliver the DFG as efficiently as possible.
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Lee Pitcher:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of a national Housing First rollout. \p Alison McGovern: The Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant (RSPARG) is providing a total of £185.6 million to local authorities across England in 2025/26. The RSPARG gives local authorities the flexibility to determine the most suitable rough sleeping services required to meet local need, including support to housing first projects.

The Government has published evaluations of the Housing First pilots on GOV.UK (linked here), which local authorities can use to inform their approach.
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Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to local authorities to support rough sleepers during winter 2025–26; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for rough sleeping. \p Alison McGovern: The Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant (RSPARG) is providing a total of £185.6 million to local authorities across England in 2025/26. The RSPARG gives local authorities the flexibility to determine the most suitable rough sleeping services required to meet local need, this includes providing support over the winter period.
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Sir Oliver Dowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changing the Planning Practice Guidance assessment criteria of identifying grey belt land from being judged as strongly contributing to any one of purposes a, b, or d to moderately contributing. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government has not changed the five purposes of the Green Belt set out in paragraph 143 of the NPPF, and we do not propose to alter its general extent.

The contribution Green Belt land makes to the five purposes is only one consideration in local planning authority decisions relating to the release of Green Belt land.

In its response to the 30 July 2024 to 24 September 2024 consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation, and having considered the feedback received, the government clarified that grey belt land is Green Belt land which does not strongly contribute to Green Belt Purposes (a), (b), and (d).

As set out in Planning Practice Guidance, where grey belt is identified, it does not automatically follow that it should be allocated for development, or released from the Green Belt, or that development proposals will be approved in all circumstances.

I otherwise again refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 39471 on 26 March 2025 and UIN 64265 on 9 July 2025.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to increase funding for homelessness prevention services in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire. \p Alison McGovern: This Government has inherited record levels of homelessness, and we recognise the cost pressures this has put on councils. That is why we have increased funding for homelessness services in 2025/26 by £233 million to nearly £1 billion, alongside a local government finance settlement for 2025/26 which makes available over £69bn for local government, a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024/25.

The Homelessness Prevention Grant is allocated to councils across England based on local homelessness pressures. In 2025/26 the Homelessness Prevention Grant provided £451,899 to Newcastle-under-Lyme, £538,531 to East Staffordshire, £219,530 to South Staffordshire and £240,569 to Staffordshire Moorlands.

In 2025/26 LAs are required to spend 49% of their funding on prevention, relief and staffing activity. This has been introduced, to support areas maintain their homelessness prevention and relief services.

Allocations for the Homelessness Prevention Grant can be found here: Homelessness Prevention Grant allocations: 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure there is sufficient future supported housing to meet demand. \p Alison McGovern: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 69642, on 4 September 2025.
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Lee Pitcher:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help people sleeping rough access long-term and stable accommodation. \p Alison McGovern: Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. We are determined to address this and deliver long term solutions.

The Government is looking at these issues carefully and is developing a new cross government strategy. We are committed to moving away from a system focussed on crisis response, taking a holistic approach to preventing homelessness in the first place and driving better value for money interventions.

The Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant (RSPARG) is providing a total of £185.6 million to local authorities across England in 2025/26. The RSPARG gives local authorities the flexibility to determine the most suitable rough sleeping services, this includes accommodation required to meet local need.
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Jess Asato:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to (a) deliver long-term financial sustainability for the supported housing sector and (b) prevent the decommissioning of supported housing schemes. \p Alison McGovern: Commissioning of local housing-related support services is for local authorities. Local authorities are best placed to decide how their funding is spent locally. For 2025-26, the Government has delivered a Settlement that begins to fix the foundations of local government by providing significant investment. The Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25. The recent Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29.

At the Spending Review, the government also announced £39 billion for a new Social and Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36. The programme is designed with the flexibility necessary to support a greater diversity of social and affordable supply, including supported housing.
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Paula Barker:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the quality of student accommodation. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government is improving the quality of student accommodation by overhauling the regulation of the private rented sector through the Renters’ Rights Bill.

The Bill will provide tenants, including students, with greater security and stability and empower them to challenge bad practice. This change will help increase flexibility and prevent students in the private rented sector from being trapped paying rent for substandard properties – assured periodic tenancies will incentivise timely repairs and better standards.

For purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), only providers signed up to approved government codes will be exempt from the assured system. Quality in private PBSA is safeguarded through government-approved codes of practice, administered by ANUK/UNIPOL, which set rigorous standards for safety, maintenance, and student wellbeing.
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Sir Ashley Fox:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Renter's Rights Bill on the number of court-adjudicated evictions. \p Matthew Pennycook: My Department is working closely with the Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunal Service to ensure that the county courts are ready for the implementation of the Renters' Rights Bill. This includes an ongoing assessment of any additional burdens on the justice system arising from the Bill.
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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to help tackle the intersectional stigma of place-based ageing. \p Alison McGovern: I recognise that people can face challenges as they age, and so I welcome the University of Stirling Research on the Intersectional Stigma of Place-based Ageing and look forward to seeing it's report in due course.

This research is exploring how interventions such as home and environmental modifications can help people to age well within their homes and communities.

This government recognises how important home adaptations are in enabling older and disabled people to live as independently as possible in a safe and suitable environment. This is why government has boosted funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), which can contribute to the cost of adaptations for eligible people of all ages and tenures, to £711 million for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026.

DFG funding helps adapt over 55,000 homes annually, helping disabled people and their families to live independently and well in their own homes and communities for longer.
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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the cost to the public purse of funds spent by local authorities on public persuasion on local government reorganisation. \p Alison McGovern: The government’s invitation to councils is clear on the importance of local engagement in the development of proposals. It is for councils to decide how to do this, including what resource is used, and the department does not hold information on this. Local authorities must have regard to the Recommended Code of Practice on Local Authority Publicity in coming to decisions on communications addressed to the public.
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of abolishing fixed-term assured tenancies in England on the housing market. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government published an Impact Assessment for the Renters' Rights Bill on 22 November 2024. It received a 'Green' rating from the Regulatory Policy Committee, indicating that it is 'fit for purpose'.

My Department has also engaged with a wide range of stakeholders during the development and passage of the Bill, and will continue to do so, as it is implemented.
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Dr Neil Hudson:Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of the Renters Rights Bill on the number of renters who will not be able to request a pet. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Renters’ Rights Bill will give all private rented sector tenants the right to request a pet, which landlords will not be able to unreasonably refuse.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle potential barriers to home ownership for local people in popular tourist destinations. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government recognise that excessive concentrations of short-term lets and second homes impact on the availability and affordability of homes for local residents to buy and rent, as well as local services.

Local authorities are now able to apply a premium of up to 100% extra on the council tax bills of second homes. The premium will provide additional funding for councils and help local leaders to address the impacts of second homes and improve the sustainability of communities where they consider it necessary.

From 31 October 2024, the higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) on additional dwellings were increased from three percentage points above standard rates to five percentage points above standard rates. This is to ensure that those looking to move home, or purchase their first property, have a greater advantage over second home buyers, landlords, and businesses purchasing residential property.

We are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by short-term lets and second homes.
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Neil Coyle:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how (a) temporary accommodation use and (b) all forms of homelessness were factored into assessments of levels of need in the Fair Funding review of local authority needs. \p Alison McGovern: The government has set out our proposal for consolidating funding across all forms of homelessness, through the first multi-year settlement in a decade, in the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation on gov.uk here.

The Fair Funding Review 2.0 includes proposals to roll funding for Temporary Accommodation, currently part of Homelessness Prevention Grant, into the Local Government Finance Settlement Revenue Support Grant and the creation of a consolidated Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Grant thematic pot.

Taking this approach of separating out temporary accommodation funding will end the current tension that forces local authorities to choose between investment in prevention and meeting current temporary accommodation costs, creating dedicated ringfenced funds for the prevention of homelessness and rough sleeping.

This follows the government’s consultation on the Homelessness Prevention Grant. You can read the response to this consultation on gov.uk here.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she plans to respond to the email from the hon. Member for Newton Abbot dated 24 July 2025. \p Alison McGovern: The former minister responded to the hon. Member’s enquiry via correspondence on 29 August. I have sent a copy of the response to his office for reference.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that fractional ownership schemes are adequately regulated to protect consumers. \p Matthew Pennycook: Housing providers offering shared ownership properties that are grant-funded or delivered via Section 106 agreements must use model leases provided by Homes England or the Greater London Authority. These model leases contain a fundamental clause governing how shared ownership operates. Most shared ownership homes are also delivered by Registered Providers of Social Housing, regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing.

However, private developers offering shared ownership outside of grant funding or Section 106 are not required to follow a model lease or be regulated by the Regulator.

Consumers who encounter issues with their shared ownership arrangement may be able to seek support or redress through the Housing Ombudsman Service, where applicable. Other routes may be available depending on the provider and nature of the issue.

The government is considering what more can be done to improve the experience of shared owners.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish data on the number of foreign nationals residing in the UK and living in social housing. \p Matthew Pennycook: Housing is a devolved matter, with each of the four nations of the UK developing their own policies and data collections to monitor the impact of them.

The English Housing Survey published by my Department, which can be found on gov.uk here, shows that there were 431,000 households whose lead tenant was a non-UK national living in social housing in England in 2023/24. This represents 10.4% of all households living in social housing in England at that time (4.1 million households).

It is important to note that such households can contain UK nationals as well as non-UK national lead tenants.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to strengthen statutory requirements on developers to (a) deliver and (b) maintain sustainable drainage systems. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 44742 on 22 April 2025.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the QE2 Conference Centre has made representations to Westminster City Council on the operation of the Westminster Arms pub. \p Matthew Pennycook: The QE2 Conference Centre has not made representations to Westminster City Council on the operation of the Westminster Arms pub.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact that the removal of the Gardens Trust as a statutory consultee in the planning system on (a) local planning authorities, (b) UK tourism, (c) climate change and (d) the sustainability of historic parks and gardens. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government is committed to reviewing the existing statutory consultee arrangements to ensure they align with the government’s ambitions for growth.

As per the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510), we intend to consult on removing a limited number of statutory consultees, including the Gardens Trust.

We also intend to review the range and type of planning applications on which statutory consultees are required to be consulted and consider whether some types of application could be removed, or addressed by alternative means of engagement and provision of expert advice.

Further details will be set out in due course.
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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reconsidering special circumstances permitting green belt development at times when battery energy storage site targets have been exceeded. \p Matthew Pennycook: Where the type of development in question is proposed in the Green Belt it is for decision makers, based on the circumstances of the individual case, to determine whether development inappropriate in Green Belt would be justified by very special circumstances.
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_439

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to require Natural Landscapes to be statutory consultees for housing developments in (a) all areas with high levels of natural landscapes and (b) West Dorset constituency. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government is clear that the bar for being a statutory consultee in the planning system, and therefore having to be consulted on planning applications by law, should be high.

In January 2025 the government declared a moratorium on any new statutory consultees, along with a review of the existing statutory consultee arrangements to ensure they align with the government’s ambitions for growth. Further details can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).

The government has not had discussions with Natural Landscapes about their engagement with the planning system.
wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_440
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_440

Sir Oliver Dowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the decision to end the commissioning of new neighbourhood planning support services on Neighbourhood Plans that have finished their public consultation process. \p Matthew Pennycook: Following the Spending Review, my Department announced that it is unable to commission new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025 onwards.

After more than a decade of taxpayer support, our assessment is that neighbourhood planning should now be possible without further government funding. With more than £71 million of support since 2013, there is now a network of planners and groups with the skills and expertise to prepare neighbourhood plans and to help other communities to do so.

The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests and they continue to have statutory weight in planning decisions. Once passed at referendum, neighbourhood plans form part of the local development plan, which is the starting point in making planning decisions.

We have been clear that we will ensure that local planning authorities continue to be appropriately funded for their neighbourhood planning function. We will announce further detail details in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_441

John Milne:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 65505 on Housing: Construction, what her planned timetable is for improving the system of developer contributions. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government has already taken important steps to strengthen the system of developer contributions. This includes the introduction of new ‘Golden Rules’ for major development involving the provision of housing on land within or released from the Green Belt, and other changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published in December 2024 which will support the increased provision of affordable housing and infrastructure.

The government is taking further action by giving all mayors of strategic authorities the power to raise a Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

We have also committed to updating the planning practice guidance on viability to ensure that the system works to optimise developer contributions, allowing negotiation only where genuinely necessary.

Details of any further changes to strengthen the system of developer contributions will be set out in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_442

David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to provide funding to local authorities for additional planning officers in (a) 2026-27 and (b) 2027-28. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the Question UIN 67508 on 21 July 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_443

David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what planning appeal decisions the Planning Inspectorate has made in relation to Grey Belt land since December 2024 by (a) reference number and (b) local authority. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Planning Inspectorate does not hold the requested information in a readily searchable way, and planning appeals do not have a marker for Grey Belt. As such, it is not possible to identify planning appeal decisions relating to grey belt land since December 2024 in the time available.
wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_444
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_444

Sir Oliver Dowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Local Planning Authorities have an up-to-date local plan. \p Matthew Pennycook: The plan-led approach is, and must remain, the cornerstone of our planning system.

To progress toward our ambition of universal local plan coverage, the government has made clear that it will drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible.

Later this year, we will introduce reforms to accelerate local plan preparation. We will establish a clear 30-month timeline for plans to be prepared and require plans to be kept up-to-date, ensuring a more sustainable pipeline of land for development and supporting the government’s commitments to delivering much-needed homes and infrastructure.

This government has provided in excess of £29 million to local planning authorities this year to support them to get plans in place as soon as possible. In addition, authorities should make the most of other support available through the Local Government Association’s Planning Advisory Service.

This government is committed to taking tough action to ensure local authorities have up-to-date local plans in place. While we hope the need will not arise, we have made clear that we are willing to make full use of available intervention powers – including taking over a local authority’s plan making directly – if local plans are not progressed as required.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_445

Steve Barclay:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of enforcement powers available to local authorities in respect of developers who fail to comply with planning conditions on a site, while continuing to submit further planning applications within the same local authority area. \p Matthew Pennycook: Guidance on local planning authorities’ enforcement powers can be found in the relevant planning practice guidance on gov.uk here.

Enforcement is at the discretion of local planning authorities and it is for them to decide how and when they use their powers.

The government believes the current powers remain appropriate but will continue to keep the operation of the enforcement system under review.
wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_446
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_446

Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing immediate stop notices with penalties for breaches to help reduce cases of members of the travelling community developing on Green Belt land. \p Matthew Pennycook: Enforcement is at the discretion of local planning authorities. They have a wide range of powers with strong penalties for non-compliance and it is for them to decide how and when they use those powers depending on the circumstances of each case.

The government has no plans to amend local planning authorities’ enforcement powers at this time. We will, however, continue to keep the operation of the enforcement system under review.

With regard to capacity and capability, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 67508 on 14 July 2025.
wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_447
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_447

Sarah Edwards:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain requirements on the delivery of small-scale (a) industrial and (b) commercial projects. \p Matthew Pennycook: On 28 May 2025, the government published a consultation on improving the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation closed on 24 July 2025 and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is considering the responses received.
wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_448
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_448

Anna Dixon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for publishing the outcome of the technical consultation on the reform of planning committees. \p Matthew Pennycook: We are considering responses to the consultation in question and will publish a response in due course.
wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_449
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_449

Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans take to ensure that communities are (a) notified of and (b) consulted on planning applications in their areas. \p Matthew Pennycook: Planning law requires local planning authorities to publicise planning applications through various means, including site notices, advertisements in local newspapers, and publishing information on their website. We are exploring ways to enhance community engagement through the greater digitalisation of the planning system. This will help remove barriers to participation in the planning application process, including among those in representative community groups.
wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_450
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_450

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish all correspondence between her Department and (a) DP9 and (b) Rule 6 parties relating to the Chinese Embassy subsequent to the ending of the planning inquiry. \p Matthew Pennycook: Parties' responses to the reference back letter will be listed in the final decision letter and will be publicly available when that letter is published.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_451

Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when her Department plans (a) to (i) launch and (ii) close the public consultation on enfranchisement valuation methodology under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 and (c) to publish the findings of that consultation; and by what date she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to implement those findings. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 68213 on 23 July 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_452

Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the policy paper entitled Planning Reform Working paper: Reforming Site Thresholds, published on 28 May 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Medium site threshold category's requirement for (a) an area of between 0.5 and 1 hectares and (b) between 10-49 dwellings on developers. \p Matthew Pennycook: On 28 May 2025, the government published the Planning Reform Working Paper: Reforming Site Thresholds which can be found on gov.uk here. We are currently considering the responses received and will set out next steps in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-15 conversation_453

Charlotte Nichols:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to encourage empty homes to become occupied. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 59458 on 20 June 2025.