theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with the National Grid on their proposed Norwich to Tilbury pylon project. \p Michael Shanks: Details of Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.
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Steve Witherden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to end fossil fuel (a) extraction, (b) exports and (c) imports. \p Michael Shanks: The Government will consult on the implementation of its commitment to not issue new oil and gas licences to explore new fields in due course. It does not intend to revoke existing licences.

The Government has announced it will introduce new legislation to restrict the future licensing of new coal mines in Great Britain. The last coal fired power station closed in October 2024.

The Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan paves the way to decarbonising the wider economy by 2050 as it pursues the electrification of heat in buildings, transport, and industry.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of off-grid properties that will benefit from the Warm Homes: Local Grant in Bedfordshire. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Warm Homes: Local Grant will deliver upgrades to low-income homes both on and off the gas grid. Local Authorities (LAs) in receipt of the Grant will choose which homes to prioritise for upgrades, based on local needs and resident interest.

LAs have submitted Expressions of Interest to participate in the Grant, which included non-binding indications of the proportion of off-gas grid properties to be treated. LAs have not yet been allocated funding. Until allocations have been confirmed, we cannot estimate the number of off-gas grid properties that will benefit from the scheme.
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Andrew Bowie:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent progress his Department has made on implementing the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) prototype fusion power plant at West Burton. \p Kerry McCarthy: On 16 January 2025, the Government announced £410m of investment to accelerate development of fusion energy. This is to fund UK fusion programmes in 2025-2026, including STEP.

On the same day, UKIFS – the UKAEA subsidiary that will deliver STEP – announced the shortlist of construction and engineering partners selected for the next stage of the STEP procurement process. Contracts for successful bidders are set to be awarded by early 2026. By involving private industry early, the programme will maximise development of the fusion supply chain and adjacent sectors. Other progress in recent months includes the formal transfer of the programme’s leadership to the delivery body, UKIFS.
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Steve Witherden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to limit the UK’s CO2 emissions to its proportionate share of the remaining global carbon budget for 1.5°C. \p Kerry McCarthy: The latest assessments by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) show that the pathway to 1.5°C remains open, but only if urgent action is taken. The UK is a global leader in the fight against climate change, which is why at COP29, the Prime Minister announced the UK’s 1.5°C aligned 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels. This target is estimated to reduce emissions by more than 60% between 2019 and 2035, aligning with the reductions in the IPCC’s global pathways which limit warming to 1.5°C with low or no overshoot. The UK’s commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050 is also consistent with these pathways, as confirmed by the UK’s Climate Change Committee in advice provided in June 2019 and December 2020.
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Sarah Green:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the requirement to apply for a licence to install electric car charging units in leasehold properties on the number of applications for such installations. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government remains committed to making it easier, cheaper, and quicker to install chargepoints. To support the transition for those living and working in leasehold properties, grants are available towards the purchase and installation of chargepoint grants. We continue to monitor and assess how leaseholders can be best supported to install home chargers.
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James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities in improving road safety on rural roads; and if she will take steps with East Sussex County Council to help improve road safety on the C7 road between Newhaven and Lewes. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department recognises that the majority of road fatalities (according to the latest statistics) occurred on rural roads (60%) with fewer fatalities on urban roads (35%) and motorways (5%).

We have awarded local authorities £185.8 million of funding between 2017 and 2024 through the Safer Roads Fund to improve the safety of England's most high risk 'A' roads. To date, it has funded 445.3 miles of rural roads which make up 62.4% of all funded routes.

My Government is developing a road safety strategy, the first in over ten years, and we will set out more details in due course.

East Sussex County Council is responsible for making decisions about roads in their area and as such, is best placed to bring forward proposals to improve safety on the C7 road.
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish a timetable for a decision on the funding of the M54-M6 North link. \p Lilian Greenwood: Funding for the M54 to M6 Link Road is subject to the multi-year Spending Review, and assurances cannot be provided on individual projects until the conclusion of the Spending Review.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to prevent the unnecessary felling of healthy trees on network rail infrastructure. \p Lilian Greenwood: The rail estate Network Rail manages is estimated to include over six million trees. Network Rail’s main priority must be the safe and reliable operation of the railway which will mean that in some cases the felling of healthy trees will be necessary and the reconfiguring of woodland canopy a safe distance from the rail line is sensible. Network Rail has committed to achieve no net loss of biodiversity across the network by 2024 and a net-gain of biodiversity across the network by 2035.

Network Rail is also working with the Forestry Commission to identify opportunities for tree planting on land neighbouring the rail estate and has committed £1.2m for community tree planting through the Tree Council over the next five years.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Q16 of the oral evidence given by the Chair of Shadow Great British Railways to the Transport Select Committee on 22 January 2025, HC 554, how many people work in GBRX/Great British Railways Innovation (a) by headcount and (b) on a full-time equivalent basis. \p Simon Lightwood: GBRX at present has a core team of 10 people, all of whom are full time.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Q9 of the oral evidence given by the Chair of Shadow Great British Railways to the Transport Select Committee on 22 January 2025, HC 554, when her Department expects to publish Shadow Great British Railways' delivery plan. \p Simon Lightwood: Officials are working with Shadow Great British Railways to set out and agree what their organisations will deliver both individually and collectively to make a difference for rail customers ahead of the creation of Great British Railways. The Department intends to publish these plans in the Spring.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people work in the Great British Railways Transition Team on (a) headcount and (b) full-time equivalent basis. \p Simon Lightwood: The Great British Railways Transition Team, including resource for the Fares, Ticketing and Retail programme, currently has a headcount of 235 staff. This equates to 228.9 full-time equivalent.
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Ann Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing the electrification of the rail network in Wales to the same level as England on rail journey times in Wales. \p Simon Lightwood: Electrification of the rail network is one of a number of factors, including timetables, rolling stock and possible infrastructure works, which can improve journeys. The Wales Rail Board is responsible for assessing and recommending rail investments to support improved services and deliver Net Zero decarbonisation obligations, working in partnership with the two governments and the transport industry.
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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of the consultation on the Integrated National Transport Strategy: a call for ideas, published on 28 November 2024. \p Mike Kane: The Department for Transport launched the Integrated National Transport Strategy: a call for ideas on GOV.UK on 28 November 2024, with more information available at the following link - https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/integrated-national-transport-strategy-a-call-for-ideas/integrated-national-transport-strategy-a-call-for-ideas.

The Call for Ideas document is published in line with the Government’s Publishing Accessible Documents guidance and is in HTML format, making it easier for users to read and navigate. The survey for users to respond to is also hosted on an accessible platform and the option to respond via post is provided.

Any requests for an alternative format can be requested by emailing xxx@xxx.xx.
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Sojan Joseph:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 21357 on Large Goods Vehicles: Concrete, what her Department's planned timetable is for publishing its findings. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department will publish its findings shortly.
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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department plans to make a decision on the business case for Southern Rail access to Heathrow Airport. \p Simon Lightwood: Whilst discussions with promoters of schemes for a southern rail access route to Heathrow have taken place in recent years, no business case has yet been produced.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support Demand Responsive Transport. \p Simon Lightwood: The government believes demand responsive transport (DRT) has an important role to play in ensuring communities can access transport services in areas where more traditional, regular stopping services may not be viable.

The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them.

We have allocated over £955 million to help support and improve bus services in 2025/26, including £712 million for local transport authorities (LTAs). LTAs can use funding to introduce DRT services in their areas where they believe it is appropriate to do so and will improve service provision.

The Department is supporting DRT trials, funded through the Rural Mobility Fund, and is monitoring their impact. The results of this work will help inform future DRT schemes that local authorities might want to pursue.
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David Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to combat anti-social behaviour, particularly the playing of loud music on public transport. \p Simon Lightwood: The government is committed to tackling all forms of anti-social behaviour (ASB) on public transport.

The British Transport Police enforce against it on the rail network and the 61016 reporting plays a key role in addressing ASB incidents and providing intelligence to target resources.

In addition, the government is funding five pilot schemes across England which are aimed at tackling ASB through the targeted deployment of Transport Safety Officers. The findings from these pilots will be shared with other local authorities to help them to address ASB on their public transport networks.

The Bus Services Bill aims to provide all local transport authorities with the powers to effectively enforce against ASB on their bus networks and improve safety for passengers. The Bill also seeks to mandate that staff are trained on how to recognise and respond to incidents of ASB on buses.
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David Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the (a) Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and (b) Secretary of State for the Home Department on (i) the playing of loud music and (ii) antisocial behaviour on public transport. \p Simon Lightwood: Both I and the Secretary of State meet regularly with other ministers from across government to discuss a range of issues within our portfolios. This includes anti-social behaviour on public transport, which incorporates the playing of loud music on public transport.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on the development of a standardised tender structure for local authorities to submit to charge point operators for public access electric vehicle charging infrastructure. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department provides significant support to local authorities under the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, including resource funding which can support procurement, alongside central procurement advice through the LEVI Support Body.

The Department has also been working with the Crown Commercial Service to assist local authorities with their procurement. This includes developing a suite of customisable procurement documents, which have been shared with the industry and local authorities for feedback and are now being finalised.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2025 to Question 21347 on Conditions of Employment, if she will ensure that answers to written parliamentary questions provide relevant hyperlinks. \p Lucy Powell: It is important that Members receive full and helpful responses to parliamentary questions.

The Guide to Parliamentary Work (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work), published by my office, states that “if referring to documents in the public domain, you should include the relevant extracts in your written response as well as the relevant hyperlink”.

I take these matters seriously and have raised this particular question with the Cabinet Office to ensure the link is sent to the Hon. Members for Bridlington and The Wolds and for Brentwood and Ongar at the earliest opportunity.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Leader of the House, if she will provide guidance to Departments on ensuring that documentation referred to in written parliamentary questions is deposited in the Library. \p Lucy Powell: It is important that Members receive full and helpful responses to parliamentary questions. As set out in the Guide to Parliamentary Work (available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work), when referring to public documents departments should “include the relevant extracts in your written response as well as the relevant hyperlink”.

We believe that publishing the relevant extract and link is the most effective and appropriate way to make such information available.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many meetings of Intertrade UK he plans to attend in 2025. \p Hilary Benn: Intertrade UK will serve as a non-statutory advisory body that supports the East-West Council (EWC) in promoting all internal UK trade.

We will be providing further details on the membership of the group and how the work of the group will be taken forward in due course.
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Claire Hughes:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps is she taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle veteran homelessness in Wales. \p Jo Stevens: This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country. The Minister for Veterans and People is working across Government to ensure veterans across the UK have access to the support they need on housing, as well as health, employment and other areas.

As housing is a devolved matter, we are working with the Welsh Government and the other Devolved Governments to tackle the shared challenge of homelessness.

This Government has financed the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme, which funds wrap-around support in units of supported housing. Since its inception in July 2023, it has awarded £1,380,214 to providers offering services in Wales.

Veterans in need of housing support can contact their local council or Op FORTITUDE, a single referral pathway to connect veterans with help and support. This system provides housing guidance and assistance to veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness across the UK. As of 19 January 2025, over 3,069 referrals have been made and nearly 870 veterans have been supported into housing.
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Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of using of Empty Dwelling Management Orders to help increase available housing. \p Matthew Pennycook: Local authorities can use an Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMO) to increase available housing by bringing empty homes back into use.

Local authorities can apply for an EDMO when a property has been empty for more than two years. This is subject to the production of evidence that the property has been causing a nuisance to the community and evidence of community support for the proposal. Local authorities publish local guidance on how they use them.

Local authorities have a range of wider powers and incentives to bring empty homes back into use, which include discretionary powers to charge council tax premiums on properties which have been left unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for one or more years, and local authorities receive the same level of reward for bringing an empty home back into use as they would for building a new one through the New Homes Bonus.

The government wants to support local authorities in bringing empty properties back into use and we outlined our intent to strengthen their ability to take over the management of vacant residential properties in the English Devolution White Paper.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish responses from local authorities to the Devolution Priority Programme consultation. \p Jim McMahon: The consultations for the six areas on the Devolution Priority Programme closed on 13 April 2025. The Government is now carefully considering all responses received, before taking a decision on whether to proceed. This decision, and a report on the consultation, will be published in due course.
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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 Public land unlocked for the next generation of homeowners, published on 27 March 2025, whether any of the land will be in Bedfordshire. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Secretary of State for Defence has identified a long-term opportunity to build over 100,000 homes on surplus defence land, improving opportunities for homeownership and creating jobs across the country, while Network Rail has announced the establishment of a new property company to unlock up to 40,000 homes over the next decade.

There are Bedfordshire sites in both the Ministry of Defence and Network Rail pipelines, including RAF Henlow, which is due to close in 2026, and the Bedford Station redevelopment – part of the major East West Rail project – which could unlock a substantial number of new homes close to the station.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether (a) she and (b) the Planning Inspectorate have full access to redacted sections of (i) documentation and (ii) drawings of the proposed Chinese Embassy. \p Matthew Pennycook: All Inquiry documents for this case are publicly available on Tower Hamlets website here. The case is not yet before the Secretary of State.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending the National Planning Framework, published in December 2024, to require people planning to use houses for (a) second homes and (b) short-term lets to seek planning permission. \p Matthew Pennycook: Whilst second homes and short-term lets can benefit local economies, the government appreciate that excessive concentrations in some areas of the country can impact the availability and affordability of homes, both to rent and buy.

We remain committed to introducing a registration scheme for short-term lets and removing the furnished holiday lets rules to ensure all income from property will be treated the same for tax purposes.

We also recognise that more needs to be done and are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by short term lets.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the amount of land outside of currently designated settlement boundaries in Essex in respective local plans which will be required to meet her housing targets, by each local planning authority. \p Matthew Pennycook: The National Planning Policy Framework expects local planning authorities to plan to meet their identified needs and have a clear understanding of the land available in their area. This includes identifying suitable locations for sustainable development.

In doing so, local authorities should promote effective use of land, making as much use as possible of previously developed land and land within settlements.

Local authorities may also consider land outside of existing settlement boundaries where this can meet identified needs in a sustainable way, or by supporting applications for Rural Exception Sites.
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Luke Myer:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department issues on whether bereaved families are liable for (a) rent and (b) other costs following the death of a Universal Credit claimant during an assessment period. \p Matthew Pennycook: The liability of bereaved families of someone who may have been in receipt of Universal Credit will depend on whether they have entered into any legal agreements as a part of their relative's tenancy.

If individuals are unclear on whether they, or another family member, is liable for outstanding debts, they may wish to seek independent advice from organisations such as Citizens Advice.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will limit the liability of a guarantor of a tenancy agreement for rent in the tragic circumstance where a tenant related to them has died.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her oral Answer of 7 April 2025, Official Report, column 577, on what evidential basis she said that the number of homes approved on green belt land increased tenfold since 2009. \p Matthew Pennycook: Figures published by CPRE: the Countryside Charity in Table 1 of the State of the Green Belt 2023, which can be found here, show that the number of homes approved on greenfield land within the Green Belt in 2021-22 was almost ten times the number approved in 2009-10.
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Wera Hobhouse:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the report entitled Mission Green Growth: A Strategic Plan from the Environmental Horticulture Group, published in Autumn 2024. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government has made no assessment of the implications for the Department’s policies of the report entitled Mission Green Growth: A Strategic Plan from the Environmental Horticulture Group, published in Autumn 2024.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to permit local planning authorities to commission independent assessments of (a) water and (b) drainage infrastructure capacity. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 45308 on 22 April 2025.
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Alex Ballinger:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that open spaces and the green belt are protected during house building. \p Matthew Pennycook: The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the government’s policies for safeguarding the Green Belt from inappropriate development.

The Framework also allows local areas to identify local green space which is protected in a similar manner to the Green Belt.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question 41057 on Homes England: Consultants, what the organisational change was that Deloitte and Touche provided external advice and support for. \p Alex Norris: To respond to ministerial ambitions for the Agency of embedding a place-based approach to the delivery of housing, Homes England has been developing a new operating structure, responding to the priorities set out in the letter to the Chair sent in September 2024. To ensure that the Agency can deliver effectively on the government’s Plan for Growth Homes England’s new operating structure will support the development of a flexible and responsible organisation able to respond to future policy and strategic challenges, including deepened engagement with Mayors across the country.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the (a) water and waste, (b) airport and (c) national networks National Policy Statements will be updated by summer 2025. \p Matthew Pennycook: On 8 July 2024, the Chancellor committed to updating relevant National Policy Statements within 12-months.

The government recently launched a consultation on proposed amendments to the Energy National Policy Statements (NPSs) 1, 3 and 5 and intends to consult shortly on other draft amended National Policy Statements.

These draft amended NPSs will be laid in Parliament for consideration as prescribed by the Planning Act 2008. Completion of the update processes is subject to the outcome and timings of those consultation and Parliamentary timings.

The National Networks NPS is not included in this as it was designated in May 2024.

The government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports NPS, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent.

Further to this, we are introducing legislation through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to make at least five-yearly reviews of all NPSs a legal requirement. This would include a transitional period in which NPSs that are currently out of date (i.e. more than 5 years old at the time of Royal Assent) will have two years from the bill being enacted to update their NPSs in line with the legislation. All other NPSs will be required to be updated within 5 years of their designation of latest update.
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Ruth Cadbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of land access disputes arising from delays in completing remediation work on residential flats. \p Alex Norris: The department has currently made no such assessment.

Since Grenfell Tower in 2017, 96% of buildings with Grenfell-style cladding have started or completed remediation but 51% of mid and high-rise buildings with all types of cladding issues identified still are yet to start remediation. This is unacceptably slow.

We have been clear on our intentions to ensure we deliver remediation faster, with more action from manufacturers, freeholders, developers and organisations with a responsibility to make sure buildings are safe.

The Remediation Acceleration Plan (RAP) was announced on 2 December 2024. It sets out key measures to fix buildings faster, identify remaining buildings still at risk and ensure that residents are supported through the remediation process.

The RAP sets out the government’s ambitious approach to tackle these issues for buildings in England. We recognise that the scale and importance of the challenge is so significant that we expect to publish a further update on this plan in summer 2025 to report on progress and to reflect the second phase of the spending review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of local authority finances in London. \p Jim McMahon: The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available up to £13.35 billion for London, including the GLA. This is a £726 million increase on 2024-25, representing a 5.8% cash terms increase.

The Department works closely with local government and other government departments to understand specific demand and cost pressures facing local government on an ongoing basis. This involves looking at a range of cost and demand data, as well as regular engagement with local authorities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Jonathan Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her Department's planned timetable is for introducing a new statutory Code of Practice for private parking operators; and whether this code of practice will include measures to prevent repeated instances of unjustified fines by private parking companies. \p Alex Norris: I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to PQ 42709 on 7 April 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many (a) phones, (b) laptops and (c) other electronic devices have been lost by their Department since 5 July 2024. \p Alex Norris: The following table includes the number of lost department-issued devices by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government since 5 July 2024.

Breakdown of department-issued equipment type

Number of lost items

Mobile phones

16

Laptops

14

Other electronic devices - please specify

NIL
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many gender neutral toilets there are in her Department's offices in (a) Marsham Street, (b) Wolverhampton and (c) Darlington Economic Campus. \p Alex Norris: MHCLG occupies five floors of Fry Building at Marsham Street. There are no gender-neutral toilets in Fry Building.

There are no toilets designated as gender-neutral at either the Darlington or Wolverhampton offices. At Darlington, however, there are five single-person toilet rooms and Wolverhampton four single-person toilet rooms.

MHCLG is a minor tenant in all the buildings it occupies. It is for the landlord or lead tenant to decide on which toilets are provided.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 April 2025 to Question 41460 on MHCLG: Equality, if she will publish the associated training materials for the Inclusion Allies training; who signed off the expenditure on the Inclusion Allies training; and what the cost was of the Inclusion Allies training. \p Alex Norris: Expenditure of £4,184 was approved by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 29 October 2024 in line with Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance.

This training equipped 26 staff within the Department to provide support for marginalised or vulnerable colleagues. The training consisted of webinars, group learning, and hands-on exercises.

Materials associated with this training are the intellectual property of the provider, and cannot be published by the Department for contractual reasons.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Alberto Costa:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to bring forward proposals to (a) support and (b) incentivise the resale of retirement or sheltered housing units. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 40972 on 1 April 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department engages with Client Earth. \p Alex Norris: The responsibility for decisions around who officials within MHCLG engage with sits with those policy teams.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether (a) amended and (b) new planning practice guidance requires a (i) public sector equality duty and (ii) environmental principles assessment. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Secretary of State keeps her duties under the Environment Act 2021 and Equality Act 2010 under consideration regarding any guidance updates. Relevant assessments are undertaken as required.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled Biggest building boom in a generation through planning reforms, published on 11 March 2025, what steps she plans to take to help ensure that proposed requirements for Environmental Delivery Plans do not increase the cost of developments. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 39021 on 18 March 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42243 on Recreation Spaces, whether SANGS payments will still be required in addition to contributions to (a) the Nature Restoration Fund and (b) Biodiversity Net Gain, in the context of development near Habitats Sites. \p Matthew Pennycook: Where an Environmental Delivery Plan is in place to address the negative effects of recreation on Habitats Sites, payment of the Nature Restoration Levy would offer an alternative option to applicants to discharge their environmental obligations. Applicants would therefore be able to choose to pay the levy as an alternative to making a SANGs payment.

Where no Environmental Delivery Plan is in place, the current environmental assessment system would remain in place, and any required SANGs payments would continue to apply.

Biodiversity Net Gain is an additional requirement separate from obligations related to impacts to Habitats Sites and will run concurrently with the Nature Restoration Fund. The requirement to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain would remain regardless of whether an Environmental Delivery Plan is in place.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has spent on consultancy services from McKinsey since 4 July 2024. \p Alex Norris: As part of a wider suite of support arrangements MHCLG has a zero commitment call off contract with McKinsey, which started on 6 January 2025. There have been neither any commissions nor spend to date.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 8 April 2025 to Question HL6432 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Contracts, whether her Department has had requests from suppliers for rates to be reviewed. \p Alex Norris: To date no requests have been made to MHCLG Commercial Directorate to review contracted rates due to the recent changes in National Insurance contribution rates. Any changes to contracts held by MHCLG require approval from Commercial Directorate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 41458 on Admiralty House, what the nature was of the logistical support provided by civil servants. \p Alex Norris: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 41458 on 3 April 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to ensure that ground surveys are effectively carried out by housing developers. \p Alex Norris: The National Planning Policy Framework (2024) is clear that planning proposals and decisions should ensure that a site is suitable for its proposed use taking account of ground conditions and any risks arising from land instability and contamination, and that adequate site investigation information, prepared by a competent per-son, is available to inform these assessments. Planning Practice Guidance sets out that if land stability could be an issue, developers should seek appropriate technical and environmental expert advice to assess the likely consequences of proposed developments on sites where subsidence, landslides and ground compres-sion is known or suspected.

Developers must demonstrate to a Building Control Body that they meet the functional requirements of the Building Regulations. Part A of the Building Regulations refers to loading, collapse and ground movement. Ground movement caused by swelling, shrinkage or freezing of the subsoil, land-slip or subsidence, as far as can be reasonably foreseen, ought not to impair the stability of the building. Most new build warranties cover damages caused by structural defects for a 10-year term. The terms of warranty should give more detail on what developers would be expected to cover in this timeframe.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the withdrawal of funding to the Western Gateway partnership on the future economy of (a) South Wales and (b) Western England. \p Alex Norris: The Department held a four-week public consultation on ending core funding for pan-regional partnerships in 2024. Following the consultation, the Government confirmed its decision not to extend core funding for Western Gateway and other pan-regional partnerships. We are now moving to a different model of economic collaboration, where we are keen to support new models driven by mayors and their partners.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much Government funding was allocated to Knutsford Town Council in each of the last three years. \p Alex Norris: Knutsford Town Council was awarded a £560,000 grant in September 2023 through the Community Ownership Fund help fund the refurbishment of the Market Hall.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-29)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to introduce additional fire safety-related grant funding for fire and rescue services to meet changes in regulatory requirements. \p Alex Norris: We are providing £10 million Protection Uplift Grant to Fire and Rescue Services for 2025/26, with £5 million allocated for the first six months and a further £5 million to be confirmed later in the year. The Protection Uplift grant is ringfenced to fire protection and is used to bolster capability and capacity in protection departments.

Decisions on future funding to Fire and Rescue Services to support the work of the Building Safety Regulator are under consideration and yet to be confirmed.