theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_75

Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the framework governing private clinics offering ADHD diagnoses. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department has not made these assessments. Medical practitioners must demonstrate that they work in line with the principles and values set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC) Good Medical Practice. This applies to all doctors, whether they work in the National Health Service, the independent sector, or undertake private work. The GMC is the regulator of all medical doctors, anaesthesia associates, and physician associates practising in the United Kingdom, and is directly accountable to Parliament.

Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent public body that provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care. The guideline for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) aims to improve recognition and diagnosis, as well as the quality of care and support for people with ADHD. When exercising their judgement, professionals and practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences, and values of their patients or the people using their service. The NICE guideline recommends that an ADHD diagnosis should only be made by a licenced specialist psychiatrist, paediatrician, or other healthcare professional with specialist training in ADHD diagnosis. We expect integrated care boards and private providers to take the NICE’s guidelines fully into account when commissioning and providing services on behalf of the NHS.

Independent providers who offer diagnosis and treatment of ADHD are currently in scope of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, and are therefore regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). However, independent providers who only offer diagnosis of ADHD, without any form of treatment, are not within scope of CQC registration, as the regulations currently stand. Further information on the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 is available at the following link:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2014/9780111117613/schedule/1
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to increase the number of vision rehabilitation specialists in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire. \p Stephen Kinnock: It is the responsibility of local authorities and the National Health Service integrated care boards to commission therapy-led rehabilitation, reablement, and recovery services, including vision rehabilitation specialists, based on their assessment of local capacity and demand.

The Government understands the importance of having effective rehabilitation services available for people who need them, to assist recovery and return to their day-to-day activities. Intermediate care and reablement support services, including vision rehabilitation, can play a key role in providing alternatives to hospital admission and improving patient outcomes, by providing appropriate rehabilitation and reablement options following hospital discharge.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_77

Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding was allocated to dementia research by (a) the National Institute for Health and Care Research, (b) UK Research and Innovation and (c) other public bodies in each of the last five years. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Government’s responsibility for delivering dementia research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The following table shows NIHR and UKRI spend data for dementia research across five financial years, from 2019/20 to 2023/24:

Year

NIHR

UKRI

Total

2019/20

£29,000,000

£56,600,000

£85,600,000

2020/21

£21,900,000

£63,700,000

£85,600,000

2021/22

£30,300,000

£56,000,000

£86,300,000

2022/23

£35,100,000

£64,800,000

£99,900,000

2023/24

£42,800,000

£96,300,000

£139,000,000

Total

£159,100,000

£337,400,000

£496,400,000

Spend for dementia research is calculated retrospectively, with a time lag due to annual reporting cycles, therefore 2023/24 is the most recent year for which we have data. The Department does not centrally hold data on dementia research funding from other public bodies.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including dementia. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. All NIHR programmes welcoming applications on dementia enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_78

Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many phase (a) one, (b) two and (c) three dementia clinical trials there have been in the UK in each of the last ten years; and how many participants were recruited for each of those trials. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department delivers dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The Department does not hold information centrally on clinical trials hosted in Wales and Scotland. The Department is therefore unable to provide how many phase one, phase two, and phase three clinical trials for dementia have taken place in Wales and Scotland in each of the last 10 years.

The following table shows the number of phase one, two, and three trials in England for dementia, supported by the NIHR Research Delivery Network, from 2014/15 to 2023/24:

Year

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

2014/15

-

12

17

2015/16

1

15

18

2016/17

-

12

24

2017/18

1

14

26

2018/19

1

12

18

2019/20

2

13

6

2020/21

1

8

8

2021/22

2

13

11

2022/23

4

11

11

2023/24

4

13

9

In addition, the following table shows the number of participants recruited into phase one, two, and three trials in England for dementia, supported by the NIHR Research Delivery Network, from 2014/15 to 2023/24:

Year

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

2014/15

-

755

663

2015/16

10

843

1,165

2016/17

-

464

625

2017/18

3

415

471

2018/19

12

577

7,473

2019/20

4

600

440

2020/21

2

48

46

2021/22

6

35

61

2022/23

4

68

75

2023/24

15

123

190

Note: studies are sometimes conducted across multiple phases, for example a study may cross phase one/two or phase two/three. Therefore, figures cannot be totalled.
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_79

Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent people without accreditation from offering paid counselling services. \p Karin Smyth: There are no current plans to extend statutory regulation to therapists and counsellors, and no recent assessment has been made of the potential impact of the lack of statutory regulation on patient safety.

When considering which professions should be protected in law the Government is clear that the level of regulatory oversight must be proportionate to the risks to the public, and that statutory regulation of healthcare professionals should only be used where the risks to public and patient protection cannot be addressed in other ways, such as through employer oversight or accredited voluntary registration. Decisions about which professions are regulated, and which professional job titles are protected, are made by the Government and by Parliament.

Health professionals that are not subject to statutory regulation can join voluntary registers accredited by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA). The Government would encourage anyone accessing mental health services to use a practitioner who is subject to statuary regulation or voluntary registration accredited by the PSA.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total cost was of providing translation services in his Department in the last year. \p Karin Smyth: The Department uses external suppliers to meet its requirements for translation and interpretation services. In the 2024 calendar year, the cost to the Department was £16,833.
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Rachel Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of changes which need to be made to the NHS Dental contracting framework. \p Stephen Kinnock: To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to National Health Service dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

There are no perfect payment systems and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system, so that we deliver a system better for patients and the profession.

We are continuing to meet with the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for NHS dental patients.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

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Jessica Toale:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of pharmacies in (a) Bournemouth West constituency, (b) Dorset, (c) the South West and (d) England. \p Stephen Kinnock: The NHS Business Services Authority publishes the consolidated pharmaceutical list every quarter, with further information available at the following link:

https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/consolidated-pharmaceutical-list

The following table shows the number of pharmacies, broken down by type, in Bournemouth West, Dorset, the South West, and England, as of 31 December 2024:

Pharmacy type

Bournemouth West

Dorset

South West

England

Community pharmacies

20

132

895

10,023

Distance selling pharmacies

0

3

19

407

Locally commissioned pharmacies

0

0

3

13

Total

20

135

917

10,443
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_83

Rachel Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of changes which need to be made to the NHS Dental contracting framework. \p Ashley Dalton: To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to National Health Service dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

There are no perfect payment systems and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system, so that we deliver a system better for patients and the profession.

We are continuing to meet with the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for NHS dental patients.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_84

Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that adequate infrastructure is in place before new housing is built. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government recognises the importance of ensuring that new housing development is supported by appropriate infrastructure.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework published 12 December included changes designed to improve the provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure.

The government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide the necessary infrastructure communities expect.
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Tom Hayes:What steps her Department is taking to improve standards in the private rented sector in Bournemouth East constituency. \p Matthew Pennycook: Our Renters’ Rights Bill will deliver the government’s manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including by applying a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector to drive up standards within it.
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Irene Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to provide safe accommodation for victims of domestic abuse. \p Rushanara Ali: Local authorities in England must ensure that support is available in safe accommodation for domestic abuse victims who need it. My Department has allocated £160 million for 2025-26, a £30 million uplift from the previous year. That funding is for local authorities to commission lifesaving support for victims in safe accommodation.
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Rachel Hopkins:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent progress her Department has made on implementing the Remediation Acceleration Plan. \p Alex Norris: Progress has been made in many areas, such as identifying remaining buildings with unsafe cladding, making developer remediation progress information more accessible for public scrutiny, and increasing regulator funding to build and maintain their capacity and capability.

We will provide an update in summer 2025 assessing progress, outlining further steps, and reflecting the spending review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_88

Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has assessed compliance costs associated with local authority planning approvals. \p Matthew Pennycook: Ensuring compliance with planning approvals is a matter for local planning authorities. As such, the Department has not made an assessment of the costs involved.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2025 to Question 38367 on Fast Food: Planning Permission, what rulings the Planning Inspectorate has made on the working definition of a fast food outlet. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Planning Inspectorate has not made any rulings on the working definition of a fast food outlet.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_90

Andrew Ranger:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure equal access to affordable housing for families from lower-income backgrounds. \p Matthew Pennycook: Social housing goes to those who need it most. Where someone is eligible for social housing, they will have their housing needs considered in accordance with the relevant local authority’s housing allocation scheme.
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Mr Andrew Mitchell:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to take steps to ensure that planning guidance issued by her Department includes measures on preserving (a) biodiversity and (b) habitats for pollinators. \p Matthew Pennycook: The National Planning Policy framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should conserve and enhance the natural environment by minimising impacts on, and providing net gains for, biodiversity, including by establishing coherent ecological networks that are more resilient to current and future pressures and incorporating features which support priority or threatened species. Planning Practice Guidance on the Natural Environment provides further detail on how users of the planning system can implement these policies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to protect the green belt in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government is committed to preserving Green Belts which have served England's towns and cities well over many decades, not least in terms of checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas and preventing neighbouring towns merging into one another.

The government’s new approach to the Green Belt, including prioritising the release of lower quality grey belt land and introducing ‘golden rules’ to ensure development benefits communities and nature, is set out in the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December.

On 27 February, Planning Practice Guidance was published to assist local authorities and other decision-makers, and to support a consistent approach to determining whether land is grey belt. It can be found on gov.uk here. This new guidance will support authorities in producing Local Plans, while also making sure that planning applications and development on suitable grey belt land can proceed in the short-term in areas without an up-to-date plan.

The government has also provided 133 local planning authorities with £70,000 of pump priming funding each to contribute towards the costs of carrying out Green Belt reviews in their areas.
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Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to provide safe accommodation for victims of domestic abuse. \p Rushanara Ali: This government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls and supporting victims of domestic abuse.

Since 2021, local authorities in England have a duty under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 to ensure victims of domestic abuse and their children have access to support within safe accommodation. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government provides funding to local authorities to deliver this duty. For 2025-26, £160 million has been allocated, a £30 million uplift from the previous year. This revenue funding is for local authorities to commission lifesaving support for victims and their children within safe accommodation. Funding for 2026/27 onwards will be a matter for the Spending Review.

Statutory guidance to local authorities is available here providing further details on how the duty should be delivered.

The current Affordable Homes Programme for 2021-2026 includes capital funding for new supply of supported housing, including domestic abuse safe accommodation. At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament, including for victims of domestic abuse.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the cost to the public purse of local government reorganisation in Lincolnshire. \p Jim McMahon: The overall case for local government reorganisation is set out the English Devolution White Paper.

A PWC 2020 report estimated that reorganisation of the then 25 two-tier areas to a single unitary would have a one-off cost of £400 million, with the potential to realise £2.9 billion over five years, with an annual post-implementation net recurring saving of £700 million, however as it is for local areas to submit proposals for government to consider, the savings could vary area by area and across England in the round. We are also keen to ensure the wider benefits are also promoted, specifically simplified and more efficient structures.

Councils in Lincolnshire were invited on 5 February to develop proposals for reorganisation, which are due to be submitted to government by November 2025. It will be for the new councils to achieve the efficiencies identified in reorganisation proposals and subsequent detailed implementation and transformation plans while delivering high quality and sustainable public services to local residents and businesses.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether debts from local authorities being merged together will be taken on jointly by the new authority under her Department's local government reorganisation plans; and how any existing debt will be serviced. \p Jim McMahon: On 6 February I wrote to the leaders of two-tier councils and neighbouring unitaries to formally invite them to develop proposals for reorganisation. It is for the councils to develop robust and sustainable proposals that are in the best interests of the whole area.

As outlined in our invitation letter, in general, as with previous restructures, there is no proposal for council debt to be addressed centrally or written off as part of reorganisation. For areas where there are exceptional circumstances where there has been failure linked to capital practices, proposals should reflect the extent to which the implications of this can be managed locally, including as part of efficiencies possible through reorganisation.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that local government is accountable for its decisions. \p Jim McMahon: Councils are democratic institutions accountable to the communities they serve. We are strengthening that accountability through clearer expectations, stronger local scrutiny, and a renewed focus on outcomes.

Together, these measures are building a more trusting and equal partnership-based relationship between central and local government.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much decision making authority local councillors will have over large-scale planning applications. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Planning and Infrastructure Bill does not change the consultation rules on local planning applications.

Representations can be made by interested parties and these are considered by the relevant decision maker – whether that be a local planning officer or planning committee.

The government intends to consult on the delegation of planning decisions in England alongside passage of the Bill.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 36221 on Housing: construction, whether she plans to issue guidance to local authorities on density. \p Matthew Pennycook: The National Planning Policy Framework is supportive of development that makes efficient use of land and makes clear that local development plans should include the use of minimum density standards to that ends.

I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 36221 on 14 March 2025.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 36223 on Housing: Construction, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits for policy-making of collecting that information. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government will keep the matter under review.
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Luke Murphy:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she is taking steps to increase the level of funding for social rent homes at the spending review. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government will set out details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support housing landlords with tenants in long-term rent arrears. \p Matthew Pennycook: Financial support is available for tenants facing difficulty paying their rent, including through the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payment schemes. In 2025/26, the government is investing £1 billion into these schemes, which are administered by local authorities in line with local priorities.

Free, non-means tested legal advice is available through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service for tenants who are at risk of possession proceedings or loss of their home. Through this service, tenants can receive advice on housing, welfare benefits and debt as soon as they receive written notice that possession of their home is being sought.

While support is available to sustain tenancies where appropriate, the government believes that landlords must have robust grounds for possession where there is good reason to take their property back, including where a tenant has accrued long-term rent arrears. Under the Renters’ Rights Bill, there will be grounds for possession for rent arrears allowing mandatory eviction after three months’ arrears are accrued, and discretionary grounds for lesser amounts in situations such as frequent late payment.

It is also important that landlords can have efficient access to justice in the minority of cases where court action becomes necessary. We will make the court possession process more efficient for users by digitising it from end-to-end.
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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 £2 billion new investment to support biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, published on 25 March 2025, over what period the (a) funding will be allocated and (b) new homes will be (i) commenced and (ii) completed. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549)
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 36225 on New Towns: Mid Bedfordshire, if she will make it her policy to inform Rt hon. and hon. Members of a new town proposal in their constituency before publicly disclosing such information. \p Matthew Pennycook: The New Towns Taskforce will submit its final report this summer.

As there may be political or commercial sensitivities to information submitted regarding prospective developments, the New Towns Taskforce will not be sharing information about the evidence base of locations prior to publication of the final report.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2025 to Question 35438 on Tree Preservation Orders: Bedfordshire, what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that locally held records like Tree Protection Orders are not lost during Local Government reorganisation. \p Matthew Pennycook: The implementation of local government reorganisation will be a matter for local authorities to consider as they develop their proposals for reorganisation and establish new unitary authorities. It is essential that councils continue to deliver their business-as-usual services and duties, which remain unchanged up until such time as the reorganisation process is complete.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to increase levels of data sharing between developers and local authorities. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) runs a Digital Planning Programme which aims to enable a modern and efficient planning system in England.

Core objectives of the Programme include providing better access to planning data, improving data quality, and making data more open.

We are delivering on these objectives through the Planning Data platform, which will continue to expand the availability of standardised and open data on planning.data.gov.uk to drive the creation of new tools and services that share planning data (including making more data accessible to developers) and enable improved monitoring of planning outcomes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 39567 on Local Plans: Gardens Trust, what criteria was applied to the decision to remove the Gardens Trust as a statutory planning consultee. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether environmental delivery plans will apply to all protected species within the designated area. \p Matthew Pennycook: The scale and coverage of an Environmental Delivery Plan (EDPs) will reflect the nature of the specific environmental impact being addressed.

EDPs will only be put in place where Natural England and the Secretary of State are confident that conservation measures will be sufficient to outweigh the negative effects of development. Where this is not the case, existing environmental obligations, including those arising under the Habitats Regulations, will remain in place.

Where a protected species is not suitable for this more strategic approach, Natural England will not propose an EDP.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 36228 on Housing: Construction, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing (a) a housing supply forecast and (b) projected profiles of housing delivery every (i) month, (ii) quarter) and (iii) year. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government publishes quarterly data on planning applications and housing starts and completions.

The latest data on planning application statistics can be found on gov.uk here.

Data on housing starts and completions can be found on gov.uk here. The main measure of housing supply is net additional dwellings, the latest data on which can be found on gov.uk here.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

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Alice Macdonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the accessibility of playgrounds; and what steps her Department is taking to help increase accessibility of playgrounds. \p Alex Norris: The government is firmly committed to creating better access to play areas, and parks more widely. They are an essential part of local social infrastructure which supports more connected, stronger communities.

Local authorities must consider their obligations under the Equalities Act of 2010 in relation to work being done on play areas, this includes ensuring that they are accessible and inclusive.

We will use our bold £1.5 billion Plan for Neighbourhoods to bolster community assets, including play areas. The plan will deliver up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade into 75 communities across the UK, bringing together “neighbourhood boards” to develop local regeneration plans in partnership with local authorities.

Furthermore, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that planning policies and decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places.

In addition to this, the National Design Guide demonstrates through ten characteristics for well-designed places how new development can promote inclusive design by creating buildings and spaces that are safe, social and inclusive, with an integrated mix of uses that are accessible for all. This should include spaces for comfort, relaxation and stimulation, including play.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes in the number of firefighters on fire and rescue response times in Dorset and Wiltshire. \p Alex Norris: It is the responsibility of Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) to decide how the authority’s resources, including staff, are best deployed to meet core functions. This includes determining crewing levels and appropriate targets for local response times. Decisions are based on analysis of risk and local circumstances within local Community Risk Management Plans.

The Government is committed to ensuring FRAs have the resources they need to do their important work keeping the public safe. In 2024/25, fire and rescue authorities received around £2.87 billion. Standalone FRAs saw an increase in core spending power of £95.4m during 2024/25.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

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Blair McDougall:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of parking enforcement companies; and whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to protect consumers from their practices. \p Alex Norris: The Government recognises the need for high standards in the private parking industry and is committed to delivering a Code of Practice, in accordance with The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.

We are progressing with plans to protect and support motorists and to help us further understand the potential impacts of the Code, we will be launching a consultation in due course.
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Apsana Begum:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that existing leaseholders with (a) unregulated and (b) uncapped ground rents are able to secure buyers for their properties. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government remains firmly committed to its manifesto commitment to tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and we will deliver this in legislation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing regulatory mechanisms for property management companies on mixed tenure estates; and what her planned timetable is for the implementation of provisions in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill designed to support freeholders seeking to change their management company. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).
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Neil Coyle:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether freeholders are liable for insurance costs for leaseholders if court ordered safety works are not completed in time. \p Alex Norris: The terms of individual leases determine when freeholders can pass on insurance costs to leaseholders. This remains the case even if there is a delay to remediating the building.

We are pushing for faster remediation as set out in the Remediation Acceleration Plan. We also intend to make it a criminal offence, and apply civil sanctions, against those who fail to remediate their unsafe buildings - including freeholders. Freeholders who delay works can expect swift and robust enforcement action from regulators, with the full support of government.

We remain committed to ensuring residents have access to information regarding their buildings insurance and can challenge unreasonable costs. Under the Leasehold & Freehold Reform Act we are making sure landlords provide leaseholders with information about their building’s insurance.
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Sean Woodcock:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support veterans affected by homelessness. \p Rushanara Ali: We have increased funding for homelessness services and supported veterans to access social housing by exempting them from local connection tests for social housing in England.

The Deputy Prime Minister is chairing an Interministerial Group, which includes the Veterans Minister, to develop a long-term cross-Government strategy to end homelessness.
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Neil Coyle:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that penalties are enforced for businesses and freeholders that delay works on cladding issues. \p Alex Norris: Landlords are legally responsible for making sure their buildings are safe and must do so without delay. Where works on cladding issues are delayed, regulators have legal powers to compel work by a set time and can penalise inaction. In 2023, Newham Council became the first council to successfully prosecute a landlord for delays in removing dangerous cladding. Others are following suit: As of 19 February 2025, enforcement action has been, or is being, taken under the Housing Act against 532 landlords of 11m+ buildings with unsafe cladding.

This Government is committed to working hand-in-glove with regulators to get unsafe buildings fixed without delay. We recently published ‘remediation enforcement guidance for regulators’, and launched a new fund which LAs and FRAs can access to obtain funding to get their own specialist legal advice on enforcement cases. The Department’s Recovery Strategy Unit also holds organisations to account who are failing to fix unsafe buildings and contribute to remediation costs.

Our Remediation Acceleration Plan sets out our plan to go further in making sure there are severe penalties for landlords that delay works on cladding issues. We intend to introduce new criminal and civil sanctions for those who fail to assess and remediate unsafe buildings within fixed timescales, backed by a further £33 million investment in 25/26 to provide local and national regulators with capacity and capability to tackle hundreds of enforcement cases a year, targeting those neglecting to quickly remediate their buildings.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure the diversity of (a) shops and (b) service provision on high streets. \p Alex Norris: The Government is committed to fostering the conditions for prosperous and diverse high streets. The Government has recently introduced High Street Rental Auctions to tackle persistent vacancy and ensure that more business ventures can access commercial property opportunities at a fair market rate.

The National Planning Policy Framework also supports town centres by requiring policies and decisions to promote their growth, management and adaptation. The commercial business and service use class provides flexibility for premises between high street uses, including to provide services such as creches or health services, without the need for a planning application.
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Neil Coyle:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department plans to take with (a) developers and (b) freeholders who fail to meet remediation orders on time. \p Alex Norris: The Building Safety Act 2022 (the Act) provides that a First-tier Tribunal decision made under or in connection with section 123 (remediation orders), will be enforceable with the permission of the County Court. Proceedings will function in the same way as under orders of that Court.

The current regime is intended to provide security to the majority of leaseholders and support actions to ensure buildings are remediated. As with all policies, the Government will keep open the option of considering changes in the future.

Indeed, our Remediation Acceleration Plan sets out our plan to go further in making sure there are severe penalties for landlords that delay works on cladding issues. We intend to introduce new criminal and civil sanctions for those who fail to assess and remediate unsafe buildings within fixed timescales, backed by a further £33 million investment in 25/26 to provide local and national regulators with capacity and capability to tackle hundreds of enforcement cases a year, targeting those neglecting to quickly remediate their buildings.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to (a) reform and (b) enhance the (i) powers, (ii) financial responsibility and (iii) wider responsibilities of parish councils through the process of local government reform. \p Jim McMahon: The English Devolution White Paper is clear that the government wants to create new opportunities for communities to have a say in the future of their area and play a part in improving it. Ensuring that parish councils are effective and representative of their communities will contribute to this goal.

The government has consulted on necessary reforms to the local government standards regime, including in parish councils. The consultation closed on 26 February 2025 and government will respond in due course. We have also consulted on aims to enable stronger financial oversight of parish councils following the publication of our ‘Strategy for Overhauling Local Audit in England.’ The consultation closed on 29 January 2025 and we will respond in due course.

We want to see stronger community arrangements when reorganisation happens in the way councils engage at a neighbourhood or area level. Proposals will need to explain plans to make sure that communities are engaged. Where there are already arrangements in place it should be explained how these will enable strong community engagement. Town and parish councils can work with other tiers of local government to determine how they can best serve their communities.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department holds information on the individual bye-laws in force by each local authority. \p Jim McMahon: MHCLG does not hold information on individual byelaws in force by each local authority.