Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
15 June 2026
3 contributions
Short-term Lets: Licensing
Ministers in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government engage regularly with ministerial colleagues across Government in relation to a range of housing policy matters. We continue to consider what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pres…
To be clear, there is no credible solution to the housing crisis that does not involve significantly boosting housing supply, but my hon. Friend is absolutely right to argue that the distribution of homes in any given area has a significant bearing on housing availability and affordability. As she k…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
15 June 2026
3 contributions
Road Adoption
My Department is working closely with the Department for Transport to consider reforms to adoption and highways frameworks. We also recently consulted on reducing the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, including proposals to increase the adoption of estate amenities such as roads …
Those cases sound particularly egregious, and I am sorry to hear about them. My hon. Friend is right to highlight the detrimental consequences of declining road adoption rates. The Department for Transport is reviewing barriers to adoption, with a view to identifying improvements and informing futur…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
15 June 2026
2 contributions
Acoustic Design Planning Requirements: Workplaces
National planning policy makes clear that planning decisions should minimise potential adverse impacts resulting from noise. Associated planning practice guidance sets out that good acoustic design needs to be considered early in the planning process.
Building regulations already require protection against sound or reverberation in houses, flats, buildings that have residential rooms and schools, but I am always open to considering how sound insulation standards might be improved in new builds. I would work on any further information my hon. Frie…
Commons
Debate
13 May 2026
3 contributions
New Developments: Unadopted Roads and Public Amenities
I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hitchin (Alistair Strathern) on securing this important debate. He is an incredibly hard-working and effective advocate for the interests of his constituency, and he has long championed action to address unadopted amenities on privately managed housing es…
I would refer the hon. Gentleman in the first instance to that CMA house building report, which says very clearly that a twin-track approach is needed. We need common adoptable standards. Only at the point that we have common standards can we force local authorities to adopt. I understand, as I know…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Proceedings
28 April 2026
3 contributions
Houses in Multiple Occupation
I congratulate the hon. Member for Ashfield (Lee Anderson) on securing this important debate. I also thank those other hon. Members who have made contributions.
I appreciate fully the concerns that the hon. Member for Ashfield raises about houses in multiple occupation. HMOs can play an important r…
I recognise the hon. Gentleman’s point. I will come on to say how we are keeping regulation under review, but I note the point he makes.
Once an article 4 direction is in place, any change of use to either a large or small HMO requires an application for planning permission. All such applications a…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
28 April 2026
3 contributions
Park Home Owners
It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Sir Alec. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish) on securing this important debate. I thank all other hon. Members who have participated, and like many of them I welcome the strong cross-party nature and tone of the debate. I h…
I am sorry to hear that feedback. We will take into account any feedback that park home residents wish to submit—even in general terms and outside the strict questions they have responded to—when we are making policy decisions. I emphasise once again that I want the widest possible response from acr…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
16 April 2026
7 contributions
Housing Needs: Young People
We have.
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Ms Butler. I congratulate the hon. Members for Mid Dunbartonshire (Susan Murray) and for Taunton and Wellington (Gideon Amos) on securing this important debate. I also thank all hon. Members who have participated for their thoughtful contributions.
I…
+5 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
6 contributions
Topical Questions
Our recent consultation on a revised national planning policy framework included proposals to strengthen support for rural exception sites, and to make it easier for authorities to require affordable housing on smaller sites in rural areas. My hon. Friend will also be aware that designated rural are…
The hon. Lady will appreciate that Ministers cannot comment on individual planning applications or local plans, but I am more than happy to meet her and discuss the general issues arising from the case she mentions.
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
2 contributions
Rent Control: Evidential Basis
The Government do not support the introduction of rent controls, which we believe could make life more difficult for renters. There is sufficient international evidence from countries such as Sweden and Germany, and from individual cities such as San Francisco, as well as the recent Scottish experie…
I can assure my hon. Friend that I have looked at a wealth of evidence, particularly international evidence, of what the impact of first and second-generation rent controls are, as well as more subtle forms of rent control, which can have differential impacts on different groups. Such controls typic…
Commons
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
3 contributions
Leasehold Reform
The Government continue to steadily implement those reforms to the leasehold system that are already in statute and to progress the wider set of reforms necessary to end the leasehold system for good in this Parliament, not least through the provisions in our draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bi…
I am determined to switch on the improved leaseholder consumer rights provided for by the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, including service charge standardisation and transparency measures, at the earliest possible opportunity so that people like Yvonne, and many hundreds of thousands more a…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
3 contributions
Social Homes: Furnished Tenancies
The Government recognise that a far smaller proportion of social rented homes are let as furnished or partly furnished, compared with the private rented sector. In our response to last year’s consultation on a new decent homes standard, we made clear that we are exploring what more can be done to su…
I thank my hon. Friend for his question and commend Karbon Homes for its commitment to furnished tenancies. While such tenancies are not mandatory, we know that many social landlords want to know more about the opportunities that furnished tenancy schemes can provide, as well as the funding and budg…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
4 contributions
Protecting the Green Belt
The Government are committed to preserving green belts, which have served England’s towns and cities well over many decades. We have not changed the five purposes of the green belt set out in paragraph 143 of the national planning policy framework. That framework still contains strong protections fo…
As the right hon. Lady well understands—we have had this exchange many times—it is for individual local planning authorities to determine whether green-belt land should be released and the exceptional circumstances test has been met. All the clever questions that she comes up with—I admire her ingen…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
5 contributions
Short-term Holiday Lets: Registration
Responsibility for developing a registration scheme for short-term lets in England lies with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which is building a simple and easy-to-use registration scheme for short-term lets, informed by ongoing stakeholder feedback and consultation. The scheme entered …
I understand the acute pressures that my hon. Friend faces in her constituency as a result of an excessive concentration of short-term lets. She and I met only recently to discuss that matter, but I will happily continue to engage on it with any hon. Member from across the House. As she knows, the G…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
3 contributions
Park Homes: Sales Commission Charges
The Government appreciate fully the long-standing concern among park home residents about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon the sale of a park home. On 5 March, we published a call for evidence in relation to the said commission payments so that we will have the information necess…
I fully understand the hon. Gentleman’s desire to secure change in relation to this matter, and I can assure him that I share his eagerness to proceed quickly. Unfortunately, the research undertaken by the previous Government was not conclusive as to either the purpose of the commission or the impac…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
3 contributions
Leasehold Reform: Integrated Retirement Communities
On 19 March, we published a full impact assessment for the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. The hon. Gentleman will be aware that we are also consulting on precisely how to introduce a ban on the use of leasehold for new flats, including in respect of issues such as scope, transitional ar…
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his well-judged question. Let me reassure him that the Government understand the distinct operational and financial models that underpin specialist retirement housing, and that we recognise the important role that integrated retirement community operators play in provi…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
5 contributions
Social Housing Standards
Alongside our commitment to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable house building in a generation, the Government are determined to drive a transformational and lasting change in the safety and quality of social housing. To that end, we have begun the implementation of Awaab’s law,…
I am very sorry to learn of the experience of my hon. Friend’s constituent. All housing association homes must be free from dangerous damp and mould. I note that her case arose before we brought the first phase of Awaab’s law into force on 27 October last year; now that we have done so, all social l…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 March 2026
Women’s Safety in Rural Areas
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Dowd. I congratulate the hon. Member for Frome and East Somerset (Anna Sabine) on securing this debate, and I thank the other hon. Members who have participated this afternoon for their contributions. On the subject of the hon. Lady’s letter, prior…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
13 contributions
Topical Questions
I can give my hon. Friend the assurances he seeks, and I encourage him and his constituents to engage with proposals in the consultation on a revised national planning policy framework that seek further to strengthen support for brownfield development and ensure that appropriate infrastructure provi…
indicated dissent .
+11 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
3 contributions
Housing Developments: Access to Infrastructure
As I have said, local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation not only to housing numbers but to infrastructure, and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. Through changes to national planning policy, and financial support …
This is not the whole answer, but having up-to-date local plans and infrastructure funding statements in place can make a huge difference in ensuring that the right infrastructure comes forward at the appropriate time. I am more than happy to meet the hon. Lady to discuss what more we can do not onl…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
3 contributions
New Social and Affordable Housing
To honour our commitment to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable house building in a generation, we have backed registered providers with the biggest social and affordable housing investment in recent memory. Although there is more to do, we have already taken steps to strengthen th…
We need to build many more homes of all tenures, but it is absolutely right to stress the importance of delivering a significant uplift in the number of social and affordable homes. I am aware that discussions are ongoing about increasing the proportion of affordable housing within the York Central …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
2 contributions
Social and Affordable Housing: Bradford
There are 1.3 million people on local authority housing registers across the country. It is not in dispute that there is acute need across England as a whole. National policy makes clear that it is for local authorities, informed by local assessments of need, to set out requirements for the proporti…
Given the acute need for affordable housing in Bradford, I understand entirely why my hon. Friend continues to press so vigorously for an uplift in the supply of affordable, and particularly social rented, housing in his constituency. I know that he will welcome the fact that, in the coming days, bi…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
3 contributions
Private Rented Sector
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October last year. As per the road map we published in November, we intend to implement the new tenancy system it provides for on 1 May, at which point, among other things, section 21 no-fault evictions will be abolished, rental bidding wars w…
I can provide my hon. Friend with the assurance that he seeks. Whether in the PRS or in the social rented sector, landlords should address non-decency wherever it exists. We are giving landlords until 2035 to implement our new decent homes standard, but we have made it clear that they should not wai…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
4 contributions
Grey-belt Land
The definition of grey belt for the purposes of both plan making and decision making is set out in the glossary of the national planning policy framework. The Government also updated green-belt planning practice guidance in February last year, to assist local planning authorities with identifying an…
I certainly will not rule in or rule out development on any particular site. The hon. Member knows why I cannot speak to particular planning applications, but he knows from our recent meeting on the subject that it is for local planning authorities to determine whether exceptional circumstances exis…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
3 contributions
Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor
In the 13 months since we announced plans to supercharge growth in Oxford-Cambridge corridor, significant progress has been made, including through updated proposals on East West Rail, the establishment of an Oxford growth commission and tangible steps towards realising the full potential of Greater…
I thank my hon. Friend not only for his question, but for his unwavering support for ambitious, high-quality sustainable growth in his city and the surrounding areas. We are determined to unleash nationally significant growth in Greater Cambridge, to the benefit of existing and new communities and t…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 February 2026
2 contributions
Supported Exempt Accommodation: Birmingham
It is a pleasure, as always, to serve with you in the Chair, Ms Lewell. I congratulate the hon. Member for Birmingham Perry Barr (Ayoub Khan) on securing this important debate, and thank him for his clear and comprehensive account of the challenges of poorly managed, and in particular non-commission…
We issued guidance earlier this week in respect of some of the provisions that are in the Act, but I will ensure that the Minister for Local Government and Homelessness has heard my hon. Friend’s call for more support and guidance in that area, alongside the implementation of other elements of the A…