Written questions by Stephenson.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions the New Towns Taskforce has had with relevant stakeholders on access to banking services in new towns.

The government recognises the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets across the UK and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority.As set out in its Terms of Reference, which can be found on gov.uk here, the New Towns Taskforce has been tasked with identifying the infrastructure, public and private services, and green space required to enable the creation of well-connected new towns in potential locations.The taskforce has developed draft principles which should provide the building blocks for every new town. These were published in the Building new towns for the future policy paper published on 12 February which can be found on gov.uk here.The Taskforce also plans to undertake a series of engagement events to understand what the public think the core components of new towns should be and to further test the design and placemaking principles published in the policy paper.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2025 to Question 26862 on New Towns Taskforce, how the taskforce will work in partnership with local leaders and communities.

The Taskforce is reviewing responses to its December call for evidence and will be working with local partners to consider potential new town locations ahead of making its recommendations to ministers this summer.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Forestry and Arboriculture Training Fund will support courses available in Bedfordshire.

The Forestry and Arboriculture Training Fund is currently closed for applications. The Forestry Commission is collecting feedback from those who have attended the course and will be working with key stakeholders to deliver the Forestry Sector Skills Plan.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 28604 on Construction: Employers' Contributions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to employers’ National Insurance contributions on employment in the construction industry.

The vast majority of firms in the construction sector are small or microbusinesses, which will see no gain or change overall. The Government has protected small businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, and 865,000 employers will pay no NICs in 2025-26. Eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

Communities and Local Government, whether changing the minimum voting age would necessitate a change in the minimum age for voter registration.

The government is committed to delivering on the manifesto commitment to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all elections during this Parliament, strengthening our democracy, empowering young people to participate and building an informed and empowered electorate. We want young people to find their voice and exercise their right to vote – registering to vote is a vital first step towards doing that.This will be a major change to the electoral franchise. We are working across government and with a wide range of stakeholders to design and implement the change effectively. We are considering what other measures may be required in the implementation of this change to ensure young people have the tools they need and feel empowered to both register to vote and to vote, including the minimum age for voter registration.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to employers’ National Insurance contributions on the armed forces.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 February 2025 to Question 27805 to the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth (Rupert Lowe).

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of reducing the voting age to 16 on the electoral equality of parliamentary constituencies.

Drawing electoral boundaries is the responsibility of the independent parliamentary and local boundary commissions.When they next conduct their reviews, they will update boundaries where necessary to reflect any changes in the electorate that have occurred since their last review.

Communities and Local Government, if she will have discussions with the Boundary Commission on the impact of reducing the voting age to 16 on electoral equality at the next general election.

Drawing electoral boundaries is the responsibility of the independent parliamentary and local boundary commissions.When they next conduct their reviews, they will update boundaries where necessary to reflect any changes in the electorate that have occurred since their last review.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 28604 on Construction: Employers' Contributions, whether he has held discussions with the construction industry on the potential impact of changes to employers’ National Insurance contributions on the workforce available to that industry.

The vast majority of firms in the construction sector are small or microbusinesses, which will see no gain or change overall. The Government has protected small businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, and 865,000 employers will pay no NICs in 2025-26. Eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of reducing the voting age to 16 on electoral equality in local council elections.

Drawing electoral boundaries is the responsibility of the independent parliamentary and local boundary commissions.When they next conduct their reviews, they will update boundaries where necessary to reflect any changes in the electorate that have occurred since their last review.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2025 to Question 30737 on AstraZeneca: Merseyside, if he will publish the feedback his Department has received from AstraZeneca on their Merseyside investment withdrawal.

Company feedback on Government grant process continually informs improvements in grant delivery. However, to maintain confidentiality between companies and Government, we do not publish company specific feedback.

With reference to her Department's news story entitled New powers for police to tackle neighbourhood crime, how many of the 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing roles will be in Bedfordshire.

The Government has committed to restoring neighbourhood policing through the delivery of a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. This includes putting 13,000 more police personnel on the beat in neighbourhood policing roles up and down the country. Every part of the country needs to benefit from this pledge, including Bedfordshire, who have been allocated £1,803,234 funding in 2025/26 to bolster their neighbourhood policing teams.Our approach to delivery in 2025/26, which will be year 1 of a 4-year programme, is designed to deliver an initial increase to the neighbourhood policing workforce in a manner that is flexible, and can be adapted to the local context and varied crime demands. This means the precise workforce mix is a local decision.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2025 to Question 26151 on Schools: Admissions, what estimate she has made of the (a) number of pupils and (b) school capacity for (i) Central Bedfordshire, (ii) Bedford Borough and (iii) Luton Borough for each of the next five years.

Data on state-funded school places is published at local authority level in the annual ‘School capacity’ publication. The full release can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity.The latest available data for the number of pupils and school capacity, as at 1 May 2023, for Central Bedfordshire, Bedford borough and Luton borough can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/190afba3-869e-4ef0-f219-08dd5cc661f7.Local authority pupil number forecasts for Central Bedfordshire, Bedford borough and Luton borough for the five academic years from 2023/24 to 2027/28 can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9631024d-157e-4b93-0eb3-08dd5ccbf23a.The linked table also includes numbers on roll for 2022/23 as at January 2023, which differs to the numbers on roll in the capacity table that relate to May 2023. Forecasts were submitted to the department through the School Capacity survey 2023.School capacity estimates are made for three academic years ahead, in this case 2023/24 to 2025/26, as part of the department’s estimate of future school place shortfalls and surpluses. These estimates can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/b12c3f30-c22c-4b88-b5b2-2c1848981b4e. These estimates reflect the position reported by local authorities at May 2023 through the School Capacity survey, supplemented with the department’s internal data on central programmes.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to Paragraph 182c of the National Planning Policy Framework, how she plans to enforce those maintenance arrangements.

Local planning authorities already have a wide range of planning enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance.The government is clear that effective enforcement is important to tackle breaches of planning control, including enforcing SuDS maintenance arrangements which do not conform to the planning permission.Where the local planning authority thinks that a condition imposed on a planning permission has not been met, they can serve a breach of condition notice, which requires the recipient to remedy the breach within a specified time. There is no appeal against such a notice and failure to comply with it is an offence punishable by an unlimited fine.We have published guidance on the enforcement powers available to local planning authorities. I do not have plans to publish further guidance on enforcement at this time.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 7 of the ADAS and Stephenson Halliday report entitled Review of the implementation of National Planning Policy Framework para 186c, issued on 27 August 2024, what assessment she has made of the finding that the wholly exceptional reason needs to be better defined.

The report in question confirmed that the National Planning Policy Framework contains a high level of protection for ancient woodland.The Framework makes clear that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons, and a suitable compensation strategy exists. These protections are strengthened further by the Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2024 which requires local planning authorities to consult the Secretary of State where they have resolved to grant planning permission for development affecting ancient woodland.Local planning authorities have the principal responsibility for applying these protections effectively, and we do not consider it necessary to standardise the assessment of ancient woodland impacts or mandate arboricultural reports. The Ancient Woodland Inventory, updated Planning Practice Guidance and the Standing Advice on ancient woodlands and ancient and veteran trees are in place to support local decision makers make informed decisions about planning applications near these habitats.With regard to statutory consultees, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).We keep policy in this and other areas under review, working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to section 4.4 of the ADAS and Stephenson Halliday report entitled Review of the implementation of National Planning Policy Framework para 186c, issued on 27 August 2024, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a group of statutory consultees that planning officers should consult when considering planning applications that impact ancient woodlands.

The report in question confirmed that the National Planning Policy Framework contains a high level of protection for ancient woodland.The Framework makes clear that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons, and a suitable compensation strategy exists. These protections are strengthened further by the Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2024 which requires local planning authorities to consult the Secretary of State where they have resolved to grant planning permission for development affecting ancient woodland.Local planning authorities have the principal responsibility for applying these protections effectively, and we do not consider it necessary to standardise the assessment of ancient woodland impacts or mandate arboricultural reports. The Ancient Woodland Inventory, updated Planning Practice Guidance and the Standing Advice on ancient woodlands and ancient and veteran trees are in place to support local decision makers make informed decisions about planning applications near these habitats.With regard to statutory consultees, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).We keep policy in this and other areas under review, working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the average number of planning permissions expected to be granted within 15 metres of ancient woodland each year for the next five years.

The report in question confirmed that the National Planning Policy Framework contains a high level of protection for ancient woodland.The Framework makes clear that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons, and a suitable compensation strategy exists. These protections are strengthened further by the Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2024 which requires local planning authorities to consult the Secretary of State where they have resolved to grant planning permission for development affecting ancient woodland.Local planning authorities have the principal responsibility for applying these protections effectively, and we do not consider it necessary to standardise the assessment of ancient woodland impacts or mandate arboricultural reports. The Ancient Woodland Inventory, updated Planning Practice Guidance and the Standing Advice on ancient woodlands and ancient and veteran trees are in place to support local decision makers make informed decisions about planning applications near these habitats.With regard to statutory consultees, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).We keep policy in this and other areas under review, working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Communities and Local Government, what the average time was between completion of a development in areas at risk of flooding and installation of flood defences agreed at planning stage since 2019; and how many developments built since 2019 in areas at risk of flooding do not have flood defences required at planning stage completed.

The government does not monitor the status of individual planning conditions. Local planning authorities are responsible for ensuring compliance with planning permissions and conditions, including monitoring and taking enforcement action if necessary.National planning guidance makes clear that where flood risk management infrastructure such as flood defences form part of the strategy for addressing flood risk, strategic and site-specific flood risk assessments should identify how this infrastructure will be operated, funded and maintained.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring (a) arboricultural reports and (b) impact assessments for major developments.

The report in question confirmed that the National Planning Policy Framework contains a high level of protection for ancient woodland.The Framework makes clear that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons, and a suitable compensation strategy exists. These protections are strengthened further by the Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2024 which requires local planning authorities to consult the Secretary of State where they have resolved to grant planning permission for development affecting ancient woodland.Local planning authorities have the principal responsibility for applying these protections effectively, and we do not consider it necessary to standardise the assessment of ancient woodland impacts or mandate arboricultural reports. The Ancient Woodland Inventory, updated Planning Practice Guidance and the Standing Advice on ancient woodlands and ancient and veteran trees are in place to support local decision makers make informed decisions about planning applications near these habitats.With regard to statutory consultees, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).We keep policy in this and other areas under review, working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 182c of the National Planning Policy Framework, what penalties can be imposed on developers that do not comply with agreed maintenance arrangements once the development is built.

Local planning authorities already have a wide range of planning enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance.The government is clear that effective enforcement is important to tackle breaches of planning control, including enforcing SuDS maintenance arrangements which do not conform to the planning permission.Where the local planning authority thinks that a condition imposed on a planning permission has not been met, they can serve a breach of condition notice, which requires the recipient to remedy the breach within a specified time. There is no appeal against such a notice and failure to comply with it is an offence punishable by an unlimited fine.We have published guidance on the enforcement powers available to local planning authorities. I do not have plans to publish further guidance on enforcement at this time.