Written questions by Cleverly.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the abolition of fixed term tenancies on the security of tenure for rental properties for those who needed to be in an area for a fixed period.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will ensure that tenants enjoy greater security of tenure. The introduction of a new tenancy system based on periodic tenancies will ensure tenants have the flexibility to stay in a property for as long as they need to. Tenants will need to provide two months’ notice when leaving a tenancy. Landlords will only be able to evict a tenant in reasonable circumstances as set out in this legislation.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to introduce (a) schemes and (b) fiscal incentives to help first-time buyers onto the housing ladder.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 60807 on 30 June 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2025 to Question 66192 on Emergency Services: Employers' Contributions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of basing allocations on net current expenditure on the level of mitigation made to fire and rescue authorities.

We recognise the challenges that fire and rescue authorities are facing as demand increases for critical services. In 2025-26 the Government provided £2 billion of additional grant funding through the Local Government Finance Settlement, including a total of £515 million to manage the impact of employer National Insurance Contribution changes for councils and combined authorities. The level of this funding was determined based on a national assessment of the costs for directly employed staff, taking into account the impacts of the changes on different types of local authorities. The grant distribution methodology was published in an explanatory note on gov.uk here. This methodology was updated at the final 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement, following feedback raised by stakeholders through the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement consultation.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department holds information on (a) the total number of allotments in England and (b) the number of allotments by local authority.

Provision of allotments is managed by Local Government. The Department does not currently hold data on the total number of allotments within England or by local authority. Since 4 July 2024, the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government has issued 10 approvals for the disposal of allotments under the Allotments Act 1925.Regarding the allotment disposal application for Ravenscroft Allotments, this information is not in the public domain at present so will not be shared at this time. The consent granted by the Secretary of State for the disposal of the allotment is available and in the public domain, I have arranged for a copy of this to be placed in the Library of the House.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Government is taking steps to monitor fraud under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure business rate relief scheme, in the context of businesses falsely claiming a discount when they would otherwise be subject to the £110,000 cap.

Business rates are administered by local government, and it is for local authorities to determine eligibility for reliefs, having regard to guidance issued by the government.The government will not tolerate any business falsifying their records or providing false evidence to gain relief, including claiming support above the cash cap. As set out in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief guidance (Business Rates Relief: 2025/26 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Scheme - GOV.UK) ratepayers cannot exceed the £110,000 cash cap across their properties. Any ratepayer who falsely applies for any relief, provides false information or makes false representation in order to gain relief may be guilty of fraud under the Fraud Act 2006 and may be subject to a fine, imprisonment, or both.The government remains committed to taking the necessary action to tackle business rates avoidance and evasion over the course of this Parliament.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to consult on the repeal of Strategic Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Assessments regime.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 16 December 2024 (HCWS317), we will, in due course, replace the current EU derived systems of Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment with Environmental Outcomes Reports (EORs). These will be a more effective and outcome-focused tool for managing the effects of development on the natural environment. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 contains a number of duties to consult on the core elements of the new EOR system, including the setting of outcomes and repealing existing legislation. Until a new system is implemented, current legislation on environmental assessment and its supporting guidance continues to apply.

Communities and Local Government, whether a new (a) memorandum of understanding and (b) facility agreement is being agreed between her Department and its agencies with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority in relation to the (i) Affordable Housing Programme and (ii) National Housing Bank.

As committed to in the English Devolution White Paper, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority will have the ability to set the strategic direction of the new £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme in their area. Memorandums of Understanding and commissioning letters will be agreed with the Greater London Authority and Homes England as the organisations delivering the programme for MHCLG. As per the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 18 June (HCWS712), MHCLG and the National Housing Bank, when established, will work with Mayors and local leaders to develop integrated packages of financial support to deliver on the housing and regeneration priorities of local areas. MHCLG and Homes England are engaging with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to agree an approach that works best for the needs of each place. We will announce further details in the coming months.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the total council tax receipts in England from 2024-25 and each subsequent year of the spending review.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 66939 on 22 July 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2025 to Question 38374 on Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill, what assessment her Department made of the potential impact of the divestment policy adopted by Cumberland Council in August 2025 on integration and community cohesion.

MHCLG does not conduct assessments of individual council divestment policies. The Cabinet Office has published guidance to public authorities prohibiting procurement boycotts against Israeli firms and firms which trade with Israel.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of housebuilding on the land designated as industrial at Old Oak Common.

The Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation’s Local Plan of 2022 sets out its vision for Old Oak and Park Royal and its local plan policies. The evidential framework for their Local Plan is a matter for the Development Corporation. The government is working closely with the Development Corporation in support of their ambition to regenerate the land around Old Oak Common station and deliver up to 9,000 new homes.

Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to provide funding for councils to support long-term empty homes being put back into use.

The government wants to see more empty homes brought back into use across the country. Local authorities have strong powers and incentives to tackle empty homes. They have the discretionary powers to charge additional council tax on properties which have been left unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for one or more years. The maximum premium that a council can apply increases, depending on the length of time that the property has been empty for, with a premium of up to 300% on homes left empty for over ten years. They can also access funding through the Affordable Homes Programme and Local Authority Housing Fund. Through the New Homes Bonus, local authorities can also receive the same level of reward for bringing an empty home back into use as building a new one. Local authorities can also use powers to take over the management of long-term empty homes to bring them back into use in the private rented sector. Local authorities can apply for an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) when a property has been empty for more than two years, subject to the production of evidence that the property has been causing a nuisance to the community and evidence of community support for their proposal. More information can be found on gov.uk here. The government outlined its intent to strengthen local authorities’ ability to take over the management of vacant residential premises in the English Devolution White Paper published in December 2024.

Communities and Local Government, what planning (a) policies and (b) guidance her Department has issued on council farms.

My Department has not issued any policies or guidance specific to council farms.

Communities and Local Government, whether the National Housing Bank will require the delivery of a specified number of (a) affordable and (b) social rent housing when agreeing loans for developers.

My Department is currently working with Homes England and HM Treasury to establish a new National Housing Bank, including setting terms and parameters for different debt interventions. As per the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 18 June, the Bank will have an initial allocation of £16 billion of new financial capacity – comprising of £10.5 billion of investment capital and £5.5 billion of contingent liability capacity that can used to deploy housing guarantees. The £10.5 billion investment capital package includes £2.5 billion of low-interest loans for social and affordable housing providers to further boost their capacity to invest in new developments. We are in the process of developing the loans scheme and will announce further details in the coming months.

Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on (a) the number of and (b) which local authorities had Local Development Orders in force on 1 September 2025.

The government does not actively monitor the uptake of Local Development Orders. However, local planning authorities are required to keep a record of Local Development Orders made in their area.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2025 to Question HL6508 Road Signs and Markings, what is the evidential basis for there being no need for (a) regulations or (b) new guidance.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 63029 on the 4 July 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of her Department's decision to end financial payments to local authorities for getting long-term empty homes back into use through the New Homes Bonus on the number of empty homes.

The Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation, which closed in August 2025 and can be found on gov.uk here, sought views on the government’s proposal to end the New Homes Bonus in the Local Government Finance Settlement from 2026-27 and return the funding currently allocated to the Bonus to the core Settlement.The government will consider all feedback received to the consultation in the design of any future local authority housing incentive.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2025 to Question 31485 on Planning Permission, what criteria her Department uses to determine whether a planning application for non-governmental projects is considered through a Special Development Order or local planning process.

Special Development Orders are a long-established part of the planning system. Each case is considered on its individual merits. The government has no plans to change this approach.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 28 July 2025 to Question 65978 on Islamophobia, whether the True Vision reporting portal will use the Government's definition of Islamophobia.

The Government has established the independent working group to advise government on a definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, and how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.The advice the group produces will be private initially and once government has had time to review the advice it will consider the next steps.

Communities and Local Government, how much was spent on the Affordable Housing Programme (a) 2015-2018 and (b) (2016-2021) in each year of operation; and how much has (i) been spent and (b) is forecast to be spent for the Affordable Housing Programme 2021-26 in each year of its operation, including funding allocated to London and mayoral combined authorities.

The government’s affordable homes programmes are delivered by the Greater London Authority (GLA) in London and by Homes England in the rest of England. Homes England’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2024/25, which can be found on gov.uk here, make clear that by the end of that financial year Homes England had invested £6.08 billion of its £8 billion budget for the 2021-26 programme and the full £4.9bn budget for the 2016-21 programme. The GLA does not publish details of its capital spending for individual programmes. The Affordable Housing Programme for 2015-2018 was extended to 2020 at the Autumn Statement 2014. However, the programme was interrupted at the 2015 Spending Review and the remaining programme budget was consolidated into the Affordable Homes Programme for 2016-2023. Delivery data for the 2015-18 programme is set out in the National Audit Office (NAO) Report: The Affordable Homes Programme since 2015. The report can be found on the NAO website here.

Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of meetings between the Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition and (a) external organisations and (b) other individuals since 28 February 2025.

The independent Working Group on Anti-Muslim-Hatred/Islamophobia has undertaken extensive engagement with stakeholders from a wide range of perspectives to ensure its proposed definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences across the United Kingdom. This work has been supported by a small secretariat function based within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.As set out in the published Terms of Reference for the Working Group, the independent advice provided to government by the Working Group will be private.