Written questions by Hollinrake.

Communities and Local Government, with reference her Department's consultation response entitled, Building Safety Levy: Technical consultation response, published on 25 March 2025, at what rate the Building Safety Levy will be set..

The Building Safety Levy (levy) is one of a package of measures to make sure that the burden of paying for fixing historical building safety defects does not fall on leaseholders or further burden taxpayers.Developers will pay the levy on new residential development, subject to certain exemptions. It will come into effect in Autumn 2026. Anyone submitting an application for building control approval with full plans, a building control approval application (made to the Building Safety Regulator), or an initial notice for construction of, or works to, one or more dwellings or purpose built student accommodation (PBSA), after the levy has come into effect, will be liable to pay the levy, except where an exemption applies. The levy will not apply to applications for new dwellings that were submitted before the coming-into-force date.The design of the levy maintains viability of new developments as far as possible through variable levy rates at local authority level and a 50% discount on developments on previously developed land, reflecting the additional costs of building on these sites. Affordable housing and community facilities are exempt from the levy.The rates for each local authority can be found at Annex A: Levy Rates of the Building Safety Levy: Technical consultation response.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 31973 on Affordable Housing: Construction, and with reference to the Update from MHCLG on targets on the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme, published on 30 July 2024, if she will provide a breakdown of the latest target or estimated total number of dwellings to be delivered under the 2021-26 programme, separate to the proposed extension to 2026-27 set out in 25 March 2025, Official Report, HCWS549.

My Department published an update on targets in the 2021-26 Programme on 30 July 2024 on gov.uk here. 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 ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549). In October 2024, this government announced £500 million in new in-year funding for the Affordable Homes Programme, found on gov.uk here. As a result of significant demand from housing providers across the country, that additional funding is already oversubscribed. In the Written Ministerial Statement made on 12 February 2025 (HCWS447), this government announced allocating a further £300 million to the Affordable Homes Programme. This will support the near-term delivery of more social and affordable housing, delivering up to 2,800 new homes with more than half being Social Rent homes. In addition, at the multi-year Spending Review later this year, the government will set out details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and home-ownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for Social Rent. We will publish a new report after the summer recess.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with each local authority in England on how collected Extended Producer Responsibility fees will be allocated.

Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) payments are allocated fairly to Local Authorities through the calculation of local authority waste management costs, which accurately reflect the costs of efficient management of different packaging materials in the household waste streams. Defra have written to every Local Authority in the UK detailing estimated pEPR payments 2025/26, allowing authorities to check accuracy and to engage with PackUK as needed. PackUK have recently issued a survey, open to all authorities, to invite views on the estimated payments, this feedback has helped to shape our plans.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Nature Restoration Fund levy will be subject to economic viability assessments.

I refer the hon. Member to Clause 62, subsection (2) of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 36414 on Local Government: Reorganisation, whether she plans to include London Boroughs in a future round of restructuring.

As outlined in our answer to Question UIN 36414 on 13 March 2025, on 5 February the government formally invited unitary proposals from only those councils in two-tier local government areas and their neighbouring small unitaries, no London Boroughs were included in this invitation. The English Devolution White Paper set out that the government is taking a phased approach to delivery and will also facilitate reorganisation for those unitary councils where there is evidence of failure or where their size or boundaries are impacting on their responsibilities.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press notice entitled £2 billion new investment to support biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, published on 25 March 2025, how many and what proportion of those new homes will be available for social rent.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549).

Communities and Local Government, with reference her Department's consultation response entitled, Building Safety Levy: Technical consultation response, published on 25 March 2025, when the Building Safety Levy will come into force.

The Building Safety Levy (levy) is one of a package of measures to make sure that the burden of paying for fixing historical building safety defects does not fall on leaseholders or further burden taxpayers.Developers will pay the levy on new residential development, subject to certain exemptions. It will come into effect in Autumn 2026. Anyone submitting an application for building control approval with full plans, a building control approval application (made to the Building Safety Regulator), or an initial notice for construction of, or works to, one or more dwellings or purpose built student accommodation (PBSA), after the levy has come into effect, will be liable to pay the levy, except where an exemption applies. The levy will not apply to applications for new dwellings that were submitted before the coming-into-force date.The design of the levy maintains viability of new developments as far as possible through variable levy rates at local authority level and a 50% discount on developments on previously developed land, reflecting the additional costs of building on these sites. Affordable housing and community facilities are exempt from the levy.The rates for each local authority can be found at Annex A: Levy Rates of the Building Safety Levy: Technical consultation response.

Food and Rural Affairs, how Extended Producer Responsibility fees collected will be allocated to local authorities.

Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) payments are allocated fairly to Local Authorities through the calculation of local authority waste management costs, which accurately reflect the costs of efficient management of different packaging materials in the household waste streams. Defra have written to every Local Authority in the UK detailing estimated pEPR payments 2025/26, allowing authorities to check accuracy and to engage with PackUK as needed. PackUK have recently issued a survey, open to all authorities, to invite views on the estimated payments, this feedback has helped to shape our plans.

Communities and Local Government, whether new towns will be built through development corporations.

The independent New Towns Taskforce will publish its report this Summer, including recommendations on new town locations and delivery mechanisms.

Communities and Local Government, with reference her Department's consultation response entitled, Building Safety Levy: Technical consultation response, published on 25 March 2025, if the Building Safety Levy will apply to (a) live sites at the time of implementation and (b) new sites after the implementation of the levy.

The Building Safety Levy (levy) is one of a package of measures to make sure that the burden of paying for fixing historical building safety defects does not fall on leaseholders or further burden taxpayers.Developers will pay the levy on new residential development, subject to certain exemptions. It will come into effect in Autumn 2026. Anyone submitting an application for building control approval with full plans, a building control approval application (made to the Building Safety Regulator), or an initial notice for construction of, or works to, one or more dwellings or purpose built student accommodation (PBSA), after the levy has come into effect, will be liable to pay the levy, except where an exemption applies. The levy will not apply to applications for new dwellings that were submitted before the coming-into-force date.The design of the levy maintains viability of new developments as far as possible through variable levy rates at local authority level and a 50% discount on developments on previously developed land, reflecting the additional costs of building on these sites. Affordable housing and community facilities are exempt from the levy.The rates for each local authority can be found at Annex A: Levy Rates of the Building Safety Levy: Technical consultation response.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 36096 on MHCLG: Trade Union Officials, whether she plans to continue publishing this data following the passage of the Employment Rights Bill.

As with any changes to employment legislation, the department will review the position on reporting requirements as appropriate in line with the Employment Rights Bill 2024 and any applicable Cabinet Office guidance.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the policy paper entitled A new approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth, published on 17 March 2025, which public body will be designated as the lead regulator for major projects.

As the Government announced on 17 March a lead environmental regulator will be appointed for all major projects in which multiple environmental regulators have an interest, to make decisions on their behalf. This will reduce layers of regulation and create a single front door for major projects. This model will be tested through a series of projects this year, which could start with the Lower Thames Crossing subject to the planning process, as well as a new town-related housing project and future schemes like Heathrow expansion. We will assign a lead environmental regulator as part of this pilot phase. We are also asking industry to come forward with suggestions of additional projects which meet the steering criteria where they want to trial this new approach.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to section one of the policy paper entitled A new approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth, published on 17 March 2025, if she will make an assessment of the potential cumulative impact of these regulations on the private rented sector.

The Renters’ Rights Bill delivers our manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including by ending Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions. While the majority of landlords provide a good service, the private rented sector currently provides the least affordable, poorest quality and most insecure housing of all tenures. A sector that does not work for those who depend on it is bad for economic growth and productivity, detrimental to good public health, and a drain on aspiration. The government’s Impact Assessment for the Bill indicated that, for landlords that already provide decent homes and a prompt repair service to their tenants, the costs of our reforms are estimated to be just £22 per rented property annually – only 0.2% of mean annual rents. Landlords are expected to benefit from our reforms too – we estimate a gross benefit to landlords of £9 per property per year. Following Royal Assent of the Bill, we will allow time for a smooth transition to the new system. We will support tenants, landlords and agents to understand and adjust to the new rules.

Communities and Local Government, what the average time was to complete a home once planning permission had been granted in the latest period for which data is available.

The information requested is not held by the Department.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer by Lord Khan of Burnley of 13 March 2025, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 822, whether the grant funding agreement with Tell MAMA has been signed.

As with all government funding, funding to Tell MAMA is subject to grant funding agreements which are rightly kept under constant review and are subject to continued monitoring and evaluation. Following Tell MAMA’s signing of the required Grant Funding Agreement, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has made payment for the 2024/25.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 36103 on Islamophobia, what the public appointment process will be.

The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia working group has been established to provide government with a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities of British Muslims. The Working Group is made up of representatives from Muslim communities, independent experts, and academics. Full membership details of the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group have been published on GOV.UK. The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. Further details of the Government’s public appointments process and the Governance Code of Public Appointments can be found on GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has any staff permanently based in the Cabinet Office in the context of her role as Deputy Prime Minister.

The Deputy Prime Minister’s core staff and budget allocation is assigned to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Deputy Prime Minister is also supported by staff in other Government Departments, including the Cabinet Office, where relevant.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37213 on Local Government: Disclosure of Information, what powers she has to intervene if councils do not meet obligations under the Transparency Code.

The Local Government Transparency Code does not contain specific powers to intervene in the event of non-compliance with its requirements by authorities. It is the role of the courts to enforce the law and not ministers or government departments.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2025 to Question 33755 on Members: Prison Sentences, whether her Department plans to change the disqualification rules for councillors in local government.

Local government members already face disqualification if they receive a custodial sentence. When a person is convicted of any offence and receives a custodial sentence, whether suspended or not, of three months or more, they are disqualified from either standing for or holding office as a local authority member for a period of five years. We consulted on necessary reforms to the local government standards regime, including proposals to reform disqualification criteria. The consultation closed on 26 February 2025, and we will respond in due course.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37213 on Local Government: Disclosure of Information, whether her Department has considered updating the guidance entitled Local government transparency code 2015, last updated on 29 January 2015, to enable local government data to be made available through open API or XML formats.

We are keeping the Code under review in the context of work to ensure local government is fit, legal and decent. Local authorities are expected to provide data in an open and reusable format – the Code states “Public data should be published in a format and under a licence that allows open reuse, including for commercial and research activities, in order to maximise value to the public”.