13 Jul 2026·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Pending
AskedCommunities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the process for restoring planning decision-making powers to local planning authorities designated for poor performance; whether his Department has an indicative timetable or performance criteria for the return of those powers; and whether changes in political administration and improvements in planning performance are taken into account when considering whether to revoke a designation.
18 Dec 2025·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, how many foreign nationals have been granted social housing in each of the last five years.
ReplyMy Department’s annual Social Housing Lettings in England statistical series includes data on the number of the new social housing lettings in England each year to households by the self-reported nationality of the lead tenant. It can be found on gov.uk here. Data from 2006/07 to 2024/25 can be found in table 3e in the Social Housing Lettings in England, tenants summary tables: April 2024 to March 2025, which can be found here.
30 Oct 2025·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, how many foreign nationals have been granted social housing in each of the last five years.
ReplyI refer hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 85086 on 4 November 2025.
17 Apr 2025·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, what plans her Department has to bring forward legislative proposals to grant local authorities increased powers to remove unauthorised traveller encampments from public and private land.
ReplyLocal planning authorities already have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, which they can use to tackle all types of unauthorised development. We will keep the use of these powers under review.
21 Feb 2025·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, if her Department will take steps to increase the use of swift bricks to provide cavity nesting habitat for birds reliant on buildings.
ReplyI refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 22080 on 15 January 2025.
10 Feb 2025·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with (a) local authority officers and (b) local authority elected representatives on the cancellation of the local elections in the Isle of Wight; and if she will publish those discussions.
ReplyThe Secretary of State has not had discussions with these local authorities on the cancellation of the local elections. Discussions on the applications to the Devolution Priority Programme have been had with all upper tier and unitary councils in the preparation of the programme, and those discussions covered all matters related to the timetable and process by both officials and ministers, as you would expect.
10 Feb 2025·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with (a) local authority officers and (b) local authority elected representatives on the cancellation of the local elections in Surrey; and if she will publish those conversations.
ReplyThe Secretary of State has not had discussions with these local authorities on the cancellation of the local elections. Discussions on the applications to the Devolution Priority Programme have been had with all upper tier and unitary councils in the preparation of the programme, and those discussions covered all matters related to the timetable and process by both officials and ministers, as you would expect.
8 Jan 2025·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, if she will take steps to ensure that candidates standing in combined authority elections are not also responsible for (a) setting up and (b) overseeing those authorities.
ReplyUnder the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, all local authorities who are to be constituent members of a combined authority must consent to the combined authority’s establishment. This does not disqualify any constituent local authority members from running for the office of mayor in the combined authority.Please be assured that, in the case where the winning candidate in the election to role of mayor is also already a sitting councillor of a constituent authority, under Schedule 5B paragraph 7 of the 2009 Act, their council seat is automatically rendered vacant and regular by-election requirements for the council seat occur as normal.
13 Nov 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that parishes in areas without a parish council are (a) consulted on and (b) have the opportunity to provide (i) local insights and (ii) detail
ReplyIn areas with no Parish Council, Parish Meetings can make representations in relation to planning appeals and wider planning consultations.Beyond this, residents in these areas can engage directly with the various decision-making processes. Those that hav...
13 Nov 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the annual cost of providing (a) housing and (b) welfare support for people residing in the UK illegally; and what steps she is taking to reduce t
ReplyThe department has made no such estimate. Persons residing in the UK illegally who have no recourse to public funds are not eligible for an allocation of social housing or statutory homelessness assistance.More broadly, the Home Office is responsible for ...
29 Oct 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the maximum level of commission charge paid to site owners for the sale of park homes on park home owners.
ReplyThe park homes sector is an important part of the housing market and must be a safe and secure place for residents.The Government recognises that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park hom...
16 Oct 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that parish meetings are (a) included and (b) consulted in the Planning Inspectorate’s decision-making process; and whether she plan
ReplyParish Councils are engaged already in the Planning Inspectorate’s decision-making processes.In the case of planning appeals, any submissions that a Parish Council, being a statutory consultee, made in relation to an appealed planning application will be ...