Written questions by Morton.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that local housing targets include provision for (a) infrastructure and (b) brownfield remediation.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 includes a new Standard Method for assessing housing needs that is aligned to our Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million new safe and decent homes in England by the end of this Parliament. The Standard Method for assessing housing needs provides a starting point for local planning authorities (LPAs) to inform the preparation of their local development plans. Once an assessment has been made, LPAs should take into account land availability, environmental constraints, and other relevant matters, to determine how much of the assessed housing need can be met. It is for local authorities, in consultation with their communities, to set out the most appropriate strategy to meet their housing needs. The NPPF makes clear that planning policies and decisions should give substantial weight to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements for homes and other identified needs and should support opportunities to remediate derelict and contaminated land. Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period. The government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through Land and Infrastructure funding programmes, such as the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of infrastructure developments on agricultural land.

The government places great importance upon our agricultural land. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should recognise the benefits of the Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land (land in grades 1, 2 and 3a of the Agricultural Land Classification system). Where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality.

Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the regional allocation of (a) local authority housing and (b) affordable homes programme funds in the Spending Review 2025.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).

Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take with local authorities to help encourage social cohesion at a neighbourhood level.

Local Authorities are being actively supported to improve social cohesion through a range of national initiatives. This includes the recently announced communities funding for up to 350 places, incorporating the existing 75 Plan for Neighbourhoods, announced in March, and the 25 trailblazer neighbourhoods announced at Spending Review, who will receive up to £20 million each over the next decade. This funding will support improvements people can see on their doorstep, champion local leadership, foster community engagement and strengthen social cohesion.To deliver this programme of neighbourhood-level support, the government will work in partnership with local communities and local authorities to support delivery.

Communities and Local Government, how much funding her Department plans to provide for brownfield remediation in the (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27 financial year.

The government is making available over £1.8bn of grant funding for land and infrastructure in 2025/26. We will launch the National Housing Delivery Fund in 2026/27. Its c.£5bn of capital grant funding will be available across the four financial years from 2026/27 to 2029/30. As per the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 18 June 2025 (HCWS712), we are also intend to establish a new, permanent National Housing Bank to act as the government’s investment arm. We also intend to establish a new, permanent National Housing Bank to act as the government’s investment arm. The Bank will have an initial allocation of £16 billion of new financial capacity.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of neighbourhood planning policies in involving local communities in the planning process.

As set out in Paragraph 30 of the National Planning Policy Framework, neighbourhood planning gives communities the power to develop a shared vision for their area. Neighbourhood plans can shape, direct, and help to deliver sustainable development, by influencing local planning decisions as part of the statutory development plan.The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of current measures to protect public green spaces from (a) unauthorised encampments and (b) environmental damage.

The designation of land as Local Green Space through local and neighbourhood plans allows communities to identify and protect green areas of particular importance to them.Local plans are expected to identify, map and safeguard locally designated sites of importance for biodiversity, including Local Wildlife Sites.Local 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.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that developers take account of adopted neighbourhood plans.

The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system.Once passed at referendum, neighbourhood plans form part of the statutory development plan for the local area which is the basis for making decisions on planning applications.The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that where a planning application conflicts with an up-to-date development plan (including any neighbourhood plans), permission should not usually be granted.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 62956 on Waste Disposal: Birmingham, when Ministers in her Department last met with the Leader of Birmingham City Council to discuss the waste collection industrial dispute.

All details of ministerial meetings with external bodies are published on gov.uk.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to increase the role of neighbourhood plans in the planning process.

The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60503 on Housing: Construction, what the cost components are of the stability of energy costs in manufacturing.

Manufacturing energy costs are comprised of the wholesale price, network charges, and policy costs used to fund renewables and other initiatives including the Contracts for Difference, Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariff, Capacity Market charges, Nuclear RAB, and more. The Climate Change Levy is also applied to industrial energy bills, and there are indirect costs associated with the Emissions Trading Scheme and Carbon Price Support.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60503 on Housing: Construction, what steps her Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) prevent future cost pressures on materials that may impact housebuilding targets.

The government is working with industry to ensure the housebuilding sector has access to the construction materials needed to build 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this parliament.We expect suppliers to increase capacity to meet demand and there is evidence that they are doing so. For example, we have seen deliveries of bricks in England, Scotland and Wales increase by 23% in the year to May 2025.Construction materials prices are stable, rising only 1% between January 2024 and January 2025, far below the rate of inflation for the wider UK economy.We will continue to closely monitor the cost of building materials.

Communities and Local Government, what steps is she taking to encourage the development of affordable homes on brownfield sites.

The government is committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that planning policies and decisions should give substantial weight to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements for homes and other identified needs – such as affordable housing – and support development that makes efficient use of land.The government has also committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure that new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure, including on suitable brownfield sites. Further details will be set out in due course.At the Spending Review, the Chancellor announced £39 billion for a successor to the Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36.This new Social and Affordable Homes Programme will give Registered Providers a decade of certainty over the capital funding they will have available to build new, more ambitious housing development projects.Outside of London, Homes England will be able to use this funding to support the development of affordable homes, including on suitable brownfield land across the country.The programme will not have numerical targets or ringfenced budgets for particular regions or types of home beyond the GLA’s portion, but we will ensure that established Mayoral Strategic Authorities (EMSAs), including the Mayor of the West Midlands, can set its strategic direction in their areas and indicative upfront spend subject to suitable projects.

Communities and Local Government, how many meetings Ministers in her Department have had with (a) Birmingham City Council and (b) Unite since the start of the waste collection industrial dispute in Birmingham.

Since Birmingham City Council’s declaration of a ‘major incident’ on 31 March, Ministers have been in regular contact with the Council to tackle the backlog of waste on the city’s streets.Ministers have not met with Unite.

Communities and Local Government, how much and what proportion of the funding announced for the 10‑year Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review 2025 will be spent in the West Midlands.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July 2025 (HCWS771).

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with UK brick manufacturers on meeting the demand for new homes.

The government is working with industry to ensure the housebuilding sector has access to the construction materials needed to build 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this parliament.We expect suppliers to increase capacity to meet demand, and we have seen deliveries of bricks in England, Scotland and Wales increase by 10% in the year to April 2025.Added to that, construction materials prices are stable, rising only 1% between January 2024 and January 2025, far below the rate of inflation for the wider UK economy.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she had made of the potential impact of a new national scheme of delegation in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on local democratic oversight.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes regulation-making powers to issue statutory guidance on a national scheme of delegation. The government intend to formally consult on these proposals alongside the Bill’s passage.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a new oversight board at the West Midlands Fire Service on the quality of service provided.

I am responding as the Minister now with responsibility for Fire. It is the government’s priority to drive meaningful culture change across the fire and rescue sector.  Our fire professionals work under significant pressure and in challenging circumstances, so it is important that the Fire and Rescue Authorities and the Fire and Rescue Services create a culture where every member of the team can thrive.The West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority have established, through working with the Local Government Association, the corporate governance improvement board. The board provides challenge and support to the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority and works to identify potential areas of improvement.I am supportive of the board’s work and my officials remain in regular contact with the Local Government Association to keep abreast of its ongoing work.To further support the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service, in December 2024, the Home Secretary decided to commission a ‘Best Value Inspection’ of the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority to ascertain whether the authority is meeting its Best Value obligations, particularly regarding governance. We will ensure partners are kept updated on the development of this Best Value Inspection.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has consulted with (a) local authorities and (b) planning professional bodies on the proposed delegation reforms in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

On 13 February 2025, the government published a Planning Committees Planning Reform Working Paper inviting views on models for a national scheme of delegation, which the government has committed to introduce to support better decision making in the planning system. We received feedback to the working paper from a range of stakeholders including local authorities and planning professional bodies such as the Royal Town Planning Institute.My Department continues to engage with a wide range of stakeholders as we progress detailed proposals for consultation alongside the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

What steps she is taking to help ensure whistleblowing protections are in place for staff who report (a) misconduct and (b) discriminatory behaviour in the West Midlands Fire Service.

I am responding as the Minister now with responsibility for Fire. It is the government’s priority to drive meaningful culture change across the fire and rescue sector.  Our fire professionals work under significant pressure and in challenging circumstances, so it is important that Fire and Rescue Authorities and the Fire and Rescue Services create a culture where every member of the team can thrive. This of course includes the staff at West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service.In December 2024, the Home Secretary decided to commission a ‘Best Value Inspection’ of the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority to ascertain whether the authority is meeting its Best Value obligations or if it is failing to do so, particularly regarding governance. We will ensure partners are kept updated on the development of this Best Value Inspection.On 13 July 2023, the Home Office commissioned HMICFRS to undertake a thematic inspection of the handling of misconduct in fire and rescue services in England, building on the outcomes of the spotlight report. This report was published on 1 August 2024 and made 15 recommendations, including one to ensure all staff understand how to raise a concern and use grievance and whistle-blowing processes and feel safe in doing so. MHCLG is working closely with services to determine the level of progress made against these recommendations and if there are any systemic barriers to progress that government may be able to offer support for.