Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

My Department has no such plans.

Chapter 17 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance includes information on the suitability of accommodation and makes clear that accommodation which may lack or require sharing of important amenities, such as cooking facilities, should be avoided wherever possible and is not suitable for families with children. You can access the Code of Guidance on gov.uk here.

Our Local Performance and Accountability Toolkit, which can be found here, states that temporary accommodation policies should include how the authority will ensure that families in temporary accommodation have access to key facilities, including cooking and laundry facilities, secure storage and Wi-Fi. Households may request a review if they consider their accommodation unsuitable and complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman or take legal action if they are dissatisfied with how their case has been handled.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 26939 on 13 October.

As drafted, the relevant provision in the Representation of the People Bill 2026 requires that the bank card show the holder’s first name or first initial and the holder’s surname. As such, if a jointly held bank card displays this information, and meets the other requirements set out in the Bill, it will be accepted as Voter ID.

No such assessment has been made. The Government has announced the establishment of a National Commission on Electoral Reform and will set out more details about how it will carry out its work in due course.

We are providing over £4 billion in funding for homelessness and rough sleeping services from 2026/27 to 2028/29, helping local areas deliver tailored solutions to tackle all forms of homelessness and give children the best start in life.

The Child Poverty Strategy and National Plan to End Homelessness published in 2025 committed to strengthen protections against poor temporary accommodation conditions, improving families’ experiences and ending B&B use for families by the end of this Parliament, except for very short-term emergencies. Since the peak at 30 June 2024, households with children in B&B have fallen by 67.9%, and those staying beyond six weeks by 75%.

The government has committed £30 million over three years through the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Programme to help local authorities facing the greatest pressures to reduce B&B use. A further £950 million for the fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund will help councils in England increase the supply of good quality temporary accommodation, reducing reliance on costly B&Bs and hotels.

Councils must ensure that temporary accommodation is suitable for the needs of the household and free from the most serious category 1 hazards. As we recently set out in our response to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee which can be found here, inspections are an effective means of assuring the quality and suitability of temporary accommodation, and we encourage local authorities to inspect properties before use. Councils can use funding provided through the £2.7 billion Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant for inspections and improvement of temporary accommodation.

To strengthen protections, we plan on applying the new Decent Homes Standard across temporary accommodation wherever possible and are currently consulting on extending Awaab’s Law across temporary accommodation occupied under licence. We have also strengthened assurance at local level by requiring local authorities to set out in their action plans the steps they will take to ensure temporary accommodation is suitable.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 37131 on 30 October 2026.

MHCLG collects and publishes accredited official statistics on the number of households placed in temporary accommodation by local authorities in England via the Homelessness Case Level Information Collection (H-CLIC). This collection includes the sex of the main applicant and household members, as well as main applicant ethnicity, and nationality. There is no requirement to directly record immigration status as a part of the return, however some information on immigration status is recorded based on how this relates whether or not the household is eligible for statutory homelessness support. The latest data is available here.

Ethnicity of main applicants of households in temporary accommodation has been published quarterly since 31^st March 2025, with some data published annually back to 31^st March 2022 (Table TA6). Information on the household composition of households in temporary accommodation is published quarterly (Table TA2), which includes information on the sex of main applicants e.g. number of one adult female households, households with one adult male with dependent children.

MHCLG publish yearly information on nationality and eligibility of applicants owed homelessness duties. (Tables A9 and A11 in the financial year tables). However, we do not publish separate information on nationality or eligibility of main applicants in temporary accommodation.

Since June 2024, MHCLG also collects management information on the number of people sleeping rough over the month who have moved into accommodation from local authorities in England. This includes people sleeping rough who are placed in short-term or long-term accommodation. It does not include placements into accommodation due to Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP), which provides support for individuals during extreme weather. This information is not collected further broken down by nationality, ethnicity, and immigration status. The latest data is available here.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to policies S4, S5, L3 and GB7 of the new National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August.

The new National Planning Policy Framework that was published on 17 August 2026 was informed by extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including local planning authorities (LPAs).

The consultation undertaken between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, which elicited 343 responses from LPAs, included a series of in-person and online engagement events with them organised by my Department and the Planning Advisory Service.

In respect of LPA capacity and capability, I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 112629 on 2 March 2026.

The new National Planning Policy Framework that was published on 17 August 2026 was informed by extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including local planning authorities (LPAs).

The consultation undertaken between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, which elicited 343 responses from LPAs, included a series of in-person and online engagement events with them organised by my Department and the Planning Advisory Service.

In respect of LPA capacity and capability, I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 112629 on 2 March 2026.

The definition of ‘well-connected’ station is set out in the glossary at Annex B of the National Planning Policy Framework. It is for decision makers to determine whether any given station meets the definition of ‘well-connected’. My Department has not made an estimate of the impact of the policy around any specific station.

The definition of ‘well-connected’ station is set out in the glossary at Annex B of the National Planning Policy Framework. It is for decision makers to determine whether any given station meets the definition of ‘well-connected’. My Department has not made an estimate of the impact of the policy around any specific station.

The definition of ‘well-connected’ station is set out in the glossary at Annex B of the National Planning Policy Framework. It is for decision makers to determine whether any given station meets the definition of ‘well-connected’. My Department has not made an estimate of the impact of the policy around any specific station.

The definition of ‘well-connected’ station is set out in the glossary at Annex B of the National Planning Policy Framework. It is for decision makers to determine whether any given station meets the definition of ‘well-connected’. My Department has not made an estimate of the impact of the policy around any specific station.

The definition of ‘well-connected’ station is set out in the glossary at Annex B of the National Planning Policy Framework. It is for decision makers to determine whether any given station meets the definition of ‘well-connected’. My Department has not made an estimate of the impact of the policy around any specific station.

I refer the hon. Members to policies HC1, S2 and S5 of the new National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August.

I refer the hon. Members to policies HC1, S2 and S5 of the new National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August.

I refer the hon. Members to policies HC1, S2 and S5 of the new National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August.

HM Land Registry (HMLR) operates a statutory indemnity scheme under Schedule 8 to the Land Registration Act 2002. Where an individual suffers loss as a result of a qualifying mistake in the register, they may be entitled to compensation. HMLR also has established processes to correct mistakes in the register when they are identified.

It should be noted that almost 20% of applications result in requests for more information, referred to as ‘requisition’ letters, when there is missing or incorrect information. Depending on the complexity of the issue and responsiveness of all parties, this can generate significant delays of multiple months to the application.

To improve the quality of applications, HMLR are sharing avoidable requisition data to help customers see where issues are arising and focus their improvement activity where it can have the greatest impact.

HMLR also offer free guidance, training and dedicated support to help firms submit more complete and accurate applications. Their training can be found on gov.uk here.

The average wait time for completion of applications to register routine changes to existing titles since 2021 were as follows:

Data prior to 2021 is not readily available.

Average processing times do not always reflect the range of individual customer experiences, which is why HM Land Registry publishes its latest processing times on gov.uk here.

Customers can request fast-tracking at no extra cost if an application becomes urgent. HM Land Registry processed over 400k last year, with 95% completed within 10 working days.

HM Land Registry publishes its latest processing times on gov.uk here. Over 90% of information requests are delivered instantly via digital services, with the remainder within three days. The median waiting time for applications to register routine changes to existing titles is 11 working days.

As set out in the Government’s guidance to local authorities in receipt of the Community Recovery Fund, they were responsible for the dispersal of funding within their local area, for management of such funds in line with relevant standards and legislation and for maintaining an appropriate audit trail for expenditure.

The report in question was commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority and is publicly available on their website here. As such, I have no plans to place a copy in the Library.

The English Housing Survey (EHS) is my Department’s main source of evidence for housing policies. We offer a £5 post office voucher to each household who participates in the EHS as a token of appreciation for their time and effort.

Homes England does not have a street names policy.

Homes England has not incurred any expenditure on public affairs services provided by Lexington since July 2024.

The definition of ‘well-connected’ station is set out in the glossary at Annex B of the National Planning Policy Framework. It is for decision makers to determine whether any given station meets the definition of ‘well-connected’. My Department has not made a definitive assessment of whether any specific station meets the criteria.

As set out in the government response to the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, the government considered whether measures such as service reliability, journey times or onward travel could be included in the definition of a ‘well-connected’ station. We concluded that such measures, which vary significantly across different locations and over time, would be challenging to implement in practice. Such metrics would likely add complexity to the proposals, and undermine wider efforts to support a clear, rules-based planning system.

The definition of ‘well-connected’ station is set out in the glossary at Annex B of the National Planning Policy Framework. It is for decision makers to determine whether any given station meets the definition of ‘well-connected’. My Department has not made a definitive assessment of whether any specific station meets the criteria.

As set out in the government response to the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, the government considered whether measures such as service reliability, journey times or onward travel could be included in the definition of a ‘well-connected’ station. We concluded that such measures, which vary significantly across different locations and over time, would be challenging to implement in practice. Such metrics would likely add complexity to the proposals, and undermine wider efforts to support a clear, rules-based planning system.

The definition of ‘well-connected’ station is set out in the glossary at Annex B of the National Planning Policy Framework. It is for decision makers to determine whether any given station meets the definition of ‘well-connected’. My Department has not made a definitive assessment of whether any specific station meets the criteria.

As set out in the government response to the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, the government considered whether measures such as service reliability, journey times or onward travel could be included in the definition of a ‘well-connected’ station. We concluded that such measures, which vary significantly across different locations and over time, would be challenging to implement in practice. Such metrics would likely add complexity to the proposals, and undermine wider efforts to support a clear, rules-based planning system.

The National Housing Bank provides loans, equity investment and guarantees to support housing delivery and regeneration across England.

Devolved governments receive an aggregate Financial Transactions allocation as part of the block grant. Between 2026-27 and 2029-30, the devolved governments will receive £2.3 billion in FT capital, including an additional £1.0 billion through the operation of the Barnett formula.

HM Land Registry (HMLR) maintains the register of title. The register records legal ownership and interests which affect it. It does not record who is in occupation of the property, or whether it is a family home. Someone who is preparing to buy or take a mortgage over a property can make an official search to protect their disposition (often shortly before they complete the transaction), but applications to register transfers and mortgages are sent to HMLR after they have been completed.

Spouses and civil partners who have rights of occupation in the family home which are a charge on the property under the Family Law Act 1996 can apply for entry of a notice of home rights against the registered title. Entry of the home rights notice protects the priority of the rights against subsequent registrable dispositions, including transfers and mortgages. It is not anticipated that this protection will be sought until the marriage or civil partnership appears to be in jeopardy.

HMLR also offers a free Property Alert service which is intended to help protect against property fraud. The service allows subscribers to be notified of official searches and applications against properties they are monitoring. Further information can be found here.

HMLR does not have any current plans to introduce an alert for occupiers of family homes within its registration process.

Decisions concerning the pricing and availability of mortgages are commercial decisions for lenders and the government does not seek to intervene in them.

My Department has made no specific assessment of the impact of mortgage availability restrictions on office-to-residential conversions, it holds no data on properties affected, and it has not issued specific guidance to local authorities on their long-term mortgageability.

The government is determined that lenders should treat borrowers fairly. Any dispute arising between a bank and its customers is usually best resolved by the parties involved. If a customer is not happy with their bank’s response, they can ask the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) to review their complaint. The FOS provides a free, independent dispute resolution service for bank customers. Its decisions are binding on the firm concerned.

Decisions concerning the pricing and availability of mortgages are commercial decisions for lenders and the government does not seek to intervene in them.

My Department has made no specific assessment of the impact of mortgage availability restrictions on office-to-residential conversions, it holds no data on properties affected, and it has not issued specific guidance to local authorities on their long-term mortgageability.

The government is determined that lenders should treat borrowers fairly. Any dispute arising between a bank and its customers is usually best resolved by the parties involved. If a customer is not happy with their bank’s response, they can ask the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) to review their complaint. The FOS provides a free, independent dispute resolution service for bank customers. Its decisions are binding on the firm concerned.

Decisions concerning the pricing and availability of mortgages are commercial decisions for lenders and the government does not seek to intervene in them.

My Department has made no specific assessment of the impact of mortgage availability restrictions on office-to-residential conversions, it holds no data on properties affected, and it has not issued specific guidance to local authorities on their long-term mortgageability.

The government is determined that lenders should treat borrowers fairly. Any dispute arising between a bank and its customers is usually best resolved by the parties involved. If a customer is not happy with their bank’s response, they can ask the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) to review their complaint. The FOS provides a free, independent dispute resolution service for bank customers. Its decisions are binding on the firm concerned.

The government recognises that the apportionment of costs is an area of concern for shared owners.

We are considering the matter, alongside other factors impacting on the long-term affordability of Shared Ownership as a product, as part of our ongoing improvement programme, further detail on which can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 October 2026 (HCWS417).

The government has committed to review evidence on the effectiveness of current permitted development rights for on-farm reservoirs.

We are working with farmers and industry representatives, including the National Farmers’ Union and Country Land and Business Association, to gather and assess evidence to that end. Any further announcements will be made in due course in the normal way.

As part of a confidential data sharing agreement, HM Land Registry shares Title Register information, including data from the National Polygon Service, with HM Revenue & Customs on a monthly basis.

Homes England’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2025/26, 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. Past year spend by Homes England on these programmes can be found in the annual report and accounts for those years. The starts and completions for AHP 2021-26 can be found on Live Table 1012 here. The Greater London Authority publish their starts and completions quarterly which can be found on their website here.

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.

In addition, the latest delivery on the 2016-2023 Affordable Homes Programme can be found in the latest annual report linked here.

I refer the hon. Member to policies TR2 and TR4 of the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 17 August.

Planning practice guidance will be updated in due course to reflect the new NPPF.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 29793 on 16 October 2026 and UIN 108216 on 4 February 2026.

The government has issued no specific guidance to local authorities on street stall consent policies which prevent stalls which involve (a) criticism and (b) disagreement with policies of a given local authority.

The provision and administration of street trading and highways licences are the responsibility of Local Authorities under either the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 or the London Local Authorities Act 1990, depending on their location.

I refer the hon. Member to the government response to Question 161 of the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here.