Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Information on the nationality of all members of a household currently on local authority social housing waiting lists is not collected centrally. As such, it is not possible to determine the proportion of households on local authority social housing waiting lists containing at least one non-UK national.

Limited information on the nationality of lead tenants is collected on a voluntary basis and is presented and contextualised for data quality in Section 6.7 of the Social housing lettings in England, tenants: April 2024 to March 2025 statistical publication, which can be found on gov.uk here.

On 22 January 2026, the Secretary of State announced his intention to bring forward legislation to postpone for one year the May 2026 elections. This legislation will apply to 30 councils, including Thurrock.

Separately, the Government accepts that Thurrock Council holds significant and exceptional unsupported debt, related to capital practices, that cannot be managed locally in their entirety. The government has committed to providing debt repayment support. Thurrock Council remains in intervention and continues to improve and deliver its recovery agenda.

The Government has no plans to publish the representations received.

There is no single, consistently applied definition of a short-term let.

The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 defines a “short-term rental property” as (a) a dwelling, or part of a dwelling, which is provided by a person (“the host”) to another person (“the guest”) for use by the guest as accommodation other than the guest’s only or principal residence, in return for payment (whether or not by the guest), and in the course of a trade or business carried on by the host, and (b) any dwelling or premises, or part of a dwelling or premises, not falling within paragraph (a) which is specified for the purposes of this paragraph.

For local property taxation purposes, whether a short-term let is assessed for business rates or council tax will depend on how many nights the property is available to let each year and how many nights it was actually let. Properties must have been available for short-term letting for at least 140 days in the previous year and demonstrate at least 70 days of actual letting activity in the previous year before they can be assessed for business rates. The Valuation Office Agency has a duty to maintain accurate council tax and business rates lists.

Minerals and Waste Plans will be subject to new regulations under the new plan making system.

The government re-confirmed in December 2025 that the deadline for submission of plans for examination under the current plan-making system is December 2026.

While we have urged Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to progress plans as soon as possible, it is for individual LPAs to decide whether their next plan can be submitted under the current plan-making system, or whether it would be more appropriate to progress under the new system.

Minerals and Waste Plans will be subject to new regulations under the new plan making system.

The government re-confirmed in December 2025 that the deadline for submission of plans for examination under the current plan-making system is December 2026.

While we have urged Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to progress plans as soon as possible, it is for individual LPAs to decide whether their next plan can be submitted under the current plan-making system, or whether it would be more appropriate to progress under the new system.

In each of the last three years the government has allocated councils funding through the Homelessness Prevention Grant, which can be used flexibly according to local need, including for temporary accommodation costs. Over this time the government has also provided specific funding to support people at risk of and experiencing rough sleeping, including through the provision of accommodation.

You can find local authority level allocations for homelessness funding through gov.uk here.

My department notes plans by the Office for National Statistics for an updated harmonised standard, which will be applied to our departmental statistics where applicable in due course.

This is an open consultation so anyone can provide a response on an individual basis. Those from my department with responsibilities and expertise in this subject are considering the consultation and will respond if necessary.

We will launch our £15 million Long-Term Rough Sleeping Innovation Programme shortly. The funding will enable councils to trial and deliver new approaches to support people furthest away from resolving their rough sleeping.

The government will provide £3.5 billion funding for homelessness services from 2026/27 to 2028/29, of which over £3 billion will be allocated to local government through the Local Government Finance Settlement. Councils can use this funding flexibly to meet the needs of people in their areas, including by commissioning Housing First services which evidence has shown can transform the lives of people with complex needs.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 99477 on 19 December 2025.

The department has not issued any recent guidance to local authorities on the assessment of entitlement to a council tax reduction for residents who are in receipt of Universal Credit. The administration of council tax reduction for working-age claimants is the responsibility of local authorities. The government encourages taxpayers who are in hardship to contact their local authority to discuss their options.

The legal basis for postponing local elections is set out in section 87 of the Local Government Act 2000, which gives the Secretary of State, not local authorities, the power to change the year in which ordinary local elections are held by an order which is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

In order to inform his decisions on postponing the May 2026 elections, the Secretary of State wrote to councils on 18 December inviting leaders to set out if a postponement in their area would help release essential capacity to deliver local government reorganisation.

The definition of start on site for the Affordable Homes Programme is set out in the Capital Funding Guides (attached) for Homes England and Greater London Authority. Start on site is achieved when:

• The provider and the building contractor/developer have entered into the contract
• The building contractor/developer takes possession of the site or property and
• Eligible works have commenced

Start on site can be recorded where demolition works, or other infrastructure work eligible under the published definition, have commenced.

The definition of start on site for the Affordable Homes Programme is set out in the Capital Funding Guides (attached) for Homes England and Greater London Authority. Start on site is achieved when:

• The provider and the building contractor/developer have entered into the contract
• The building contractor/developer takes possession of the site or property and
• Eligible works have commenced

Start on site can be recorded where demolition works, or other infrastructure work eligible under the published definition, have commenced.

The definition of start on site for the Affordable Homes Programme is set out in the Capital Funding Guides (attached) for Homes England and Greater London Authority. Start on site is achieved when:

• The provider and the building contractor/developer have entered into the contract
• The building contractor/developer takes possession of the site or property and
• Eligible works have commenced

Start on site can be recorded where demolition works, or other infrastructure work eligible under the published definition, have commenced.

Officials in my department have regular engagement with financial sector stakeholders. A product of this is the lenders’ statement on cladding which has signatories from ten major banks and building societies.

These lenders have committed to consider mortgage applications, even if a property has building safety issues, provided either the building has funding for works from government or the developer, or the property is protected by the leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act, and the leaseholder has completed a ‘Leaseholder Deed of Certificate’ to evidence it.

The statement was further updated in April last year to confirm that even where an EWS1 has, what they consider to be, an invalid signatory, lenders will not require a wholesale review of affected EWS1s. Lenders will consider alternative evidence, for example: that a building is in a remediation scheme, a Leaseholder Deed of Certificate has been completed or a Fire Risk Appraisal of the External Wall (FRAEW) has been undertaken.

An EWS1 form is not a government, legal or regulatory requirement. Not all lenders ask for an EWS1, but whether they do, remains a commercial decision.

Officials in my department have regular engagement with financial sector stakeholders. A product of this is the lenders’ statement on cladding which has signatories from ten major banks and building societies.

These lenders have committed to consider mortgage applications, even if a property has building safety issues, provided either the building has funding for works from government or the developer, or the property is protected by the leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act, and the leaseholder has completed a ‘Leaseholder Deed of Certificate’ to evidence it.

The statement was further updated in April last year to confirm that even where an EWS1 has, what they consider to be, an invalid signatory, lenders will not require a wholesale review of affected EWS1s. Lenders will consider alternative evidence, for example: that a building is in a remediation scheme, a Leaseholder Deed of Certificate has been completed or a Fire Risk Appraisal of the External Wall (FRAEW) has been undertaken.

An EWS1 form is not a government, legal or regulatory requirement. Not all lenders ask for an EWS1, but whether they do, remains a commercial decision.

As set out in UIN 99016, councils are responsible for working through the implications of local government reorganisation, including the assessment of cost and merits.

As set out in UIN 99016, councils are responsible for working through the implications of local government reorganisation, including the assessment of cost and merits.

The government understands the urgency of introducing new energy efficiency standards so that as many homes as possible are highly efficient and use low-carbon heating. We are carefully considering at what level to set the technical requirements of the Future Homes Standard to deliver an ambitious standard that is on track to achieve our net zero ambitions while also being achievable across the country. The Future Homes Standard will be published in early 2026.

Estimated net business rates yield in England for can be found in Table 1 of the ‘National non-domestic rates collected by councils in England’ statistical releases.

Data for 2024-25 based on out-turn (actual) data can be found on gov.uk here.

Forecast data for 2025-26 can be found on gov.uk here.

Data for 2026-27 will be published in mid-February 2026.

Housing authorities must, as a minimum, ensure that all temporary accommodation is free of Category 1 hazards as identified by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). Households may request a review of their accommodation if they feel it is unsuitable.

If an applicant is not satisfied with how the council has handled their case, they may complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman or take legal action through the courts.

The Greater London Authority has secured up to £11.7 billion to deliver the London portion of the government’s Social and Affordable Homes Programme, which will run from 2026 to 2036.

The programme will support the delivery of thousands of new social and affordable homes across London, with the overall housing target for the programme to be confirmed after the initial bidding round.

Funding is available to deliver projects that can start on site by March 2036 and complete by March 2039.

The government’s Strategy for Elections was not shared with any political party prior to publication.

Decisions made about the Rycroft Review, within the scope of its terms of reference, are a matter for the independent reviewer and his team.

The review team’s email address is published online alongside the terms of reference here.

The review findings will be delivered to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Security Minister by the end of March 2026.

Decisions made about the Rycroft Review, within the scope of its terms of reference, are a matter for the independent reviewer and his team.

The review team’s email address is published online alongside the terms of reference here.

The review findings will be delivered to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Security Minister by the end of March 2026.

The government is committed to strengthening democracy and upholding the integrity of our elections. Robust and proportionate enforcement of political finance rules is an essential part of this. That is why, as announced on 17 July in the government’s Strategy for Elections, we committed to strengthening the Electoral Commission’s powers and extending its remit to ensure that it can effectively enforce the political finance framework.

Our package of electoral reforms set out in our Strategy for Modern and Secure Elections has been informed by a wide variety of stakeholder recommendations and representations over time, including from political parties.

The government recognise that some specialist retirement housing providers have distinct operational and financing arrangements, and we value the important contribution that this sector makes to supporting older people.

We want to ensure providers can continue to operate effectively and with confidence.

As per the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278), we will consider through the scrutiny and consultation process whether particular arrangements may be appropriate for certain forms of specialist provision.

The government recognise that some specialist retirement housing providers have distinct operational and financing arrangements, and we value the important contribution that this sector makes to supporting older people.

We want to ensure providers can continue to operate effectively and with confidence.

As per the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278), we will consider through the scrutiny and consultation process whether particular arrangements may be appropriate for certain forms of specialist provision.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 98288 on 5 January 2026, UIN 105177 on 20 January 2026, and UIN 106373 on 26 January 2026.

My Department does not hold data on average service charges in Slough and Berkshire.

On 4 July 2025, the government published a consultation, jointly with the Welsh Government, on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. The consultation included proposals to reform the section 20 ‘major works’ procedure, increase transparency over service charges and enhance access to redress through the relevant provisions in the Act. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. It closed on 26 September 2025, and we are analysing responses with a view to bringing the relevant measures into force as quickly as possible.

My Department does not hold data on average service charges in Slough and Berkshire.

On 4 July 2025, the government published a consultation, jointly with the Welsh Government, on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. The consultation included proposals to reform the section 20 ‘major works’ procedure, increase transparency over service charges and enhance access to redress through the relevant provisions in the Act. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. It closed on 26 September 2025, and we are analysing responses with a view to bringing the relevant measures into force as quickly as possible.

The current edition of the Association of Retirement Housing Managers Code of Practice on Private Retirement Housing, approved in 2016 using powers under Section 87 of the Leasehold Reform and Urban Development Act 1993, may be used as evidence by the First-tier Tribunal or County Court in any decisions they make.

It is for the Association to decide what changes to the Code are necessary, including the voting criteria on how services and facilities are provided, which will then be put to the Secretary of State for consideration.

The current edition of the Association of Retirement Housing Managers Code of Practice on Private Retirement Housing, approved in 2016 using powers under Section 87 of the Leasehold Reform and Urban Development Act 1993, may be used as evidence by the First-tier Tribunal or County Court in any decisions they make.

It is for the Association to decide what changes to the Code are necessary, including the voting criteria on how services and facilities are provided, which will then be put to the Secretary of State for consideration.

I am always willing to consider local authority requests for financial assistance under the Bellwin Scheme.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) in England, including fires involving road vehicles. This data is published in the Department’s fire statistics releases. However, the data currently collected by Fire and Rescue Services does not identify whether a vehicle involved in a fire was an electric vehicle. The Department is therefore not able to provide data for the number of fires involving electric vehicles in England over the last five years.

Our new Fire and Rescue Data Analysis Platform (FaRDAP) is being rolled out and work is ongoing to update the data it will collect covering both the questions and answer categories to capture lithium-ion batteries, electric vehicles (including personal light electric vehicles such as e-scooters and e-bikes), and more.

In addition, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) publishes data using information available from Fire and Rescue Services on fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters. Updated data now including figures for 2017-2024 was published in June 2025 and can be found on gov.uk here.

Full reasons for the decision in this case are set out in a detailed decision letter and Inspector’s report published on gov.uk.

The decision letter was also deposited in the Library of both Houses.

Inquiry documents are available on the Tower Hamlets website, and post-inquiry representations are listed in the decision letter.

Due to ministers' role in the planning system, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the details of a specific legal case.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is however clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk (whether existing or in the future). Where development is necessary in such areas, it should be made safe for its lifetime without increasing flood risk elsewhere.

The Government is committed to securing the delivery of high-quality sustainable drainage systems to help manage flood risk and adapt to the effects of climate change. The NPPF sets out that developments of all sizes are expected to make use of sustainable drainage techniques where the development could have drainage impacts.

We are consulting on a new framework that includes clearer, more ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making, designed to make planning policy easier to use and underpin the delivery of faster and simpler local plans. The consultation includes a dedicated chapter on planning for flood risk and a proposed new requirement for SuDS to be designed in accordance with the National Standards for SuDS published last year.

The consultation on changes to the NPPF is available (attached) here: National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system - GOV.UK and will remain open for responses until 10th March 2026.

Ministers are taking the time to carefully consider the independent Working Group’s advice on a definition for anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia before confirming next steps in due course.

As per the Working Group’s Terms of Reference, advice provided by the Group was private for Ministers. As part of the Government’s careful consideration of the Working Group’s advice, officials have undertaken some limited and focused informal engagement with stakeholders, which did not include any media organisations.

Ministers are taking the time to carefully consider the independent Working Group’s advice on a definition for anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia before confirming next steps in due course.

As per the Working Group’s Terms of Reference, advice provided by the Group was private for Ministers. As part of the Government’s careful consideration of the Working Group’s advice, officials have undertaken some limited and focused informal engagement with stakeholders, which did not include any media organisations.

The Department published its Pride in Place Strategy in September 2025, setting out this government‘s plan to create safer, healthier neighbourhoods where communities can thrive. It sets out how we will deliver a step change in how we support communities across the country and provide long-term funding to the most doubly disadvantaged areas.

As part of this, the Strategy announced the expansion of the Pride in Place Programme – this will provide up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade to 244 places across the UK. Funding will be made available to improve community cohesion.

The government carefully considered the impact of reforms to landfill tax on rates of housebuilding and took account of the feedback received to the consultation carried out last year.

As a result, the government set out a plan to prevent the gap between the two rates of landfill tax expanding over the coming years, ensuring that housebuilders will not face significant new costs.

In addition, we are retaining the tax exemption for backfilling quarries to ensure that housebuilders continue to have access to a low-cost alternative to landfill.

My Department has issued no such specific guidance. By law, planning applications should be determined in accordance with the development plan for the area, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.