Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of average house prices in the South East on (a) housing affordability and (b) access to home ownership.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has made no specific assessment of the potential impact of average house prices in the South East on (a) housing affordability and (b) access to home ownership.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what account they will take of (1) Places we’re proud of published by the National Policy Advisory Board on Gypsy and Traveller Housing, and (2) the Gypsy and Traveller Site Design Guide, published by Leeds City Council in September 2020, in their plans for new towns as announced on 13 October.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
On 28 September, the government published the independent New Towns Taskforce report as well as its initial response. The government welcomes all 12 of the potential new towns locations recommended by the Taskforce.
Ministers and officials will now begin work with local partners to develop detailed proposals and enhance our understanding of how different locations might meet the government’s expectations of what a future New Towns Programme can deliver, with all promising sites and reasonable alternatives assessed and considered through the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process. This will support final decisions on precisely which locations we take forward as well as the final approach to placemaking and delivery.
We also made clear that we support the placemaking approach recommended by the Taskforce and are encouraged by the aims of its recommended placemaking principles.
The government will publish draft proposals and a final SEA for public consultation early next year, before confirming the locations that will be progressed as new towns later in the Spring alongside a full response to the New Towns Taskforce’s report, including further detail on delivery and funding models.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to allocate funding to support the Great South West Partnership from April 2026.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Following a four week public consultation, in March 2025 the government announced its intention to end funding for Pan-Regional Partnerships, with an exceptional, time-limited award of £281,250 for the Great South West Pan-Regional Partnership for the 2025/26 financial year.
Pan-Regional Partnerships, including the Great South West, have made a valuable contribution, supporting collaboration between local authorities and government and taking forward a breadth of work on shared growth opportunities. However, as our English Devolution White Paper sets out, we are now moving to a different model of regional collaboration, where we are keen to support new models driven by local leaders.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to allocate funding to the Great South West Partnership after April 2026.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Following a four week public consultation, in March 2025 the government announced its intention to end funding for Pan-Regional Partnerships, with an exceptional, time-limited award of £281,250 for the Great South West Pan-Regional Partnership for the 2025/26 financial year.
Pan-Regional Partnerships, including the Great South West, have made a valuable contribution, supporting collaboration between local authorities and government and taking forward a breadth of work on shared growth opportunities. However, as our English Devolution White Paper sets out, we are now moving to a different model of regional collaboration, where we are keen to support new models driven by local leaders.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether Cornwall Council will have a (a) single foundation elected mayor or (b) council elected mayor.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As set out in the Written Statement of 24 June 2025 (Simplified Local Leadership Structures, HCWS736), the Government is taking steps to prevent the creation of any further directly elected local authority mayors in England. In addition, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill makes provision for the Secretary of State to designate a unitary council or county council, which is not covered by an existing strategic authority, as a single foundation strategic authority without a mayor, subject to the consent of the council involved. The English Devolution White Paper makes clear that non-mayoral devolution arrangements for single local authorities will only be considered by exception, and that the Government’s preference is for councils to combine with one or more neighbouring councils in order to be designated a strategic authority.
The Government remains committed to working in partnership with local government, including Cornwall Council, to explore how devolution can best be delivered in each area
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which Levelling Up culture projects that were announced under the previous Government have since been (a) cancelled and (b) amended.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 78670 on 21 October 2025.
Worcester received £2.3 million funding for only some of the activity within its original programme. This amendment was determined on the basis of representations received to the consultation. Prioritisation of funding considered a series of factors including: significant progress of work to date, imminent delivery, and/or the wider strategic impact of withdrawing funding on local regeneration efforts, as well as potential to boost economic growth.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of ending funding for the Great South West Partnership in April 2026 on (a) regional representation and (b) economic growth.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Following a four week public consultation, in March 2025 the government announced its intention to end funding for Pan-Regional Partnerships, with an exceptional, time-limited award of £281,250 for the Great South West Pan-Regional Partnership for the 2025/26 financial year.
Pan-Regional Partnerships, including the Great South West, have made a valuable contribution, supporting collaboration between local authorities and government and taking forward a breadth of work on shared growth opportunities. However, as our English Devolution White Paper sets out, we are now moving to a different model of regional collaboration, where we are keen to support new models driven by local leaders.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to allocate funding to support the Great South West Partnership from April 2026.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Following a four week public consultation, in March 2025 the government announced its intention to end funding for Pan-Regional Partnerships, with an exceptional, time-limited award of £281,250 for the Great South West Pan-Regional Partnership for the 2025/26 financial year.
Pan-Regional Partnerships, including the Great South West, have made a valuable contribution, supporting collaboration between local authorities and government and taking forward a breadth of work on shared growth opportunities. However, as our English Devolution White Paper sets out, we are now moving to a different model of regional collaboration, where we are keen to support new models driven by local leaders.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he will introduce a legislative requirement that all fire risk assessors must have certification in order to carry out assessments of high-risk premises.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report recommended that the Government establish a system of mandatory accreditation to certify the competence of fire risk assessors (FRAs) by setting standards for qualification and continuing professional development and such other measures as may be considered necessary or desirable. The Government accepted this recommendation in full, committing to legislate to make it a mandatory requirement for FRAs to have the competence to perform this critical role. To support delivery of the Inquiry recommendation, we intend to consult shortly on proposals relating to the future of the FRA profession.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his Department’s policy is on the alignment of mayoral combined authority boundaries and integrated care board boundaries, in the context of (a) devolution and (b) NHS reorganisation.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The English Devolution White Paper was clear that our long-term ambition is for public service boundaries, including those of health and strategic authorities, to align. We remain committed to this goal, and the 10 Year Health Plan sets out our aim that Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) should be coterminous with one or more strategic authorities wherever feasibly possible.
The Department of Health and Social Care will work closely with NHS England and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to decide any further ICB mergers and boundary changes.