Asked by: Gurinder Singh Josan (Labour - Smethwick)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to increase levels of housebuilding.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is taking concerted action to significantly boost housing supply in England including undertaking the biggest overhaul of the planning system in decades; speeding up the delivery of stalled sites through our New Homes Accelerator; and making the biggest boost to social and affordable grant funding in a generation.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Planning Inspectorate has consulted Wealden District Council on the application to use the Crowborough Training Camp for asylum seeker accommodation.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Planning Inspectorate has no record of receiving an application or appeal in relation to the site in question.
I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 91420 on 20 November 2025.
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, with reference to his Department's website entitled Make things right, published in October 2025, what was the cost to the public purse of the translation into six languages; and on what basis were those languages chosen.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The cost of translations for the Make Things Right campaign website was £1,081.20. Translations were made of the languages social housing tenants who have English as a second language are most likely to speak.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with representatives of the build-to-rent sector on the effect of regulatory delays on property transactions and investment inflows.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department engages regularly with the sector on a range of issues.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of devolving powers to Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities to allow them to introduce overnight accommodation levies.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Tax policy is a matter for fiscal events.
The Government keeps all tax policy under review.
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, with reference to the Answer of 17 September 2025 to Question HL10289 on England: Anniversaries, if he will make it his policy to support the recognition of the 1100th anniversary of England's establishment as a unified state.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Further to the response to HL10289 on 17 September 2025, MHCLG currently has no plans as we are not responsible for anniversaries of this type. All policy announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish guidance on the minimum time and notice period required under section 293B(7) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Paragraph 60 of the government’s Planning Practice Guidance on Crown Development and Urgent Crown Development makes clear that once an application is ‘accepted’ under the Urgent Crown Development route the Secretary will notify the relevant local planning authority.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with landlord and tenant organisations on abolishing Section 21 no-fault evictions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department engaged with a range of landlord and tenant organisations during development of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and looks forward to ongoing engagement with all stakeholders to ensure a smooth implementation of this transformative Act.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of consumer protections relating to private parking companies.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is aware of motorist concerns regarding poor practice from some private parking operators and is determined to raise standards.
In accordance with the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, the government is preparing a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities.
The government has recently consulted on its proposals for a new code of practice for private parking operators to follow. The consultation closed on 26 September, and the government will respond in due course.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
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 effectiveness of rural exception site policy in securing affordable rented housing in perpetuity for local people in rural and coastal towns.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 57293 on 16 June 2025.