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 he has made of the adequacy of tree planting and the provision of public open space for completed residential developments in England since 2015.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has made no such assessment. The implementation of national planning policy is a matter for local planning authorities.
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out clear policy regarding tree planting and the provision of public open space as part of new development. It outlines that planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space, sport and recreation facilities and opportunities for new provision, which plans should then seek to accommodate.
In relation to tree planting, the Framework outlines that planning policies and decisions should ensure that new streets are tree-lined (unless, in specific cases, there are clear, justifiable and compelling reasons why this would be inappropriate), that opportunities are taken to incorporate trees elsewhere in developments (such as parks and community orchards), and that existing trees are retained wherever possible.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to consult on changes to marriage value under the Leasehold Reform Act 2024; and when he expects to implement any changes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 89939 on 20 November 2025.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had with (i) Birmingham City Council and (ii) the Commissioners appointed to the authority regarding the refuse workers’ strike; and what steps his Department is taking to encourage that council to re-enter negotiations with Unite the Union to resolve the dispute.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Secretary of State has not met with Birmingham City Council or the Commissioners regarding the refuse workers’ strike. My department engages regularly with Birmingham City Council as is normal for all Councils under intervention. This matter, and the wider waste dispute, is a local issue and is rightly being dealt with by the Council.
Commissioners are experienced local government professionals and are appointed to Birmingham City Council to support its recovery and improvement journey. They have powers relating to governance, finance and recruitment which they can use according to their expert judgement and discretion.
More widely, the government is under no illusions about the scale of the wider financial challenge facing councils following more than a decade of cuts by successive governments. The government is therefore supporting the Leader and his team in Birmingham, directly and through the Commissioners, to move the council on from its historic issues. From 2026-27, the government is making good on long overdue promises to fundamentally update the way we fund local authorities, realigning funding with need and deprivation. The government already delivered an increase in Core Spending Power in Birmingham of up to 9.8% in 2025-26 and will further support councils through the first multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement in a decade.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the ongoing bin strike on the finances of Birmingham City Council.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Secretary of State has not met with Birmingham City Council or the Commissioners regarding the refuse workers’ strike. My department engages regularly with Birmingham City Council as is normal for all Councils under intervention. This matter, and the wider waste dispute, is a local issue and is rightly being dealt with by the Council.
Commissioners are experienced local government professionals and are appointed to Birmingham City Council to support its recovery and improvement journey. They have powers relating to governance, finance and recruitment which they can use according to their expert judgement and discretion.
More widely, the government is under no illusions about the scale of the wider financial challenge facing councils following more than a decade of cuts by successive governments. The government is therefore supporting the Leader and his team in Birmingham, directly and through the Commissioners, to move the council on from its historic issues. From 2026-27, the government is making good on long overdue promises to fundamentally update the way we fund local authorities, realigning funding with need and deprivation. The government already delivered an increase in Core Spending Power in Birmingham of up to 9.8% in 2025-26 and will further support councils through the first multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement in a decade.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to strengthen local authority powers to enforce planning conditions and take action against unauthorised developments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local planning authorities already have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance.
Where a local planning authority thinks that a condition imposed on a planning permission has not been met, they can serve a breach of condition notice which requires the recipient to remedy the breach within a specified time. There is no appeal against such a notice and failure to comply with it is an offence punishable by an unlimited fine.
An enforcement notice can be served against any breach of planning control – where there is no planning permission for development or the terms of a permission (including a condition) have been breached.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
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 impact of homelessness on local authorities’ resources and their capacity to meet their statutory duties.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Homelessness is too high and the Government recognises the impact this has on local authorities, including financial pressures.
We have increased funding for homelessness by £316 million this year to a total of more than £1 billion, and will publish our cross-Government homelessness strategy later this year.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 88049 on Electoral Register: British Nationals Abroad, when he intends to introduce the package of measures.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Pursuant to the answer given to Question UIN 88049 on 17 November 2025 on electoral register, the government is clear that all legitimate electors should be able and encouraged to participate in democracy. This includes overseas electors, who should be able to exercise their vote without unnecessary barriers.
As set out in the policy paper, Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections (17/07/2025), the government will introduce a package of measures intended to improve the resilience and capacity of the postal voting system overall.
Legislation will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows during the lifetime of this Parliament.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring an Electrical Installation Condition Report at the point of sale of a property.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 6 October 2025, the government published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here.
The consultations include proposals to mandate the provision of upfront property information.
Final decisions are subject to the outcome of these consultations.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
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 data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the rating of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre programme.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre Programme was rated as Red following a High Court case in 2022 and the loss of planning consent. The Holocaust Memorial Bill, currently before Parliament, will address the statutory obstacle identified by the High Court.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing funding to leaseholders with construction defects relating to roof waterproofing where the (a) developer, (b) freeholders and (c) warranty underwriter are in dispute.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Most new build warranties cover damages caused by structural defects for a 10-year term. The developer is often held accountable for the first two years of this period. The terms of warranty should give more detail on what developers would be expected to cover in this timeframe.
Where a homeowner is dissatisfied with the service given, warranty providers should have a clear complaints procedure for warranty holders to follow. This procedure should be followed in the first instance.
If this still does not resolve the issue, the next step would be to refer the case to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) for a decision.