Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoners in England and Wales voted in the general election on 4 July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Prisoners convicted of a crime and serving a sentence in custody are not allowed to vote in UK Parliamentary elections.
Those imprisoned for default in paying fines or contempt of court, individuals held on remand who are not convicted, and those released on temporary licence or home detention curfew are not legally barred from voting, but they must meet the other eligibility criteria and be registered to vote. The Government does not hold data on how many such individuals there were, nor how many voted in the general election on 4 July 2024.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 30 October (HL Deb col 1496), what protection will be given under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to those at risk of compulsory purchase of their property owing to developments such as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects like the expansion at Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Development Consent Orders (DCO) for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects may include powers of compulsory acquisition. However, Government guidance related to the procedures for the compulsory acquisition of land continues to expect acquisition by agreement wherever practicable and supports early engagement with affected parties. DCO promoters proposing to seek powers of compulsory acquisition should be able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Secretary of State that all reasonable alternatives to compulsory acquisition (including modifications to the scheme) have been explored. The Secretary of State will only authorise compulsory acquisition in circumstances where it is satisfied that the statutory tests in the Planning Act 2008 are met—including that the land is required for the development, or to facilitate or is incidental to the development, and that there is a compelling case in the public interest for the compulsory acquisition. These matters are rigorously tested during the examination stage of an application.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill does not alter these statutory tests or the requirement to notify those with an interest in land once an application is accepted. The Bill removes the duty to consult persons who have an interest in the land, or able to make a relevant claim for compensation, but retains acceptance notification and full participation rights for affected persons. Updated guidance associated with the pre-application stage of DCO applications will set out expectations for engagement with affected persons during the pre-application stage.
Landowners, including those affected by proposed compulsory acquisition, are treated as an interested party and are still able to submit a relevant representation to provide their formal comments on the application. This also enables them to participate in the examination, make written submissions, attend hearings, and request compulsory acquisition‑specific hearings.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what procedure will be available for those affected by compulsory purchase orders owing to nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) to object following changes to the NSIP regime in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Development Consent Orders (DCO) for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects may include powers of compulsory acquisition. However, Government guidance related to the procedures for the compulsory acquisition of land continues to expect acquisition by agreement wherever practicable and supports early engagement with affected parties. DCO promoters proposing to seek powers of compulsory acquisition should be able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Secretary of State that all reasonable alternatives to compulsory acquisition (including modifications to the scheme) have been explored. The Secretary of State will only authorise compulsory acquisition in circumstances where it is satisfied that the statutory tests in the Planning Act 2008 are met—including that the land is required for the development, or to facilitate or is incidental to the development, and that there is a compelling case in the public interest for the compulsory acquisition. These matters are rigorously tested during the examination stage of an application.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill does not alter these statutory tests or the requirement to notify those with an interest in land once an application is accepted. The Bill removes the duty to consult persons who have an interest in the land, or able to make a relevant claim for compensation, but retains acceptance notification and full participation rights for affected persons. Updated guidance associated with the pre-application stage of DCO applications will set out expectations for engagement with affected persons during the pre-application stage.
Landowners, including those affected by proposed compulsory acquisition, are treated as an interested party and are still able to submit a relevant representation to provide their formal comments on the application. This also enables them to participate in the examination, make written submissions, attend hearings, and request compulsory acquisition‑specific hearings.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the starting date by which the net additional dwellings will be measured for the purposes of their target of delivering 1.5 million homes this Parliament, and whether it will include net additional homes delivered before 4 July 2024, but reported later.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Progress toward the government’s Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament will be measured through the number of net additional dwellings.
Whilst net additional dwellings are collected on a financial year basis only, we estimate net additional dwellings from the start of the parliament on Tuesday 9 July 2024.
The latest data on net additional dwellings can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoners in England and Wales were eligible to vote in the general election on 4 July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Prisoners convicted of a crime and serving a sentence in custody are not allowed to vote in UK Parliamentary elections.
Those imprisoned for default in paying fines or contempt of court, individuals held on remand who are not convicted, and those released on temporary licence or home detention curfew are not legally barred from voting, but they must meet the other eligibility criteria and be registered to vote. The Government does not hold data on how many such individuals there were, nor how many voted in the general election on 4 July 2024.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support initiatives such as National Supported Lodgings Week which raise public awareness of family-based housing options for care leavers, young people at risk of homelessness and separated migrant children.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We recognise the vital support provided by hosts in supported lodgings for children and young people.
The Government is committed to tackling homelessness. We have invested over £1 billion in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year, which can be used flexibly to address a range of local needs, including support for young people.
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, whether there are regional variations in the planned allocation of Pride in Place programme funding to high street regeneration projects.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 25 September, the Government launched its overarching Pride in Place Strategy, underpinned by two allocative funding programmes. The flagship Pride in Place Programme will provide up to £20 million in flexible funding and support to 244 places over the next decade.
Areas will establish a local Neighbourhood Board, comprised of those with a deep connection to the local area, such as, local businesses, grassroots campaigners, workplace representatives, faith and community leaders and any other relevant organisations. That board will take the decisions over how the funding is spent and what local priorities are addressed.
Areas in phase 1 of the programme have begun developing their regeneration plans, and many have indicated an interest in supporting high street regeneration projects. As we continue our work with those phase 1 places, we will develop a clearer picture of how interventions may vary across the country.
We have also set out a number of tools and powers that support areas to regenerate high streets in our Pride in Place Strategy.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many staff in his Department are recorded as having a (a) mental health condition and (b) physical disability, listed by grade.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department collects information on the disability status of staff for equalities monitoring purposes, and this is provided voluntarily by staff. However, there is no central record of the total number of staff with (a) a mental health condition or (b) a physical disability, as this level of detail is not routinely collected as part of those processes.
Information on the number of people declaring a disability by each government department is published annually as part of Civil Service Statistics 2025, an accredited official statistics publication. Latest published data are as at 31 March 2025 and can be found at Table 29 of the statistical tables at the following web address:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2025
Information for 31 March 2026 is due for publication in July 2026.
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, how much funding his Department plans to provide for (a) affordable and (b) social housing in (i) England, (ii) Greater Manchester and (iii) Oldham in each of the next five years.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the Social and Affordable Homes Programme 2026-2036: MHCLG policy statement to accompany guidance to bidders from Homes England and the Greater London Authority published on 7 November. It can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to bring almshouse residents’ rights in line with tenants' rights.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The legal position of almshouse residents is that they occupy their homes under a licence rather than a tenancy. The government has no current plans to change this.
Almshouse residents have protections under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.
Where almshouses are registered with the Regulator of Social Housing, they must also deliver the outcomes set out in the regulator's standards. The Tenancy Standard, which can be found on gov.uk here, compels Private Registered Providers to offer tenancies or terms of occupation which are compatible with the purpose of the accommodation, the needs of individual households, the sustainability of the community, and the efficient use of their housing stock.