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, if he will publish the full meeting, visit and event schedule for Lord Khan's visit to Pakistan from 13 to 17 April 2025.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
A summary of the former Minister’s schedule will be placed in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Natasha Irons (Labour - Croydon East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what data his Department holds on the average time taken to complete cladding remediation works on residential buildings of approximately 20 to 25 storeys; what evidence underpins an estimated 24-month completion timeframe for such projects; and whether he will publish a percentage breakdown of remediation projects completed within 18 months, within 24 months, and beyond 24 months.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department’s data collection is focussed on height thresholds as this is the current determinant of programme eligibility. We expect buildings of 20 to 25 storeys to make up a very small proportion of those requiring remediation.
Based on the reported remediation start and completion dates, and storey information provided for the 24 buildings known to be 20 to 25 storeys, which have completed remediation and for which start and end dates have been reported, the average time taken to complete remediation on site is 24 months.
The Department does not work to an assumption on the time take to complete remediation of buildings of this height group (20 to 25 storeys) - and does not currently publish information on the time taken to complete remediation.
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 British High Commission Islamabad news story of 17 April 2025, which individuals and external organisations Lord Khan met during his visit to the (a) Overseas Pakistanis Convention, (b) Faisal Mosque and (c) St Joseph’s Cathedral whilst on his official Ministerial visit to Pakistan.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
A summary of the former Minister’s schedule will be placed in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of funding was allocated to local authorities in the South West for road maintenance for 2025-26.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.
The Department for Transport has also allocated £300 million in capital funding for highways maintenance to local authorities in the South West for the 2025/26 financial year.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2026 to Question 104671 on Local Government Finance, what information his Department holds on guidance issued by (a) his Department and (b) the Planning Advisory Service on the use of interest accrued on unspent Community Infrastructure Levy funds.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) receipts must be used for the purposes which are set out in section 216 of the Planning Act 2008 and Part 7 of the CIL Regulations.
My Department’s published guidance on the CIL includes detailed advice as to what the levy can be spent on. The guidance in question can be found on gov.uk here.
Resources published by the Planning Advisory Service are available on their website here. These include a guide to publishing an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Infrastructure Funding Statements should provide clarity and transparency for communities and developers on the infrastructure and affordable housing that is expected to be delivered through developer contributions.
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, if he will publish the evidence he planned to file at the High Court on the postponement of local elections in England in May 2026.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 23 February 2026 (HCWS1349).
It is a longstanding principle that government does not comment on or publish legal advice. The case the Rt Hon. Member refers to has now been concluded and the Court did not make any judgement against the government.
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, pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2026, to Question 106138, on Local Government Finance, whether his department holds data on the proportion of the £4.3 billion that was subject to the flexible use of capital receipts provisions; and which individual local authorities utilised the flexible use.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Flexible Use of Capital Receipts general direction was introduced in 2016 by the previous government and remains substantively unchanged.
This government has not changed the rules on use of capital receipts; not all capital receipts are eligible for use under the general flexibility. For example, under the direction, eligible capital receipts must be genuine disposals outside of the local authorities’ group structure. Nor does the flexibility override any statutory restrictions that may exist on certain types of assets.
The government does not collect specific data on eligible capital receipts held by local authorities.
Use of the flexibility is at the discretion of local authorities but must be compliant with the conditions of the general flexibility and their wider statutory duties. The government is clear that its use should represent value for money and be in the best interests of local residents.
Use of the flexibility is reported annually. The data for 2024/25 can be found here.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
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 closure of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund on the capacity of the voluntary and community sector to support young people not in employment, education and training in finding work.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
With the UK Shared Prosperity Fund concluding in 2026, the government is moving away from short-term, uncertain funding cycles and towards a clearer, more stable long-term funding approach through the Local Government Finance Settlement, complemented by targeted interventions to support growth and strengthen communities. The new £902 million Local Growth Fund is just one component of this strategy; government support for local growth is broader than any single funding stream.
We acknowledge the pressures facing the voluntary and community sectors. By allocating the Local Growth Fund at the Mayoral Strategic Authority level, we are empowering regional leaders to take a more strategic, joined-up approach to investment – one that reflects the real economic geographies in which people live, work and do business. The fund is designed to equip mayors to boost regional productivity through investing in infrastructure, supporting businesses, and helping people find jobs and acquire new skills. Decisions about funding for specific organisations and interventions are for regional leaders to take in line with their local priorities.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
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 closure of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund on the capacity of the voluntary and community sector to support people with complex needs in finding work.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
With the UK Shared Prosperity Fund concluding in 2026, the government is moving away from short-term, uncertain funding cycles and towards a clearer, more stable long-term funding approach through the Local Government Finance Settlement, complemented by targeted interventions to support growth and strengthen communities. The new £902 million Local Growth Fund is just one component of this strategy; government support for local growth is broader than any single funding stream.
We acknowledge the pressures facing the voluntary and community sectors. By allocating the Local Growth Fund at the Mayoral Strategic Authority level, we are empowering regional leaders to take a more strategic, joined-up approach to investment – one that reflects the real economic geographies in which people live, work and do business. The fund is designed to equip mayors to boost regional productivity through investing in infrastructure, supporting businesses, and helping people find jobs and acquire new skills. Decisions about funding for specific organisations and interventions are for regional leaders to take in line with their local priorities.
Asked by: Melanie Onn (Labour - Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he take steps though the planned Elections Bill to ensure that individuals convicted of terrorist offences against the United Kingdom at home or abroad are disqualified from standing as candidates in any election.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There are several existing disqualification criteria for standing as a candidate in elections in the UK which relate to criminal offences. For example, the Elections Act 2022 introduced a disqualification order for those convicted of intimidation or abuse of candidates, campaigners or elected office holders. The effect of the disqualification order is a five-year ban from standing for, or holding, elective office, in addition to any standard punishment for the underlying criminal offence. The Government has introduced the Representation of the People Bill, which will extend the disqualification order to offences motivated by hostility towards electoral staff.
The Representation of the People Act 1983 also defines corrupt and illegal election practices, for which a convicted person is disqualified for up to five years. Additionally, someone cannot be a Police and Crime Commissioner if they have ever been convicted of an imprisonable offence.