Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
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 policy papers entitled Spending Review 2025, published on 30 June 2025, and Budget 2025, published on 28 November 2025, what their Department’s capital Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) will be in each year of the Spending Review period; how much capital funding has been allocated to each of their Department’s programmes; and how much and what proportion of the capital DEL allocation remains unallocated in each year.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Budget document, published on 28 November 2025, set out the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Capital Departmental Expenditure Limits for 2025-26 to 2029-30 (the Spending Review period) in table C.2.
2025-26 budgets are fully allocated. For future years of the Spending Review, allocations will be subject to the departmental business planning process in advance of the start of each financial year.
We have announced a number of key programmes for the Spending Review period, including £39bn for a 10-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme and £5bn grant funding for infrastructure and land from the new National Housing Delivery Fund. This will complement £4.8bn capital investment from 2026-27 to 2029-30, including £2.5bn in low-interest loans to support the building of social and affordable homes.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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 his Department has had with local authorities on the role of (a) parish councils and (b) community groups in managing public assets in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The department has not held specific discussions with local authorities in Surrey and the Surrey Heath constituency regarding the role of parish councils and community groups in managing public assets in future local government structures.
We strongly encourage all local authorities to involve town and parish councils and community groups in their plans for Local Government Reorganisation to ensure that their contribution to local public services is recognised in future arrangements. Town and parish councils can work with other tiers of local government to determine how they can best serve their communities in their area, including by making local agreements regarding the transfer and management of assets.
Asked by: Danny Beales (Labour - Uxbridge and South Ruislip)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what measures her Department is taking to ensure people admitted to hospital while rough sleeping have somewhere secure to sleep upon discharge from hospital.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We have published A National Plan to End Homelessness, our cross-Government Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy. This commits to a target that no one eligible for homelessness assistance is discharged to the street after a hospital stay.
To help achieve this we will work with the NHS and councils to implement the guidance published in 2024, 'Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness', to help staff plan safe discharges and prevent homelessness after NHS care.
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 14 November 2025 to Question HL11496 on Sites of Special Scientific Interest: Ebbsfleet, what the purpose was of the site visit to the Swanscombe Peninsula Site of Special Scientific Interest; and whether the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation made representations during that visit.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The purpose of the visit in question was to share knowledge and expertise between DEFRA, MHCLG, Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) and Natural England about how to best to harmonise development and nature recovery, drawing on insights from EDC and Natural England’s joint working on this recently designated site.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
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 support wards receiving funding through the Pride in Place programme in (a) Telford, (b) West Midlands and (c) England.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 25 September, the Government launched its overarching Pride in Place Strategy, committing up to £5 billion in funding and support to 339 communities.
The flagship Pride in Place Programme will provide up to £20 million in flexible funding and support to 244 places over the next decade. This will serve as the cornerstone of this Government’s support for communities, incorporating the existing 25 trailblazer areas announced at Spending Review and the 75 Phase 1 Plan for Neighbourhoods programme areas that were announced in March.
The neighbourhoods selected to receive funding and support from the Pride in Place Programme include Woodside in Telford and 28 places in the West Midlands. In addition, 7 local authorities across the West Midlands have been awarded funding through the Pride in Place Impact Fund, with each receiving up to £1.5m over two years. In total, the Government is investing up to £570.5 million across the West Midlands through the Pride in Place Programme and the Pride in Place Impact Fund.
Each area selected through the Pride in Place Programme will receive dedicated delivery support from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the successful delivery of the programme. This support will be provided by the Communities Delivery Unit, which will work in partnership with Neighbourhood Boards and local authorities, and will include access to place-specific data, guidance and capability support tailored to local needs.
The Communities Delivery Unit will establish a Network for Neighbourhoods across the UK to build connection and learning between community leaders, convene the partners that support and strengthen community organisations, groups and social clubs, and embed participatory approaches in how local decisions are made. With the Pride in Place Programme at its heart, the Network will share learning and best practice across the Neighbourhood Boards and beyond, to support strong, capable and empowered communities to lead change locally.
The Communities Delivery Unit in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government will also work with other government departments to identify relevant programmes, data and support that Pride in Place neighbourhoods can draw on as they develop their local plans.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to add chalk streams to the National Planning Policy Framework as an irreplaceable habitat.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 94314 on 3 December 2025.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
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 4 December 2025 to question 94312, what a wholly exceptional reason would be.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Further guidance on how local planning authorities should implement the protections relating to irreplaceable habitats can be found in Planning Practice Guidance on gov.uk here and the footnotes to the National Planning Policy Framework on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 help improve support for firefighters in West Dorset attending mental health emergency call-outs.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 89240 on 18 November 2025.
Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) are responsible for ensuring that firefighters receive the training they need to safely respond to the wide range of incidents that they attend.
The National Fire Chiefs Council maintains national operational guidance for fire and rescue services to draw upon when developing operational policies, procedures and training.
The Fire and Rescue National Framework requires all FRAs to work collaboratively with partner agencies such as the NHS, mental health services and the police, and to integrate training reflecting current societal risks such as mental health crises. Each FRA must align its training and response strategies to meet these national policy expectations.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 training provided to firefighters responding to mental health crises.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 89240 on 18 November 2025.
Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) are responsible for ensuring that firefighters receive the training they need to safely respond to the wide range of incidents that they attend.
The National Fire Chiefs Council maintains national operational guidance for fire and rescue services to draw upon when developing operational policies, procedures and training.
The Fire and Rescue National Framework requires all FRAs to work collaboratively with partner agencies such as the NHS, mental health services and the police, and to integrate training reflecting current societal risks such as mental health crises. Each FRA must align its training and response strategies to meet these national policy expectations.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that telecommunications operators engaging in permitted development applications for 5G infrastructure adequately consult and engage with local communities, particularly in residential areas; and what guidance is provided to local planning authorities on assessing siting and appearance under permitted development rules.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Electronic communications code operators using permitted development rights are required to follow the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development in England.
The code has an important role in making sure that appropriate engagement takes place with local communities and other interested parties. Guidance on permitted development rights is available on gov.uk here.