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, with reference to the new cross-boundary strategic planning mechanisms proposed in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, what assessment he has made of the level of the risk that strategic housing targets could concentrate development pressure on green belt land in authorities with strong environmental protections; what role local communities and elected councillors will retain in decision-making on green belt development; and if he will ensure that strategic planning does not override locally designated green spaces valued by residents.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 requires strategic planning authorities to have regard to the need to ensure their spatial development strategies are consistent with national policies, including those relating to Green Belt and green spaces. There are no other provisions relating to Green Belt land in the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025.
I otherwise refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 84470 on 30 October 2025, UIN 94689 on 5 December 2025, UIN 98288 on 5 January 2026, UIN 102192 on 12 January 2026, UIN 105177 on 20 January 2026, UIN 106373 on 26 January 2026.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
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 has taken to reach a decision on the 10% commission charge payable to site owners on the sale of park homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97962 on 15 December 2025.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 ensure that playing fields are not used for development in North Shropshire constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) includes strong protections for existing open space, sports and recreational buildings, and land, including playing fields, setting out that they should not be built on unless they are no longer needed, equivalent or better provision is made, or the development is for alternative sports or recreational provision which offers benefits that clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use.
The government is consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, more rules-based policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation includes updated policy on development affecting existing recreation facilities, including playing fields.
The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.
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, pursuant to his letter to council leaders whose elections he is seeking to postpone published on 22 January 2026, what assessment he has made of the administrative impact on councils of running town and parish elections while district or county-level authority elections are postponed.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Where a decision has been made to postpone local elections in an area, parish and town council elections will still be proceeding as planned, given they are outside of local government reorganisation.
Councils will deliver the elections they are required to and the costs of town and parish council elections can be passed on to those town and parish councils.
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 assessment he has made of the potential impact of directors being on the boards of housing developers and building management companies simultaneously on conflicts of interest.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Companies Act 2006 sets out the rules around conflicts of interests for the directors of boards.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
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 assessed the potential impact of preparing for scheduled elections that have been cancelled on costs and council officer time.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Spend on elections is a matter for local authorities. Where councils have asked for their elections to go ahead, those elections are going ahead. The Government has listened to councils, as we said we would.
Postponement also avoids the cost of holding elections to councils that are proposed to be abolished.
Asked by: Jas Athwal (Labour - Ilford South)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps is he taking to ensure that all leaseholders, including existing leaseholders, have their ground rent reduced to a peppercorn.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Through the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill published on 27 January 2026, the government is proposing to cap ground rent at £250 per year, before changing to a peppercorn in 40 years.
For further information, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278).
Asked by: Jas Athwal (Labour - Ilford South)
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 ensure that Leasehold reform will include reductions in ground levels of ground rent.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Through the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill published on 27 January 2026, the government is proposing to cap ground rent at £250 per year, before changing to a peppercorn in 40 years.
For further information, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278).
Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding has been allocated to addiction support services to support people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programme funds drug and alcohol treatment and wraparound support for people sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough. It aims to improve access to treatment, including for those with co-occurring mental health needs. For 2025/26, the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programme has provided £419,394 to East Sussex County Council. From 2026/27 to 2028/29, we have committed £185 million to the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programme overall and East Sussex will continue to receive funding.
As set out in A National Plan to End Homelessness, we recognise the need for specialist mental health support for individuals who are, or are at risk of becoming, homeless. The NHS England Mental Health Rough Sleeping programme is supporting better access to specialist homelessness mental health support. Across the country, 37 multi-agency teams have developed services that have significantly reduced mental health crisis admissions to emergency departments as well as the length of stay in hospital.
The independent evaluation of the NHS England Mental Health Rough Sleeping Programme will be published shortly and we will engage with local system leaders to share the full findings. It is the responsibility of local systems to commission mental health services for their population based on their assessment of local need.
Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what funding has been allocated to mental health services to support people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programme funds drug and alcohol treatment and wraparound support for people sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough. It aims to improve access to treatment, including for those with co-occurring mental health needs. For 2025/26, the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programme has provided £419,394 to East Sussex County Council. From 2026/27 to 2028/29, we have committed £185 million to the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programme overall and East Sussex will continue to receive funding.
As set out in A National Plan to End Homelessness, we recognise the need for specialist mental health support for individuals who are, or are at risk of becoming, homeless. The NHS England Mental Health Rough Sleeping programme is supporting better access to specialist homelessness mental health support. Across the country, 37 multi-agency teams have developed services that have significantly reduced mental health crisis admissions to emergency departments as well as the length of stay in hospital.
The independent evaluation of the NHS England Mental Health Rough Sleeping Programme will be published shortly and we will engage with local system leaders to share the full findings. It is the responsibility of local systems to commission mental health services for their population based on their assessment of local need.