Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many planning applications were submitted for change of use into Class E for each of the last three years.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold the information requested.
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, for what reason paragraph 119 on communications infrastructure was removed from the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included a new section intended to replace Chapter 10 of current Framework on supporting high-quality telecommunications infrastructure.
We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
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 the government taking to include charitable housing providers within the definition of affordable housing in the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 123092 on 31 March 2026.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, If he can confirm the dates of the proposed technical consultation for Local Government Reorganisation in Sussex.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We anticipate that the consultation will take place shortly after the local elections and will run until around mid-June.
Once the consultation has closed, the Secretary of State will take a final decision on which, if any, proposal to take forward in these areas, having regard to all relevant information, including responses to the technical consultation.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the UK fulfils its obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to ensure that public authorities do not engage in or support any act or practice of racial discrimination.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We recognise the importance of the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination to combat and eradicate racial discrimination worldwide, and we will continue to uphold our obligations. We are committed to upholding Britain’s long-standing record of protecting the rights of individuals against unlawful discrimination. The Public Sector Equality Duty in the Equality Act 2010 requires public authorities, and those carrying out public functions, to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people.
Asked by: James Asser (Labour - West Ham and Beckton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent progress he has made on the regulation of property managing agents; and whether steps are being taken towards the introduction of a single regulator.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Neither the Secretary of State nor I have regular discussions with individual property management companies regarding effective communications with leaseholders.
I have had no further direct discussions with FirstPort subsequent to my meeting with Martin King on 17 November 2025 and the exchange of letters that followed it as referenced in my answer to Question UIN 94116 on 1 December 2025.
My Department continues to actively monitor standards and quality of service among property management companies, including FirstPort.
I otherwise refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 85213 on 4 November 2025.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
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 differences between local authorities in the qualification criteria used to determine access to social housing registers.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department commissioned a Systems-wide Evaluation of Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, which explored Social Housing Allocations and the use of qualification criteria used to determine access to social housing registers. The report can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for each of the past five years, what proportion of social housing evictions involved households who had lived in the UK for (a) under 1 year, (b) 1–3 years, (c) 3–5 years, (d) 5–10 years, and (e) more than 10 years.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold the information requested.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
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 1 December 2025 to Question 94116 on FirstPort: Standards, what discussions he has had with FirstPort since 17 November 2025.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Neither the Secretary of State nor I have regular discussions with individual property management companies regarding effective communications with leaseholders.
I have had no further direct discussions with FirstPort subsequent to my meeting with Martin King on 17 November 2025 and the exchange of letters that followed it as referenced in my answer to Question UIN 94116 on 1 December 2025.
My Department continues to actively monitor standards and quality of service among property management companies, including FirstPort.
I otherwise refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 85213 on 4 November 2025.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he is having discussions with property management companies on effective communications with leaseholders.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Neither the Secretary of State nor I have regular discussions with individual property management companies regarding effective communications with leaseholders.
I have had no further direct discussions with FirstPort subsequent to my meeting with Martin King on 17 November 2025 and the exchange of letters that followed it as referenced in my answer to Question UIN 94116 on 1 December 2025.
My Department continues to actively monitor standards and quality of service among property management companies, including FirstPort.
I otherwise refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 85213 on 4 November 2025.