Asked by: Chris Vince (Labour (Co-op) - Harlow)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on coordinating the work of the Co-operative Development Unit across Government.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My department is working across Government to deliver our manifesto commitment to double the size of the co-operative and mutuals sector, following the commitment to establish a Co-operatives Development Unit in the Pride in Place Strategy.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, (a) when his Department plans to publish the guidance associated with the Compulsory Purchase Order provisions in the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, and (b) whether that guidance will include all eligibility criteria for stalled development sites, including any size thresholds, that local authorities will be expected to apply when considering the use of compulsory purchase in the public interest.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department plans to publish updated compulsory purchase guidance to reflect the reforms introduced by the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 this Spring.
The existing guidance, which can be found on gov.uk here, already contains general advice on the circumstances where local planning authorities can use their compulsory purchase powers. This includes how to demonstrate a compelling case in the public interest which is applicable in all cases, including in relation to stalled sites. It is for local planning authorities themselves to decide when it is appropriate to use their compulsory purchase powers.
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, what support his Department is providing to Oldham Council to reduce reliance on hotel-based temporary accommodation.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Chapter 17 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance includes information on the suitability of accommodation and makes clear that accommodation which may lack or require sharing of important amenities, such as cooking facilities, should be avoided wherever possible and is not suitable for families with children. You can access the Code of Guidance on gov.uk here.
Such accommodation, including hotels and often referred to as B&B accommodation, should only be used in very short-term emergencies. That is why this government has set a target to end the unlawful use of B&B accommodation for families by the end of this Parliament.
We are working with councils with some of the highest levels of B&B use for temporary accommodation through our £10.5 million Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots to test innovative approaches and kickstart new initiatives to provide more suitable accommodation for homeless families. This includes £360,000 for Oldham over 2024-26.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has reviewed the outline planning permission for the NA3 Wolborough Barton development, including safeguarding conditions relating to Wolborough Fen SSSI.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Due to the quasi-judicial role of MHCLG Ministers in the planning system, neither the Secretary of State nor I are able to comment on the details of specific planning proposals, including discussing them with the relevant local planning authority.
Enforcement against breaches of planning control and non-compliance of imposed conditions are matters for individual local planning authorities.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
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 merits of the use of zip cards as a form of voter ID for people aged 16 and 17.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has considered a range of documents for use at the polling station, including Oyster ZIP cards. We recognise that the current Voter ID rules are overly restrictive – however we must take into account that expanding the list of documents accepted at the polling station could make the policy more challenging to administer for polling station staff and could lead to confusion among electors as to what is and is not accepted.
We believe that our proposed change to allow the use of bank cards will significantly expand the proportion of legitimate electors easily able to meet the VID requirements and have no plans to make any further additions to the list of accepted documents.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his expected timetable is for publication of the Future Homes Standard.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 108610 on 4 February 2026.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
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 decision not to require solar photovoltaic panels on all new residential and commercial buildings from 2026 under the updated building regulations, and what are the reasons for not mandating this measure.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Buildings constructed to the Future Homes and Buildings Standards will be future proofed with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency. The consultation for the Future Homes and Buildings Standards had two proposals for the energy performance requirements of new non-domestic buildings, both of which included the use of solar panels. The government has also confirmed that solar panels are expected to be installed in the majority of new homes.
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 his letter to council leaders and others of 16 February 2026 on postponement of local elections in England in May 2026, for what reason the decision was made by the Housing Minister.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As set out in the Government’s communication to the Court and the Secretary of State’s correspondence to the Rt. Hon. Member of 23 February, in order to ensure that the position was reconsidered afresh, and recognising the urgency created by the electoral timetable, the Minister of State for Housing and Planning was invited to review the matter.
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, what guidance her Department issues to ensure families with children placed in hotels have adequate access to cooking facilities, nutritional meals and safe communal spaces.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Chapter 17 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance includes information on the suitability of accommodation and makes clear that accommodation which may lack or require sharing of important amenities, such as cooking facilities, should be avoided wherever possible and is not suitable for families with children. You can access the Code of Guidance on gov.uk here.
Such accommodation, including hotels and often referred to as B&B accommodation, should only be used in very short-term emergencies. That is why this government has set a target to end the unlawful use of B&B accommodation for families by the end of this Parliament.
We are working with councils with some of the highest levels of B&B use for temporary accommodation through our £10.5 million Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots to test innovative approaches and kickstart new initiatives to provide more suitable accommodation for homeless families. This includes £360,000 for Oldham over 2024-26.
Asked by: Jim Dickson (Labour - Dartford)
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 research from the University of Manchester article entitled The right to play: making play a policy and practice priority, published on 29 September 2025, how his Department will ensure that planning for new developments includes access to green spaces for schools, children and young people.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 113540 on 2 March 2026, and UIN 111684 on 24 February 2026.