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, whether he plans to (a) update the Index of Dissimilarity and (b) produce other indicators of residential segregation.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We do not have plans to update the Index the Dissimilarity or, to produce other indicators of residential segregation.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 14 January 2026 to Question 102816 on Local Government: Elections, on what dates the Electoral Commission was informed of his Department's (a) decision to postpone the 2026 mayoral elections and (b) consultation on postponing the council elections scheduled for May 2026.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Strategic authorities are established by secondary legislation, which requires the consent of the constituent councils. Whilst there is no requirement to consult the Electoral Commission on the establishment of strategic authorities, including on the timing of their inaugural mayoral elections, the Department remains in contact with the Electoral Commission where appropriate.
The government wrote to the Electoral Commission on 18 December and considered their representations ahead of the decisions about the potential postponement of local elections in 2026.
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, what the status is of each locality within the Devolution Priority Programme.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Government will establish Mayoral Strategic Authorities in the Devolution Priority Programme areas as quickly as possible following the consent of the constituent councils.
The Combined Authorities for Cumbria and Cheshire & Warrington were established on 24 February. Legislation establishing a Sussex and Brighton strategic authority has been laid before Parliament. We are firmly committed to delivering mayoral devolution as quickly as possible in the other three Devolution Priority Programme areas: Hampshire and the Solent; Norfolk and Suffolk and Greater Essex. We will continue to work closely with all Devolution Priority Programme areas.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what is the timetable for a Government response to the working group on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim hatred.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 9 March 2026, government adopted a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility. The definition was published on gov.uk.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
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 considered moving mayoral combined authority elections that were delayed from May 2026 to May 2028, to May 2027; and what representations he has received on this matter.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government intends to hold inaugural mayoral elections for the four Devolution Priority Programme places that are also undertaking local government reorganisation in May 2028, so that areas can complete the reorganisation process before Mayors take office.
Devolution is strongest when it is built on firm foundations, and this extra time will allow these four areas to establish robust institutions ahead of their Mayors taking office in 2028. With the consent of the constituent councils, the government will establish the institutions as soon as possible and provide each area with a proportion of their investment funds to ensure they can start delivering on key local priorities and deliver the benefits of devolution on the ground.
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 13 January 2026 to Question 105228 on Community Infrastructure Levy, whether he plans to amend (a) planning practice guidance and (b) legislation in response to the High Court decision; and whether local planning authorities still have discretion to waive CIL payments to householders.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 105228 on 21 January 2026.
Any announcements will be made to Parliament in the usual way.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of households spending more than 30% of income on rent in (a) Liverpool Walton constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department collects data on income in relation to housing costs through the English Housing Survey. This is published annually and can be found on gov.uk here.
Due to methodological limitations, the English Housing Survey cannot show robust estimates at a sub-regional level.
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 20 November 2025 to Question 89939 on Leasehold: Fees and Charges, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to (a) the cap on ground rent calculations for lease extensions and (b) the changes to marriage value provisions for leases with 80 years or less remaining on the market value of leasehold properties (i) with 80 years or less and (ii) between 80 and 100 years on the lease.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 75605 on 16 September 2025.
Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
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 strengthen protections for freeholders living on estates with unadopted roads; and to help ensure developers and utilities providers act quickly to make roads and estates safe.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement published on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
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 make it his policy to hold a consultation to amend electoral law to ban imprinted (a) candidate and (b) political party electoral communications being published in foreign languages during the short campaign election period.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has no plans to regulate or consult on the use of foreign languages in campaign material.