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, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of a devolution deal for Wessex on the economy of Wessex.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The evidence is clear that to drive improved economic outcomes, we must devolve core levers over growth – like transport, skills, employment support and strategic planning – and align these across functional economic areas in which people live and work. Decisions on future devolution, including for Wessex, will be confirmed in due course, subject to further ministerial review and local conversations.
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, if he will make an estimate of the savings to local authorities in the Wessex area from a devolution deal.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The evidence is clear that to drive improved economic outcomes, we must devolve core levers over growth – like transport, skills, employment support and strategic planning – and align these across functional economic areas in which people live and work. Decisions on future devolution, including for Wessex, will be confirmed in due course, subject to further ministerial review and local conversations.
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, if he will publish an assessment of the cumulative impact on the protection of Green Belt land of reducing the number of planning applications requiring advice from statutory consultees such as National Highways and Active Travel England; and what steps he will take to ensure that streamlining does not reduce the scrutiny of infrastructure, transport, or environmental pressures in constituencies such as Aldridge-Brownhills.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 17 November 2025, my Department published a consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system. That consultation closes on 13 January 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.
A consultation will also be carried out in due course seeking views on plans to amend and expand the 2024 Consultation Direction currently in force.
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, what assessment he has made of the risk that the combination of expanded intervention powers and reduced statutory consultee involvement may incentivise speculative applications in small Green Belt communities such as Aldridge-Brownhills; and whether he will consider bespoke protections for such areas in the forthcoming revised National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 17 November 2025, my Department published a consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system. That consultation closes on 13 January 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.
A consultation will also be carried out in due course seeking views on plans to amend and expand the 2024 Consultation Direction currently in force.
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, when he plans to respond to the consultations on (a) improving the Energy Efficiency of Socially Rented Homes and (b) reforms to the EPC regime; and whether she had discussions with representatives of social landlords on the potential impact of her timetable for responding to those consultations on decisions about investing in their homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department is currently reviewing responses to both consultations and will publish government responses to both shortly.
We have engaged extensively with social landlords in respect of both consultations and are committed to providing them with clarity on the new SRS Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards and EPC reforms as soon as possible.
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, further to the Chief Planner newsletter of 24 November 2025, whether an (a) Impact Assessment, (b) Equality Impact Assessment and (c) Environmental Principles Assessment was undertaken in relation to the decision to revoke the Letter from Nick Boles to the Planning Inspectorate of 11 March 2014 on Green Belt reviews.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The letter in question has already been superseded by changes to national planning policy, including the changes made to Green Belt policy as set out in the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024.
The relevant impact assessments (including Equality Impact Assessment and Environmental Principles Assessment) were taken in relation to these policy changes.
As such, no separate Impact Assessment, Equality Impact Assessment or Environmental Principles Assessment consideration was undertaken in respect of the revocation of the letter.
Additionally, as set out in my letter of 9 October 2025 to the Planning Inspectorate (which can be found on gov.uk here), it is ultimately for the strategic policy-making authority to decide to undertake a review of Green Belt boundaries. The authority should take their decision in accordance with the tests set out in national policy. It is also their responsibility to undertake any relevant impact assessments in relation to that decision.
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 12 November 2025 to Question 87323 on Affordable Housing: Expenditure, how much funding was allocated to the Affordable Housing Programmes in (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 across his Department, Homes England, the Greater London Authority, local councils, housing associations and combined authorities.
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 73795 on 15 September 2025.
On 5 November, Homes England published an updated summary of their total allocations from the Affordable Homes Programme for 2021 to 2026 (AHP 2021 to 2026). It can be found on gov.uk here.
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 24 July 2025 to Question 68405 on Housing: Construction, whether he is on course to meet the 374,000 net additions per year target by 2027.
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 55284 on 10 June 2025.
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, whether the government intends to review planning laws to increase support for farming business diversification in rural areas.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 95296 on 4 December 2025.
Asked by: Chris Bloore (Labour - Redditch)
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 contract-based tenures in older people's housing-with-care.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 87630 on 11 November 2025.