Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the letter from the Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection to the Deputy Prime Minister on 2 May concerning the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which stated that “In our considered view, the bill would have the effect of reducing the level of environmental protection provided for by existing environmental law”, on what basis they made a statement under section 20(3) rather than subsection (4) of the Environment Act 2021.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill concerning development and nature recovery will not reduce overall levels of environmental protection.
Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) can only be put in place where the Secretary of State is satisfied the delivery of conservation measures are likely to outweigh the negative effects of development.
EDPs and the conservation measures they propose must be evidence-based and properly scrutinised before being put in place. EDPs may include back-up measures that can be deployed if monitoring shows the environmental outcomes are not being achieved.
Natural England will be empowered and given the tools to deliver the conservation measures needed to secure the aims of the EDP.
The government is confident that this more strategic approach to the assessment of negative effects, and delivery of conservation measures, strikes the right balance and will result in better environmental outcomes that go further than simply offsetting harm as required under current legislation.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 ahead of the Autumn Budget 2025 with supported accommodation providers on sustainable levels of funding support.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government values the vital role played by supported housing in helping older, disabled and other vulnerable people to live independently and well, and the contribution it makes to wider government objectives, including tackling rough sleeping and homelessness. I have been fully briefed on the challenges facing the supported housing sector and, together with my officials, I am committed to working together with the sector on the issues.
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 assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed Community Right to Buy on the establishment of community owned businesses.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, we are introducing a new community right to buy to give communities stronger powers to protect a range of assets which are important to them.
This will help to ensure that community owned businesses have the spaces they need to operate effectively, meeting the needs of the community and benefiting the local economy.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
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 30 June 2025 to Question 61222 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public Expenditure, how many lines of activity in his Department were considered as part of the zero based review.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
At Spending Review 2025, the government conducted the first zero-based review (ZBR) of department budgets in 18 years, with every line of spending scrutinised to ensure value for money.
Through the zero-based review, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government carried out a line-by-line review of its current budgets. The review involved differing levels of granularity depending on the type and size of expenditure under review.
To ensure consistency in approach, cross-government guidance set expectations for the level of granularity each review should consider, recommending that departments review all spending within individual programme expenditure – at a minimum reflecting any lines of spending in excess of £1m per annum.
Savings identified through this process will support delivery of the government's commitment for all departments to deliver at least 5% savings and efficiencies by 2028-29.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has he made of the level of (a) positive and (b) negative public reaction in Huntingdonshire to the proposed options for Local Government Reform in Cambridgeshire.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are due to submit their final proposals for unitary local councils by 28 November. We understand the importance of communities having their say and have been clear on the importance of councils engaging with local residents and organisations as they develop their proposals.
The Government will launch a statutory consultation before deciding which proposal, if any, to implement. I anticipate this will be launched in the New Year. It would be inappropriate for Ministers to comment at this stage or give a view on specific unitary proposals, or to pre-empt future decisions under the statutory process.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
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 and disadvantages of Local Government Reform Option D on Huntingdonshire.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are due to submit their final proposals for unitary local councils by 28 November. We understand the importance of communities having their say and have been clear on the importance of councils engaging with local residents and organisations as they develop their proposals.
The Government will launch a statutory consultation before deciding which proposal, if any, to implement. I anticipate this will be launched in the New Year. It would be inappropriate for Ministers to comment at this stage or give a view on specific unitary proposals, or to pre-empt future decisions under the statutory process.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, by when he plans to have made a decision on which Local Government Reform option to choose for Cambridgeshire.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 60179 on 19 June 2025 and to Question UIN 62328 on 30 June 2025.
Councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are due to submit their final proposals for local government reorganisation by 28 November. The government will then launch a statutory consultation before deciding which, if any, to implement. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the criteria in the statutory guidance, the consultation responses received and all other relevant information.
The exact timings will depend on the proposals received and the decision taken on which proposal, if any, to implement. It is anticipated that a consultation could be launched in the New Year with decisions on which proposal to implement potentially announced before the summer recess to allow the legislation to be made which, subject to Parliamentary approval, would allow for elections to the new unitary authorities on 6 May 2027 with the new authorities going live on 1 April 2028.
Asked by: Sally Jameson (Labour (Co-op) - Doncaster Central)
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 take steps to make levels of council tax equal in all local authority areas; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on councils with less ability to raise local revenue.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Council tax is managed by local authorities, who decide what level of council tax they wish to set. This will reflect the service needs of each area having taken account of their other sources of income. It will also reflect historic council tax decisions taken by local authorities over several decades. The government maintains the referendum principles and authorities who choose to increase their council tax above this must obtain the approval of voters.
The Government remains committed to keeping all taxes and elements of the local government finance system under review. As part of the Fair Funding Review 2.0, for example, the government has consulted on proposals to fully account for how much different areas can raise from council tax within grant funding allocations.
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 his policy is on Local Government Pension Scheme investments in fossil fuels.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Investment strategies for Local Government Pension Scheme funds are set by administering authorities, and must include how social, environmental and corporate governance considerations, such as the environmental impact of fossil fuels, are taken into account. Authorities must have regard to their fiduciary duty to scheme members and employers, must consider factors that are financially material to the performance of their investments when setting their investment strategy, and must follow relevant legislation and guidance.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when returning officers will be informed of whether Huntingdonshire District Council elections will go ahead in 2026.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Our starting point is for all elections scheduled for May 2026 to go ahead unless there is strong justification otherwise.
Returning Officers are not directly informed by the Government about whether local elections will proceed. They act independently, complying with legislation and following guidance provided by the Electoral Commission.