Asked by: Baroness Eaton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to give (1) council leaders, and (2) directly elected mayors, the statutory right to sit on local resilience forums in their areas.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There are currently no plans for council leaders or mayors to sit on Local Resilience Forums (LRFs). Through the Devolution White Paper and the UK Resilience Action Plan, the Government has committed to working with local leaders to clarify and strengthen the role of local government and mayors in local resilience. The Government believes stronger links to elected leaders will increase our overall resilience as responses will be better tailored to geographic areas, accounting for local challenges and needs. As part of MHCLG’s Stronger LRF Trailblazers Programme, five local areas have begun testing new methods to strengthen accountability to democratically elected local leaders.
The Government will review the Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) and its supporting regulations through the next Post-Implementation Review, with a report due to be laid in Parliament by March 2027. This review will consider the impact of wider reforms on English devolution and will look to clarify and strengthen the role of Strategic Authorities and Mayors in local resilience.
Asked by: Baroness Altmann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with local authorities regarding the use of pension contribution holidays as their schemes have significant surpluses.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Employer contribution rates are set as part of the triennial valuation process which is undertaken by all Administering Authorities in the Local Government Pension Scheme. The 2025 valuation, which will set contribution rates for 2026-27 onwards, is in progress and will conclude on 31 March.
The setting of employer contribution rates is locally led and managed. Administering authorities consult employers, including local authorities, to ensure that rates are sustainable for both the fund and employers. The Department does not set the rates or take part in these consultations.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
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 the Government Legal Department’s position statement, published on 8 July 2025, what assessment his Department has made of the steps required to implement pension buy back for pre-2000 retained firefighter claimants.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The administration of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme, including delivery of the pensions remedy for retained firefighters, is the responsibility of local fire and rescue authorities in their role as scheme managers.
My department does not issue operational instructions to administrators. However, we continue to work closely with the Government Actuary’s Department and the Local Government Association to provide the support and guidance scheme managers need to implement the remedy for retained firefighters correctly. We are aware of delays in some areas and are engaging with partners to help fire and rescue authorities resolve these as swiftly as possible.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he expects pension administrators to be given instructions to implement buy back for pre-2000 retained firefighter claimants.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The administration of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme, including delivery of the pensions remedy for retained firefighters, is the responsibility of local fire and rescue authorities in their role as scheme managers.
My department does not issue operational instructions to administrators. However, we continue to work closely with the Government Actuary’s Department and the Local Government Association to provide the support and guidance scheme managers need to implement the remedy for retained firefighters correctly. We are aware of delays in some areas and are engaging with partners to help fire and rescue authorities resolve these as swiftly as possible.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities will have discretion following the implementation of electoral boundary changes to determine whether elections are held by thirds, halves, or all-out elections without further primary or secondary legislation.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The legislation governing councils’ power to choose its own scheme of elections is set out in Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. The legislation permits non-metropolitan district councils to choose to move to electing by thirds or halves where they have previously held elections by thirds or halves.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to establish a development corporation in support of construction related to the Forest City 1 plan to build a city of a million people between Newmarket and Haverhill.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has no current plans to establish a development corporation in support of construction related to the Forest City 1 proposal.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 Answers of 14 January 2026 and 13 October 2025 to Questions 102364 and 77631 on Local Government: Reorganisation, whether his Department has conducted research comparing the average cost effectiveness of providing public services in (a) unitary and (b) two-tier councils.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 77631 on 13 October 2025.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of guarantor requirements in the private rented sector on prospective tenants who can demonstrate affordability but do not have access to a suitable guarantor.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
According to the latest English Private Landlord Survey, which can be found on gov.uk here, 21% of landlords required a guarantor for their most recent letting.
The government recognises that blanket requirements for a guarantor could act as a barrier to renting for some tenants and expects landlords and agents to consider tenants’ individual circumstances when negotiating rental conditions.
We are committed to monitoring the use of guarantors as part of our wider evaluation of the impact of our reforms on the private rented sector.
Where a landlord or agent is not satisfied by the outcome of pre-tenancy checks, they may ask a prospective tenant to provide a guarantor. If this is not possible, then a tenant may choose to use a professional guarantor service as an alternative. Local authorities may offer guarantee schemes to help people on low incomes or at risk of homelessness.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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's upcoming leasehold reforms will include changes that will impact those living in (a) park homes and (b) accommodation purchased under the Mobile Homes Act 2013.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The reforms to the leasehold system already in statute which the government is bringing into force, as well as the wider set of reforms necessary to end the feudal leasehold system for good, including measures contained in the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, apply to residential leasehold properties.
The changes will not apply to park homes because they are caravans and the owners occupy their pitches under licence arrangements. The rights and obligations of park home residents are set out in the Mobile Homes Act 1983.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
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 levels of flood recovery funding reflects the cumulative impact of successive named storms on the same communities.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In exceptional circumstances, government support may be provided for incidents of severe flooding via the Flood Recovery Framework (Framework). In thinking about activating recovery support the government considers many factors – such as the severity, duration and extent of reported impacts which will take account of recent events. The Framework was last activated following Storms Babet in October 2023 and Henk in January 2024, when more than 8,500 homes and businesses were impacted across England.