Asked by: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reassess the assumption within the Home Office Spending Review settlement that hotel use for asylum-seekers will end within this Parliament; and what assessment they have made of the Office of Budget Responsibility's projection that maintaining current asylum spending levels would add £1.4 billion to the Home Office budget by 2028–29.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government are working to move asylum seekers into alternative accommodation such as military sites, to ease pressure on communities across the country.
No action has been taken on the assessment of the Office of Budget Responsibility at this point. However, we can confirm spend is already coming down below the level set out here.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on local authorities of rising temporary accommodation costs; and what plans they have to respond to the Office for Budget Responsibility finding that long-term demand for asylum accommodation is expected to cost £15.3 billion over the next decade.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office are working with local authorities to manage the impact of asylum accommodation upon communities whilst the department reduces the number of asylum-seekers awaiting a decision.
The financial figure referenced by the Office for Budget Responsibility is taken from an NAO report from May 2025, and it covers the 10 year period 2019-2029 not the next 10 years; it includes peak levels of spending in previous years which is coming down – asylum support costs reduced by £700m between 23/24 and 24/25.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they account for the projected fall in net additions to the housing stock to just 215,000 in 2026–27.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I understand that the noble Baroness is referring to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) November 2025 forecast of net additions to the housing stock. The OBR is independent from government, and their forecast is not directly comparable to the government's target to deliver 1.5 million safe and decent homes this parliament.
We expect housing supply to ramp up over the parliament as our ambitious reforms, including those contained in the revised National Planning Policy Framework, take effect.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the administration of the Community Infrastructure Levy following reports that homeowners in some areas have been issued with bills of up to £70,000 for residential extensions and annexes.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Regulations 2010 (as amended) make a number of provisions for charging authorities to grant exemptions from the levy. This includes those who extend their own homes or erect residential annexes within the grounds of their own homes. Further information is set out in the CIL guidance.
Councils are ultimately responsible for their own decisions on charging and enforcement, but we expect them to consider each case carefully. The government recognises that there are issues with how some exemptions from the levy are working in practice, and is therefore giving serious consideration to these issues as part of our commitment to making the developer contributions system as clear and effective as possible.
On routes to challenge or seek review of a CIL calculation, I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer to Question UIN 58857 on 19 June 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure greater transparency and consistency in local authority Community Infrastructure Levy review processes so that homeowners understand their rights to challenge charges.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Regulations 2010 (as amended) make a number of provisions for charging authorities to grant exemptions from the levy. This includes those who extend their own homes or erect residential annexes within the grounds of their own homes. Further information is set out in the CIL guidance.
Councils are ultimately responsible for their own decisions on charging and enforcement, but we expect them to consider each case carefully. The government recognises that there are issues with how some exemptions from the levy are working in practice, and is therefore giving serious consideration to these issues as part of our commitment to making the developer contributions system as clear and effective as possible.
On routes to challenge or seek review of a CIL calculation, I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer to Question UIN 58857 on 19 June 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what options are available to individuals who believe they have been wrongly charged Community Infrastructure Levy.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Regulations 2010 (as amended) make a number of provisions for charging authorities to grant exemptions from the levy. This includes those who extend their own homes or erect residential annexes within the grounds of their own homes. Further information is set out in the CIL guidance.
Councils are ultimately responsible for their own decisions on charging and enforcement, but we expect them to consider each case carefully. The government recognises that there are issues with how some exemptions from the levy are working in practice, and is therefore giving serious consideration to these issues as part of our commitment to making the developer contributions system as clear and effective as possible.
On routes to challenge or seek review of a CIL calculation, I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer to Question UIN 58857 on 19 June 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are committed to the continuation and availability of interim contribution reviews for employers within the Local Government Pension Scheme.
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. Regulation 64a of the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013 sets out the process to be followed by an administering authority when an employer requests an interim review of its contribution rate.
This is intended to allow flexibility for administering authorities in managing employer contribution rates in response to changes in an employer’s ability to pay its contributions between valuations. In order to clarify when this flexibility should be used, the government intends to consult on changes to the regulations in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the criteria and decision-making framework used by the National Housing Bank to assess applications for funding, and how they will ensure transparency in the allocation of public investment.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Lady to the Written Statement UIN HCWS712 which sets out that the National Housing Bank will be established as a new subsidiary under Homes England because we believe this is a good first step to ensure strategic coherence in our housing investment activities to deliver our ambitions, and build on its impressive track record.
The investment criteria and detailed investment strategy for the Bank – which will form a key part of Homes England’s overall strategy – will be jointly agreed by my Department, Homes England and HM Treasury and will be published in due course. Furthermore, we have already committed to providing the National Housing Bank with £2.5 billion to issue low interest loans to housing associations to deliver social housing, which means the homes built through this intervention will be genuinely affordable. We will share further details on operational costs and investment profile of the National Housing Bank and the number of additional homes it is estimated to deliver in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to coordinate the activities of the National Housing Bank with those of Home England to avoid duplication and to ensure strategic coherence.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Lady to the Written Statement UIN HCWS712 which sets out that the National Housing Bank will be established as a new subsidiary under Homes England because we believe this is a good first step to ensure strategic coherence in our housing investment activities to deliver our ambitions, and build on its impressive track record.
The investment criteria and detailed investment strategy for the Bank – which will form a key part of Homes England’s overall strategy – will be jointly agreed by my Department, Homes England and HM Treasury and will be published in due course. Furthermore, we have already committed to providing the National Housing Bank with £2.5 billion to issue low interest loans to housing associations to deliver social housing, which means the homes built through this intervention will be genuinely affordable. We will share further details on operational costs and investment profile of the National Housing Bank and the number of additional homes it is estimated to deliver in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that housing developments supported by the National Housing Bank will deliver homes that are genuinely affordable.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Lady to the Written Statement UIN HCWS712 which sets out that the National Housing Bank will be established as a new subsidiary under Homes England because we believe this is a good first step to ensure strategic coherence in our housing investment activities to deliver our ambitions, and build on its impressive track record.
The investment criteria and detailed investment strategy for the Bank – which will form a key part of Homes England’s overall strategy – will be jointly agreed by my Department, Homes England and HM Treasury and will be published in due course. Furthermore, we have already committed to providing the National Housing Bank with £2.5 billion to issue low interest loans to housing associations to deliver social housing, which means the homes built through this intervention will be genuinely affordable. We will share further details on operational costs and investment profile of the National Housing Bank and the number of additional homes it is estimated to deliver in due course.