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 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 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.
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 much of the total public funding allocated to the National Housing Bank will be (1) used for administrative and operational costs, and (2) made available directly for housing development.
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 estimate they have made of the number of additional homes that will exist solely as a consequence of the National Housing Bank.
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 how many policy reviews and consultations the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched since the General Election on 4 July 2024; what the subject of each review is; and what the anticipated timescales are for their completion.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Baroness to the answer given to Question UIN 16492 on 04 December 2024 and the answer to Question UIN 24046 on 11 February 2025.
A full list of all live and closed consultations is published on GOV.UK.