Found: Letter from Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Local

Found: Eshalomi MP, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Baroness Taylor of Stevenage

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Ministerial Statement by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 27 January (HLWS1278), when they intend to commence Part 1 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 on the ban on the grant or assignment of certain long residential leases of houses.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

This government is committed to ending the feudal leasehold system. We will reinvigorate the commonhold legal framework and ban the use of leasehold for new flats so commonhold can become the default tenure for the ownership of new flats, and we will implement measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 to ban new leasehold houses.

Following consideration of responses to the ‘Moving to Commonhold’ consultation and pre-legislative scrutiny of the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, we will confirm commencement plans.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Ministerial Statement by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 27 January (HLWS1278), which specific flaws in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 are referred to as requiring rectification through primary legislation.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

I refer the Noble Baroness to the response given to UIN HL14534 (attached) on 25 February 2026.

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 15 January 2026, to Question 104170, on Local Government: Reorganisation, and pursuant to the answer by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage of 26 January 2026, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 715, if he will define what is meant by the "most ambitious timelines"; and whether some of the new unitary councils will be elected at a later date than May 2027.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government remains committed to the indicative timetable published in July, with elections to new councils in May 2027. This is with the exception of Surrey, where we have already announced two new councils with elections expected in May 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 26 January (HL Deb col 715), why they postponed elections in six priority areas; and why elections were not postponed in the remaining 14 areas.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

It is important to distinguish between elections scheduled in existing mayoral authorities and these inaugural mayoral elections, which we have not had before and are only taking place in the six Devolution Priority Programme areas.

The Government is committed to ensuring our mayoral institutions are best placed to deliver and, as a result, is now minded to hold inaugural mayoral elections for the four Devolution Priority Programme places that are also undertaking local government reorganisation in May 2028 rather than May 2026, so that areas can complete the reorganisation process before Mayors take office. This will ensure that these institutions are built on firm foundations and that their Mayors are able to deliver for their regions and local communities from day one.

The inaugural mayoral elections for Cheshire and Warrington and Cumbria will be held in May 2027, as these areas have already undergone local government reorganisation, and mayoral elections in existing mayoral authorities will proceed as scheduled, as these institutions are already established. These mayoral elections are also distinct from local council elections.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 26 January (HL Deb col 715), when the mayoral elections for the 14 remaining areas will take place.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

It is important to distinguish between elections scheduled in existing mayoral authorities and these inaugural mayoral elections, which we have not had before and are only taking place in the six Devolution Priority Programme areas.

The Government is committed to ensuring our mayoral institutions are best placed to deliver and, as a result, is now minded to hold inaugural mayoral elections for the four Devolution Priority Programme places that are also undertaking local government reorganisation in May 2028 rather than May 2026, so that areas can complete the reorganisation process before Mayors take office. This will ensure that these institutions are built on firm foundations and that their Mayors are able to deliver for their regions and local communities from day one.

The inaugural mayoral elections for Cheshire and Warrington and Cumbria will be held in May 2027, as these areas have already undergone local government reorganisation, and mayoral elections in existing mayoral authorities will proceed as scheduled, as these institutions are already established. These mayoral elections are also distinct from local council elections.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the status and timetable is of his Department's review of the legal framework of protections for public recreational space announced by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage during the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Open and green spaces are an essential part of local social infrastructure and must be protected for future generations.

The review of existing protections will examine the fragmented and outdated nature of current legislative protections for public recreational green spaces; assess how these protections complement those in the planning system; and consider the lack of central records on protected land.

Further details and a timetable will be set out in due course.

Found: Letter from Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Local