Baroness Thornhill

The number of full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in general practice in each year since 2015 has been provided in the following table. Data is not included prior to 2015 as improvements were made to the methodology for recording all staff working in general practice in September 2015 and data prior to this is not comparable.

Source: NHS Digital

Notes:

1. Data as at 30 September 2019.
2. Figures shown do not include general practice staff working in prisons, army bases, educational establishments, specialist care centres including drug rehabilitation centres, walk-in centres and other alternative settings.
3. Figures contain estimates, for practices that did not provide fully valid General Medical Practice general practitioner (GP), nurse or direct patient care staff records.
4. The figures presented include GP registrars and GP locums.
5. Data collected and published prior to September 2015 is not comparable due to a change in data collection methodology.
6. Data must be compared from the same time point in the year, therefore September data is provided to allow comparison for the earliest available data.
7. FTE refers to the proportion of full-time contracted hours that the post holder is contracted to work. 1 would indicate they work a full set of hours (37.5), 0.5 that they worked half time. In Registrars' contracts 1 FTE = 40 hours. To ensure consistency, these FTEs have been converted to the standard wMDS measure of 1 FTE = 37.5 hours in the table.

The Department keeps its housing guarantee schemes, including the £3 billion Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme 2020, under review to ensure they continue to support the housing market. When these schemes, which are demand-led, approach their maximum deployment, we will consider their extension.

The Government continues to support the principle that social housing rents should be index-linked over the long-term, to support investment in both new and existing social homes.

We also intend to consult this year on social housing rent policy from April 2025.

The Sprinklers in care homes, removal of national classes, and staircases in residential buildings consultation set out proposals to amend Building Regulations statutory guidance (Approved Document B). It closed in March 2023. More than 270 responses were received from industry, trade professions, residents’ groups and others, which are being analysed now. We recognise the construction industry’s need for clarity and we will provide that to the sector as soon as possible.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill gives the Government powers to create a new Infrastructure Levy. This will be a mandatory, non-negotiable charge, set and collected locally.

The Government is committed to the delivery of on-site affordable housing through the Levy, and to delivering at least as much, if not more, affordable housing than at present.

Section 204G(2) of the Bill sets out that, when setting Infrastructure Levy rates, local planning authorities will need to have regard to the level of affordable housing that is already secured through developer contributions, recognising the desirability of maintaining the level at which affordable housing is delivered.

We will also introduce through regulations a new 'right to require', which will allow local authorities to require developers to deliver a set proportion of their Levy liability as onsite, in-kind affordable housing. Developers will not be able to negotiate their affordable housing obligations downwards, which offers significant protection of affordable housing delivery over the present system.

The Levy will be brought forward through regulations that will set out the detail of how it will operate. We intend to consult on this detail, prior to any publication of regulations.

The Levy will be implemented through a ‘test and learn’ approach to support local authorities through the transition period. This will see the Levy rolled out in some local authorities in the first instance, before wider national roll-out over several years. This approach will aid the monitoring and evaluation of the Levy where it is introduced initially, and support the creation of a system that works.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been published for the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which includes specific impacts in relation to the Infrastructure Levy. Impact Assessments are required for all UK government interventions of a regulatory nature that affect the private sector and/or public services. The Impact Assessment has been reviewed and rated by the Regulatory and Policy Committee prior to publication, and the Department has received a 'Green' rating, meaning the Impact Assessment is fit for purpose. The Regulatory Impact Assessment can be found here.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill gives the Government powers to create a new Infrastructure Levy. This will be a mandatory, non-negotiable charge, set and collected locally.

The Government is committed to the delivery of on-site affordable housing through the Levy, and to delivering at least as much, if not more, affordable housing than at present.

Section 204G(2) of the Bill sets out that, when setting Infrastructure Levy rates, local planning authorities will need to have regard to the level of affordable housing that is already secured through developer contributions, recognising the desirability of maintaining the level at which affordable housing is delivered.

We will also introduce through regulations a new 'right to require', which will allow local authorities to require developers to deliver a set proportion of their Levy liability as onsite, in-kind affordable housing. Developers will not be able to negotiate their affordable housing obligations downwards, which offers significant protection of affordable housing delivery over the present system.

The Levy will be brought forward through regulations that will set out the detail of how it will operate. We intend to consult on this detail, prior to any publication of regulations.

The Levy will be implemented through a ‘test and learn’ approach to support local authorities through the transition period. This will see the Levy rolled out in some local authorities in the first instance, before wider national roll-out over several years. This approach will aid the monitoring and evaluation of the Levy where it is introduced initially, and support the creation of a system that works.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been published for the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which includes specific impacts in relation to the Infrastructure Levy. Impact Assessments are required for all UK government interventions of a regulatory nature that affect the private sector and/or public services. The Impact Assessment has been reviewed and rated by the Regulatory and Policy Committee prior to publication, and the Department has received a 'Green' rating, meaning the Impact Assessment is fit for purpose. The Regulatory Impact Assessment can be found here.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill gives the Government powers to create a new Infrastructure Levy. This will be a mandatory, non-negotiable charge, set and collected locally.

The Government is committed to the delivery of on-site affordable housing through the Levy, and to delivering at least as much, if not more, affordable housing than at present.

Section 204G(2) of the Bill sets out that, when setting Infrastructure Levy rates, local planning authorities will need to have regard to the level of affordable housing that is already secured through developer contributions, recognising the desirability of maintaining the level at which affordable housing is delivered.

We will also introduce through regulations a new 'right to require', which will allow local authorities to require developers to deliver a set proportion of their Levy liability as onsite, in-kind affordable housing. Developers will not be able to negotiate their affordable housing obligations downwards, which offers significant protection of affordable housing delivery over the present system.

The Levy will be brought forward through regulations that will set out the detail of how it will operate. We intend to consult on this detail, prior to any publication of regulations.

The Levy will be implemented through a ‘test and learn’ approach to support local authorities through the transition period. This will see the Levy rolled out in some local authorities in the first instance, before wider national roll-out over several years. This approach will aid the monitoring and evaluation of the Levy where it is introduced initially, and support the creation of a system that works.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been published for the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which includes specific impacts in relation to the Infrastructure Levy. Impact Assessments are required for all UK government interventions of a regulatory nature that affect the private sector and/or public services. The Impact Assessment has been reviewed and rated by the Regulatory and Policy Committee prior to publication, and the Department has received a 'Green' rating, meaning the Impact Assessment is fit for purpose. The Regulatory Impact Assessment can be found here.

As part of the plan-making process, local land constraints such as the green belt, sites of special scientific interest and national parks are considered in determining housing targets. All local plans are then subject to an independent examination to determine whether the plan is sound, legally compliant and aligns with national policy. As part of the examination the Inspector will determine whether the plan sets out an appropriate strategy for the area, based on proportionate evidence and whether the strategy is deliverable.

A crucial first step in making sure the country has the right amount of homes, is to plan for them. The National Planning Policy Framework expects local authorities to calculate local housing need using the standard method. However, our standard method is only the starting point in the process of planning for new homes. It is not a target. Local authorities will still need to consider the constraints they face locally to assess how many homes can be delivered in their area in setting their own housing targets when preparing their local plans.

The Housing Delivery Test exists to offer greater transparency on housing delivery in an area and encourages local authorities to be realistic about likely rates of delivery from sites in plans. Where delivery falls, policy consequences are applied to ensure more land is brought forward. The latest results show that the majority of those delivering 75% or less of the housing they need had a plan over 5 years old at the time of publication – this underlines the importance of having an up to date plan and proactively supporting development in a plan-led way.

The new homes delivered under the Class E to residential Permitted Development Right will help to increase housing supply. The Right will include a prior approval process to allow for local consideration of specific planning matters such as the impact of the introduction of residential use in general industrial, waste management, or storage and distribution areas on future occupiers. In addition, all new homes delivered under the Right will need to meet Nationally Described Space Standards and provide adequate natural light in all habitable rooms. A full Impact Assessment has been prepared which will be published shortly.

The new homes delivered under the Class E to residential Permitted Development Right will help to increase housing supply. The Right will include a prior approval process to allow for local consideration of specific planning matters such as the impact of the introduction of residential use in general industrial, waste management, or storage and distribution areas on future occupiers. In addition, all new homes delivered under the Right will need to meet Nationally Described Space Standards and provide adequate natural light in all habitable rooms. A full Impact Assessment has been prepared which will be published shortly.

The new homes delivered under the Class E to residential Permitted Development Right will help to increase housing supply. The Right will include a prior approval process to allow for local consideration of specific planning matters such as the impact of the introduction of residential use in general industrial, waste management, or storage and distribution areas on future occupiers. In addition, all new homes delivered under the Right will need to meet Nationally Described Space Standards and provide adequate natural light in all habitable rooms. A full Impact Assessment has been prepared which will be published shortly.

Our proposals in Planning for the Future seek to improve environmental outcomes. This will be achieved by amending the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure that it targets those areas where a reformed planning system can most effectively play a role in mitigating and adapting to climate change and maximising environmental benefits, while protecting and enhancing the most valuable and important habitats and species in England. The Government will respond to this consultation in due course. The Environment Bill will make 10 per cent net gains for biodiversity mandatory for most new developments, and also introduce Local Nature Recovery Strategies to secure enhancements through development schemes and contributions. We have also committed to review the environmental assessment process to help promote a clean, green recovery from the effects of coronavirus, and are taking this forward as part of the Planning for the Future reforms. Environmental protection will be at the heart of this review and where possible, any new framework will go further to take advantage of opportunities for environmental improvement.

The?proposal?to create a new Infrastructure Levy,?as set out in the?Planning for the Future?White Paper,?will?support?a more streamlined and accessible planning system. The new Levy will be designed to deliver at least as much onsite affordable housing as at present and will continue to be collected and spent at the local level, on priorities including infrastructure and affordable housing.

The consultation on the White Paper closed on 29 October. We are currently analysing the consultation responses and will publish a response in the Spring which will set out our decisions on the proposed way forward.

We consulted on changes to the standard method formula for assessing local housing need and have now considered the responses carefully. On Wednesday 16th December we announced that in order to ensure that the country meets the challenge of delivering 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s, we changed the formula to focus greater need into urban areas to maximise existing infrastructure and to support development that reduces the need for high-carbon travel.

We believe the new method achieves the balance between these objectives whilst also providing certainty and stability during a period of economic uncertainty for our communities, businesses, and development sector. The figures we published alongside the new formula are only indicative, and local housing need remains the starting point for planning for housing need. Authorities should consider how this is best met based on their local circumstance, based on land availability, and relevant constraints.

We continue to engage with those authorities who are facing challenges. The Spending Review confirmed initial funding of £7.1 billion for the National House Building Fund (NHBF) over the next four years to unlock up to 860,000 homes.

All material planning considerations are taken into account in planning decisions. These are set out in the published decision letter and accompanying Inspector's report for each case, along with full reasons for the Secretary of State's decision.

The reasons for the Secretary of State's decision are set out in full in his decision letter of 12 November, which is available to view online at (attached) the following address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/planning-applications-called-in-decisions-and-recovered-appeals

Since September 2010, 18 completion notices have been confirmed by Secretaries of State at the Department. The Housing White Paper in 2017 proposed reform of completion notices to support the faster build out of development, including removing the requirement for Secretary of State consent which required primary legislation. We are now considering whether to take forward this commitment as part of the implementation of the Planning for the Future White Paper which reconfirmed the importance of planning permissions being built out quickly.

The Government recognises the important role of affordable housing and supplying new homes of all affordable tenures. Affordable homes will help support people into home ownership; reduce the impact of high rents in the private rented sector where people struggle to afford it; and mitigate the risk of homelessness.

The Government is mindful of the trade-off between the level of ambition for First Homes, funded through developer contributions, and the supply of other affordable housing tenures. There are many factors that will affect this trade off beyond the level of First Homes delivery through section 106, especially any price/income caps or additional discounts in high value areas to increase affordability. We therefore do not consider it appropriate to make predictions until these factors are better understood through our response to the consultation, which we hope to publish soon.

The proportions of section 106 described in the consultation are illustrative examples and should not be taken as Government intentions at this stage. The lowest proportion at 40% was chosen as it is roughly equal to the current proportion of section 106 which delivers home ownership products (37% in 2018-2019).

Permitted development rights for change of use to residential are making an important contribution to housing delivery, largely providing windfall housing that may otherwise not have been delivered through the planning system. The rights make effective use of existing buildings and help boost housing density, as part of our broader housing ambitions, without the need to build on greenfield sites.

In response to concerns raised in respect of the quality of some of the homes delivered through permitted development rights we now require adequate natural light to be provided in habitable rooms. The independent research informing our review has been published and is available at the following (attached) link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quality-standard-of-homes-delivered-through-change-of-use-permitted-development-rights

Permitted development rights for change of use to residential are making an important contribution to housing delivery, largely providing windfall housing that may otherwise not have been delivered through the planning system. The rights make effective use of existing buildings and help boost housing density, as part of our broader housing ambitions, without the need to build on greenfield sites.

In response to concerns raised in respect of the quality of some of the homes delivered through permitted development rights we now require adequate natural light to be provided in habitable rooms. The independent research informing our review has been published and is available at the following (attached) link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quality-standard-of-homes-delivered-through-change-of-use-permitted-development-rights

Permitted development rights for change of use to residential are making an important contribution to housing delivery, largely providing windfall housing that may otherwise not have been delivered through the planning system. The rights make effective use of existing buildings and help boost housing density, as part of our broader housing ambitions, without the need to build on greenfield sites.

In response to concerns raised in respect of the quality of some of the homes delivered through permitted development rights we now require adequate natural light to be provided in habitable rooms. The independent research informing our review has been published and is available at the following (attached) link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quality-standard-of-homes-delivered-through-change-of-use-permitted-development-rights

Permitted development rights for change of use to residential are making an important contribution to housing delivery, largely providing windfall housing that may otherwise not have been delivered through the planning system. The rights make effective use of existing buildings and help boost housing density, as part of our broader housing ambitions, without the need to build on greenfield sites.

In response to concerns raised in respect of the quality of some of the homes delivered through permitted development rights we now require adequate natural light to be provided in habitable rooms. The independent research informing our review has been published and is available at the following (attached) link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quality-standard-of-homes-delivered-through-change-of-use-permitted-development-rights

Permitted development rights for change of use to residential are making an important contribution to housing delivery, largely providing windfall housing that may otherwise not have been delivered through the planning system. The rights make effective use of existing buildings and help boost housing density, as part of our broader housing ambitions, without the need to build on greenfield sites.

In response to concerns raised in respect of the quality of some of the homes delivered through permitted development rights we now require adequate natural light to be provided in habitable rooms. The independent research informing our review has been published and is available at the following (attached) link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quality-standard-of-homes-delivered-through-change-of-use-permitted-development-rights

The Government is committed to making the dream of home ownership a reality for everyone. Affordability is the biggest barrier to home ownership, and while this is partly due to a shortage of housing supply, low interest rates and high rents have limited the ability for young people to save the deposit they need to buy a home. We believe that First Homes are a key means of helping local people, especially young first-time buyers, into home ownership and maintaining strong communities.

It is for local authorities to determine how and where to best deliver their housing needs, and as we set out in our consultation on First Homes, which ran between February and May this year, we are supportive of empowering local decision-makers and conscious of reducing discretion to respond to local circumstances. Our response to this consultation, which will be published in due course, will provide further detail on this.

In April the government announced that it would not be implementing the Review of Relative Needs and Resources and the planned increase to the rate of business rates retention in 2021-22. This decision was taken to allow councils to focus on meeting the immediate public health challenges posed by the pandemic. As the local government finance system moves into a more stable position, we will engage with our partners in local government on a suitable timetable for continuing consultation and subsequently implementing a reform package.