Earl of Lytton

The Government remains committed to implementing all remaining provisions of Part 2 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 before the end of 2024. Departmental officials have been prioritising delivery of important measures to help deployment based on extensive engagement with operators, site providers and other stakeholders.

The policy team responsible for the implementation of the PSTI Act, amongst a number of other priorities, is currently staffed by five policy officials below Senior Civil Servant grade, who are supported by legal resource as required.

The team also covers other policy areas, including local authority engagement and street works issues relating to broadband.

The team provides updates to stakeholders on the implementation of the PSTI Act as part of regular, ongoing stakeholder engagement; and recently held two series of roundtable discussions for stakeholders with an interest in the implementation of the PSTI Act in July and September 2023. PSTI Act implementation is raised in many other stakeholder meetings as part of our wider agenda.

Due to the complex nature of the provisions of the PSTI Act that relate to the renewal of relevant leases under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, and their interaction with the backdating of rent under that legislation, no final decision has been taken on transitional provisions. However, backdated payments were raised as a key concern during Parliamentary passage, and are something the Department is considering closely. The Department undertook to look carefully at the potential impacts of the backdating of rent when considering the commencement of these provisions and any transitional provisions, and this work is ongoing.

The Government remains committed to implementing all remaining provisions of Part 2 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 before the end of 2024. Departmental officials have been prioritising delivery of important measures to help deployment based on extensive engagement with operators, site providers and other stakeholders.

The policy team responsible for the implementation of the PSTI Act, amongst a number of other priorities, is currently staffed by five policy officials below Senior Civil Servant grade, who are supported by legal resource as required.

The team also covers other policy areas, including local authority engagement and street works issues relating to broadband.

The team provides updates to stakeholders on the implementation of the PSTI Act as part of regular, ongoing stakeholder engagement; and recently held two series of roundtable discussions for stakeholders with an interest in the implementation of the PSTI Act in July and September 2023. PSTI Act implementation is raised in many other stakeholder meetings as part of our wider agenda.

Due to the complex nature of the provisions of the PSTI Act that relate to the renewal of relevant leases under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, and their interaction with the backdating of rent under that legislation, no final decision has been taken on transitional provisions. However, backdated payments were raised as a key concern during Parliamentary passage, and are something the Department is considering closely. The Department undertook to look carefully at the potential impacts of the backdating of rent when considering the commencement of these provisions and any transitional provisions, and this work is ongoing.

The Government remains committed to implementing all remaining provisions of Part 2 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 before the end of 2024. Departmental officials have been prioritising delivery of important measures to help deployment based on extensive engagement with operators, site providers and other stakeholders.

The policy team responsible for the implementation of the PSTI Act, amongst a number of other priorities, is currently staffed by five policy officials below Senior Civil Servant grade, who are supported by legal resource as required.

The team also covers other policy areas, including local authority engagement and street works issues relating to broadband.

The team provides updates to stakeholders on the implementation of the PSTI Act as part of regular, ongoing stakeholder engagement; and recently held two series of roundtable discussions for stakeholders with an interest in the implementation of the PSTI Act in July and September 2023. PSTI Act implementation is raised in many other stakeholder meetings as part of our wider agenda.

Due to the complex nature of the provisions of the PSTI Act that relate to the renewal of relevant leases under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, and their interaction with the backdating of rent under that legislation, no final decision has been taken on transitional provisions. However, backdated payments were raised as a key concern during Parliamentary passage, and are something the Department is considering closely. The Department undertook to look carefully at the potential impacts of the backdating of rent when considering the commencement of these provisions and any transitional provisions, and this work is ongoing.

The Government remains committed to implementing all remaining provisions of Part 2 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 before the end of 2024. Departmental officials have been prioritising delivery of important measures to help deployment based on extensive engagement with operators, site providers and other stakeholders.

The policy team responsible for the implementation of the PSTI Act, amongst a number of other priorities, is currently staffed by five policy officials below Senior Civil Servant grade, who are supported by legal resource as required.

The team also covers other policy areas, including local authority engagement and street works issues relating to broadband.

The team provides updates to stakeholders on the implementation of the PSTI Act as part of regular, ongoing stakeholder engagement; and recently held two series of roundtable discussions for stakeholders with an interest in the implementation of the PSTI Act in July and September 2023. PSTI Act implementation is raised in many other stakeholder meetings as part of our wider agenda.

Due to the complex nature of the provisions of the PSTI Act that relate to the renewal of relevant leases under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, and their interaction with the backdating of rent under that legislation, no final decision has been taken on transitional provisions. However, backdated payments were raised as a key concern during Parliamentary passage, and are something the Department is considering closely. The Department undertook to look carefully at the potential impacts of the backdating of rent when considering the commencement of these provisions and any transitional provisions, and this work is ongoing.

In partnership with the stakeholder working group we are making good progress developing the draft regulations and guidance. I hope to be in a position to publish a timetable in due course.

Government has announced support for ratepayers in the form of more generous Small Business Rate Relief, linking the multiplier to CPI rather than RPI inflation, a new retail discount, raising the threshold for the standard multiplier, and a range of other smaller reliefs. In total, these measures are estimated to be worth over £13bn between 2019-20 and 2023-24.

This figure includes approximately £6bn for making 100% Small Business Rate Relief permanent and raising the thresholds of the relief from 2017; around £6bn for switching from RPI to CPI inflation from 2018; £0.9bn for the two-year retail discount from 2019; and an estimated £0.5bn for raising the threshold of the standard multiplier from 2017.

On receipt of a VAT claim return, HMRC will issue an automated refund within 6 working days for the vast majority of customers, including most small business contractors.

Where there is an exception to this automated process and the customer has provided all the required information, HMRC will strive to adhere to the 30 day turnaround. Current performance level is over 95% of refunds issued within 30 days.

Police and Crime Commissioners, with Chief Officers, are driving work to close down the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and establish a new body, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). The intention is for ACPO to close on 31 March 2015 and for the NPCC to take over responsibility for coordination and leadership of operational policing at the national level from 1 April.

The functions of the NPCC will be:

• Co-ordination of national operations including defining, monitoring and testing force contributions to the Strategic Policing Requirement.

• Command of counter terrorism operations and delivery of counter terrorist policing through the national network as set out in the Section 22A agreement.

• Co-ordination of the national police response to national emergencies and the mobilisation of resources across force borders and internationally.

• National operational implementation of standards and policy as set by the College of Policing and Government.

• Working with the College, development of joint national approaches on criminal justice, value for money, service transformation, information management, performance management and technology.

• Working with the College (where appropriate), development of joint national approaches to staff and human resource issues (including misconduct and discipline) in line with Chief Constables’ responsibilities as employers.

Unlike ACPO, the NPCC will not be a company limited by guarantee. Instead, the NPCC will be a collaboration of police forces, hosted by the Metropolitan Police Service. Membership will be held by forces as opposed to individual members. The assets formerly held by ACPO are being assessed as part of dissolving the company.

The functions carried out by national units that formerly sat under ACPO are also being transferred to new arrangements. They will be hosted by an individual force or other body on behalf of all forces. For example, ACPO’s Criminal Records Office (ACRO) will be hosted by Hampshire Constabulary.

There are an estimated 39,000 - 59,000 mid-rise (between 11m and 18m in height) residential buildings in England. A description of the methodology for the estimate can be found in the technical note that accompanies the monthly remediation data release. It can be found (attached) here: Building Safety Remediation: Technical note October 2025 - GOV.UK

There are an estimated 858,000 – 1,298,000 dwellings in mid-rise (11-18m) residential buildings in England.

A description of the methodology for the revised estimate as of January 2025 can be found in the technical note that accompanies the monthly data release. It can be found here: Building Safety Technical Note June 2025

The revised estimates are based on the recently released Ordnance Survey National Geographic Database data which was not available when the original estimates were calculated. The key assumptions section of the Technical Note refers to the use of Ordnance Survey unique building identifiers in the higher building ranges and this was a key driver for the increase in the range of uncertainty.

There are an estimated 858,000 – 1,298,000 dwellings in mid-rise (11-18m) residential buildings in England.

Part 4 of the Building Safety Act 2022 requires that building safety risks in Higher Risk Buildings are assessed, managed and controlled. The assessment must be suitable and sufficient and all reasonable steps must be taken to manage and control the building safety risks.

The Act does not set out specific standards that should be used. However, standards and guidance relevant to other regulatory regimes such as the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and BS 9792:2025 Fire Risk Assessment. Housing. Code of Practice will be relevant. Assessors can also refer to the published criteria used by the Building Safety Regulator for Building Assessment Certificate applications.

The assessment of ‘life critical fire safety defects’ does not form part of the Act. It is instead a feature of the Developers’ Remediation Contract and the Responsible Actors Scheme, which encompass a wider range of buildings.