Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many more houses will be built as a result of the Thamesmead Waterfront, Crews Hills and Chase Park new towns compared to the local housing target set for Greater London Authority in July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
On 28 September, the Government published the independent New Towns Taskforce’s report and the Government’s initial response.
The Government takes on board the Taskforce’s recommendations to consider the interaction between new towns and housing targets ahead of its fuller response. We want to ensure that the right incentives are in place to support proactive local authorities to work with us to bring new towns forward.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many more houses will be built as a result of the Manchester Victoria North new town compared to the local housing target set for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority in July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
On 28 September, the Government published the independent New Towns Taskforce’s report and the Government’s initial response.
The Government takes on board the Taskforce’s recommendations to consider the interaction between new towns and housing targets ahead of its fuller response. We want to ensure that the right incentives are in place to support proactive local authorities to work with us to bring new towns forward.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many more houses will be built as a result of the Tempsford new town compared to the local housing target set for Central Bedfordshire Council in July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
On 28 September, the Government published the independent New Towns Taskforce’s report and the Government’s initial response.
The Government takes on board the Taskforce’s recommendations to consider the interaction between new towns and housing targets ahead of its fuller response. We want to ensure that the right incentives are in place to support proactive local authorities to work with us to bring new towns forward.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many more houses will be built as a result of the Leeds South Bank new town compared to the local housing target set for Leeds Council in July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
On 28 September, the Government published the independent New Towns Taskforce’s report and the Government’s initial response.
The Government takes on board the Taskforce’s recommendations to consider the interaction between new towns and housing targets ahead of its fuller response. We want to ensure that the right incentives are in place to support proactive local authorities to work with us to bring new towns forward.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many more houses will be built as a result of the Plymouth new town compared to the local housing target set for Plymouth Council in July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
On 28 September, the Government published the independent New Towns Taskforce’s report and the Government’s initial response.
The Government takes on board the Taskforce’s recommendations to consider the interaction between new towns and housing targets ahead of its fuller response. We want to ensure that the right incentives are in place to support proactive local authorities to work with us to bring new towns forward.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many more houses will be built as a result of the Milton Keynes new town compared to the local housing target set for Milton Keynes Council in July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
On 28 September, the Government published the independent New Towns Taskforce’s report and the Government’s initial response.
The Government takes on board the Taskforce’s recommendations to consider the interaction between new towns and housing targets ahead of its fuller response. We want to ensure that the right incentives are in place to support proactive local authorities to work with us to bring new towns forward.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have provided on whether the status in the planning system of Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) used by asylum seekers differs from that of other HMOs.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
My Department has not issued any such guidance.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much capital funding has been allocated to the first year of the 2026–2036 Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Spending Review 2025 policy paper (which can be found on gov.uk here) sets out that spending on our new £39 billion, 10-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme (2026-27 to 2035-36) will reach £4 billion per year in 2029-30 and rise in line with inflation subsequently.
As a result government spending on affordable housing investment will almost double by the end of this Parliament.
The government does not usually publish year-by-year spend on specific programmes in advance. We will continue to publish past year’s expenditure figures in the department's Annual Report and Accounts
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the proposed Chinese Embassy development at the Royal Mint in London, whether they have contacted the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to obtain (1) the security statement, and (2) the blast assessment, which were not placed before the planning inquiry.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government does not comment on live planning cases.
Where potentially relevant additional information is drawn to the Department’s attention during the decision-making process, it is routine for its potential relevance to be assessed, including consideration of whether it is necessary to obtain that information or refer back to parties.
Asked by: Lord Jamieson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the (1) district council, (2) delayed county council, and (3) existing unitary council, elections scheduled for May 2026 in the Greater Essex area will be cancelled; and if so, whether they will be replaced with (a) a Mayoral Combined County Authority election in May 2026, or (b) a new unitary council election in May 2027.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government’s starting point is for all elections to go ahead, unless there is strong justification. In May 2026, we intend that mayoral elections for new strategic authorities will take place, subject to parliamentary approval for the necessary legislation, alongside those district and unitary elections already scheduled and elections postponed from May 2025. The government will work with areas to hold elections for new unitary councils as soon as possible as is the usual arrangement in the process of local government reorganisation. We anticipate elections to new unitary authorities in May 2027.