Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department plans to publish its response to the consultation entitled Strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services, which closed on 26 September 2025.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The consultation in question closed on 26 September 2025. We are analysing responses and will bring the relevant measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with the Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission on tackling Islamophobia.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
To help inform policy development, Ministers and officials regularly engage with relevant stakeholders, such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission, including on tackling religious hatred.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his planned timetable is for the rollout of Automatic Voter Registration as part of the Democratic Modernisation Strategy.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is exploring more automated approaches to electoral registration over the coming years. Any changes must be tested to ensure they have a positive outcome in an already complex system, which will take time to assess. Some of this work may also require legislative changes which can only be brought forward when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
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 on 10 September 2025 to HL10181, when he plans to launch the competitive funding award process for a Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum to those of a Muslim faith who gave their lives in two World Wars, as announced in the March 2024 Budget.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government committed to provide up to £1 million funding for a fitting Muslim War Memorial to commemorate the immense contribution of Muslim soldiers in service of this country during the World Wars.
A public market engagement exercise was launched on 31 January 2025 and ran for one month to gather information on potential delivery options. The information has been evaluated, and we are developing plans for a competitive funding process. Stakeholder engagement will be an integral part of the delivery of the memorial and the most effective means of achieving this will be factored into our planning.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with stakeholders on plans for a Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum to those of a Muslim faith who gave their lives in two World Wars, as announced in the March 2024 Budget.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government committed to provide up to £1 million funding for a fitting Muslim War Memorial to commemorate the immense contribution of Muslim soldiers in service of this country during the World Wars.
A public market engagement exercise was launched on 31 January 2025 and ran for one month to gather information on potential delivery options. The information has been evaluated, and we are developing plans for a competitive funding process. Stakeholder engagement will be an integral part of the delivery of the memorial and the most effective means of achieving this will be factored into our planning.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made on plans to finance a Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum to those of a Muslim faith who gave their lives in two World Wars, as announced in the March 2024 Budget.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government committed to provide up to £1 million funding for a fitting Muslim War Memorial to commemorate the immense contribution of Muslim soldiers in service of this country during the World Wars.
A public market engagement exercise was launched on 31 January 2025 and ran for one month to gather information on potential delivery options. The information has been evaluated, and we are developing plans for a competitive funding process. Stakeholder engagement will be an integral part of the delivery of the memorial and the most effective means of achieving this will be factored into our planning.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms are in place to ensure effective public and local authority oversight of freeports and their ongoing development.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to public transparency, accountability, and oversight for all Industrial Strategy Zones (ISZs), the collective term for Freeports and Investment Zones. The ISZs Action Plan and the latest Freeports Programme Report, both published in June 2025, set out the steps being taken to deliver upon these requirements, including by holding at least one public meeting a year and publishing all meeting minutes.
To ensure elected local leaders have oversight, all ISZs in England have a local authority or Mayoral Strategic Authority acting as their accountable body, providing public transparency and accountability for the management of funding and their ongoing development. These mechanisms underpin a programme that has attracted £6.4 billion in private investment to date, unlocking regeneration and new jobs for local communities, and delivering upon the government's number one priority of economic growth.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help improve public transparency and local awareness of the implications of freeports.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to public transparency, accountability, and oversight for all Industrial Strategy Zones (ISZs), the collective term for Freeports and Investment Zones. The ISZs Action Plan and the latest Freeports Programme Report, both published in June 2025, set out the steps being taken to deliver upon these requirements, including by holding at least one public meeting a year and publishing all meeting minutes.
To ensure elected local leaders have oversight, all ISZs in England have a local authority or Mayoral Strategic Authority acting as their accountable body, providing public transparency and accountability for the management of funding and their ongoing development. These mechanisms underpin a programme that has attracted £6.4 billion in private investment to date, unlocking regeneration and new jobs for local communities, and delivering upon the government's number one priority of economic growth.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in ground rents on the ability of leaseholders to sell their homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to UIN 74455 on 15 September 2025.