Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
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 9 January 2025 to Question 22092 on Local Government: Reform, whether local council mergers will be required under the English Devolution White Paper.
Answered by Jim McMahon
On 16 December, I wrote to all councils in two-tier areas and to neighbouring small unitaries alongside the English Devolution White Paper, to set out our plans. I intend to formally invite unitary proposals in January 2025 from all these councils and I will ask for interim plans in March. I am open to hearing from other councils who consider reorganisation will put them on a more sustainable footing. As set out in the White Paper, I will take a phased approach to delivery, taking into account where reorganisation can unlock devolution, where areas are keen to move quickly or where it can help address wider failings.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposals within the English Devolution White Paper on the (a) borders and (b) status of ceremonial counties.
Answered by Jim McMahon
The proposals within the English Devolution White Paper will not directly impact the borders or status of ceremonial counties which do not exist for the purposes of local government administration. Where areas develop proposals for local government reorganisation, we will work with councils to consider any implications for the ceremonial counties.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the next round of the Community Ownership Fund will open for applications.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Following the announcement of Round 4 Window 1 outcomes on 23 December 2024, the Community Ownership Fund (COF) is now closed.
There will be no further application windows on the COF programme.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether unitary local authorities will be required to merge with neighbouring councils to meet the 500,000 target.
Answered by Jim McMahon
On 16 December, I wrote to all councils in two-tier areas and to neighbouring small unitaries alongside the White Paper, to set out our plans. I intend to formally invite unitary proposals in January 2025 from all these councils. I will ask for interim plans in March and I am open to hearing from other councils who consider reorganisation will put them on a more sustainable footing. I will take a phased approach to delivery, taking into account where reorganisation can unlock devolution, where areas are keen to move quickly or where it can help address wider failings.
New unitary councils must be the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks. For most areas this will mean creating councils with a population of 500,000 or more, but there may be exceptions to ensure new structures make sense for an area, including for devolution, and decisions will be on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Prime Minister requested she call-in the application for a new Chinese Embassy in Tower Hamlets after his phone call with the President of China on 23 August 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 17009 on 6 December 2024.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have had discussions with representatives of the Chinese government on the application to build a new Chinese Embassy in Tower Hamlets.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Officials in my Department have met with representatives of the People’s Republic of China. The purpose of this engagement was to explain the operation of the UK planning system. Details of the application for a new Chinese embassy were not discussed.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to assess national security considerations when determining whether to grant planning permission for a new Chinese Embassy in Tower Hamlets.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question HL3240 on 19 December 2024.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to respond to the consultation entitled The Future Homes and Buildings Standards: 2023 consultation which closed on 27 March 2024.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
The Future Homes and Buildings Standards consultation was published in December 2023 and closed in March 2024, and a government response has not yet been issued. We fully support the need for low carbon homes, fit for a net zero future. We are reviewing proposals and feedback from the Future Homes and Buildings Standards consultation and will publish the Government response in due course.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, until what date the Community ownership fund will remain open; and if her Department will extend that fund beyond 31 March 2025.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Chancellor’s July ‘Public Spending: Inheritance’ speech set out the state of the UK’s spending inheritance from the previous Government. In this context, the Chancellor has set out a path to confirming plans for this year and next at the forthcoming Budget on October 30th.
We understand that this may have caused uncertainty about the status of the Community Ownership Fund. The Government will seek to provide certainty wherever it can between now and conclusion of the Spending Review.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her Department's policy is on the future of commission paid to site owners following the sale of park homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 1176 on 31 July 2024.