Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when returning officers will be informed of whether Huntingdonshire District Council elections will go ahead in 2026.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Our starting point is for all elections scheduled for May 2026 to go ahead unless there is strong justification otherwise.
Returning Officers are not directly informed by the Government about whether local elections will proceed. They act independently, complying with legislation and following guidance provided by the Electoral Commission.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has he made of the level of (a) positive and (b) negative public reaction in Huntingdonshire to the proposed options for Local Government Reform in Cambridgeshire.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are due to submit their final proposals for unitary local councils by 28 November. We understand the importance of communities having their say and have been clear on the importance of councils engaging with local residents and organisations as they develop their proposals.
The Government will launch a statutory consultation before deciding which proposal, if any, to implement. I anticipate this will be launched in the New Year. It would be inappropriate for Ministers to comment at this stage or give a view on specific unitary proposals, or to pre-empt future decisions under the statutory process.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits and disadvantages of Local Government Reform Option D on Huntingdonshire.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are due to submit their final proposals for unitary local councils by 28 November. We understand the importance of communities having their say and have been clear on the importance of councils engaging with local residents and organisations as they develop their proposals.
The Government will launch a statutory consultation before deciding which proposal, if any, to implement. I anticipate this will be launched in the New Year. It would be inappropriate for Ministers to comment at this stage or give a view on specific unitary proposals, or to pre-empt future decisions under the statutory process.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) criteria and (b) evidence he plans to use to make his final decision on the Local Government Reform option for Cambridgeshire.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 60179 on 19 June 2025 and to Question UIN 62328 on 30 June 2025.
Councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are due to submit their final proposals for local government reorganisation by 28 November. The government will then launch a statutory consultation before deciding which, if any, to implement. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the criteria in the statutory guidance, the consultation responses received and all other relevant information.
The exact timings will depend on the proposals received and the decision taken on which proposal, if any, to implement. It is anticipated that a consultation could be launched in the New Year with decisions on which proposal to implement potentially announced before the summer recess to allow the legislation to be made which, subject to Parliamentary approval, would allow for elections to the new unitary authorities on 6 May 2027 with the new authorities going live on 1 April 2028.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, by when he plans to have made a decision on which Local Government Reform option to choose for Cambridgeshire.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 60179 on 19 June 2025 and to Question UIN 62328 on 30 June 2025.
Councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are due to submit their final proposals for local government reorganisation by 28 November. The government will then launch a statutory consultation before deciding which, if any, to implement. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the criteria in the statutory guidance, the consultation responses received and all other relevant information.
The exact timings will depend on the proposals received and the decision taken on which proposal, if any, to implement. It is anticipated that a consultation could be launched in the New Year with decisions on which proposal to implement potentially announced before the summer recess to allow the legislation to be made which, subject to Parliamentary approval, would allow for elections to the new unitary authorities on 6 May 2027 with the new authorities going live on 1 April 2028.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the timeline is for the implementation of local government reform in Cambridgeshire.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 60179 on 19 June 2025 and to Question UIN 62328 on 30 June 2025.
Councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are due to submit their final proposals for local government reorganisation by 28 November. The government will then launch a statutory consultation before deciding which, if any, to implement. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the criteria in the statutory guidance, the consultation responses received and all other relevant information.
The exact timings will depend on the proposals received and the decision taken on which proposal, if any, to implement. It is anticipated that a consultation could be launched in the New Year with decisions on which proposal to implement potentially announced before the summer recess to allow the legislation to be made which, subject to Parliamentary approval, would allow for elections to the new unitary authorities on 6 May 2027 with the new authorities going live on 1 April 2028.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
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 page 54 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, when he plans to issue updated procedures to enable the use of the (a) Crown Development and (b) Urgent Crown Development routes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Crown Development planning regulations in England came into force on 1 May 2025. The government has no current plans to change those regulations.
The reference to updated procedures in the Defence Industrial Strategy relates to how the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Ministry of Defence will work together when the latter identifies potential applications for Crown development routes. Further details will be published in due course.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many new house builds have been (a) started and (b) completed since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government publishes quarterly data on planning applications and housing starts and completions.
The latest data on planning application statistics can be found on gov.uk here.
Data on housing starts and completions can be found on gov.uk here.
The main measure of housing supply is net additional dwellings, the latest data on which can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the projected house building completion targets are in (a) 2025, (b) 2026, (c) 2027, (d) 2028 and (e) 2029 in the context of the Government’s pledge to build 1.5 million new 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 19066 on 20 December 2024.