Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what evaluation framework he will use to measure the economic impact of the High Street Strategy.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognises that too many high streets are facing significant social and economic pressures, including high vacancy rates, dwindling footfall and the loss of local businesses. That is why the Government committed this January to bring forward a new High Streets Strategy to help reverse these trends.
This strategy will be backed by at least £150 million to support some of the most in-need high streets. Funding will be directed towards areas that have felt the harshest impact of high street decline. Further details on the strategy, including the evaluation approach, will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
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 impact of betting shops on town centre vitality.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Some high streets have become increasingly dominated by certain types of premises – including gambling establishments – which don’t always meet the needs of their communities. According to the Gambling Commission, the number of adult gaming centres (AGCs) rose by 7% between 2022 and 2024, with additional data showing that AGCs are most concentrated in areas of higher deprivation.
My Department will take action to tackle the number of gambling premises in vulnerable areas by introducing Cumulative Impact Assessments in gambling licensing when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he us taking to help ensure new regeneration tools like Community Right to Buy deliver outcomes for independent retailers.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is committed to supporting independent retailers and the high streets on which they operate. Community right to buy, which we are introducing through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, will empower local communities to bring a wide range of assets into community ownership and protect them for future use, including shops.
This is part of a wider suite of regeneration tools the Government is introducing, including High Street Rental Auctions and a more streamlined Compulsory Purchase Order process, which offer councils and communities the chance to preserve valuable spaces and create a higher quality trading environment for independent retailers.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the scale of unadopted infrastructure across new freehold estates.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what baseline data his Department holds on the number of roads and sewers not adopted by (a) Buckinghamshire Council and (b) Milton Keynes City Council.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold the requested data.
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
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 timeline is for implementing the proposed reforms to restore access for councillors and extend access to mayors under the Local Government Pension Scheme.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Subject to consultation responses, the government intends to implement the proposals from the start of the 2026-27 financial year.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that new affordable housing built under the plan for 1.5 million homes will be accessible to first-time buyers whose deposit is less than 10 per cent.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership.
In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, the government is supporting people into home ownership, including through the shared ownership scheme and the Lifetime ISA.
The government has also introduced a new, permanent Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, available to support and sustain availability of low deposit mortgage products for prospective buyers.
Additionally, the Bank of England is easing the loan-to-income limit, enabling up to 36,000 additional first-time buyers in the first year.
The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) ongoing review of the mortgage market means many buyers can now borrow 10% more towards a property purchase. The government looks forward to ambitious proposals from the FCA’s paper.
First-time buyers may also benefit from home ownership initiatives offered at the local level.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria her Department plans to use to decide which equity and loan products the National Housing Bank offers to SME developers within its initial £16 billion capital allocation.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 June 2025 (HCWS712).