Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
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 ensure that a meaningful proportion of new-build homes delivered through major housing developments are affordable homes, including in areas experiencing significant growth pressures.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 58440 on 17 June 2025, UIN 21951 on 13 January 2025, UIN 99392 on 5 January 2026 and UIN 94400 on 4 December 2025.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
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 ensure that new housing and major development schemes contribute to meeting net zero targets, including through energy efficiency, sustainable construction methods, low-carbon infrastructure and integrated transport planning.
Answered by Samantha Dixon
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has responsibility for the Building Regulations, construction product reform, and planning.
The Government published an update to the energy efficiency standards in the Building Regulations, the Future Homes Standard (FHS), on 24 March 2026. New homes built to these new standards will be zero carbon ready, meaning they will become zero carbon once the national grid is fully decarbonised and will require no further retrofitting to meet net zero.
The Government has also committed to reducing waste by moving to a circular economy and making significant reductions in carbon emissions. For construction products, this includes increasing reuse and recycling of products, choosing more sustainable products, and improving information about environmental performance.
We recently consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework, including proposals relating to renewable and low carbon energy. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in the summer.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
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 discrepancies between voter identification documents and electoral register entries caused by (a) failure to update identification documents of a change of surname following marriage (b) other named-related reasons on trends in the level of voter participation; and what steps her Department is taking to communicate the need for identification documents to match the electoral register for future elections.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
As set out in the Elections Act 2022, where there is a discrepancy between the name shown on an elector’s identification document and how their name is recorded on the electoral register, that elector may still use that document if they are able to explain the discrepancy to the satisfaction of the presiding officer, and may provide further evidence (e.g. a marriage certificate) when doing so
This information is set out on poll cards and is displayed in polling stations.
No assessment has been made on the potential impacts that such discrepancies might have on levels of voter participation.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
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 plans to take to introduce (a) protections and (b) support mechanisms for leaseholders living in buildings under 11 meters.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
Irrespective of building height, we consider it imperative to support leaseholders, and ensure that fire safety risks are assessed and, if necessary, remediation action is taken promptly.
The department continues to review cases where cladding remediation work is proposed, which includes undertaking audits of fire risk appraisals of external walls to make sure that proposed works are necessary and proportionate. We also press managing agents and building owners not to pass on costs to leaseholders and explore cost recovery options.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made a recent assessment of the level of availability of pet-friendly accommodation in the private rental sector; and whether her Department is taking steps to increase the availability of pet-friendly accommodation.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In 2021, the English Private Landlord Survey showed that almost half of landlords were unwilling to let to tenants with pets. The Government wants to ensure more tenants can experience the benefits of pet ownership – including the benefits to mental and physical health. The Renters’ Rights Bill will give tenants the right to request a pet and ensure landlords cannot unreasonably withhold consent. Landlords will be required to respond to any requests by a tenant to keep a pet within 28 days, instead of the 42 that had been proposed by the previous Government. Tenants will be able to challenge unfair decisions.
Asked by: Claire Hazelgrove (Labour - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the implications for her policies of levels of house (a) buyers and (b) sellers withdrawing from a sale at the last minute.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognises that the current home buying and selling process in England is slow, costly and stressful, and that transactions falling through can contribute to this.
On average, around one in three transactions fall through before completion, costing consumers around £400 million in direct costs alone.
We continue to consider how to drive improvements most effectively across home buying and selling for both consumers and the sector.