Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the East of England APPG and Local Government East's report entitled Opportunity East One Year On, published on 19 November 2025.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Opportunity East: One Year On makes a strong case for the East of England and the role it can play in driving growth and prosperity, and we welcome the efforts of the APPG and Local Government East in raising the profile of the region and highlighting its great potential. We will consider the report with interest as we take forward our mission to kickstart growth across the country.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 24 July 2023 to Question 194553 on Planning: Agriculture, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of consulting on proposals to help support the building of new glasshouses as set out at the Farm to Fork summit in May 2023.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
We place great importance on our agriculture and food production, and this is reflected in the National Planning Policy Framework. The Framework already requires local planning authorities to take into account all the benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land. Where significant development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, then we have been clear that planning authorities should seek to use poorer quality land in preference to that of a higher quality.
Our recent consultation on a revised National Planning Policy Framework proposes a change to strengthen current policy on the consideration given to the relative value of agricultural land for food production.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure (a) peri-urban land and (b) high-quality rural land is protected for food growing through the planning system.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
We place great importance on our agriculture and food production, and this is reflected in the National Planning Policy Framework. The Framework already requires local planning authorities to take into account all the benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land. Where significant development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, then we have been clear that planning authorities should seek to use poorer quality land in preference to that of a higher quality.
Our recent consultation on a revised National Planning Policy Framework proposes a change to strengthen current policy on the consideration given to the relative value of agricultural land for food production.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has held with local planning authorities on ensuring that developers build homes that have enough (a) internal space for families to (i) store, (ii) prepare, (iii) cook and (iv) eat healthy food and (b) external space to grow fruit and vegetables.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
The Government is committed to ensuring that the planning system creates sustainable, healthy places with high-quality homes.
Local councils have the option to implement the Nationally Described Space Standard to set minimum space standards in their local area where this can be justified, as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
The National Design Guide, which supports the NPPF, sets out the ten characteristics of well-designed places and recognises that well-designed homes provide internal and external space that support the health and wellbeing of residents.
In addition, the National Model Design Code, which guides local councils in the production of local design codes, emphasises the need for new development to provide high-quality internal and external living spaces that meet a range of needs. This includes sufficient space for the storage and preparation of healthy food as well as opportunities for food growing.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) peri-urban and (b) high-quality rural land used for food growing is protected within the planning system.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
We place great importance upon our agriculture and food production, and this is reflected in the National Planning Policy Framework. The Framework already requires local planning authorities to take into account all the benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land. Where significant development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, then we have been clear that planning authorities should seek to use poorer quality land in preference to that of a higher quality.
Our recent consultation on a revised National Planning Policy Framework proposes a change to strengthen current policy on the consideration given to the relative value of agricultural land for food production. The consultation sought views on how we can ensure high value farmland is adequately weighted in the planning application process.
Following the May UK Farm to Fork Summit we announced our proposals to support the agricultural industry to boost production and extend the growing season by revising national planning policy and making the approval of new controlled environment horticulture businesses a priority for councils to make it easier to build new glasshouses.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the findings and recommendations in the report prepared by the East of England APPG and EELGA: Levelling Up in the East of England - the Region’s Progress towards the Government’s Twelve Levelling Up Missions; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The report 'Levelling Up the East of England 2023-2030: The East of England's Progress Towards Achieving the Government's Twelve Levelling Up Missions' highlights the considerable strengths of the East of England and also the challenges facing many areas. The Government is determined to level up in all areas of the country, including for communities and businesses in the East of England, building on important recent steps such as the Norfolk and Suffolk deals.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the potential financial impact of the proposed cap on rent increases on housing associations in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 80923, on 15 November 2022.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department plans to take to support the construction of social and affordable housing by (a) councils and (b) housing associations; and what recent assessment he has made of the impact of inflation on construction costs.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
Further to the answer I gave to Question UIN 78825 on 11 November 2022, we continue to work with stakeholders across the sector to monitor the impacts of inflation to ensure the homes people need continue to be built.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the number of inquorate parish councils as of 29 June 2022.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
The department has made no assessment of inquorate parish councils as of 29 June 2022. Local authorities under section 91 of the Local Government Act 1972, have the power to make an Order appointing temporary members to a parish council where, due to the number of vacancies, the council cannot function until other councillors are elected and take up office. This is to ensure that a parish council can continue to operate without becoming inquorate.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of May 17 2022 to Question 3611, on Oxford-Cambridge Arc, when the findings of the 12-week public consultation are planned to be published.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to Question 3611 on 17 May. The Government is continuing to work through next steps following the completion of the public consultation on a Spatial Framework for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc and will provide more information in due course.