Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
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 26 November 2025 to Question 92754, what planned improvements he has discussed with the Secretary of State for Justice to ensure readiness; and whether those improvements will be in place prior to implementation of the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department continues to work closely with the Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunal Service to ensure that the justice system is well prepared for the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act. This includes ensuring that suitable arrangements are in place for monitoring data relating to rent increase challenges in the Residential Property Tribunal.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
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 engage with HM Courts & Tribunals Service to ensure central recording of the average time for the First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber to consider, process and rule upon rent appeal cases brought by tenants, and to ensure this central recording will be in place prior to implementation of the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department continues to work closely with the Ministry of Justice to ensure that the justice system is well prepared for our reforms, including ensuring that suitable arrangements are in place for monitoring data relating to rent increase challenges.
In the Property Chamber, work is progressing to increase capacity, as well as reviewing resource and working practices in readiness for any increase in demand. This includes work by HMCTS on plans for improvements to the data they capture and draw from supporting systems to the Tribunal.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
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 the outcome of the Fair Funding Review 2.0 on the London Borough of Bromley.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has been listening closely to the views expressed by the public, local authorities and other stakeholder bodies on the proposals set out in the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation.
No final decisions on the outcome of the review have yet been taken. However, the government’s proposals will target central government grant funding to where it is needed the most. The vast majority of councils with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement.
We will publish further information in the government’s consultation response in Autumn, followed by the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
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 the outcome of the Fair Funding Review 2.0 on local authorities in London.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has been listening closely to the views expressed by the public, local authorities and other stakeholder bodies on the proposals set out in the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation.
No final decisions on the outcome of the review have yet been taken. However, the government’s proposals will target central government grant funding to where it is needed the most. The vast majority of councils with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement.
We will publish further information in the government’s consultation response in Autumn, followed by the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his policy is housing formulas and 5-year housing supply; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The Government is actively reviewing the approach to housing formulas and 5-year housing supply. As the Secretary of State set out at the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee on 21 November, there is an ongoing debate on how housing need is assessed and we want to make sure we deliver the right approach, including making sure that a greater proportion of housing is delivered in urban areas and on brownfield sites.
On 5-year housing supply, the Government announced in May that it is our intention to abolish the requirement for authorities to have a rolling five-year land supply, where their plan is up to date. We want a system where, if a local authority has a plan in place and keeps it up to date, the local area can feel confident that they will not see unwanted development based on ‘speculative development’ and ‘planning by appeal.’
We will publish a consultation shortly on the future direction of national planning policy, including on the approach to housing formulas and 5-year housing supply.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Answer of 9 March 2022 to Question 132391 on civil service staff networks, what information he holds on (a) FTE staff time and (b) budgets available to recognised staff groups within his Department in each of the last three years.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
Across the Civil Service, employee networks provide a valuable support structure for staff.
(a) All staff networks are entirely voluntary. A Network Business Deal introduced in February 2021 provides all network chairs/deputy chairs of networks up to 25% of their contracted hours to conduct activities aimed at running the network and delivery of their business plans. This is subject to the business need and agreement with line management. It also allows that Employee network executive team members who volunteer alongside the Chairs, Co-Chairs, and Deputy Chairs can be allocated up to 10%
(b) In each of the last three financial years a staff network budget of £20,000 per annum has been controlled by Human Resources. This covers all the networks listed below:
The Department currently recognises 15 staff network groups and unless stated otherwise all have been running over the last three years. They include the following: BAMENet, Carers, Disability, EU Nationals, Fair Treatment Ambassadors (from 2021), Gender Equality, Health and Wellbeing, Jobshare, LGBT+, LGBT+ Allies, Neurodiversity, Social Mobility, Working Parents, 50+, Inclusion Allies (from 2022). The Department also recognises the following three faith network groups: Group Christian Fellowship, Jewish Network, Network for Muslims.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Answer of 9 March 2022 to Question 132391, what recognised staff groups have been running in his Department over the last three years.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Department currently recognises 15 staff network groups and unless stated otherwise all have been running over the last three years. They include the following: BAMENet, Carers, Disability, EU Nationals, Fair Treatment Ambassadors (from 2021), Gender Equality, Health and Wellbeing, Jobshare, LGBT+, LGBT+ Allies, Neurodiversity, Social Mobility, Working Parents, 50+, Inclusion Allies (from 2022). The Department also recognises the following three faith network groups: Group Christian Fellowship, Jewish Network, Network for Muslims.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the impact of Tower Hamlets Council’s decision not to publish the costs of its town hall project; and what statutory powers he has to help ensure that public expenditure on public projects of £100 million and over are published.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
Local authorities are autonomous public bodies responsible to their electorate for the decisions they take. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities is responsible for the oversight of local government and is interested in understanding issues around financial viability, leadership and standards of corporate governance, however, central government and ministers do not have a remit to intervene in the day-to-day affairs of a council, except in exceptional circumstances of most serious concern.
Transparency is the foundation of local accountability. The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 introduced a localised audit regime for local authorities in England, which included mandatory transparency requirements for principal councils to improve local accountability together with the ability for local people to better hold their councils to account.
Electors are entitled to inspect the accounts and other documents – including audit opinions and can ask questions of, and make objections to, the local authorities’ external auditor, who is required to respond. Details of this process can be found in the Local Authority Accounts: A guide to your rights, published by the National Audit Office: https://www.nao.org.uk/code-audit-practice/council-accounts-a-guide-to-your-rights/.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
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 provide a list of (a) professional staff networks and (b) social clubs operating within his Department; and if he will provide the (i) budgets and (ii) FTE staff time allocated to each group within each of the last three years.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
(a) Across the Civil Service, employee networks provide a valuable support structure for staff. They promote activities that open up opportunities in the Civil Service for talented civil servants and prospective civil servants, and encourage team working and an inclusive work culture. The department has a number of voluntary staff networks in place which are focussed on inclusion, equalities, and welfare. These networks plays an important role in reviewing and improving the working conditions, policies, and processes that affect our diverse workforce, and membership is entirely voluntary. There are currently 14 staff networks officially recognised by the department, however we do not consider these networks to be ‘professional’ by distinction as they are not linked to professional or functional areas. The Department does not hold a central record of any other professional networks established by its staff, professional, or functional areas
(b) Social clubs established by and for officials working in the Department are in the private and personal interest of its members, and as such a central record of this information is not readily available. The only exception is the sports and recreation association (SPARTA), which is jointly ran by DLUHC and DFT. SPARTA is a non-profit organisation whose aim is to promote and encourage social and recreational activities these departments
(c) Social clubs, which are entirely in the personal and private interests of its members, would not be allocated any FTE staff time or budgets. SPARTA members are asked to make a small contribution each month to support with the delivery or the organisation’s programmes and activities.