Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision of social housing.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This government is clear that there is a chronic shortage of social rented housing as a result of its undersupply over recent years.
That is why we are committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.
For an overview of our policies in this area, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 41721 on 3 April 2025.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 ensure community cohesion within local planning departments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is leading cross-government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion, working in partnership with communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues which local areas face.
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that planning policies and decisions should aim to promote healthy, inclusive and safe places which promote social interaction, including opportunities for meetings between people who might not otherwise come into contact with each other.
Places should be safe and accessible, so that crime and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not undermine the quality of life or community cohesion.
Local Planning Authorities should plan positively for the provision and use of shared spaces, community facilities and other local services to enhance the sustainability of communities and residential environments, taking into account local strategies to improve health, social and cultural wellbeing for all sections of the community.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department holds information on the number of buildings that do not meet standards for safe cladding.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The department publishes monthly data on the number of 11m+ residential buildings identified with unsafe cladding and their remediation progress. This can be found here: Building Safety Remediation - GOV.UK. The latest release shows that as at 31st March 2025, there are 5,031 11m+ buildings identified with unsafe cladding, of which 1,637 (33%) have completed remediation works.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 expand tenants rights in relation to eviction notices.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Renters’ Rights Bill delivers our manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including by ending Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.
The Bill will improve the current system for both the 11 million private renters and 2.3 million landlords in England.
It will give renters much greater security and stability so they can stay in their homes for longer, build lives in their communities, and avoid the risk of homelessness.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on funding safe houses for victims of domestic abuse.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
Matters related to domestic abuse, including provision of safe accommodation, are devolved in Northern Ireland and managed by the Northern Ireland Executive.
The Northern Ireland Executive received £18.2 billion from the UK Government for 2025-26, the largest financial settlement in real terms in the history of devolution. It is for the Executive to decide how it utilises this funding.
UK Government ministers talk regularly to counterparts in Northern Ireland across the full range of government business, including at the Interministerial Group for Housing, Local Governments and Communities which is next meeting in summer.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of families on waiting lists for social housing.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The number of households on social housing registers (waiting lists) in England and for each local authority in England is available each year since 1987 in live table 600 on gov.uk here.
My Department only collects data on housing registers for local authorities in England as social housing is a devolved matter.
The number of households on the housing register (waiting list) is not the same as the number of households waiting.
Local authorities periodically review their registers to remove households who no longer require housing, so the total number of households on housing registers may overstate the number of households who still require social housing at any one time. Housing register size may also be affected by other factors. For example, there is the potential for some households to be on the housing register of more than one local authority.
The frequency of reviews varies between local authorities.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 trends in the levels of house prices in the last 12 months.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department continuously monitors the latest data on house prices.
In the 12 months up to December 2024 (the most recent data from the ONS), average house prices in the UK rose from £256,000 to £268,000 a 4.6% increase.
In England, the average house price rose from £279,000 to £291,000 a 4.3% increase. The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership. The government is committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme, to support first-time buyers who struggle to save for a large deposit, with lower mortgage costs.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the damage cause by Storm Eowyn to housing.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 sets out that the planning system should take full account of all climate impacts, including storm and flood risk. Planning should help to ensure that development minimises vulnerability and improves resilience to the effects of climate change.
The Framework sets out overarching policy on flood risk from all sources. It states that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding, whether an existing or a potential future risk, should be avoided. Where no alternative sites are available, permission should only be granted where it can be demonstrated that it will be safe for its lifetime taking account of the vulnerability of its users, without increasing flood risk elsewhere, and, where possible, will reduce flood risk overall.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of homes that are uninhabitable due to excessive mould and damp.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The English Housing Survey (EHS) provides findings on housing quality and condition in England, including damp and mould.
The EHS found that, in 2022-23, 4% of dwellings had a problem with damp.
The EHS does not report on whether damp has made a property uninhabitable or not, but relevant government guidance clearly sets out the health risks associated with damp and mould in the home and how to reduce these risks. The guidance in question can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 prevalence of (a) mould and (b) damp in the housing stock of housing associations.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The English Housing Survey sets out levels of overcrowding and the prevalence of damp and mould in people’s homes. Nationwide, 10% of private renters were found to be living with damp and mould, followed by 7% of local authority renters, and 4% of those in housing associations.
The government is committed to working with social housing providers to ensure that homes are safe, decent, warm, and free from damp and mould.
The Deputy Prime Minister made a Written Ministerial Statement on 6 February (HCWS423) confirming that the government will be bringing Awaab’s Law into force for damp and mould in October 2025.
Awaab’s Law is vital legislation that will empower social housing tenants to hold their landlords to account using the full force of the law if they fail to investigate and fix hazards within their homes within set timescales. It will also allow tenants to access the Housing Ombudsman if their landlord does not adhere to strict timelines for action.
The government is also committed to consulting on a new Decent Homes Standard and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards this year.