Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help local authorities reduce the number of void properties in their social housing stock.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The length of time a property is void can be affected by a range of factors, including whether a property is under repairs or in need of adaptations, how extensive these repairs or adaptations are and whether a property is earmarked for demolition or sales.
The government encourages social housing providers to develop solutions that make best use of the social housing stock and minimise void periods where possible.
Local authorities able to use funding from the third round of the Local Authority Housing Fund to refurbish and bring long-term void stock back into use. On 11 June 2025 the government announced £950 million capital for the fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund through the Spending Review.
Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
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 4 April 2025 to Question 42631 on Historic Environment Records, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of historic environment records in (a) increasing certainty in the planning process and (b) ensuring that heritage increases economic growth; and if she will publish a timetable for implementing (i) section 230 of and (ii) other outstanding measures from the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Following Royal Assent of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act (LURA) in October 2023, a small number of provisions were commenced by the previous government, for example relating to pavement licensing, planning enforcement and certain reforms to the compulsory purchase process.
Building on these measures, in September last year, a power enabling local authorities to bring forward affordable housing, national health or educational facilities through the use of compulsory purchase without paying ‘hope value’ compensation where justified in the public interest was fully commenced.
On 25 May, the government launched a technical consultation on implementing measures to improve the transparency of build rates from new residential development using powers in the LURA. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the government intends bring forward the regulations to implement these measures at the earliest practical opportunity with the new build out reporting framework coming into force from 2026.
The government has not undertaken an assessment of the potential merits of Historic Environment Records or set out an implementation timetable for Section 230 of the Act.
Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her Department's planned timetable is for introducing a new statutory Code of Practice for private parking operators; and whether this code of practice will include measures to prevent repeated instances of unjustified fines by private parking companies.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to PQ 42709 on 7 April 2025.
Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her Department’s timeframe is for making decisions on the future of the Midlands Engine.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Midlands Engine have undertaken a range of valuable work and have supported collaboration on shared growth opportunities.
The English Devolution White Paper published in December 2024 last year sets out our intention in future to support mayors in working together across boundaries.
We have now consulted on our minded to decision not to extend funding for the six pan-regional partnerships beyond the agreed allocations to the end of the 2024-25 financial year. We are currently considering the responses received, and we expect to announce our decision very soon.