Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) statutory protections and (b) appeal mechanisms are available to people who are subject to charges arising from covenants imposed by freeholders.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Permission fees and administration charges should only be used where necessary and should cover only any reasonable costs incurred.
Any fees and charges should be justifiable, transparent, and communicated effectively and that there should be a clear route to redress if things go wrong.
By law, variable administration or permission charges must be reasonable, and leaseholders can challenge them by applying to the tribunal for a decision if they do not believe they are fair.
Measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 require landlords to publish an administration charge schedule, giving leaseholders more information and providing clarity on potential charges they face.
Leaseholders and freeholders burdened by a restrictive covenant have the option to seek modifications or discharges through the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) under Section 84 of the Law of Property Act 1925, which outlines specific conditions that must be met for a successful application. The respective restrictive covenant and the likelihood of getting it removed will be case specific and landowners should seek independent legal advice.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Planning Inspectorate has provided notice to Wealden District Council of a 21-day site notice under the Crown Development guidance in relation to the use of Crowborough Training Camp for asylum seeker accommodation.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Planning Inspectorate can find no record of an application or appeal being made to it in relation to this development.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Planning Inspectorate has consulted Wealden District Council on the application to use the Crowborough Training Camp for asylum seeker accommodation.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Planning Inspectorate has no record of receiving an application or appeal in relation to the site in question.
I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 91420 on 20 November 2025.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
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 publish the (a) justice impact test and (b) new burdens assessment her Department has undertaken on the Renters’ Rights Bill.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Justice Impact Tests are internal government documents which are not usually published by government.
We will set out the funding we are making available to local authorities to meet new burdens arising from the Renters’ Rights Bill in due course.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
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 is taking to end rough sleeping.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
Last year we published our cross-government strategy 'Ending Rough Sleeping for Good', setting out how we are investing £2 billion over three years to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.
This includes up to £500 million in funding through the Rough Sleeping Initiative 2022-25 to local authorities across England which includes a range of support, including outreach, accommodation, mental health and substance misuse support, immigration advice and help to find employment or training.
Rough sleeping levels are 35% lower in 2022 compared to the peak in 2017 and 28% lower than they were in 2019 before the pandemic. We remain steadfastly committed to our goal to end rough sleeping and we will continue to work with local authorities and partners, the voluntary and community sector and private sector to end it for good.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans his Department has for leasehold reform.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 191122 on 4 July 2023.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
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 is taking to protect and enhance green spaces.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Government is committed to protecting and enhancing the Green Belt.
The Levelling Up Parks Fund also made available £9 million for local authorities in areas which rate highly on the Index of Multiple Deprivation, to create or significantly refurbish green spaces.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps his Department has taken to help ensure that local authorities have sufficient resources to deliver local services.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2023/24 makes available up to an additional £5 billion to councils. This is an increase in local authority funding for 2023/24 of 9% in cash terms compared to 2022/23.
We will continue to work with local authorities to understand both the challenges and opportunities they have, along with the level of taxpayer subsidy which can be provided, in the future.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
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 is taking to strengthen the Union.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
The UK Government is committed to delivering for citizens across the UK. The Autumn Budget was a budget for the whole of the United Kingdom, including first allocations of levelling up funds UK-wide. This spending review also provided the largest annual block grants for Devolved Governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in real terms, of any spending review settlement since 1998.
We are committed to working collaboratively with the Devolved Governments to deliver in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our response to Covid-19 has shown we are at our strongest when we work and come together as one United Kingdom. We will continue to work together across the UK as we recover from the pandemic.
Asked by: Kieran Mullan (Conservative - Bexhill and Battle)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that new homes in England are energy efficient.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government remains committed to meeting its target of net zero emissions by 2050 and recognises the important contribution that the energy efficiency of buildings has to make in meeting it.
From 2025, the Future Homes Standard will ensure that new homes produce at least 75% fewer CO2 emissions compared to those built to the 2013 standards. No further energy efficiency retrofit work will be necessary to enable them to become zero-carbon over time as the electricity grid continues to decarbonise.
In December 2021 we introduced an uplift in energy efficiency standards that delivers a meaningful reduction in carbon emissions and provides a stepping-stone to the Future Homes Standard. Once the uplift comes into force, in June 2022, new homes will be expected to produce around 30% fewer CO2 emissions compared to the previous 2013 standards.
The uplift marks an important step on our journey towards a cleaner, greener built environment and it supports us in our target to reduce the UK's carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.