Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he has considered the potential merits of ensuring that Sport England maintains its role in the statutory planning consultee framework.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 17 November 2025, my Department published a consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system. That consultation closes on 13 January 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.
No decision will be made on Sport England’s role until views on impacts of these consultation proposals are fully reviewed.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that the upcoming Homelessness Strategy addresses homelessness among newly recognised refugees arising from the 28 day move-on period.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Through A National Plan to End Homelessness, the Cross-Government Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, the Home Office has committed to strengthen data sharing processes to ensure councils receive information from asylum accommodation providers for 100% of newly granted refugees at risk of homelessness, within two days of an asylum discontinuation of support notification. This supports early intervention by enabling councils to commence homelessness assessments.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of prohibiting freeholders from seeking financial redress for breaches of leasehold covenants that occurred prior to their acquisition of the freehold.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Leaseholders who receive notice that they are in breach of their lease should look at the terms of their lease and take independent legal advice. They can also access advice and guidance from the government supported Leasehold Advisory Service.
Where a leaseholder considers that they have been subject to improper or unfair practices then they should also consider contacting their local authority trading standards team.
Landlords cannot force leaseholders to pay for breaches of covenant or take their property without getting an Order from the County Court or First-tier Tribunal. Freeholders should give the leaseholder opportunity to rectify any breach before taking formal action. By law, claims for most individual breaches can only go back 6 years (or 12 years if the lease was created by deed).
Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, property listings must not omit information that the average consumer needs to make an informed transactional decision. We would strongly advise prospective buyers and their legal representative to check that all relevant information has been provided to understand the ongoing costs and obligations involved in purchasing their home. If this information was not provided at the time of purchase, a legal representative could advise on possible options.
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement published on 21 November (HCWS244) which sets out further detail on the steps the government intends to take to implement the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 and to progress the wider set of reforms necessary to end the feudal leasehold system for good; the proposals set out in the consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services published on 4 July 2025 which can be found on gov.uk here; and the Commonhold White Paper published on 3 March 2025 which can be found on gov.uk here.
We will publish an ambitious draft Leasehold and Commonhold reform Bill later this year.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a statutory time limit within which freeholders may seek financial redress for alleged breaches of leasehold covenants.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Leaseholders who receive notice that they are in breach of their lease should look at the terms of their lease and take independent legal advice. They can also access advice and guidance from the government supported Leasehold Advisory Service.
Where a leaseholder considers that they have been subject to improper or unfair practices then they should also consider contacting their local authority trading standards team.
Landlords cannot force leaseholders to pay for breaches of covenant or take their property without getting an Order from the County Court or First-tier Tribunal. Freeholders should give the leaseholder opportunity to rectify any breach before taking formal action. By law, claims for most individual breaches can only go back 6 years (or 12 years if the lease was created by deed).
Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, property listings must not omit information that the average consumer needs to make an informed transactional decision. We would strongly advise prospective buyers and their legal representative to check that all relevant information has been provided to understand the ongoing costs and obligations involved in purchasing their home. If this information was not provided at the time of purchase, a legal representative could advise on possible options.
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement published on 21 November (HCWS244) which sets out further detail on the steps the government intends to take to implement the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 and to progress the wider set of reforms necessary to end the feudal leasehold system for good; the proposals set out in the consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services published on 4 July 2025 which can be found on gov.uk here; and the Commonhold White Paper published on 3 March 2025 which can be found on gov.uk here.
We will publish an ambitious draft Leasehold and Commonhold reform Bill later this year.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce legislative measures to prevent freeholders from demanding disproportionate payments from leaseholders for historic breaches of leasehold covenants.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Leaseholders who receive notice that they are in breach of their lease should look at the terms of their lease and take independent legal advice. They can also access advice and guidance from the government supported Leasehold Advisory Service.
Where a leaseholder considers that they have been subject to improper or unfair practices then they should also consider contacting their local authority trading standards team.
Landlords cannot force leaseholders to pay for breaches of covenant or take their property without getting an Order from the County Court or First-tier Tribunal. Freeholders should give the leaseholder opportunity to rectify any breach before taking formal action. By law, claims for most individual breaches can only go back 6 years (or 12 years if the lease was created by deed).
Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, property listings must not omit information that the average consumer needs to make an informed transactional decision. We would strongly advise prospective buyers and their legal representative to check that all relevant information has been provided to understand the ongoing costs and obligations involved in purchasing their home. If this information was not provided at the time of purchase, a legal representative could advise on possible options.
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement published on 21 November (HCWS244) which sets out further detail on the steps the government intends to take to implement the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 and to progress the wider set of reforms necessary to end the feudal leasehold system for good; the proposals set out in the consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services published on 4 July 2025 which can be found on gov.uk here; and the Commonhold White Paper published on 3 March 2025 which can be found on gov.uk here.
We will publish an ambitious draft Leasehold and Commonhold reform Bill later this year.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill will include provisions to grant leaseholders of houses the same Right of First Refusal as leaseholders of flats.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Leaseholders who receive notice that they are in breach of their lease should look at the terms of their lease and take independent legal advice. They can also access advice and guidance from the government supported Leasehold Advisory Service.
Where a leaseholder considers that they have been subject to improper or unfair practices then they should also consider contacting their local authority trading standards team.
Landlords cannot force leaseholders to pay for breaches of covenant or take their property without getting an Order from the County Court or First-tier Tribunal. Freeholders should give the leaseholder opportunity to rectify any breach before taking formal action. By law, claims for most individual breaches can only go back 6 years (or 12 years if the lease was created by deed).
Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, property listings must not omit information that the average consumer needs to make an informed transactional decision. We would strongly advise prospective buyers and their legal representative to check that all relevant information has been provided to understand the ongoing costs and obligations involved in purchasing their home. If this information was not provided at the time of purchase, a legal representative could advise on possible options.
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement published on 21 November (HCWS244) which sets out further detail on the steps the government intends to take to implement the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 and to progress the wider set of reforms necessary to end the feudal leasehold system for good; the proposals set out in the consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services published on 4 July 2025 which can be found on gov.uk here; and the Commonhold White Paper published on 3 March 2025 which can be found on gov.uk here.
We will publish an ambitious draft Leasehold and Commonhold reform Bill later this year.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
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 consider introducing legislation allowing councils to introduce landlord licensing powers across whole cities, rather than selective schemes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 23 December 2024, a new General Approval for selective licensing came into force. This enables local authorities to introduce selective licensing schemes of any size without seeking approval from the Secretary of State. Under the previous 2015 General Approval, approval was required for schemes covering more than 20% of a local authority’s Private Rented Sector stock or geographical area.
No changes have been made to the legislative requirements for introducing and managing a selective licensing scheme. Local authorities will still need to meet the requirements under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004 and comply with the condition in the General Approval to consult for at least 10 weeks on any new schemes.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to introduce a community right to buy for nature that would enable local communities to (a) purchase and (b) restore land for (i) environmental and (ii) biodiversity purposes.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to ensuring that communities are able to protect all local assets that are important to them. The new community right to buy, which we are introducing through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, will give communities stronger powers to take ownership of these assets and save them for future community use.
Communities will be able to nominate any asset that furthers the social or economic wellbeing of the community, which will include a range of environmental assets, and purchase these if they are put up for sale.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
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 (a) make an assessment of the extent of and (b) take steps to help tackle barriers to local authorities practicing ethical divestment.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities are responsible for their own investments and accountable to their electorate. When making investment decisions, authorities must, however, ensure they comply with legislation and guidance intended to ensure that decisions are prudent, affordable and sustainable.
Investment strategies for Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds are set by local pension committees, and include how social, environmental and corporate governance and responsible investment considerations are taken into account. Pension committees must have regard to their fiduciary duty to scheme members and employers when setting their investment strategy and must follow relevant legislation and guidance.