Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans her Department has to help tackle shortages of professional services in design and planning stages of (a) infrastructure and (b) housing.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Professional services across the built environment are vital to delivering both infrastructure and housing.
A significant amount of beneficial and innovative work is being undertaken by the sector to identify and deliver the professional skills that will be needed in the future, ensuring that it can continue to offer services to further development.
My answer to Question UIN 28327 on 13 February 2025 also sets out the programme in place to enable planning local authorities to access relevant skills.
This will be further underpinned by the fee increases for planning services that is being implemented from April 2025 which will help improve the resourcing of planning application services, so that local planning authorities can access the skills they need.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans her Department has to increase clarity in the process of allocating funding to local areas through (a) consultation on their development and (b) publication of detailed methodology.
Answered by Jim McMahon
Building on the measures in the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement, the Government is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities from 2026-27.
We sought views on our principles and objectives for funding reform through a consultation which ran from 18 December 2024 - 12 February 2025. The government set out its six key guiding principles for funding reform, of which one is transparency.
This consultation and engagement will inform the development of our detailed proposals, on which we will further consult following the multi-year Spending Review concluding later this year. We will publish and seek views on methodologies as part of this consultation.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
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 plans to take into account low wages in rural areas when determining funding settlements for deprived areas.
Answered by Jim McMahon
Building on the measures in the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement, the Government is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities from 2026-27.
We sought views on our principles and objectives for funding reform through a consultation which ran from 18 December 2024 - 12 February 2025. This consultation and engagement will inform the development of our detailed proposals, on which we will further consult following the multi-year Spending Review concluding later this year. We are keen to develop these reforms in partnership with the sector and to understand views from across local government on factors affecting the demand and need for services, including in rural areas like Cornwall.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
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 plans to take into account non-resident population seasonal increases due to tourism when determining funding settlements for deprived areas.
Answered by Jim McMahon
Building on the measures in the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement, the Government is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities from 2026-27.
We sought views on our principles and objectives for funding reform through a consultation which ran from 18 December 2024 - 12 February 2025. This consultation and engagement will inform the development of our detailed proposals, on which we will further consult following the multi-year Spending Review concluding later this year. We are keen to develop these reforms in partnership with the sector and to understand views from across local government on factors affecting the demand and need for services, including in rural areas like Cornwall.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
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 plans to take into account (a) remoteness and (b) peripherality of areas such as Cornwall when determining funding settlements for deprived areas.
Answered by Jim McMahon
Building on the measures in the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement, the Government is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities from 2026-27.
We sought views on our principles and objectives for funding reform through a consultation which ran from 18 December 2024 - 12 February 2025. This consultation and engagement will inform the development of our detailed proposals, on which we will further consult following the multi-year Spending Review concluding later this year. We are keen to develop these reforms in partnership with the sector and to understand views from across local government on factors affecting the demand and need for services, including in rural areas like Cornwall.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
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 plans to take into account super-ageing demographics such as in Cornwall when determining funding settlements for deprived areas.
Answered by Jim McMahon
Building on the measures in the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement, the Government is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities from 2026-27.
We sought views on our principles and objectives for funding reform through a consultation which ran from 18 December 2024 - 12 February 2025. This consultation and engagement will inform the development of our detailed proposals, on which we will further consult following the multi-year Spending Review concluding later this year. We are keen to develop these reforms in partnership with the sector and to understand views from across local government on factors affecting the demand and need for services, including in rural areas like Cornwall.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
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 plans to regulate short-term lets.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 43634 on 8 April 2025.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
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 merits of including (a) ground source heat pumps and (b) shared ground loops in the Future Homes Standard.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Building Regulations prescribe performance outcomes, rather than specific technologies, materials or fuels to be used. This allows builders and homeowners the flexibility to innovate and select the most practical and cost-effective solutions appropriate in any development.
However, the upcoming Future Homes Standard will set our new homes and buildings on a path that moves away from relying on volatile fossil fuels and towards more clean, secure energy. The future is likely to see a mix of low carbon technologies used for heating, including heat pumps and heat networks. Ground source heat pumps and share ground loops are effective technical solutions which are very much aligned with the ambition of the Future Homes Standard.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
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 merits of raising the Cornish language from Part II to Part III of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has received a request from Cornwall Council to extend the protection of the Cornish language from Part II to Part III of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages. The request is currently being considered and a formal response will be issued in due course.