Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether Gypsy and Traveller sites will be included in the next round of Social and Affordable Homes Programme funding.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Traveller sites fall within the scope of the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme, and we welcome bids to deliver new sites.
It is our intention to publish a full prospectus for the Programme in autumn 2025 and open it for bids in the winter.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether any Town Fund projects under the Town Deals programme have applied for an extension.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The 2024 October Budget announcement set out a 12-month extension to the original Town Deals deadline. All Town Deal monies must now be spent by March 2027. For a minority of projects delivery will continue after this point, for example where match funding is being used to complete the works. No funding recipients have requested an exemption to spend their grant beyond this date.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
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 deliver devolution to councils that are not part of the Devolution Priority Programme.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We want to see all of England access devolved powers by establishing Strategic Authorities that can make the key decisions to drive economic growth. Our ultimate goal is to have all of England represented by a mayor who can take their seat at the Council of Nations and Regions.
That is why the government is currently delivering the Devolution Priority Programme, intending to see a new wave of Mayoral Strategic Authorities established in May 2026. Beyond that, our intention remains to continue to fill the map, extending devolution to all corners of England as soon as possible. The timings and process for future waves beyond the Devolution Priority Programme will be subject to further decisions, including at the upcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether consumer standards set by the Regulator for Social Housing apply to socially rented residential pitches on local authority (a) owned and (b) managed Gypsy and Traveller sites.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All registered providers of social housing, including local authorities, are required to deliver the outcomes of the consumer standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing (‘the regulator’).
The regulatory standards apply to social housing as defined by the Housing and Regeneration Act (2008). The Act defines low-cost rental accommodation as accommodation rented below market rate and made available to those whose needs may not be adequately served by the commercial market.
Socially rented residential homes on local authority owned or managed Gypsy and Traveller sites will be subject to the regulator’s consumer standards if they meet the definition of social housing under the Act.