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 put in place provisions to ensure that when a developer uses a viability assessment to argue down the affordable housing element of a housing scheme on the grounds that the scheme would not meet its fixed profit level but the scheme subsequently makes a larger profit than predicted the developer will make a contribution towards affordable housing in the community.

In March, the Government published a draft revised National Planning Policy Framework for consultation, supported by guidance. This sets out a new approach to viability, including the use of review mechanisms on large or multi-phase sites, to enable local authorities to test whether the level of contributions initially agreed remains appropriate. The consultation seeks further views on how review mechanisms should be taken forward, and will close on 10 May.