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 increase council housebuilding.

This Government remains committed to supporting local authorities to continue to deliver their new and existing supply plans for council housing. In March of this year, we announced a preferential borrowing rate for council housebuilding from the Public Works Loan Board. We have also recently introduced greater flexibilities on how councils can spend their Right to Buy receipts to make local housing decisions. Local authorities also continue to benefit from the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme. Further changes will be introduced via the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, currently before Parliament.