Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her policy is on enabling owners of older homes in conservation areas to improve the energy efficiency of their properties; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that heritage protection requirements are balanced with the need to reduce household energy consumption, improve energy performance and lower heating costs.

I refer the hon. Member to policy HE6(4) of the new National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August.