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 support first time house buyers in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

At the Autumn Budget 2026, the Chancellor announced £4.7 billion in funding for a new equity loan scheme, Your First Home. The scheme will enable prospective first-time buyers who can't rely on help from the bank of Mum and Dad to purchase a new-build home from a participating housebuilder with a 2.5% deposit, supported by a 20% government-backed equity loan.

The Chancellor also announced a new First Time Buyer ISA, providing a simpler route for first-time buyers to save for a deposit.

From 28 October, the Lifetime ISA withdrawal charge will also be reduced to 20%, meaning first-time buyers purchasing a home above the existing £450,000 property price cap will not be penalised.

First-time buyers can also benefit from existing support through Shared Ownership and the permanent Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, which supports the availability of low-deposit mortgages.