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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to promote (a) traditional craftsmanship and (b) traditional British architectural styles in the building of new social housing developments.

National planning policy makes clear that local planning authorities should prepare their own local design guides and design codes in line with the principles set out in national design guidance.

The guidance encourages integration of a mix of tenures and helps local areas to identify what good design means for them and the process for preparing a design code to introduce local design standards for new development.

It highlights the importance of understanding and responding to existing context and the identity or character of a place, including local vernacular architecture and architectural features.

We are in the process of updating national design guidance and will set out further details in due course.