Committee publication · Correspondence · 7 January 2026
Letter from the Secretary of State to the Chair dated 18 December 2025 following up his evidence before the Committee on 11 November
From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Inquiry: The Work of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Summary
Secretary of State Steve Reed responds to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee's follow-up questions from his November 2025 evidence session. The letter covers housing strategy timelines, Building Safety Regulator performance, new towns selection methodology, leasehold reform action, electoral commission governance, private rental sector data, devolution programme progress, and Grenfell inquiry oversight. Key updates include publication of the National Plan to End Homelessness (11 December 2025) and commitment to publish the long-term housing strategy in Q1 2026.
Key findings
- National Plan to End Homelessness published 11 December 2025; long-term housing strategy to be published Q1 2026 alongside commitment to deliver 1.5 million homes this Parliament.
- Building Safety Regulator committed to improving operations by December 2025 with faster processing; acknowledges 12-week deadline may not be appropriate for complex buildings with novel design elements.
- Tempsford, Crews Hill, and Leeds South Bank selected as new towns based on economic growth potential, housing delivery speed, and placemaking quality; mayoral elections scheduled for 2027 and 2028 across six Mayoral Strategic Authorities.
- Government determined to end 'fleecehold' through consultations on private estate management arrangements and consumer protection provisions; Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill timing to be provided by Housing Minister separately.
- Private rental sector remains at 19% of housing market (4.7 million households); Rightmove reports 9% increase in available rental homes Q3 2025 vs prior year; government committing £200m annually across six devolution areas for 30 years.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Steve Reed, Florence Eshalomi MP, Matthew Pennycook MP, Building Safety Regulator, FirstPort, Electoral Commission, Grenfell United
Notable line
“We published our National Plan to End Homelessness on 11 December”
Key Quotes
“We published our National Plan to End Homelessness on 11 December”
“Our current intention is to publish the strategy in the first quarter of 2026, and we look forward to the Committee's engagement on the strategy once it is published.”
“The BSR is already making operational and policy changes in light of this commitment, which are speeding up decision making.”
“The Government is determined to end the injustice of 'fleecehold' entirely.”
“Once Mayors are in post, the six Mayoral Strategic Authorities on the Devolution Priority Programme will receive close to £200m collectively per year for the next 30 years through their Investment Funds.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗