Written questions by Dance.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prevent park homes owners from being charged higher pitch fees than other park home owners on the same site.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to set national standards for minimum numbers of swift bricks in (a) new developments and (b) certain home extensions.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of houses being built on unadopted roads in rural areas in (a) Yeovil constituency (b) Somerset and (c) England.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what his current timeline is for furthering devolution for the Wessex area.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure temporary accommodation in rural areas is (a) safe and (b) accessible for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

The statutory homelessness code of guidance sets out that temporary accommodation placements must be suitable to the needs of a household, including the needs of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. The code of guidance sets out that authorities should ensure that all accommodation is free of health and safety hazards at the most dangerous ‘category 1’ level, assessed using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. You can access Chapter 17 of the code of guidance through gov.uk here. The government is helping councils invest in good-quality temporary accommodation through delivery of the £950 million fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund. To increase the support available to children placed in temporary accommodation, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act will introduce a new duty on local housing authorities to notify health and education bodies when a child is placed in temporary accommodation. This will improve partnership working and unlock appropriate support.

Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to bring forward secondary legislation to implement changes to marriage value under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the average time to complete the digital registration of property deeds by HM Land Registry.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 103008 on 13 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his polices of the time taken to digitalise property deeds by HM Land Registry.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 103008 on 13 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce administration for small local property developers in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.

On 1 April 2026, the government launched the new National Housing Bank which will provide loans and financial support to SME developers. I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111043 on 12 February 2026.

Communities and Local Government, whether he is taking steps to encourage the use of small local property developers in building new homes in Yeovil constituency.

On 1 April 2026, the government launched the new National Housing Bank which will provide loans and financial support to SME developers. I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 111043 on 12 February 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of tacking steps to help tackle land banking in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.

In May 2025, the government published a Planning Reform Working Paper: Speeding Up Build Out inviting views on further action the government should take to speed up homes being built. It can be found on gov.uk here. On the same day, we launched a technical consultation on implementing measures to improve the transparency of build rates from new residential developments, which includes proposals to implement provisions in Section 113 of the LURA on the power to decline to determine applications. That consultation can be found on gov.uk here. We are now analysing the responses to both consultations, and we will set out our next steps in due course. Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals designed to ensure major development proposals are capable of being implemented within a reasonable period – taking into account tenure mix, local market conditions and development history of the site. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce barriers for people seeking to self-build their own properties in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December 2024 includes measures designed to strengthen support for self and custom build housing by promoting mixed tenure development, including plots for self and custom build, and strengthening the wording around small site allocation for SME housebuilders. Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to supporting a diverse mix of homes and supporting small and medium sites. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the financial pressure placed on local authorities by the rising cost of temporary accommodation provision.

The government is providing £3.6 billion funding for homelessness services from 2026/27 to 2028/29, including more than £2.2 billion for local authorities to prevent and address homelessness and rough sleeping through the Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant, as well as £969 million for temporary accommodation within the Revenue Support Grant. You can find local authority level allocations on gov.uk here. We published our national strategy, A National Plan to End Homelessness, in December 2025. You can find our plan to tackle homelessness on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to increase the supply of one-bedroom social housing for young people in (a) Yeovil constituency (b) Somerset and (c) England.

My Department has held no recent discussions with local planning authorities regarding specific barriers to delivering one-bedroom social rented homes for young people. I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 101227 on 7 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the Government’s target to build 1.5 million new homes, will be one-bedroom social homes, suitable for young people.

My Department has held no recent discussions with local planning authorities regarding specific barriers to delivering one-bedroom social rented homes for young people. I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 101227 on 7 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities in England on barriers to delivering one-bedroom social homes for young people.

My Department has held no recent discussions with local planning authorities regarding specific barriers to delivering one-bedroom social rented homes for young people. I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 101227 on 7 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what additional support she will provide rural local authorities, including Somerset Council, to help families in Yeovil constituency out of temporary accommodation.

The government is providing £3.6 billion funding for homelessness services from 2026/27 to 2028/29, including more than £2.2 billion for local authorities to prevent and address homelessness and rough sleeping through the Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant, as well as £969 million for temporary accommodation within the Revenue Support Grant. You can find local authority level allocations on gov.uk here. We published our national strategy, A National Plan to End Homelessness, in December 2025. You can find our plan to tackle homelessness on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what additional support he will provide to rural local authorities, including Somerset Council, to manage the cost of temporary accommodation provision.

The government is providing £3.6 billion funding for homelessness services from 2026/27 to 2028/29, including more than £2.2 billion for local authorities to prevent and address homelessness and rough sleeping through the Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant, as well as £969 million for temporary accommodation within the Revenue Support Grant. You can find local authority level allocations on gov.uk here. We published our national strategy, A National Plan to End Homelessness, in December 2025. You can find our plan to tackle homelessness on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2026 to Question 119636 on Shops: Rural Areas, what his planned timeline is for the publication of a new High Streets Strategy.

We will publish the High Streets Strategy later this year. The Strategy will be backed by £301 million investment in High Street Innovation Partnerships to help reimagine and revive some of the country’s most struggling high streets. We will set out further information in due course

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help tackle furniture poverty in rural communities across (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84054 on 3 November 2025.