Written questions by Strathern.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help reduce the average waiting time for a decision from the Housing Ombudsman Service.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 118414 on 10 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the merits of including low cost effective property flood resilience measures in (a) the Future Homes Standard and (b) building regulations.

The Government is committed to building the homes the country needs while ensuring they are safe from flooding. The Building Regulations set minimum standards for all new dwellings. The Future Homes Standard will focus on the energy efficiency and carbon emission standards within the Building Regulations and will not encompass flood resilience measures. Statutory guidance to the Building Regulations in Approved Document C promotes the use of flood resilient and resistant construction in flood prone areas, without placing undue costs onto any properties that do not require further flood resilience measures.

Communities and Local Government, when her Department's proposals for planning restrictions on heat pumps will be implemented.

Nationally set permitted development rights enable the installation of air and ground source heat pumps without the need to submit a planning application. The previous government consulted on proposed changes to these rights, and on 21 November we announced our intention to amend the existing permitted development right for air source heat pumps in early 2025, to allow more flexibility in installation and size of heat pumps. Further information can be found here.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing the local connection test for care leavers seeking to access temporary accommodation.

Homelessness legislation includes eligibility criteria such as the local connection test, to ensure that resources are prioritised effectively, ensuring accommodation is there for people who need it most.There are already existing provisions in homelessness legislation in respect of local connection for care leavers. Under the legislation, a young person owed leaving care duties under section 23C of the Children Act 1989 will have a local connection to the area of the children services authority that owes them the duties. If the children services authority is a county council and not a housing authority, the young person will have a local connection with every housing authority district falling within the area of the children services authority.Where a care leaver is aged under 21 and normally lives in a different area to that of a local authority that owes them leaving care duties, and has done for at least two years including some time before they turned 16, the young person will also have a local connection in that area. This means a care leaver who is looked after by one area but is placed in another will have a local connection to both areas and if homeless may choose to either remain where they have been living or return to their home area.We have already committed to improving access to social housing for care leavers under 25 and exempt them from local connection and residency tests for social housing. We will work with the sector and engage with relevant stakeholders to bring forward these changes in due course.