Written questions by Coleman.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of protection available to people occupying accommodation under licence agreements.

All renters, regardless of tenure or agreement type, deserve to live in safe and secure homes. Those with a licence to occupy accommodation are protected from eviction and harassment and have a right to report health and safety concerns about their property to the local authority. A landlord may include an amount in the rent to cover the cost of utilities that a licensee uses. A landlord may also record the occupier’s consumption and recharge them for it. Where utilities are resold, maximum resale price rules apply (Ofwat’s for water and Ofgem’s for gas and electricity), unless the charge is included in the rent for the accommodation. In October 2025, Ofgem issued a call for input on Reselling Gas and Electricity to assess whether current arrangements under the Maximum Resale Price provisions remain fit for purpose. It can be found here. Ofgem is considering the responses received and aims to publish a policy consultation on proposed changes in the summer. Local authorities already have robust powers to protect people living in accommodation subject to selective or HMO licensing. This includes using licence conditions to help ensure landlords provide safe and well-maintained properties and have suitable management arrangements in place. We keep licensing regulations under review.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the protections available to people in licensed accommodation in respect of (a) unsafe living conditions, including damp and mould, and (b) disputed utility charges; and whether he plans to improve enforcement mechanisms for such cases.

All renters, regardless of tenure or agreement type, deserve to live in safe and secure homes. Those with a licence to occupy accommodation are protected from eviction and harassment and have a right to report health and safety concerns about their property to the local authority. A landlord may include an amount in the rent to cover the cost of utilities that a licensee uses. A landlord may also record the occupier’s consumption and recharge them for it. Where utilities are resold, maximum resale price rules apply (Ofwat’s for water and Ofgem’s for gas and electricity), unless the charge is included in the rent for the accommodation. In October 2025, Ofgem issued a call for input on Reselling Gas and Electricity to assess whether current arrangements under the Maximum Resale Price provisions remain fit for purpose. It can be found here. Ofgem is considering the responses received and aims to publish a policy consultation on proposed changes in the summer. Local authorities already have robust powers to protect people living in accommodation subject to selective or HMO licensing. This includes using licence conditions to help ensure landlords provide safe and well-maintained properties and have suitable management arrangements in place. We keep licensing regulations under review.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing regulations on the charging and transparency of utility costs for people in accommodation occupied under licence agreements.

All renters, regardless of tenure or agreement type, deserve to live in safe and secure homes. Those with a licence to occupy accommodation are protected from eviction and harassment and have a right to report health and safety concerns about their property to the local authority. A landlord may include an amount in the rent to cover the cost of utilities that a licensee uses. A landlord may also record the occupier’s consumption and recharge them for it. Where utilities are resold, maximum resale price rules apply (Ofwat’s for water and Ofgem’s for gas and electricity), unless the charge is included in the rent for the accommodation. In October 2025, Ofgem issued a call for input on Reselling Gas and Electricity to assess whether current arrangements under the Maximum Resale Price provisions remain fit for purpose. It can be found here. Ofgem is considering the responses received and aims to publish a policy consultation on proposed changes in the summer. Local authorities already have robust powers to protect people living in accommodation subject to selective or HMO licensing. This includes using licence conditions to help ensure landlords provide safe and well-maintained properties and have suitable management arrangements in place. We keep licensing regulations under review.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to review the statutory overcrowding provisions in the Housing Act 1985.

The government has no current plans to review or amend the overcrowding provisions as set out in Part X of the Housing Act 1985.Crowding and space are assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and enforced under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004.The government has committed to bring forward new regulations to bring the conclusions of the HHSRS review into force. The HHSRS is the cornerstone of housing standards, and the forthcoming regulations will make it more efficient and accessible for experts to use, and easier to understand for landlords and tenants.

Communities and Local Government, when the statutory space and room standards in the Housing Act 1985 were last formally reviewed; and whether any review is underway.

The government has no current plans to review or amend the overcrowding provisions as set out in Part X of the Housing Act 1985.Crowding and space are assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and enforced under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004.The government has committed to bring forward new regulations to bring the conclusions of the HHSRS review into force. The HHSRS is the cornerstone of housing standards, and the forthcoming regulations will make it more efficient and accessible for experts to use, and easier to understand for landlords and tenants.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the statutory overcrowding standards set out in the Housing Act 1985.

The government has no current plans to review or amend the overcrowding provisions as set out in Part X of the Housing Act 1985.Crowding and space are assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and enforced under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004.The government has committed to bring forward new regulations to bring the conclusions of the HHSRS review into force. The HHSRS is the cornerstone of housing standards, and the forthcoming regulations will make it more efficient and accessible for experts to use, and easier to understand for landlords and tenants.

Communities and Local Government, for what reason his Department calculates the maximum fair rent for regulated tenancies using the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rather than the Retail Prices Index (RPI).

Regulated tenancies under the Rent Act 1977 are entitled to a ‘fair rent’ which is determined and registered by rent officers. The Rent Act (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 limits increases in registered fair rents to the change in the Retail Price Index plus a fixed percentage uplift.The government has no plans to review or amend the inflationary index or to change the basis for calculating maximum fair rents from the Retail Price Index to the Consumer Prices Index.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to (a) review and (b) amend the maximum fair rent inflationary index set in the Rent Act 1977.

Regulated tenancies under the Rent Act 1977 are entitled to a ‘fair rent’ which is determined and registered by rent officers. The Rent Act (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 limits increases in registered fair rents to the change in the Retail Price Index plus a fixed percentage uplift.The government has no plans to review or amend the inflationary index or to change the basis for calculating maximum fair rents from the Retail Price Index to the Consumer Prices Index.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will consider amending The Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 so that the formula to calculate the maximum fair rent for regulated tenancies uses the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rather than the Retail Prices Index (RPI).

Regulated tenancies under the Rent Act 1977 are entitled to a ‘fair rent’ which is determined and registered by rent officers. The Rent Act (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 limits increases in registered fair rents to the change in the Retail Price Index plus a fixed percentage uplift.The government has no plans to review or amend the inflationary index or to change the basis for calculating maximum fair rents from the Retail Price Index to the Consumer Prices Index.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to take steps to protect tenants who will be served a Section 21 notice prior to the provisions of the Renters' Rights Act coming into effect in May 2026.

The Renters' Rights Act delivers the government's manifesto commitment to overhaul the regulation of the private rented sector, including by abolishing Section 21 'no fault' evictions. We want to see tenants benefit from these reforms as quickly as possible.From 1 May 2026, the new tenancy system provided for by the Act will apply to all private tenancies – existing tenancies will become periodic, and any new tenancies will be governed by the new rules. We will work closely with tenants groups and the landlord and lettings sector to ensure a smooth implementation.The government has no plans to introduce additional protections before 1 May 2026. Tenants at risk of eviction can seek advice from specialist providers such as Shelter and Citizens Advice.£644.17 million in funding through the Homelessness Prevention Grant has been made available to local authorities in 2025/26 to support them to deliver services to prevent and respond to homelessness. This includes an uplift of £203.8 million compared to 2024 to 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help support councils to increase the supply of affordable housing in Chelsea and Fulham constituency.

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that (a) repairs in social housing are carried out (i) promptly and (ii) effectively and (b) sufficient (A) funding and (B) oversight of repairs are in place.

Alongside delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding a generation, the government is committed to driving a transformational and lasting change in the safety and quality of homes. Social housing tenants deserve to live in safe and decent homes, to be treated with fairness and respect, and to have their problems quickly resolved. All registered providers of social housing are required to meet the outcomes of the regulatory standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing. This includes providing an effective, efficient, and timely repairs service for the homes and communal areas they are responsible for, including setting timescales for completion, and communicate this to tenants. The Regulator has a series of powers at its disposal when it identifies serious failings in the way a landlord is delivering the outcomes of their standards. On 2 July 2025, we launched consultations on an updated and modernised Decent Homes Standard and on a new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard. These new standards would be binding on registered providers of social housing. The government will bring Awaab’s Law into force for the social rented sector on 27 October. Awaab’s Law is vital legislation that will empower social tenants to hold their landlords to account using the full force of the law if they fail to investigate and fix hazards within their homes within set timescales. It will also allow tenants to access the Housing Ombudsman if their landlord does not adhere to strict timelines for action. New requirements relating to electrical safety will also require social landlords to carry out electrical safety checks at least every five years, as well as mandatory appliance inspections on all electrical appliances that are provided by the landlord. Registered providers rely on income from social housing rents in order to manage and maintain their homes to the required standards.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking with (a) local councils and (b) housing associations to help tackle homelessness in Chelsea and Fulham constituency.

The Government is committed to getting back on track to ending all forms of homelessness across the country. Our cross-Government homelessness strategy will set out the actions needed across central and local government and the homelessness sector to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. The Government is supporting people at risk of and experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping across the country with more than £1 billion funding, a £316 million increase on last year. This includes £84 million new funding announced on 10 October 2025. Councils are able to use this funding to meet the needs of people in their area, and local authority allocations are published on gov.uk.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help reduce waiting lists for social housing.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July 2025 (HCWS771).

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that all disabled people in social housing have personal emergency evacuation plans.

We are committed to improving systems that enable fire safety and evacuation of disabled and vulnerable residents in all high-rise and higher-risk residential buildings. On 4 July, the government laid The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 in Parliament, which will come into force on 6 April 2026.Under the new regulations, residents with disabilities or impairments will be entitled to personal assessments designed to identify necessary equipment and adjustments that aid their fire safety and evacuation. Fire and Rescue Services will also receive information on vulnerable residents, where the individual resident agrees to the information being shared, in case they need to support their evacuation.The government has committed funding this year to support social housing providers to deliver Residential PEEPs for their renters. Future years’ funding will be confirmed in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that social housing meets (a) decent and (b) safe living standards.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 81035 on 20 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has considered interim solutions to accelerate approvals for high-risk building projects to prevent bottlenecks and site attrition in urban development zones.

The BSR is a key delivery partner in supporting government priorities, including the delivery of 1.5 million homes. We recognise that delays can have a significant impact across the construction sector, and we are committed to ensuring homes are delivered safely and quickly and investment opportunities are maximised. Currently 154 New build Gateway 2 applications currently sit with the BSR, amounting to c. 29,000 homes, including c.15,000 in London. To address these challenges on 30 June MHCLG announced significant changes marking a new phase of operations for the BSR, including addressing operational challenges, strengthening leadership and the intention to move the BSR from the HSE into a new standalone body. On 4 August 2025, the BSR launched a new Fast Track Innovation Unit. This will significantly accelerate the determination of building control approval applications initially for new Higher-Risk Buildings (HRB) including those relevant to new affordable housing. This Unit aims to make a final decision within 65 days of receipt of an application. Of the 17 decisions going through this system as of 29 August 2025, 10 are ahead of internal milestones to meet this target, and the other 7 are on track. Other reforms include improved communication with applicants and plans for an account manager model, granting approvals with requirements, and changes to allow Class 2 RBIs to handle some lower risk work, freeing up Class 3 capacity. To support this BSR will recruit over 100 new staff to strengthen capacity by the end of the year. Combined MHCLG, BSR and Industry deep dives and BSR engagement with Tier 1 developers via the CLC working group are helping identify further improvements. Recently the CLC published new guidance to support successful submissions. These changes will of course take time to take full effect, but the early signs are encouraging. I am clear that my department and the BSR should continue to work closely with the sector to ensure applications can be processed quickly without compromising safety. On your question regarding potential delays as a result of the regulatory transition, the BSR and MHCLG are working closely together to ensure that the transition does not impact day to day delivery.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Building Safety Regulator backlog on (a) UK productivity, (b) inward investment and investor confidence in the UK construction sector and (c) the wider economy.

The BSR is a key delivery partner in supporting government priorities, including the delivery of 1.5 million homes. We recognise that delays can have a significant impact across the construction sector, and we are committed to ensuring homes are delivered safely and quickly and investment opportunities are maximised. Currently 154 New build Gateway 2 applications currently sit with the BSR, amounting to c. 29,000 homes, including c.15,000 in London. To address these challenges on 30 June MHCLG announced significant changes marking a new phase of operations for the BSR, including addressing operational challenges, strengthening leadership and the intention to move the BSR from the HSE into a new standalone body. On 4 August 2025, the BSR launched a new Fast Track Innovation Unit. This will significantly accelerate the determination of building control approval applications initially for new Higher-Risk Buildings (HRB) including those relevant to new affordable housing. This Unit aims to make a final decision within 65 days of receipt of an application. Of the 17 decisions going through this system as of 29 August 2025, 10 are ahead of internal milestones to meet this target, and the other 7 are on track. Other reforms include improved communication with applicants and plans for an account manager model, granting approvals with requirements, and changes to allow Class 2 RBIs to handle some lower risk work, freeing up Class 3 capacity. To support this BSR will recruit over 100 new staff to strengthen capacity by the end of the year. Combined MHCLG, BSR and Industry deep dives and BSR engagement with Tier 1 developers via the CLC working group are helping identify further improvements. Recently the CLC published new guidance to support successful submissions. These changes will of course take time to take full effect, but the early signs are encouraging. I am clear that my department and the BSR should continue to work closely with the sector to ensure applications can be processed quickly without compromising safety. On your question regarding potential delays as a result of the regulatory transition, the BSR and MHCLG are working closely together to ensure that the transition does not impact day to day delivery.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of delays in the Building Safety Regulator’s approvals on the UK’s attractiveness as a destination for foreign direct investment in the built environment sector.

The BSR is a key delivery partner in supporting government priorities, including the delivery of 1.5 million homes. We recognise that delays can have a significant impact across the construction sector, and we are committed to ensuring homes are delivered safely and quickly and investment opportunities are maximised. Currently 154 New build Gateway 2 applications currently sit with the BSR, amounting to c. 29,000 homes, including c.15,000 in London. To address these challenges on 30 June MHCLG announced significant changes marking a new phase of operations for the BSR, including addressing operational challenges, strengthening leadership and the intention to move the BSR from the HSE into a new standalone body. On 4 August 2025, the BSR launched a new Fast Track Innovation Unit. This will significantly accelerate the determination of building control approval applications initially for new Higher-Risk Buildings (HRB) including those relevant to new affordable housing. This Unit aims to make a final decision within 65 days of receipt of an application. Of the 17 decisions going through this system as of 29 August 2025, 10 are ahead of internal milestones to meet this target, and the other 7 are on track. Other reforms include improved communication with applicants and plans for an account manager model, granting approvals with requirements, and changes to allow Class 2 RBIs to handle some lower risk work, freeing up Class 3 capacity. To support this BSR will recruit over 100 new staff to strengthen capacity by the end of the year. Combined MHCLG, BSR and Industry deep dives and BSR engagement with Tier 1 developers via the CLC working group are helping identify further improvements. Recently the CLC published new guidance to support successful submissions. These changes will of course take time to take full effect, but the early signs are encouraging. I am clear that my department and the BSR should continue to work closely with the sector to ensure applications can be processed quickly without compromising safety. On your question regarding potential delays as a result of the regulatory transition, the BSR and MHCLG are working closely together to ensure that the transition does not impact day to day delivery.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) SMEs and (b) regional material suppliers impacted by project suspensions or uncertainty linked to the Building Safety Regulator backlog.

The BSR is a key delivery partner in supporting government priorities, including the delivery of 1.5 million homes. We recognise that delays can have a significant impact across the construction sector, and we are committed to ensuring homes are delivered safely and quickly and investment opportunities are maximised. Currently 154 New build Gateway 2 applications currently sit with the BSR, amounting to c. 29,000 homes, including c.15,000 in London. To address these challenges on 30 June MHCLG announced significant changes marking a new phase of operations for the BSR, including addressing operational challenges, strengthening leadership and the intention to move the BSR from the HSE into a new standalone body. On 4 August 2025, the BSR launched a new Fast Track Innovation Unit. This will significantly accelerate the determination of building control approval applications initially for new Higher-Risk Buildings (HRB) including those relevant to new affordable housing. This Unit aims to make a final decision within 65 days of receipt of an application. Of the 17 decisions going through this system as of 29 August 2025, 10 are ahead of internal milestones to meet this target, and the other 7 are on track. Other reforms include improved communication with applicants and plans for an account manager model, granting approvals with requirements, and changes to allow Class 2 RBIs to handle some lower risk work, freeing up Class 3 capacity. To support this BSR will recruit over 100 new staff to strengthen capacity by the end of the year. Combined MHCLG, BSR and Industry deep dives and BSR engagement with Tier 1 developers via the CLC working group are helping identify further improvements. Recently the CLC published new guidance to support successful submissions. These changes will of course take time to take full effect, but the early signs are encouraging. I am clear that my department and the BSR should continue to work closely with the sector to ensure applications can be processed quickly without compromising safety. On your question regarding potential delays as a result of the regulatory transition, the BSR and MHCLG are working closely together to ensure that the transition does not impact day to day delivery.