Written questions by Stephenson.

Communities and Local Government, if he will set out the timeline for establishing a Mayoral Strategic Authority in Bedfordshire.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97367 on 11 December 2025. Decisions on future devolution areas beyond those in the Devolution Priority Programme, including Bedfordshire, have not yet been taken, but the Department will continue to engage with local authorities about possible future devolution agreements. All future funding decisions, including the 30-year investment fund, will form part of conversations with local areas. The government is committed to ensuring that all new Strategic Authorities are built on strong foundations and set up to succeed.

Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made against his house building targets.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 19066 on 20 December 2024.

Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the Social and Affordable Housing Programme will be spent in new towns.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will produce guidance on reducing long term flood risk in new towns.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether stewardship models involving ongoing service charges for residents will be considered for new towns.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether development corporations for new towns will be able to purchase primary residences.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether social housing delivered through new towns will be owned by local authorities.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the chapter Planning for local Housing Need in his Department’s response to the New Towns Taskforce entitled Initial government response - September 2025, whether local housing targets for areas containing a new town may be reduced.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has considered the potential implications for his policies of paragraph 31 of page 8 of the New Towns Taskforce report to Government.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether the New Towns Taskforce consulted flooding experts.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, if his Department will ask the Local Government Boundary Commission for England to vary local authorities' boundaries where they would be spanned by a new town.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled More homes and improved high streets for new mayoral areas through 30-year funding package, published on 4 December 2025, whether additional funding will be available for new mayoral areas outside the Devolution Priority Programme.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97367 on 11 December 2025. Decisions on future devolution areas beyond those in the Devolution Priority Programme, including Bedfordshire, have not yet been taken, but the Department will continue to engage with local authorities about possible future devolution agreements. All future funding decisions, including the 30-year investment fund, will form part of conversations with local areas. The government is committed to ensuring that all new Strategic Authorities are built on strong foundations and set up to succeed.

Communities and Local Government, if he will discuss with the Chair of the New Towns Taskforce the potential merits of the publishing the sites that it considered but did not recommend for new towns.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 64580 on New Towns Taskforce, whether he has had discussions with the Chair of the independent New Towns Taskforce on the reasons for the publication of the Taskforce's report after the expected date of summer 2025.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has allocated funding for Mayoral strategic authorities which a) do not currently exist and b) are not in the priority programme across the Spending Review period.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97367 on 11 December 2025. Decisions on future devolution areas beyond those in the Devolution Priority Programme, including Bedfordshire, have not yet been taken, but the Department will continue to engage with local authorities about possible future devolution agreements. All future funding decisions, including the 30-year investment fund, will form part of conversations with local areas. The government is committed to ensuring that all new Strategic Authorities are built on strong foundations and set up to succeed.

Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the proportion of the Tempsford New Town that will be in Central Bedfordshire Council.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, how many school places per head he is targeting for new towns.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of local authorities whose five year land supply is based on housing targets published in December 2024.

For the purpose of calculating their five-year housing land supply, local planning authorities with up-to-date local development plans are assessed against their adopted plan requirement. LPAs without up-to-date development plans are assessed against Local Housing Need, calculated using the revised standard method published in December 2024. While the Planning Inspectorate may be aware of an authority’s five-year housing land supply position at the time of a specific appeal, this may change over time due to annual updates or as a result of subsequent planning appeal decisions. As such, my Department does not collect live data on the five-year housing land supply position of individual local planning authorities.

Communities and Local Government, how many GPs per head he is targeting for new towns.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has conducted a lessons learned review of new settlements commenced since 2000 in the context of his plans for New Towns.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.