Written questions by Stephenson.

Communities and Local Government, if he will require New Towns Development Corporations to produce a design code for new towns.

The government has been clear that the next generation of new towns must be well-connected, well-designed, sustainable, and attractive places where people want to live and have all the infrastructure, amenities, and services necessary to sustain thriving communities. Building on lessons learned from past initiatives, the New Towns Taskforce developed draft placemaking principles. These were set out in the Taskforce’s interim update on the new towns programme which can be found on gov.uk here. They highlighted the importance of long-term vision and stewardship, as well as the central role of local communities in shaping the place they live in. Importantly, the principles also include a 40% affordable housing target, with an emphasis on homes for social rent. The Taskforce has now submitted its final report to the government. This includes its final recommendations on design and placemaking. The government will now take a short period to consider carefully the Taskforce's recommendations and we will then publish both the report and a formal response.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Rooftop solar for new builds to save people money, published on 6 June 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of these measures on the time it will take to build a new home.

As part of the consultation on the Future Homes Standard, the proposed net zero-ready standard for new build homes, we published a consultation-stage impact assessment estimating the costs and wider impacts of the proposals, including rooftop solar. In developing this assessment, we worked with specialist energy and construction cost consultants to gather evidence on typical capital costs of installing solar panels on different house types, and how these costs are expected to change over the course of the policy. Consultees were invited to offer their views on this assessment. On build time, any impact on new homes will vary by site circumstances and design. Through the consultation process, we sought views on implementation, including the length of the transitional period for industry to adopt the new standards. This transitional period will provide time for industry to adapt and prepare, minimising any disruption to housebuilding. We are carefully considering the response to the consultation. We intend to publish the Future Homes Standard this Autumn, and will publish an updated impact assessment alongside it.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Rooftop solar for new builds to save people money, published on 6 June 2025, if she has made an estimate of the potential impact of the change in costs on the construction costs for a new build house.

As part of the consultation on the Future Homes Standard, the proposed net zero-ready standard for new build homes, we published a consultation-stage impact assessment estimating the costs and wider impacts of the proposals, including rooftop solar. In developing this assessment, we worked with specialist energy and construction cost consultants to gather evidence on typical capital costs of installing solar panels on different house types, and how these costs are expected to change over the course of the policy. Consultees were invited to offer their views on this assessment. On build time, any impact on new homes will vary by site circumstances and design. Through the consultation process, we sought views on implementation, including the length of the transitional period for industry to adopt the new standards. This transitional period will provide time for industry to adapt and prepare, minimising any disruption to housebuilding. We are carefully considering the response to the consultation. We intend to publish the Future Homes Standard this Autumn, and will publish an updated impact assessment alongside it.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislation on the treatment of flooding in the planning system before the end of the current Session.

The government has no plans to bring forward primary legislation concerning the treatment of flooding in the planning system, given the strong safeguards which already exist in national planning policy.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled Chancellor announces record investment to rebuild National Health Service, published on 11 June 2025, when he plans to confirm the 350 deprived communities in receipt of funding.

At Spending Review 2025, the Chancellor announced that up to 350 of the most deprived places will receive support from government. Full profiles and detailed guidance will be published in due course.The programme will adopt a flexible approach offering areas a broad range of options to address the unique challenges in their local area. Youth clubs, libraries, parks, cultural venues, and health and wellbeing services will all be in scope of the programme.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 19 of the report entitled New Towns for England, published by WPI Strategy in May 2025, which funding model the Government is considering.

The government has tasked the New Towns Taskforce, an independent expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, with developing recommendations to ministers on suitable locations for new towns, as well as how to fund and deliver them. The Taskforce will submit its final report in the near future and the government will subsequently publish both the report and its response. Any hypothetical cost projections associated with the New Towns programme are, at this stage, pure speculation.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 2 of the the report entitled New Towns for England, published by WPI Strategy in May 2025, whether her Department has made an assessment of the accuracy of the statement that new towns will cost around £4bn each to build.

The government has tasked the New Towns Taskforce, an independent expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, with developing recommendations to ministers on suitable locations for new towns, as well as how to fund and deliver them. The Taskforce will submit its final report in the near future and the government will subsequently publish both the report and its response. Any hypothetical cost projections associated with the New Towns programme are, at this stage, pure speculation.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 3 of the report entitled New Towns for England, published by WPI Strategy in May 2025, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of modular construction.

The government has tasked the New Towns Taskforce, an independent expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, with developing recommendations to ministers on suitable locations for new towns, as well as how to fund and deliver them. The Taskforce will submit its final report in the near future and the government will subsequently publish both the report and its response. Any hypothetical cost projections associated with the New Towns programme are, at this stage, pure speculation.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement on Local Government Reorganisation of 3 June 2025, HCWS676, for what reason Bedfordshire has not received funding to support development of proposals for a Mayoral Combined Authority.

Local government reorganisation and the establishment of mayoral combined authorities through devolution are separate processes. While funding was made available for the 21 two-tier areas developing proposals for new unitary authorities as part of local government reorganisation, funding for devolution is not available until strategic authorities are being established.Bedfordshire will not receive funding to deliver local government reorganisation as it is already an area with unitary authorities. Bedfordshire is also currently not part of a mayoral strategic authority. Next steps for future waves of devolution will be confirmed in due course, subject to further ministerial decisions and local conversations.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of reforms to Level 7 apprenticeships on the Pathways to Planning programme.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 67508 on 21 July 2025 and Question UIN 54911 on 10 June 2025.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the national distribution of the length of time between the date on which developers and local authorities agree funding under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the date on which developers transfer funds under that agreement.

Planning practice guidance on planning obligations, which can be found on gov.uk here, states that the terms of commuted contributions should form part of the discussions between a developer and a local planning authority and be reflected in any planning obligations agreement. Agreements should include clauses stating when the local planning authority should be notified of the completion of units within the development and when the funds should be paid. Authorities can also charge a monitoring fee through section 106 planning obligations, to cover the cost of monitoring and reporting on delivery of that section 106 obligation. Any local planning authority that receives a contribution from development through section 106 planning obligations must prepare and publish an Infrastructure Funding Statement at least annually. Reporting on developer contributions helps local communities and developers see how contributions have been spent and understand what future funds will be spent on, ensuring a transparent and accountable system. Detailed guidance and an infrastructure funding statement template can be found on the planning advisory service website. However, the chief planner has written to local planning authorities to remind them of their statutory duty to prepare and publish an infrastructure funding statement where they receive developer contributions via section 106 or community infrastructure levy. The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions, including section 106 planning obligations, to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. We will provide further details in due course.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the potential cost to (a) the public purse and (b) private developers of constructing 12 new towns.

The government has tasked the New Towns Taskforce, an independent expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, with developing recommendations to ministers on suitable locations for new towns, as well as how to fund and deliver them. The Taskforce will submit its final report in the near future and the government will subsequently publish both the report and its response. Any hypothetical cost projections associated with the New Towns programme are, at this stage, pure speculation.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of funding for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

On 3 February, the Ministry published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue to support their operational and capital needs.These allocations, which include the National Insurance Contribution Grant, will see standalone fire and rescue authorities receiving an increase in core spending power of £69.1 million in 2025/26. This is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25.For 2025/26, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Authority will have a core spending power of £40.7 million, an increase of £1.6 million (4.0%) compared to 2024/25.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the number of qualified planners in local government.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 67508 on 21 July 2025 and Question UIN 54911 on 10 June 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26699 on Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to allow Ministers to change the boundaries of existing strategic authorities.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, introduced to the House of Commons on 10 July 2025, amends provisions in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 concerning the establishment and expansion of combined authorities (CAs) and combined county authorities (CCAs), respectively. These provisions allow for existing CAs or CCAs to be changed through ‘locally-led’, ‘Secretary of State-led’ and ‘Secretary of State-directed’ routes. The locally-led and Secretary of State-led routes will require local consent. However, where no relevant, viable proposals have been submitted, the Secretary of State may decide to direct the addition of a local government area to an existing CA or CCA. The Government believes that devolution should be locally-led wherever possible and will work with local leaders to agree proposals that have broad support.

Communities and Local Government, whether her proposals for English devolution could require the further re-organisation of (a) NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board and (b) other integrated care boards.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), alongside NHS England, continue to work closely on any proposals to reorganise integrated care boards (ICBs). In areas where Strategic Authorities are known, DHSC, alongside the MHCLG and NHS England, will proceed with integrated care board (ICB) reorganisation to ensure coterminous boundaries wherever feasibly possible.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of delivery timescales for New Towns Development Corporations on the ability of those corporations to build beautiful houses.

Development corporations are well placed to achieve significant volumes of housebuilding at the same time as delivering high-quality and well-designed homes and neighbourhoods.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of building regulations on the speed of development of new towns.

The Building Regulations 2010 are intended to protect people’s safety, health and welfare. They establish minimum legal performance standards for the design and construction of new building work. The government assesses the impact of any proposed changes to building regulations, including the potential impact on development where appropriate and proportionate.The New Towns Taskforce will submit its final report with detailed recommendations on new towns this summer, including on potential locations. We will start building as quickly as possible, with work beginning in some sites by the end of the Parliament.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department’s proposed New Towns will be able to demolish areas of existing housing.

The New Towns Taskforce will submit its final report this summer.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 56032 on Housing: Costs, what steps she plans to take to incentivise developers to build at a level that reduces house prices.

The government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million new homes in England in this Parliament. We have already taken decisive action to increase housing supply, including overhauling the planning system and kickstarting a decade of social and affordable housing renewal. In July 2024, the Home Builders Federation and supporting members issued a joint statement making clear that the housebuilding industry was committed to increase delivery of new homes year on year in this parliament. The statement can be found on the Home Builders Federation website here.