Written questions by Stephenson.

Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the New Towns Taskforce recommendations before 23 July 2025.

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

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the amount of capital funding that public sector bodies will spend on (a) building and (b) purchasing houses between July 2024 and July 2029.

Local authority capital expenditure and financing estimates for the current financial year can be found on gov.uk here.At the Spending Review, we announced £39 billion for a successor to the Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).The government is also providing £950 million capital for the fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund - the largest round of the fund to date – to deliver up to 5,000 homes.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring landlords to update Efficiency Performance Certificates regularly.

The government is reforming Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) to ensure that people, including tenants, have access to even more reliable and accurate information about the properties they are renting. Having a regularly updated EPC provides tenants with up to date information including relative energy bills and thermal comfort of their homes compared to other rental properties. More information, including the consultation stage impact assessment, can be found in the consultation ‘Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime’ on gov.uk.

Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities will be required to provide funding towards infrastructure for 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 this summer.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help support local authorities to increase house building.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 58440 on 17 June 2025.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of paragraph 55(a)(i) of the report by the Competition and Markets Authority entitled Summary of CMA market study final report into housebuilding, published on 26 February 2024.

The government published its response to the recommendations made by the Competition & Markets Authority market study into housebuilding on 22 October 2024. It can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 55(a)(ii) of the report by the Competition and Markets Authority entitled Summary of CMA market study final report into housebuilding, published on 26 February 2024, what steps her Department plans to take to (a) introduce a consistent set of quality standards for new homes and (b) enable new home buyers to (i) be able to customise their new home and (ii) resolve snags and faults more easily.

The government published its response to the recommendations made by the Competition & Markets Authority market study into housebuilding on 22 October 2024. It can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of paragraph 43 of the report by the Competition and Markets Authority entitled Summary of CMA market study final report into housebuilding, published on 26 February 2024.

The government published its response to the recommendations made by the Competition & Markets Authority market study into housebuilding on 22 October 2024. It can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential alignment of ICBs and mayoral authority boundaries.

The English Devolution White Paper sets out a clear ambition to align relevant public service and strategic authority boundaries over time, including in relation to health. The 10 Year Health Plan for England published on 3 July reiterates this commitment, with a clear intention to align ICB boundaries with strategic authorities, wherever feasibly possible. The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care have affirmed their shared commitment to this goal.

Communities and Local Government, how many responses have been received for each of her Department's consultations since 4 July 2024.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 5412 on 11 October 2024 and the answer to Question UIN 16492 on 4 December 2024.

Communities and Local Government, if she has made an assessment of the potential impact of Part O of Schedule 1 of the Building Regulations on her plans to develop beautiful communities.

The intention of Part O is to reduce the risk of overheating in new residential buildings. Overheating in buildings has been highlighted as a key risk for the health and productivity of people and businesses in the UK, and we must ensure that new homes do not increase that risk.The Building Regulations are outcome based and not prescriptive, and two different Part O compliance routes have been put in place to enable design flexibility and allow for innovative, beautiful and compliant designs.As part of the Future Homes and Buildings Standard consultation, which closed in March 2024, we sought evidence on whether current overheating standards are appropriate or require amendment. The Government will set out the evidence it received on Part O during this consultation and its response to this in Autumn 2025, when the Future Homes and Buildings Standard consultation response will be published.

Communities and Local Government, what plans her Department has to provide additional funding for infrastructure for local authorities for which new towns are planned.

The government established an independent New Towns Taskforce last year to develop recommendations on suitable locations for new towns to create new thriving communities, and act as a catalyst for economic growth. The Taskforce will deliver a final shortlist of recommendations to ministers this summer, including how to deliver and fund new towns. We are learning lessons from the past to ensure that our next generation of new towns are 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.

Communities and Local Government, what proportion of houses in new towns will be sold at market prices.

The government established an independent New Towns Taskforce last year to develop recommendations on suitable locations for new towns to create new thriving communities, and act as a catalyst for economic growth. The Taskforce will deliver a final shortlist of recommendations to ministers this summer, including how to deliver and fund new towns. We are learning lessons from the past to ensure that our next generation of new towns are 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.

Communities and Local Government, what plans her Department has to consider the lessons learned from the development of previous new towns in its planning for new towns.

The government established an independent New Towns Taskforce last year to develop recommendations on suitable locations for new towns to create new thriving communities, and act as a catalyst for economic growth. The Taskforce will deliver a final shortlist of recommendations to ministers this summer, including how to deliver and fund new towns. We are learning lessons from the past to ensure that our next generation of new towns are 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.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her Department's plans for English Devolution on levels of housebuilding.

As set out in the English Devolution White Paper, Strategic Authorities will play a central role in the government's long term strategy for delivering housebuilding across England. All Strategic Authorities will be empowered to develop Spatial Development Strategies. These strategies, which identify strategic growth locations and the infrastructure needed to facilitate housing growth, will align housing with infrastructure, prioritise social and affordable housing. We will also grant Mayors powers to intervene in strategic planning applications to support large-scale housing developments, and to raise a Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy to fund the infrastructure required to unlock housing. Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities will receive funding for local priorities through the integrated settlement, and be held to account for local delivery through an outcomes framework.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport supporting the delivery of transport infrastructure through the planning system.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. My Department continues to work closely with the Department for Transport on matters relating to transport infrastructure and planning, as appropriate.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that New Towns deliver beautiful (a) housing and (b) public realm.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 36088 on 14 March 2025.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 6 of the New Towns Taskforce’s interim update Building new towns for the future, published in February 2025, what steps the New Towns Taskforce s taking to assess local support for new towns prior to making their recommendation on potential locations.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 36088 on 14 March 2025.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 3 of the New Towns Taskforce’s interim update Building new towns for the future, published in February 2025, whether sites will be considered which were not submitted as part of the Call for Evidence.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 36088 on 14 March 2025.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment on the potential implications for her policies on New Towns of the decision to end Chartered Town Planning Level 7 apprenticeship funding.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 36088 on 14 March 2025.