Written questions by Dewhirst.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has issued recent guidance to public bodies on deemed planning consent in England for the Palestinian flag.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 110386 on 24 February 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure home buyers and sellers are protected through the expansion of digital conveyancing, particularly in terms of data verification, property information and the security of settlement funds.

On 6 October, my Department published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here. As part of those consultations, we made clear our interest in ensuring digital data from trustworthy sources could be shared securely between professionals using data standards and trust frameworks. The consultations closed on 29 December 2025. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response shortly including any plans for trials or testing with the sector.

Communities and Local Government, what progress HM Land Registry has made in digitising the land register.

The Title (Land) Register consists of information held in a variety of formats, including paper documents, scanned images, and digital images. HM Land Registry (HMLR) is committed to digitising its data, while ensuring that data security, integrity and privacy remain paramount. Work is underway in three key areas to transform HMLR's register information into a fully digitised format: Digitising paper documents integral to the Register, such as Leases and Conveyances, making them accessible and easier to manage.Converting existing computerised data into a machine-interpretable format, facilitating seamless integration with modern digital systems.Converting spatial data into an open and shareable format, making spatial information more accessible and useful for HMLR's stakeholders. HMLR's longer term plans will integrate all its digitised information into a geospatial and fully digital Land Register that allows vital property information to be shared as spatial data. HMLR's Strategy 2025+, which is available on gov.uk here, sets out further details around its plans to support the property market and beyond with its data.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential savings to the public purse of reducing the annual expenditure by HM Land Registry on requisitions arising from manual or inconsistent submissions; and what the planned role is of property sector digitalisation in helping to achieve those savings.

For the year ending 31 March 2025, HM Land Registry (HMLR) estimated it had nearly 450,000 avoidable requisitions costing the conveyancing industry and HMLR up to £19m annually. HMLR is supporting the conveyancing industry to improve the quality of its applications through a number of measures: Using technology to validate data supplied in applications pre-submission;Providing avoidable requisition data to conveyancers to understand the error and correct these errors prior to submission to HMLR; andExtensive training and engagement activities with the property sector.HMLR has been sharing avoidable requisition data with conveyancers for the last six months and since December 2025 HM Land Registry has published avoidable requisition data on gov.uk here. This has resulted in over 29% of law firms reducing their avoidable requisition rate and 20% now have an avoidable requisition rate under 1%.

Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to test digital transaction flows in the home-buying process from upfront information to settlement and title registration.

On 6 October, my Department published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here. As part of those consultations, we made clear our interest in ensuring digital data from trustworthy sources could be shared securely between professionals using data standards and trust frameworks. The consultations closed on 29 December 2025. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response shortly including any plans for trials or testing with the sector.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to establish accreditation for digital platforms in the property market that are capable of providing verified property data, secure settlement and automated registration of home sales and purchases.

On 6 October, my Department published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here. As part of those consultations, we made clear our interest in ensuring digital data from trustworthy sources could be shared securely between professionals using data standards and trust frameworks. The consultations closed on 29 December 2025. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response shortly including any plans for trials or testing with the sector.

Communities and Local Government, what the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in his Department.

We will publish data on MHCLG’s Direct Ministerial Appointments in line with recent guidance.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the safety of the Jewish community in the UK.

Antisemitism has no place in our society, and tackling it is a top priority for this government. We are particularly concerned about the steep increase in antisemitism we have seen since the abhorrent 7 October attacks. The government is committed to protecting the safety of the Jewish community in the UK and making our streets and communities safer. That is why funding of £72 million has been allocated for the Community Security Trust to continue their vital work from 2024/25 until 2027/28, providing security to schools, synagogues and other Jewish community buildings. The government works closely with the Independent Adviser on Antisemitism to provide independent advice to the Secretary of State on the most effective methods to tackle antisemitism and to ensure that the Jewish community’s concerns about antisemitism are heard and acted upon. We also work with the police to regularly review potential threats and ensure that everything is done to protect communities from hate crime.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of capping local authority landlord licensing fees in (a) rural and (b) low-income areas.

Local authorities are responsible for setting fees for their licensing schemes, taking account of a number of factors. These include the initial set-up costs of the scheme, the cost of assessing applications and issuing licences, and, where necessary, the cost of inspecting properties . Licence fees will vary between areas to account for differences in costs, however local authorities are not expected to profit from licensing. The government expects local authorities to make details of these fees, along with the rationale behind their determination, transparent and readily accessible.

Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate she has made of the number of small-scale landlords exiting the private rented sector due to incoming regulation and tax changes; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact on (a) housing availability and (b) rent prices.

In the most recent release of the English Private Landlord Survey in 2024, 45% of landlords had only one property. This is similar to findings in 2021 (43%) and 2018 (45%).Whilst landlords have been aware of successive governments’ plans to reform the private rented sector since 2019, the size of the sector as a whole has remained broadly stable since 2013-14.The government is clear that it values the contribution of professional landlords who understand their responsibilities and comply with regulation, regardless of the size of their portfolios. The Renters’ Rights Bill will make sure good landlords have the confidence and support they need to continue to invest and operate in the sector.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the speech entitled PM remarks on the fundamental reform of the British state, published on 13 March 2025, on what evidential basis the Prime Minister said that jumping spiders stopped the development of an entire new town.

The Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at the Swanscombe Peninsula was designated in 2021 due to the presence of a number of rare plant, bird and invertebrate species, including the rare Distinguished Jumping Spider. The SSSI includes a significant area of land that had been purchased by the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation to bring forward an important part of the new Garden City at Ebbsfleet.As a consequence of the designation and the need to comply with National Planning Policy on SSSI’s the Development Corporation took the decision to re-masterplan the area leading to the loss of approximately 1,300 new homes and some 30,000sqm of commercial development.The Ebbsfleet Development Corporation continues to progress its plans for c15,000 new homes and facilities across its wider development area.

Communities and Local Government, for what reason her Department publishes all Government Procurement Card transactions.

MHCLG’s spend publication thresholds were set by an historic Ministerial decision. We have been reviewing this and all future spend data will be published in line with Cabinet Office requirements.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2024 to Question 7018 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Official Cars, how many of those allocated two vehicles are electric cars.

For security reasons specific details of allocations including make and model of vehicles are not issued.The arrangements relating to the usage of vehicles in the Government Car Service are set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answers of 16 October 2024 to Questions 7018 and 7019 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Official Cars, which senior officials have access to a government car; and whether those officials had that access before the general election.

For security reasons specific details of allocations including make and model of vehicles are not issued.The arrangements relating to the usage of vehicles in the Government Car Service are set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

Communities and Local Government, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) his officials have held with external stakeholders since 5 July 2024.

Details of ministers’ and senior officials’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.Data for the period of July to September 2024 will be published in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what her Department's policy is on the allocation of Government Car Service cars to senior officials; what the policy was on 24 May 2024; and which senior officials have been granted access to the service since 4 July 2024.

The Government Car Service (GCS) offers vehicles to government departments as a shared resource. Each department independently determines the allocation of these vehicles.The arrangements relating to the using of vehicles in the Government Car Service is set out in the Civil Service Management Code.There has been no change in this policy since the general election.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answers of 6 September 2024 to Questions 2306 and 2308 on Ministers: Official Cars, which (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have (i) been allocated a dedicated vehicle and (ii) access to use of a shared vehicle from the Government Car Service; what the (A) make, (B) model and (C) fuel type is for each car; and what the budget was for those cars in the 2024-25 financial year.

The Government Car Service (GCS) offers vehicles to government departments as a shared resource. Each department independently determines the allocation of these vehicles to its ministerial cadre/officials, as under previous administrations.The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is currently allocated two vehicles including allocated and shared vehicles.For security reasons specific details of allocations including make and model of vehicles are not issued.The average cost to a Department for a single DPC (Department Pool Car) in 2024/25 financial year is £108K per annum.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2024 to Question 2635 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public Expenditure, what her policy is on (a) engagement with the organisations cited in the Written Ministerial Statement of 14 March 2024 on New Extremism Definition and Community Engagement Principles, HCWS342, and (b) and support for the (i) counter-extremism centre of excellence and (ii) Commission for Countering Extremism.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 5739 on 11 October 2024. This government takes the threat of extremism very seriously and we will continue to work with partners to tackle extremism in all of its forms. Following the conclusion of the rapid review ordered by the Home Secretary, we will be setting out our strategic approach to countering extremism, which will ensure that we have the strongest possible response.

Communities and Local Government, Pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2024, to Question 2635, on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public Expenditure, what changes she plans to make to the Cambridge Growth programme; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes in funding of that programme on (a) housebuilding and (b) development in Cambridgeshire.

I made clear the Government’s intention to realise the full potential of Greater Cambridge in a letter to local leaders published on 23 August and I visited the city to discuss matters with them, as well as meet other stakeholders, on 12 September.Working collaboratively with local partners, we are determined to support ambitious and high-quality sustainable growth in Greater Cambridge and to help overcome the significant barriers that have held up planned development for essential housing and laboratory space.We will set out further detail about our approach in due course.

Communities and Local Government, Pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2024, to Question 2635, on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public Expenditure, what interventions she plans to introduce to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. We understand that anti-social behaviour causes great harm and misery to our communities, and, if left unchecked, can lead to more serious offending.The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is working closely with the Home Office and the Safer Streets Mission to tackle anti-social behaviour in all communities.We will put thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers back into local communities, so that residents have somewhere to turn to when things go wrong.We will crack down on the adults making neighbourhoods feel unsafe and unwelcoming by introducing new powers, such as Respect Orders with tough sanctions and penalties, to tackle repeat offending.The Deputy Prime Minister is also overseeing cross-Government work to consider how we support our communities and address issues of cohesion in the longer term.