Written questions by Cooper.

Communities and Local Government, on what date he plans to implement the abolition of marriage value for lease extensions.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting shared ownership staircasing valuations to be (a) appealed and (b) negotiated by shared owners using evidence of significant local variations between (i) RICS valuations and (ii) actual sale prices of (1) similar and (2) identical properties.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to Section 51 of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, when he will lay regulations to delegate the power to set fees for planning applications to local planning authorities.

Between 23 March and 18 May 2026, the government consulted on establishing a new national default fee schedule and the key principles behind local fee setting. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. Subject to the outcome of that consultation, we intend to lay the necessary regulations this year.

Communities and Local Government, if he will review the adequacy of fire risk assessment requirements for retail premises which stock (a) vapes and (b) other small electricals containing lithium-ion batteries.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places a range of legal duties on Responsible Persons (the person in control of a premises which can include building owners, landlords and employers), chief among which is the need to undertake a fire risk assessment. This is to identify any general fire safety precautions that need to be taken to make sure that the premises, and people within it, are safe from fire, and put those precautions in place. To help Responsible Persons discharge their duties, MHCLG makes available a suite of guidance which it is currently reviewing and updating, including the offices and shops guide, so it better reflects current legislation, practice and emerging risks. This update will give consideration to the risks arising from products such as vapes and other small electrical items containing lithium-ion batteries.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to enable local authorities to retain district and borough boundaries for the purpose of social housing allocation following the establishment of new unitary organisations.

Local authorities have discretion within the existing allocations framework to design allocation schemes that reflect local housing needs and priorities, including how stock is managed within a new unitary area.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to Section 51 of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, when he will lay regulations to delegate the power to set fees for planning applications to local planning authorities.

The Planning and Infrastructure Act provides the Secretary of State with the power to delegate the setting of planning fees to local planning authorities. The process for local fee setting will be set out in regulations this year. We will shortly also be consulting on a national default fee, which will be the baseline from which local planning authorities can vary and set their own fees.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Draft National Planning Policy Framework, published on 16 December 2025, whether it is his policy that green belt land between villages should not be considered of importance when assessing whether proposed development may cause the coalescence of established settlements.

The government’s proposed changes to Green Belt policy are set out in Chapter 13 of the consultation ‘National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system’. The consultation is open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, if he will reject plans to establish a quarry at the former Hatfield Aerodrome.

Due to the quasi-judicial role of MHCLG Ministers in the planning system, I am unable to comment on the details of individual cases.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting shared ownership staircasing valuations to be (a) appealed or (b) negotiated by shared owners, using evidence of significant local variations between (i) RICS valuations and (ii) actual sale prices of (1) similar or (2) identical properties.

The price paid by shared owners for staircasing is based on the property's full open 'Market Value' (defined in the shared ownership model leases) as determined by an independent Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) valuer.RICS valuations will include the use of comparable data from recent sales of similar properties in the locality. They will also account for the property's condition and any home improvements, meaning that shared owners do not have to pay a higher price for staircasing as a result of improvements that they have made to the home.Valuations are normally final and cannot be challenged. However, if in exceptional circumstances the 'Market Value' of the property has not been properly assessed, then a request for a revaluation could be made by the shared owner or the provider.A RICS valuation is not required on 1% staircasing transactions; instead, the House Price Index is used to determine the price to be paid by the shared owner.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of waiting times for the processing of Disabled Facilities Grants for people with (a) motor neurone disease and (b) other rapidly progressing diseases.

The government recognises the importance of timely home adaptations, especially for individuals with rapidly progressing conditions, such as motor neurone disease. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide adaptations for people who satisfy a needs assessment, eligibility criteria and a means test, and have powers to agree a more generous local policy. Local authorities also have a statutory duty to provide a decision on Disabled Facilities Grants applications within 6 months of receipt, and the works must usually be completed within 12 months of the approval date. Government guidance sets out that local authorities should prioritise urgent cases, and work to quicker, best practice timescales. The guidance is available here. To support effective delivery, government also funds a national body for home improvementagencies, currently Foundations, to provide support and advice to local authorities to help them deliver the DFG as efficiently as possible.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the contribution by the hon. Member for St Albans on 9 July 2025, Official Report, column 325WH, whether she plans to make alternative funding available to London Colney Parish Council for the completion of their neighbourhood plan.

Following the Spending Review, my Department announced that it is unable to commission new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025 onwards.Technical support which has already been awarded will continue to be provided but must be completed before the end of March 2026.London Colney Parish is not in receipt of such support.The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests.Parish and Town Councils have access to their own resources which they can choose to use for neighbourhood planning if they wish.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to Planning Inspectorate case number APP/M1900/W/24/3346607, what her planned timetable is for determining the appeal by Brett Aggregates Limited to develop a quarry at the site of the former Hatfield Aerodrome.

No timetable has yet been set for the determination of this case.

Communities and Local Government, how leaseholders can challenge costs incurred for a Deed of Variation to leasehold agreements.

Leaseholders who are dissatisfied with costs incurred as part of a deed of variation should seek legal advice. Free initial legal advice is available through the Leasehold Advisory Service.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring home insurers to offer insurance to landlords offering tenancies to tenants on benefits.

Rental discrimination against people who receive benefits has no place in a fair and modern housing market.As part of the rental discrimination measures in the Renters’ Rights Bill, any clauses within a new or renewed contract of insurance that would prohibit the letting of a property to a tenant in receipt of benefits will be rendered of no effect.Many insurers already offer services to landlords who rent to tenants receiving benefits and, following engagement with the sector, we are not expecting any destabilising effect on the market as a result of the provisions in the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 39567 on Local Plans: Gardens Trust, what criteria was applied to the decision to remove the Gardens Trust as a statutory planning consultee.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether she plans to publish guidance for parish and town councils on how to engage with her Department on shaping the parish council role in local government devolution.

Town and parish councils are the first tier of local government and play a crucial role in community engagement and provide key local services.The English Devolution White Paper emphasises the value of governance on a community scale and that the government wants to see stronger community arrangements during reorganisation, enhancing how councils engage at a neighbourhood level. At present, there are no plans to publish specific guidance for parish and town councils on how to engage with the Department on shaping their role in local government devolution.

Communities and Local Government, on how many occasions The Gardens Trust has (a) not provided a timely response to a request for feedback and (b) provided feedback that was in conflict with matters settled in the relevant local plan as a statutory planning consultee in the last three years.

The Garden Trust publish data on their work as a statutory consultee as part of their annual general meeting reports. Their 2023/24 Conservation Committee Report, which can be found here, makes clear that in the year to April 2024, they received 1733 statutory consultations. The Department does not collect data on whether feedback from the Garden Trust is in conflict with matters settled in the local plan.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has provided funding to children's therapists to support families residing in women's refuges.

This government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls and supporting victims of domestic abuse, including children.Since 2021, local authorities in England have had a duty under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 to ensure victims and their children have access to support in safe accommodation, including women’s refuges. In delivering this duty, local authorities should provide support to children, in line with the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which makes it clear that affected children and young people are victims of domestic abuse in their own right.For 2025/26, £160 million has been allocated to local authorities to deliver this duty, a £30 million uplift from the previous year. This funding is for crucial support within safe accommodation, including therapeutic support for children. To deliver this duty in 2025/26, Hertfordshire County Council has been allocated £2,615,252 and St Albans District Council has been allocated £37,869 for relevant administrative costs.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of modern dehumidifying technologies can play on tackling damp and mould in the social and private rented housing sectors.

The government has published consolidated guidance for social and private landlords relating to the health impacts of damp and mould and what actions they should consider when responding to reports of it. Whether or not dehumidifiers form part of the way damp and mould is addressed is a decision for landlords to make. However, the guidance is clear that it is the responsibility of landlords to identify the underlying causes of damp and mould, including structural issues or inadequate ventilation, and to find long-term solutions. A range of experts in damp and mould and related areas were engaged with and contributed to the guidance in question which can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a cap on rent increases for those shared ownership properties not purchased from a registered social landlord.

The government requires that all leases for shared ownership properties funded with government grant, regardless of whether the shared ownership provider is a registered social landlord, must include a clause limiting rent increases to a maximum of RPI +0.5% for leases prior to October 2023, or CPI +1% for leases from October 2023.