Written questions by Thomas.

Communities and Local Government, what consideration he has given to giving the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman oversight of property management companies.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 85213 on 4 November 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether they will require their department and agencies to offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

MHCLG continually reviews the range of financial wellbeing support offered to our employees and does offer general payroll deduction facilities. Currently no specific credit union deduction arrangements are in place. Agency payroll operations are delegated to each individual organisation.

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with UK Finance on mortgage lenders' assessments of EWS1 forms issued by Tri Fire.

Officials in my department have regular engagement with financial sector stakeholders. A product of this is the lenders’ statement on cladding which has signatories from ten major banks and building societies. These lenders have committed to consider mortgage applications, even if a property has building safety issues, provided either the building has funding for works from government or the developer, or the property is protected by the leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act, and the leaseholder has completed a ‘Leaseholder Deed of Certificate’ to evidence it. The statement was further updated in April last year to confirm that even where an EWS1 has, what they consider to be, an invalid signatory, lenders will not require a wholesale review of affected EWS1s. Lenders will consider alternative evidence, for example: that a building is in a remediation scheme, a Leaseholder Deed of Certificate has been completed or a Fire Risk Appraisal of the External Wall (FRAEW) has been undertaken. An EWS1 form is not a government, legal or regulatory requirement. Not all lenders ask for an EWS1, but whether they do, remains a commercial decision.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of assistance available to people with EWS1 forms deemed to be invalid and unacceptable by mortgage lenders.

Officials in my department have regular engagement with financial sector stakeholders. A product of this is the lenders’ statement on cladding which has signatories from ten major banks and building societies. These lenders have committed to consider mortgage applications, even if a property has building safety issues, provided either the building has funding for works from government or the developer, or the property is protected by the leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act, and the leaseholder has completed a ‘Leaseholder Deed of Certificate’ to evidence it. The statement was further updated in April last year to confirm that even where an EWS1 has, what they consider to be, an invalid signatory, lenders will not require a wholesale review of affected EWS1s. Lenders will consider alternative evidence, for example: that a building is in a remediation scheme, a Leaseholder Deed of Certificate has been completed or a Fire Risk Appraisal of the External Wall (FRAEW) has been undertaken. An EWS1 form is not a government, legal or regulatory requirement. Not all lenders ask for an EWS1, but whether they do, remains a commercial decision.

Communities and Local Government, whether he will estimate how many local Council offer their employees the opportunity to join a credit union by offering a payroll deduction service.

Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the management of their own workforces, including setting their own terms and conditions and employment packages.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to take steps to help increase access to finance to establish housing cooperatives. .

Housing co-operatives are an important part of the community-led housing sector which delivers a wide range of benefits including strengthening community participation in local decision-making, engendering community cohesion, achieving high quality design and strengthening the co-operative economy. My Department is undertaking a research project to identify the most effective way of enabling community-led housing groups, including those seeking to establish housing co-operatives, to access affordable finance at all stages of the development process and over the long term. The outputs of that research are expected in the Spring. In March, we announced a £20m 10-year social finance investment to provide capital finance for community-led housing, which is expected to directly support the construction of more than 2,500 new homes over the next decade. These housebuilding projects will be led by communities to specifically address local needs in their area. The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December strengthened support for community-led housing, including through changes to the size limit on community-led exception sites and a broadening of the definition of organisations able to deliver community-led housing. The new Social and Affordable Homes Programme seeks to support an increase in the delivery of community-led and rural housing. The flexibility in grant rates provided for under the new programme will help community-led schemes achieve viability and help the sector grow towards its full potential. The government is also considering opportunities to legislate to establish a legal framework for a co-operative housing tenure, which would help formalise the rights and responsibilities of both co-operatives and their tenants, and make co-operative housing a more attractive option.

Communities and Local Government, if he will convene a meeting of ministers from relevant Departments to discuss the final report of the Independent Commission for neighbourhoods.

We continue to closely follow the work of the Commission which continues to make a strong case for investment in our most deprived neighbourhoods. The Pride in Place Programme, announced in September, demonstrates this Government’s firm commitment to backing neighbourhoods that have for too long been left behind and overlooked. This flagship programme will deliver up to £5bn funding and support to 244 of the most deprived places across Britain over the next decade, and our accompanying Pride in Place Strategy set out a broader plan for giving communities across the country the tools and powers they need to drive change in their neighbourhood. We will carefully consider the Commission’s findings once the final report is published which will inform our response on how we can build on this agenda to support the most in need neighbourhoods.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the findings of Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods, whether he will take steps to encourage private sector growth in the most deprived neighbourhoods in England.

Strong neighbourhoods and communities are vital to drive growth. The Pride in Place strategy sets out how we will deliver up to £5 billion funding and support over ten years to 339 neighbourhoods experiencing the highest levels of double deprivation. Neighbourhood Boards will have a wide range of options available to them to improve local opportunities and promote growth in their communities. Furthermore, we strongly encourage the boards to build partnerships with philanthropists and businesses that are rooted in place, to help build more sustainable funding models and crowd in more capital over the long-term. This will build strong, vibrant local communities and economies, led by those who know their area best.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods report entitled Anatomy of Mission Critical Neighbourhoods, published on 30 May 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the number of (a) Santander, (b) Barclays and (c) HSBC bank branches in mission critical neighbourhoods.

We welcomed the May report from the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods entitled ‘Anatomy of Mission Critical Neighbourhoods’ and have noted the findings of the entrenched challenges these areas face, specifically in relation to economic inactivity, ill health and skills. We have not made any assessment of bank branches in the areas ICON analysed, however we will continue to work closely with the areas supported by our Pride in Place programme to build stronger communities, create thriving places and empower local people. Our Pride in Place programme will work closely with 244 neighbourhoods experiencing the highest levels of deprivation, delivering up to £5 billion funding and support over ten years to these areas.

Communities and Local Government, if he will publish a list of mission critical neighbourhoods as defined by the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods.

We welcomed the May report from the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods entitled ‘Anatomy of Mission Critical Neighbourhoods’ and have noted the findings of the entrenched challenges these areas face, specifically in relation to economic inactivity, ill health and skills. We have not made any assessment of bank branches in the areas ICON analysed, however we will continue to work closely with the areas supported by our Pride in Place programme to build stronger communities, create thriving places and empower local people. Our Pride in Place programme will work closely with 244 neighbourhoods experiencing the highest levels of deprivation, delivering up to £5 billion funding and support over ten years to these areas.

Communities and Local Government, if he will require registered social landlords to promote credit union membership to their tenants.

There is currently no requirement for registered providers of social housing to promote credit union membership to their tenants, and we do not propose to introduce one. Registered providers are expected to deliver the outcomes of the Regulator of Social Housing’s regulatory standards. This includes the Neighbourhood and Community Standard, which includes a requirement for registered providers to co-operate with relevant partners to promote social, environmental and economic wellbeing in the areas where they provide social housing. This could include signposting tenants to sources of support, and we recognise the work many register providers do to help tenants sustain their tenancies and manage their finances.

Communities and Local Government, if he will encourage Councils to offer payroll deduction to employees wishing to save money with a credit union.

Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the management of their own workforces including setting their own terms and conditions and employment packages in compliance with all relevant employment legislation.

Communities and Local Government, what further steps he plans take to help tackle (a) Islamophobic and (b) antisemitic hate crime in London.

In response to the concerning rise in both antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred, the Government is absolutely committed to rooting out these forms of hatred. We continue to work across government on security, education and working alongside local government, including via the following.An Antisemitism Working Group has been established to advise the Government on effective strategies to tackle hate against Jewish communities and will explore how the Government should engage with Jewish communities in relation to international, national, and local events that impact British Jews. In addition, the Government continues to work with the independent advisor Lord Mann in combating antisemitism through meaningful engagement with diverse communities.The Government established an independent working group to advise on a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia. The working group have engaged widely to ensure their proposed definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences of communities across the United Kingdom.The government also funds the British Muslim Trust to deliver a comprehensive service to monitor anti-Muslim hatred and provide support to victims, and True Vision, an online hate crime reporting portal, designed so that victims of hate crime do not have to visit a police station to report to the police.In response to the Manchester terror attack, Home Office, DfE and DHSC have increased funding to support policing, security and education to tackle antisemitism. Jewish communities will receive up to £10 million in an emergency cash injection to scale up security at synagogues and schools, taking funding to protect faith communities to record levels. As part of the DfE’s committed £7 million to tackling antisemitism in schools, universities and colleges, a £4 million innovation fund will be launched in late November to provide an opportunity for organisations to come up with innovative means to tackle antisemitism in education. NHS England will also roll out updated mandatory antisemitism and anti-racism training for all 1.5 million NHS staff.

Communities and Local Government, if he will encourage local authorities to set aside land for (a) community land trusts and (b) housing cooperatives.

The government recognises that the community-led housing sector – which includes community land trusts and housing cooperatives – delivers a wide range of benefits including strengthening community participation in local decision-making, engendering community cohesion, achieving high quality design and strengthening the co-operative economy.In March, we announced a £20 million 10-year social finance investment to provide capital finance for community-led housing, which is expected to directly support the construction of more than 2,500 new homes over the next decade. These housebuilding projects will be led by communities to specifically address local needs in their area.Through the recent revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework, we have strengthened support for community-led housing, including through changes to the size limit on community-led exception sites and a broadening of the definition of organisations able to deliver community-led housing.We are also undertaking a significant research project to inform future interventions to support the sector, with a particular focus on sustainable finance.Looking ahead, as we develop our Long Term Housing Strategy, the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme and the National Housing Delivery Fund, we will consider how the government may further support the growth of the community-led housing sector, helping to deliver the additional homes the country needs.