Written questions by Amos.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Minister for Housing’s statement during the final Commons debate on the Renters’ Rights Bill that the Government intends to establish an alternative body or mechanism to make initial rent determinations as soon as possible, what specific milestones, deadlines and resourcing plans his Department has set for (a) completing the viability assessment and (b) establishing that body or mechanism.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 116835 on 9 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, when his Department will publish the toolkit on homelessness prevention and support for survivors of domestic abuse; and what engagement his Department has held with the domestic abuse sector on developing that toolkit.

My Department will publish the toolkit on homelessness prevention and support for survivors of domestic abuse over the coming year. The toolkit will draw on the Whole Housing Approach piloted by Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse and our evaluation of sanctuary schemes, which provide solutions for survivors who wish to remain in their homes, and provide guidance and best practice support on how to keep survivors safe in their homes wherever possible, and how to deliver trauma-informed homelessness support for victims of domestic abuse.

Communities and Local Government, whether any changes have been made to the draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill following representations from external stakeholders.

No changes have been made to the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill since its publication on 27 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what monitoring his Department is carrying out to capture data on local authorities not exempting domestic abuse survivors from local connection tests for social housing.

The government has taken action to remove barriers for victims of domestic abuse to access social housing.Regulations, which came into force on 10 July 2025, mean that victims of domestic abuse moving as a result of that abuse will no longer need to meet a local connection or residency test in order to access social housing.We will monitor the impact of these regulations at local authority level through the Local Authority Housing Statistics. The next return will capture implementation as of 31 March 2026 and will be published later this year.

Communities and Local Government, when his Department will publish updated statutory guidance on social housing allocations.

As announced in our National Plan to End Homelessness which was published on 11 December last year and can be found on gov.uk here, we will work with stakeholders to review and update statutory guidance on social housing allocations to ensure that allocations reflect local need and effectively support vulnerable households.We will publish updated statutory guidance in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has received written representations from major freeholders on the proposed Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill since 17 July 2024.

My Department has received representations from a range of external stakeholders regarding the government’s leasehold and commonhold reform agenda. These have included representations from freeholders and trade bodies representing them.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the exemption from local connection tests for social housing for domestic abuse survivors is enforced by local authorities.

The government has taken action to remove barriers for victims of domestic abuse to access social housing.Regulations, which came into force on 10 July 2025, mean that victims of domestic abuse moving as a result of that abuse will no longer need to meet a local connection or residency test in order to access social housing.We will monitor the impact of these regulations at local authority level through the Local Authority Housing Statistics. The next return will capture implementation as of 31 March 2026 and will be published later this year.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of residential properties built in Taunton and Wellington constituency in each year from 2009.

My Department publishes an annual release entitled ‘Housing supply: net additional dwellings, England’, which is the primary and most comprehensive measure of housing supply. This includes estimates of new homes built in each local authority, in each financial year, to 2024-25 and can be found in Live Table 123 on gov.uk here. My Department also publishes a quarterly release entitled ‘Housing supply: Indicators of New Supply, England’, which includes more timely estimates of new build starts and completions in England, and in each local authority district. Statistics to the quarter ending September 2025 can be found in Live Table 253a on gov.uk here. This dataset cover new build dwellings only and should be regarded as a leading indicator of overall housing supply. Figures at parliamentary constituency level are not centrally collected.

Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made on implementing the Private Parking Code of Practice; what steps the Government is taking to ensure that penalty charges issued by private parking operators are fair and proportionate; and whether a timetable has been set for introducing caps on such charges and measures to prevent aggressive enforcement tactics.

I wish to assure you that this government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector. The new government code will contain guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities and will protect motorists from bad practice, whilst supporting legitimate operators. In preparation for the new code, in 2025 the government published a consultation document outlining its proposals to raise standards across the private parking industry. All responses are now being analysed and the government will publish a response and outline its final plans in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that executors are not held personally liable for council tax bills, including empty property premiums, on properties undergoing probate where Class F exemptions apply, particularly in cases where probate is delayed and executors have no access to estate funds.

When a property has been left empty following the death of its owner or occupant, it is exempt from council tax for as long as it remains unoccupied and until probate is granted. Where probate is delayed, the exemption will continue until probate is granted. Following a grant of probate (or the signing of letters of administration), a further six months exemption is possible, so long as the property remains unoccupied and has not been sold or transferred to someone else.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has plans to review the legislation governing Class F council tax exemptions, specifically the treatment of inherited properties that were occupied at the time of death and vacated more than six weeks later; and whether he will consider extending exemptions to cover the probate process and up to 12 months after probate is granted, regardless of occupancy status at the time of death.

Properties which are unoccupied because the occupant has passed away, and probate has been granted on their estate, are exempt from council tax from the point of death until six months after the grant of probate or the signing of letters of administration (a class F exemption). Where the property remains occupied by another person, it is liable for council tax in the same way as any other property. The Government has no plans to amend class F council tax exemption.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to allocate funding to support the Great South West Partnership from April 2026.

Following a four-week public consultation, in March 2025 the Government announced its intention to end funding for Pan-Regional Partnerships, with an exceptional, time-limited award of £281,250 for the Great South West Pan-Regional Partnership for the 2025/26 financial year. Pan-Regional Partnerships, including the Great South West, have made a valuable contribution, supporting collaboration between local authorities and government and taking forward a breadth of work on shared growth opportunities. However, as our English Devolution White Paper sets out, we are now moving to a different model of regional collaboration, where we are keen to support new models driven by local leaders.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of clarifying whether regulation 25A of the Building Regulations that relates to Approved Document L includes extensions where the new wall or roof area adds 25% to the surface area of the building.

Regulation 25A of the Building Regulations 2010 concerns the use of high-efficiency alternative systems in new buildings and does not apply to extensions. The energy efficiency standards that apply to extensions to existing dwellings are set out in Approved Document L: Conservation of fuel and power, Volume 1 (dwellings), Section 10.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to ensure that (a) high-quality (i) landscape design and (ii) green infrastructure proposed in planning applications are protected during construction and (b) long-term funding models for (A) management and (B) maintenance are provided through the planning process.

The National Planning Policy Framework emphasises the importance of a network of high-quality open spaces for the health and wellbeing of communities and the environment. The National Design Guide, which supports the Framework, makes clear that well-designed places consider management and maintenance regimes from the early stages of the design process and document them in a management plan. A Local Planning Authority (LPA) can attach conditions to the grant of planning permission. These could be used to secure the implementation and protection of landscape design and green infrastructure within a development. LPAs can also use planning obligations to restrict or prescribe the use of land, require specific activities to be carried out in relation to a development, and require payment to a local authority. Planning obligations could include requiring a developer to make payments towards the management and maintenance of green infrastructure.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department plans to take to help ensure that new towns adopt approaches that incorporate (a) high-quality and (b) environmentally resilient green places.

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. On 28 September 2025, the government published the independent New Towns Taskforce report as well as its initial response to that report. Both can be found on gov.uk here. Chapter 3 of the Taskforce’s final report sets out placemaking principles. The government initial response welcomed the Taskforce’s emphasis on ensuring new towns are designed in line with a placemaking approach which should form the building blocks of any new towns, ensuring that they are places where people are proud to live and work.

Communities and Local Government, whether any respondents to the consultation on the Competence and Conduct Standard for Social Housing, updated on 30 September 2025, raised concerns about the potential implications of (a) artificial intelligence and (b) generative AI on the (i) integrity, (ii) assessment and (iii) delivery of housing qualifications; and what assessment his Department has made of any such concerns.

This government carefully considered responses to the consultation led by the previous government in respect of the Competence and Conduct Standard and has now published its response which can be found on gov.uk here. A small number of respondents raised concerns about assessment methods for qualifications and very few respondents raised concerns about artificial intelligence. The government has not set prescriptive requirements on methods of assessment, and it will be for awarding organisations to determine how learning is assessed. We also expect awarding organisations to have policies in place to mitigate the risks posed by the use of artificial intelligence. As set out in the final policy statement, qualifications must be equivalent to or higher than an Ofqual regulated level 4 qualification for senior housing managers and a level 5 qualification or foundation degree for senior housing executives. Ofqual ensures that regulated qualifications are robust and valid through the General Conditions of Recognition – the rules for all the qualifications and organisations Ofqual regulates which can be found on gov.uk here. All regulated awarding organisations have a legal obligation to comply with these rules on an ongoing basis.

Communities and Local Government, whether any respondents to the consultation on the Competence and Conduct Standard for Social Housing, updated on 30 September 2025, raised concerns about the reliance on continuous assessment in housing qualifications; and whether any respondents expressed concern about the absence of formal examinations as a means of assessing critical thinking and competence in key areas such as housing law and repairs.

This government carefully considered responses to the consultation led by the previous government in respect of the Competence and Conduct Standard and has now published its response which can be found on gov.uk here. A small number of respondents raised concerns about assessment methods for qualifications and very few respondents raised concerns about artificial intelligence. The government has not set prescriptive requirements on methods of assessment, and it will be for awarding organisations to determine how learning is assessed. We also expect awarding organisations to have policies in place to mitigate the risks posed by the use of artificial intelligence. As set out in the final policy statement, qualifications must be equivalent to or higher than an Ofqual regulated level 4 qualification for senior housing managers and a level 5 qualification or foundation degree for senior housing executives. Ofqual ensures that regulated qualifications are robust and valid through the General Conditions of Recognition – the rules for all the qualifications and organisations Ofqual regulates which can be found on gov.uk here. All regulated awarding organisations have a legal obligation to comply with these rules on an ongoing basis.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to help prevent victims of financial abuse being barred from bidding on social housing when in temporary accommodation because of debt accrued by their abuser.

The government is committed to ensuring that those who need to escape from domestic abuse are given as much support and assistance as possible so that they are able to re-build their lives away from abuse and harm. On 24 September, the Prime Minister announced an ambition to better support victims of domestic abuse to access housing. Regulations, which came into force on 10 July, mean that victims of domestic abuse moving as a result of that abuse will no longer need to meet a local connection or residency test in order to access social housing. Local authorities are able to use local flexibles to take account of individual as circumstances such as on debt and statutory guidance on social housing allocations makes clear that local authorities are expected to take proper account of special circumstances by making provision for appropriate exceptions. We keep our statutory guidance under review.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending statutory guidance to improve access to social housing for survivors of domestic abuse with debt living in temporary accommodation.

The government is committed to ensuring that those who need to escape from domestic abuse are given as much support and assistance as possible so that they are able to re-build their lives away from abuse and harm. On 24 September, the Prime Minister announced an ambition to better support victims of domestic abuse to access housing. Regulations, which came into force on 10 July, mean that victims of domestic abuse moving as a result of that abuse will no longer need to meet a local connection or residency test in order to access social housing. Local authorities are able to use local flexibles to take account of individual as circumstances such as on debt and statutory guidance on social housing allocations makes clear that local authorities are expected to take proper account of special circumstances by making provision for appropriate exceptions. We keep our statutory guidance under review.

Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of families in temporary accommodation were placed outside their own local authority area in the latest period for which data is available.

The Department publishes quarterly statistics on statutory homelessness in England, which can be found on gov.uk here. The latest quarterly data was published on 22 July 2025, covering January to March 2025. The number of under 18s in temporary accommodation in English local authorities is included in the data (TA8), including by age on a local authority level. Councils must ensure that temporary accommodation is suitable for the needs of the household and should keep the suitability of accommodation under review. The Homelessness Code of Guidance for local authorities sets out the factors to be taken into account when determining the suitability of accommodation.. The latest quarterly statistics includes additional data tables on the English regions that out of area placements have been made to, by the local authority or region that they have been placed from (TA9). The data does not provide a breakdown of the number of households with children. The Department does not collect address level data that would allow the tracking of the distance households have moved The number of households in B&B accommodation with children and resident more than six weeks is included in the data (TA1).