Written questions by Stafford.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the level of variation in council tax per dwelling between rural and urban local authorities; and what steps he is considering taking to ensure that households in rural areas are not subject to higher tax burdens due to property valuation and banding distributions.

All councils are responsible for setting their own level of council tax to meet their specific service requirements. The government annually publishes data on the council tax levels set by different local authorities across the country. This is available here. The Government will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the system and consider options for reform where there is clear evidence that change would deliver better outcomes for residents and councils alike.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to adjust the council tax system to account for differing property market values in rural areas.

All councils are responsible for setting their own level of council tax to meet their specific service requirements. The government annually publishes data on the council tax levels set by different local authorities across the country. This is available here. The Government will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the system and consider options for reform where there is clear evidence that change would deliver better outcomes for residents and councils alike.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to publish updated comparative data on average council tax payments (a) per dwelling and (b) per capita across local authorities.

The Department publishes council tax per dwelling for each billing authority in England annually in March. We do not publish council tax per capita.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential role of (a) German-style Fertighäuser and (b) other prefabricated or modular housing to help tackle housing shortage.

The government wants to see greater adoption of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) as part of our Plan for Change commitment to deliver 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament.MMC is key to boosting productivity in the construction sector – helping deliver homes faster, with improved energy performance, and creating new offsite jobs in the construction sector.We have already acted through our planning reforms to provide the certainty developers and manufacturers need to invest in MMC; provided an additional £700 million of support through the Home Building Fund to help manufacturers looking to grow and expand; and published the Publicly Available Specification (PAS-8700) for residential MMC.We will set out further details in the Long-Term Housing Strategy shortly.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with local authorities in (a) Surrey and (b) Hampshire on maintaining support for community transport operators following local government reorganisation.

Local support for community transport operators remains a matter for local authorities in Surrey and Hampshire, or any future local authorities that may be set up following local government reorganisation. Before a local government reorganisation proposal can be implemented, the Secretary of State must first consult any council affected that has not submitted the proposal, as well as any other persons considered appropriate. This includes local public service providers in the area. The consultation on local government reform in Surrey closed on 5 August. A decision will now be made on which proposal, if any, to implement. Hampshire is part of the Devolution Priority Programme and final proposals for local government reform in the county are due to submitted to the Government by 26 September.

Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for bringing into force the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 that provide consumer protections for homeowners on freehold estates.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 74882 on 12 September 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department’s fair funding review for local authorities on adult social care provision for people of working age.

The government is committed to transforming adult social care, including for people of working age, and making tangible improvements in the short-term. The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion available for adult social care in 2028-29 compared to 2025-26. We have consulted on proposals, as part of ‘The Fair Funding Review 2.0’, to ensure adult social care funding reflects an up-to-date assessment of need, including updating the Adult Social Care Relative Needs Formula (ASC RNF) with the most recent data. The ‘Fair Funding Review 2.0’ proposals are a fundamental step to improving the sustainability of the sector and will allow councils to focus on service delivery and transformation. We are considering ‘The Fair Funding Review 2.0’ consultation responses; decisions are yet to be taken that will determine final allocations for local authorities overall. We will respond to the consultation in due course and will set out further details at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Homes England’s management of the (a) Techforest and (b) Woolmead sites in Farnham and Bordon constituency.

Homes England has worked closely with East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) to support priorities for growth in Whitehill and Bordon for several years. This includes supporting the delivery of new employment sites in the area. Tech Forest has been identified as an employment site and, following consultation with EHDC, will be marketed for employment use. Homes England purchased Woolmead in Farnham via the Brownfield Infrastructure Land Fund, which has an extant planning permission for 138 new homes and over 4,000m² of commercial space. Homes England is considering options for the delivery of the site, including seeking a new planning consent, and remaining in contact with the market and prospective partners. In the meantime, Homes England continues to manage the site to ensure it remains safe, secure, and in a stable condition whilst longer-term plans for the site evolve.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of financial requirements for standing in mayoral elections on the (a) accessibility and (b) diversity of candidates.

The Government has not made such an assessment. Under electoral law, candidates are required to pay a deposit in certain elections, reflecting the scale of the role, including budget responsibility, role as chair of the Combined Authority or Combined County Authority, and the ability to raise a levy; as well as the size of the electorate and electoral area. This has been set at £5,000 for Mayoral candidates for Combined Authorities and Combined County Authorities which was deemed proportionate and fair by Parliament when the relevant legislation was made. A deposit is returned if a candidate receives more than 5% of the valid votes cast.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of whether funding allocated to upper-tier authorities adequately reflects (a) inflationary pressures in social care, (b) the increasing cost of regulatory compliance and (c) the additional costs expected from recent immigration and employment policy changes.

The government is committed to transforming adult social care and making tangible improvements in the short-term. The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion available for adult social care in 2028-29 compared to 2025-26. This includes an increase to the NHS’s minimum contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with DHSC's Spending Review settlement. The Department works closely with local government and other government departments to understand specific demand and cost pressures facing local government on an ongoing basis. This involves looking at a range of cost and demand data, as well as regular engagement with local authorities.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to consult on new fiscal incentives to support younger people into home ownership.

The government has no plans to consult on new fiscal incentives to support younger people into home ownership. ​ The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of home ownership. In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, the government will be launching a new mortgage guarantee scheme in July 2025. Further details can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement of 11 June (HCWS694).

Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of trends in the relationship between home ownership levels among under-45s and historic tax support for mortgage holders.

The government has no plans to consult on new fiscal incentives to support younger people into home ownership. ​ The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of home ownership. In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, the government will be launching a new mortgage guarantee scheme in July 2025. Further details can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement of 11 June (HCWS694).

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to prevent unitary authorities formed through the Local Government Reorganisation requiring exception financial support.

On 5 February, the Government issued invitations to councils in two-tier areas in England and neighbouring unitary councils to prepare proposals for local government reorganisation. The invitation sets out the criteria against which proposals will be assessed, including that unitary local government must be the right size to achieve efficiencies improve capacity and withstand financial shocks. It is for councils to develop robust and sustainable proposals that are in the best interests of their whole area.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to (a) allow the establishment of new precepting (i) parish, (ii) town and (iii) community councils and (b) (A) retain and (B) improve the Community Governance Review process.

The ability to establish new parish, town and community councils is devolved to principal local authorities through the community governance review process. This remains the case. Areas considering new parish councils should think carefully about how they might be funded, to avoid putting further pressure on local authority finances and/or new burdens on the taxpayer Decisions over whether to raise a precept, and over the level of this precept, are taken independently of central government by the parish council in question. The government views the current process for undertaking community governance reviews as sufficient. We are in regular contact with the sector to understand what improvements would be helpful.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she had made of the potential merits of introducing (a) additional technical guidance and (b) a formal advisory service to assist dutyholders in preparing Gateway Two applications for higher-risk buildings in compliance with the requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022.

We recognise that there are delays to the Gateways process and that processing times need to improve. Delays have the potential to slow the delivery of new homes and may impact on investment decisions in high-rise projects. MHCLG are working urgently with the BSR to address the current challenges. This includes direct ministerial-level involvement to accelerate progress.We continue to work closely with the BSR to understand their resource requirements, technical capacity and how processes can be improved. We have provided funding to the BSR to recruit an extra 30 frontline staff to bolster its capacity. On 14 May, BSR also launched a campaign to directly recruit Registered Building Inspectors (RBIs), with further recruitment planned in June 2025. We expect the impact of these new recruits on processing times to scale up in the coming months.Whilst BSR and MHCLG are exploring all possible opportunities to strengthen the new Gateway process and guidance to industry, it is important to recognise that a significant volume of applications continue to be invalidated or rejected for not meeting the legislative requirements. These are buildings that, had they been constructed, might have placed residents at risk and/or living in housing that did not meet long-standing requirements. It is also important to note that additional information requests for missing details in applications can add between at least 4-6 weeks onto the process.BSR continues to carry out extensive stakeholder engagement to support applicants to better understand and meet the new requirements. Since July 2024, BSR has held weekly meetings with the Construction Leadership Council and other industry bodies including the Home Builders Federation to address knowledge gaps and share lessons learned. BSR also issued new guidance in collaboration with the sector in March 2025 based on the findings of research with organisations submitting building control applications. BSR continues work to improve the way it interacts with applicants before and during the process.BSR officials have provided Gateway 2 application data from October 2023 to date:2,240 applications received to date899 live applications32% (430) - Approved41% (552) - Invalidated at the initial stage as they did not contain the right information under Schedule 1.11% (140) - Withdrawn16% (219) - Rejected. Many of the applications that remain undetermined have proved to be of poor quality and the BSR continues to work with applicants to ensure that applications properly demonstrate compliance with the minimum safety standards set out in the Building Regulations.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with the Building Safety Regulator on (a) the adequacy of the (i) resources and (ii) technical capacity available to enable it to make timely determinations of Gateway applications and (b) its operational efficiency.

We recognise that there are delays to the Gateways process and that processing times need to improve. Delays have the potential to slow the delivery of new homes and may impact on investment decisions in high-rise projects. MHCLG are working urgently with the BSR to address the current challenges. This includes direct ministerial-level involvement to accelerate progress.We continue to work closely with the BSR to understand their resource requirements, technical capacity and how processes can be improved. We have provided funding to the BSR to recruit an extra 30 frontline staff to bolster its capacity. On 14 May, BSR also launched a campaign to directly recruit Registered Building Inspectors (RBIs), with further recruitment planned in June 2025. We expect the impact of these new recruits on processing times to scale up in the coming months.Whilst BSR and MHCLG are exploring all possible opportunities to strengthen the new Gateway process and guidance to industry, it is important to recognise that a significant volume of applications continue to be invalidated or rejected for not meeting the legislative requirements. These are buildings that, had they been constructed, might have placed residents at risk and/or living in housing that did not meet long-standing requirements. It is also important to note that additional information requests for missing details in applications can add between at least 4-6 weeks onto the process.BSR continues to carry out extensive stakeholder engagement to support applicants to better understand and meet the new requirements. Since July 2024, BSR has held weekly meetings with the Construction Leadership Council and other industry bodies including the Home Builders Federation to address knowledge gaps and share lessons learned. BSR also issued new guidance in collaboration with the sector in March 2025 based on the findings of research with organisations submitting building control applications. BSR continues work to improve the way it interacts with applicants before and during the process.BSR officials have provided Gateway 2 application data from October 2023 to date:2,240 applications received to date899 live applications32% (430) - Approved41% (552) - Invalidated at the initial stage as they did not contain the right information under Schedule 1.11% (140) - Withdrawn16% (219) - Rejected. Many of the applications that remain undetermined have proved to be of poor quality and the BSR continues to work with applicants to ensure that applications properly demonstrate compliance with the minimum safety standards set out in the Building Regulations.

Communities and Local Government, how many applications for Gateway Two approval for higher-risk buildings have been submitted to the Building Safety Regulator since 1 October 2023; how many of those applications have (a) been approved, (b) been rejected, and (c) remain under consideration; and what assessment she has made of the reasons for the number of undetermined applications.

We recognise that there are delays to the Gateways process and that processing times need to improve. Delays have the potential to slow the delivery of new homes and may impact on investment decisions in high-rise projects. MHCLG are working urgently with the BSR to address the current challenges. This includes direct ministerial-level involvement to accelerate progress.We continue to work closely with the BSR to understand their resource requirements, technical capacity and how processes can be improved. We have provided funding to the BSR to recruit an extra 30 frontline staff to bolster its capacity. On 14 May, BSR also launched a campaign to directly recruit Registered Building Inspectors (RBIs), with further recruitment planned in June 2025. We expect the impact of these new recruits on processing times to scale up in the coming months.Whilst BSR and MHCLG are exploring all possible opportunities to strengthen the new Gateway process and guidance to industry, it is important to recognise that a significant volume of applications continue to be invalidated or rejected for not meeting the legislative requirements. These are buildings that, had they been constructed, might have placed residents at risk and/or living in housing that did not meet long-standing requirements. It is also important to note that additional information requests for missing details in applications can add between at least 4-6 weeks onto the process.BSR continues to carry out extensive stakeholder engagement to support applicants to better understand and meet the new requirements. Since July 2024, BSR has held weekly meetings with the Construction Leadership Council and other industry bodies including the Home Builders Federation to address knowledge gaps and share lessons learned. BSR also issued new guidance in collaboration with the sector in March 2025 based on the findings of research with organisations submitting building control applications. BSR continues work to improve the way it interacts with applicants before and during the process.BSR officials have provided Gateway 2 application data from October 2023 to date:2,240 applications received to date899 live applications32% (430) - Approved41% (552) - Invalidated at the initial stage as they did not contain the right information under Schedule 1.11% (140) - Withdrawn16% (219) - Rejected. Many of the applications that remain undetermined have proved to be of poor quality and the BSR continues to work with applicants to ensure that applications properly demonstrate compliance with the minimum safety standards set out in the Building Regulations.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken for approvals to be made under the Building Safety Regulator’s Gateways process on (a) the delivery of new homes, (b) the viability of new developments, (c) the timeliness of housing completions and (d) investment decisions in the high-rise residential sector.

We recognise that there are delays to the Gateways process and that processing times need to improve. Delays have the potential to slow the delivery of new homes and may impact on investment decisions in high-rise projects. MHCLG are working urgently with the BSR to address the current challenges. This includes direct ministerial-level involvement to accelerate progress.We continue to work closely with the BSR to understand their resource requirements, technical capacity and how processes can be improved. We have provided funding to the BSR to recruit an extra 30 frontline staff to bolster its capacity. On 14 May, BSR also launched a campaign to directly recruit Registered Building Inspectors (RBIs), with further recruitment planned in June 2025. We expect the impact of these new recruits on processing times to scale up in the coming months.Whilst BSR and MHCLG are exploring all possible opportunities to strengthen the new Gateway process and guidance to industry, it is important to recognise that a significant volume of applications continue to be invalidated or rejected for not meeting the legislative requirements. These are buildings that, had they been constructed, might have placed residents at risk and/or living in housing that did not meet long-standing requirements. It is also important to note that additional information requests for missing details in applications can add between at least 4-6 weeks onto the process.BSR continues to carry out extensive stakeholder engagement to support applicants to better understand and meet the new requirements. Since July 2024, BSR has held weekly meetings with the Construction Leadership Council and other industry bodies including the Home Builders Federation to address knowledge gaps and share lessons learned. BSR also issued new guidance in collaboration with the sector in March 2025 based on the findings of research with organisations submitting building control applications. BSR continues work to improve the way it interacts with applicants before and during the process.BSR officials have provided Gateway 2 application data from October 2023 to date:2,240 applications received to date899 live applications32% (430) - Approved41% (552) - Invalidated at the initial stage as they did not contain the right information under Schedule 1.11% (140) - Withdrawn16% (219) - Rejected. Many of the applications that remain undetermined have proved to be of poor quality and the BSR continues to work with applicants to ensure that applications properly demonstrate compliance with the minimum safety standards set out in the Building Regulations.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a formal requirement for local planning authorities to notify mobile network operators when a housing development likely to increase network demand is granted approval.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 29727 on 18 February 2025. In addition to national planning policy and guidance, the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development in England, published February 2022, sets out the roles and responsibilities for all relevant stakeholders, including applicants and local authorities, when planning for, consulting on and installing telecommunications infrastructure.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment made of the potential impact of the Renters’ Rights Bills on employment levels in the estate agency sector.

My Department published the Renters’ Rights Bill Impact Assessment (IA) on 22 November 2024. It received a ‘Green’ rating from the Regulatory Policy Committee, indicating that it is ‘fit for purpose’.In the IA, the government estimates there are 22,900 letting agents in England in 2023 and 64% of landlords use their services (sources: ONS and English Private Landlord Survey).The IA does not assess employment levels in the sector but does monetise the familiarisation costs of understanding and adjusting to new regulations for lettings agents. The IA also monetises the commensurate loss of income for lettings agents and other related business of reduced churn in the private rented sector as a result of more stable tenancies. Landlords will benefit from the equivalent saving in letting agent fees.There are also benefits that the Department has not been able to monetise, for example letting agents are expected to benefit from the Private Rented Sector Database because they will be able to register on behalf of landlords – generating income from this new service.