Written questions by Maguire.

Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 102833 on 12 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to protect historic pauper burial sites from (a) private development and (b) inappropriate land use.

Burial grounds can be considered as open space, which is defined in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) as all open space of public value. There are strong safeguards set out in the NPPF to ensure the continued protection of existing open space. The designation of land as Local Green Space also allows communities to identify and protect green areas of particular importance to them.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that undeveloped countryside is not listed as grey belt.

The government is committed to preserving Green Belts which have served England's towns and cities well over many decades, not least in terms of checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas and preventing neighbouring towns merging into one another. However, we know that there are simply not enough sites on brownfield land registers to deliver the volume of homes that the country needs each year, let alone enough that are viable and in the right location. The government’s new approach to the Green Belt, including prioritising the release of lower quality grey belt land and introducing ‘golden rules’ to ensure development benefits communities and nature, is set out in the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December. On 27 February, Planning Practice Guidance was published to assist local authorities and other decision-makers, and to support a consistent approach to determining whether land is grey belt. It can be found on gov.uk here. This new guidance will support authorities in producing Local Plans, while also making sure that planning applications and development on suitable grey belt land can proceed in the short-term in areas without an up-to-date plan. The government has also provided 133 local planning authorities with £70,000 of pump priming funding each to contribute towards the costs of carrying out Green Belt reviews in their areas.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to protect green belt land being reclassified as grey belt.

The government is committed to preserving Green Belts which have served England's towns and cities well over many decades, not least in terms of checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas and preventing neighbouring towns merging into one another. However, we know that there are simply not enough sites on brownfield land registers to deliver the volume of homes that the country needs each year, let alone enough that are viable and in the right location. The government’s new approach to the Green Belt, including prioritising the release of lower quality grey belt land and introducing ‘golden rules’ to ensure development benefits communities and nature, is set out in the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December. On 27 February, Planning Practice Guidance was published to assist local authorities and other decision-makers, and to support a consistent approach to determining whether land is grey belt. It can be found on gov.uk here. This new guidance will support authorities in producing Local Plans, while also making sure that planning applications and development on suitable grey belt land can proceed in the short-term in areas without an up-to-date plan. The government has also provided 133 local planning authorities with £70,000 of pump priming funding each to contribute towards the costs of carrying out Green Belt reviews in their areas.

Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of homes in (a) Surrey and (b) England have been built on land classified as grey belt land.

My Department does not hold the requested information. It is for individual local planning authorities to undertake the necessary assessments to identify if land is grey belt, either through plan making or through considering specific applications that come forward.

Communities and Local Government, what enforcement mechanisms are in place to ensure developers implement and maintain Sustainable Drainage Systems to the required standards in new developments.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 37386 on 18 March 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued guidance on redress in circumstances where adding a storey to a property under permitted development regulations results in the blocking of the sun to pre-existing solar panels on an adjoining property.

My Department has not issued any such guidance.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of suicide prevention training provided to fire and rescue staff.

The health and wellbeing of firefighters is of the utmost importance. The government recognises the risks that firefighters face and is grateful to them for their bravery. Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) are ultimately responsible for the health and wellbeing of firefighters and the government-issued National Framework directs that all Fire and Rescue Authorities should have a people strategy which sets out the mental and physical health and wellbeing support available to firefighters. National organisations such as The Fire Fighters Charity and Mind also offer valuable support to individuals and services. Their resources can assist Fire and Rescue Authorities in developing local approaches to managing mental health risks and promoting the wellbeing of their workforce. The health and wellbeing support provided by Fire and Rescue services is considered by the fire inspectorate (His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services) in the course of their work.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that people who migrate from income-related Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit are not affected by reductions in Council Tax Support.

Councils are required to provide a Local Council Tax Support (LCTS) scheme to support low-income households. Support for working age households, including the treatment of benefits, is designed by councils in consultation with their residents, taking into account the needs and circumstances of their local communities. Each year, councils must consider whether to revise or replace their scheme. For pension age households, councils administer a centrally prescribed LCTS scheme, which is reviewed annually.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with social housing providers on (a) the decent homes standard and (b) the provision of furnished tenancies in social housing to reduce levels of furniture poverty.

My Department engages actively with Registered Providers of social housing on all issues facing social housing tenants and with a range of stakeholders on issues facing residents and has engaged with groups such as End Furniture Poverty to understand their research on this issue.We will be consulting this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.People in need may be able to get support from their local authorities via the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.The Deputy Prime Minister is also part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is considering the impacts of living in poor quality housing on children.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to issue updated guidance to local authorities to ensure (a) fair and (b) consistent access for young people to homelessness support services.

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected, including young people. Youth homelessness will be considered as part of our long-term, cross-government strategy to get us back on track to ending homelessness for good. Local authorities need to consider homelessness support for young people as part of the Homelessness Code of Guidance (Homelessness code of guidance for local authorities - Guidance - GOV.UK), which includes the duties, and obligations on local authorities towards people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has considered the potential merits of increasing funding to local authorities to support higher hourly rates for care staff to (a) attract and (b)retain care workers from within the UK.

We have delivered a Settlement that begins to fix the foundations of local government by providing significant investment redirecting funding towards the services and places that need it most. The Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, including making available up to £3.7 billion in additional funding for social care authorities. The government has introduced legislation to establish the first-ever Fair Pay Agreement for care professionals to ensure care workers are fairly rewarded for the work they do. The Fair Pay Agreement aims to resolve the recruitment and retention crisis in the profession, alleviating pressures on public services in the longer term.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department monitors levels of furniture poverty.

My Department engages actively with a range of stakeholders on issues facing residents and has engaged with groups such as End Furniture Poverty to understand their research on this issue.People in need may be able to get support from their local authorities via the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.The Deputy Prime Minister is also part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is considering the impacts of living in poor quality housing on children.The government will consult later this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.

Communities and Local Government, what her timeline is for (a) consultation and (b) implementation of the updated Decent Homes Standard.

The government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with anti-poverty campaigners on strengthening the Decent Homes Standard for social housing.

My Department engages a wide range of external stakeholders, including campaigners, on issues facing social housing tenants.The government intends to consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of Government funding for Local Welfare Assistance.

Local welfare assistance funding is delivered through the Local Government Finance Settlement. The majority of funding in the local government finance settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure councils have the resources needed to provide safe, stable housing for homeless families.

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy.Homelessness legislation is clear that all temporary accommodation must be suitable, and local authorities should keep the suitability of accommodation under review. Where an individual feels that the council has applied their statutory duties incorrectly, they can take action in the courts or bring their concerns to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services has been increased by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total Homelessness spend to nearly £1 billion in 25/26, a record level of funding.In addition, the £1.2 billion Local Authority Housing Fund will provide capital funding directly to English councils and is expected to provide up to 7,000 homes by 2026. It will create a lasting asset for UK nationals by building a sustainable stock of affordable housing and better-quality temporary accommodation for local communities.The Government is clear that, in the short-term, we must prioritise eliminating the worst forms of temporary accommodation such as families in Bed and Breakfast (B&B), other than in genuine emergencies. We have also launched Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, backed by £5 million, to work with 20 local councils with the highest use of B&B accommodation for homeless families. This will support LAs to move families into more suitable accommodation.We are also taking action to improve standards across the housing sector, including temporary accommodation. The Renters’ Rights Bill will extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector which will set clear legal expectations about the timeframes within which landlords in the private rented sector must make homes safe where they contain serious hazards, including damp and mould. We plan to consult on how best to apply Awaab’s Law to temporary accommodation.Through the Renters’ Rights Bill the government has also introduced powers to apply the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector. Included in that clause is a power to bring Temporary Accommodation into scope of the Decent Homes Standard. The government’s intention is that the Decent Homes Standard should apply to TA, subject to consultation on the detail of the new standard, including how applicable it is to TA.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the findings from the National Child Mortality Database, if her Department will bring forward legislative proposals to mandate local authorities to provide cots for children under the age of two in temporary accommodation.

These statistics are shocking. Homelessness levels are far too high and we are taking action to fix the current system that has left too many families without security or stability.The Homelessness Code of Guidance is clear that temporary accommodation should not be considered suitable for a family with children under two if there is not enough space for a cot and that housing authorities should support families to secure a cot where needed. The legislation sets out that all temporary accommodation must be suitable, and local authorities should keep the suitability of accommodation under review. Where an individual feels that the council has applied their statutory duties incorrectly, they can take action in the courts or bring their concerns to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy.As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services has been increased by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total Homelessness spend to nearly £1 billion in 25/26, a record level of funding.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of exempting alms-houses from Selective Licensing charges.

Registered providers of social housing are exempt from selective licensing. Almshouses are able to register as providers of social housing, and this exemption will apply for those that do.Local authorities are responsible for selective licensing schemes in their area and have discretion to discount or waive selective licensing fees for almshouses.

Communities and Local Government, what support her Department provides to local authorities for English language tuition for (a) British National (Overseas) visa holders and (b) their families.

As part of MHCLG's Hong Kong British National (Overseas) [BN(O)] Welcome Programme, we fund local authorities in England up to £850 per adult BN(O) visa holder to support access to English language classes. This funding aims to help BN(O) visa holders and their dependents to improve their English language skills, facilitating better integration into their communities. The funding is demand-led, meaning it is based on current estimates of need. Local authorities are encouraged to collaborate with existing community groups and English language providers to build upon the existing local English language infrastructure. This approach helps to maximize the effectiveness of the support provided.