Written questions by Morgan.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs on planning policy for agricultural land of grades 1-3a.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure sufficient availability of land graded 1-3a for food production.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, when his department plans to publish the revised National Planning Policy Framework.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework. The consultation can be found here.We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the closing of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund on the voluntary and community sector in (a) Shropshire, (b) England and (c) the UK.

With the UK Shared Prosperity Fund concluding in 2026, the government is moving away from short-term, uncertain funding cycles and towards a clearer, more stable long-term funding approach through the Local Government Finance Settlement, complemented by targeted interventions to support growth and strengthen communities across the UK. While government support for local growth is broader than any single funding stream, we recognise the challenges around local capacity and impact on organisations delivering UKSPF-funded services, including within the voluntary and community sectors. Government is continuing to work closely with local government and delivery partners to help manage this transition, including by extending the UKSPF expenditure deadline to 30 September 2026, to provide local authorities and partners with greater flexibility to maximise spend. We understand that Shropshire is not currently a part of a devolution arrangement, but encourage expressions of interest for Foundational Strategic Authorities in line with the invitation issued on 12th February (Areas for producing spatial development strategies - GOV.UK).

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the report from Liverpool and Sheffield Hallam Universities on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission, published in June 2022.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97962 on 15 December 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the impact of the commission charge on the sale of park homes on park home owners.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97962 on 15 December 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help improve (a) verification and (b) record-keeping of radon mitigation measures by (i) building control bodies and (ii) approved inspectors.

Data on verification and record-keeping by Building Control Bodies and local authority Building Inspectors is not collected centrally. Guidance and information about radon for householders, employers, professionals and local authorities including radon maps, action levels, remedial work and further resources are available from the UK Health Security Agency and the Health & Safety Executive. The Building Regulations apply to new building work and are intended to protect people’s safety, health and welfare. They are supported by statutory guidance called Approved Documents, which are a significant tool for local authority Building Control officers or Registered Building Control Approvers who ensure new building work is compliant. Approved Document C includes guidance on radon protective measures and refers to the BRE report Radon: Guidance on protective measures for new buildings (including supplementary advice for extensions, conversions and refurbishment projects which is now in its 2023 edition; and to Radon in the workplace; a guide for building owners and managers. The Building Safety Act 2022 requires the Building Safety Regulator to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review; Building Regulations and Approved Documents can then be updated as needed.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help ensure that playing fields are not used for development in North Shropshire constituency.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) includes strong protections for existing open space, sports and recreational buildings, and land, including playing fields, setting out that they should not be built on unless they are no longer needed, equivalent or better provision is made, or the development is for alternative sports or recreational provision which offers benefits that clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use. The government is consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, more rules-based policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation includes updated policy on development affecting existing recreation facilities, including playing fields. The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking with the Department of Health and Social Care to reduce the number of people discharged from NHS care into homelessness.

In January 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department of Health and Social Care published Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, guidance to help staff plan safe discharges and prevent homelessness after NHS care. We will look closely at the issue of people being discharged from NHS care into homelessness in our cross-government Homelessness Strategy.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 84368 on UK Prosperity Fund, what steps he is taking to support rural areas outside of mayoralties with the transition from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The government will provide long-term local growth funding to support regional growth across all of the UK, completing the transition from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Pride in Place strategy sets out how this government will support places throughout the country, with communities given new tools and powers to shape their neighbourhoods in a way that is truly reflective of local need. Our allocation methodology targets need everywhere (regardless of type of community) and includes a number of rural communities. This includes communities in Wiltshire, East Lindsey, Somerset, amongst others. Funding is allocated based on a robust methodology, using established data to measure deprivation and community need across the country.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure (a) transparency and (b) accountability at parish council level.

Under the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, parish councils are required to complete and publish an Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) to support transparency in council spending and enable the local electorate to hold them to account. To strengthen public confidence in parish council finances, the government committed to reviewing the AGAR process in its response to the Local Audit Strategy consultation published in April 2025. In addition, parish councils with an annual turnover under £25,000 are subject to the Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities, which requires the publication of key financial and governance data to promote accountability. Councils with a gross income or expenditure over £200,000 must comply with the Local Government Transparency Code, which includes broader requirements for publishing information on spending, assets, organisational structure, and decision-making. These measures ensure that local residents can easily access information about how public money is used.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support local authorities to ensure the sufficiency of their trading standards enforcement teams.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 80438 on 20 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of unoccupied shop buildings in North Shropshire.

The Government is fully committed to revitalising our high streets and tackling vacancy, in North Shropshire and across the country. To help reduce the number of unoccupied shop units, the Government is empowering councils through High Street Rental Auctions, enabling them to bring long-term vacant properties back into use. This is supported by wider national measures, including banning upwards-only rent reviews in commercial leases and introducing lower business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors from 2026. Additional powers such as the community right to buy and streamlined compulsory purchase orders will further support local revitalisation and help create more vibrant, accessible high streets.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that projects funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will continue to receive support when that programme ends.

The government is providing targeted, long-term local growth funding to support regional growth across the UK, completing the transition from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.This includes establishing a new local growth fund, for specific mayoral city regions in the North and Midlands; providing financial investments to capitalise a new recyclable mayoral growth fund for mayors in the North and Midlands with an integrated settlement; and launching the Pride in Place Programme, which represents one of the largest investments in deprived neighbourhoods for a generation - up to £5 billion over 10 years to support up to 250 places.This is in addition to increases in council’s Core Spending Power and the upcoming reforms to the Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) moving to a more up-to-date assessment of each council’s needs and multi-year allocations.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to encourage economic growth in market towns in North Shropshire constituency.

Economic growth and raising living standards is the number one mission of this government. Everywhere has an important role to play in driving growth and this government recognises the contribution that market towns, such as those in North Shropshire, make to the national economy and their surrounding communities. Subject to consultation, we will fundamentally improve the way we fund local authorities, providing greater long-term certainty through the first multi-year Local Government Finance Settlement in 10 years, from 2026-27. This will enable local government to focus on its priorities, including driving growth. With core funding provided by DBT and delivered in partnership with local government, the Marches Growth Hub provides local businesses across Shropshire with access to advice and support for any stage of their business journey and is part of a network of 41 Growth Hubs across England. We continue to work across government to support high streets, often the focal point of market towns, and we look forward to working with local partners to support continued momentum on economic development.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with local authorities on the adequacy of the enforcement of safeguarding in relation to the placement of families in temporary accommodation with single homeless adults.

Local authorities 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 sets out what local authorities must consider when determining whether accommodation is suitable, which you can find on gov.uk here. When accommodation with shared facilities is used to house children, local authorities must consider safeguarding risks.MHCLG’s dedicated team of homelessness advisers have regular discussions with local authorities as they discharge their homelessness duties in line with legislation.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60599 on Neighbourhood Plans, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the decision to end the commissioning of new neighbourhood planning support services on the ability of (a) town and (b) parish councils to develop neighbourhood plans.

As part of the Spending Review we’ve looked at all the services and programmes the government supports to identify those that should now be in a position to support themselves without ongoing funding. After more than a decade of taxpayer support, we believe that support for neighbourhood planning groups should be possible without further government funding. Parish and Town Councils have access to their own resources which they can choose to use for neighbourhood planning if they wish. With the end to the national structure for support, planning consultants should be able to innovate and offer groups lower cost support more targeted at their particular ambitions and needs.

Communities and Local Government, what assumptions her Department made of how councils would allocate additional funding raised through (a) council tax and (b) the social care precept when calculating the level of funding provided for adult social care in the Spending Review 2025.

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 additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the NHS’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with DHSC’s Spending Review settlement. Council tax levels and the resulting income for services are decided by local authorities each year. The government maintains a referendum threshold so that voters can have the final say over excessive increases. The Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain a 3% referendum threshold, with an additional 2% for the adult social care precept, continuing the policy of the previous government. This will be subject to the annual approval of the House of Commons. Local Authorities with responsibility for Adult Social Care will also benefit from wider reforms to better align funding with need, multi-year settlements and simplification of the local government funding landscape. My department is currently consulting on these proposals as part of Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation which runs from 20 June to 15 August. We will work together with local government to ensure that the funding available for adult social care supports delivery of priority adult social care outcomes. Further details on funding allocations and assurance arrangements will be provided at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. The provisional Settlement will be subject to consultation, as in previous years.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Spending Review 2025, when the funding for social care will be allocated to local authorities.

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 additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the NHS’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with DHSC’s Spending Review settlement. Council tax levels and the resulting income for services are decided by local authorities each year. The government maintains a referendum threshold so that voters can have the final say over excessive increases. The Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain a 3% referendum threshold, with an additional 2% for the adult social care precept, continuing the policy of the previous government. This will be subject to the annual approval of the House of Commons. Local Authorities with responsibility for Adult Social Care will also benefit from wider reforms to better align funding with need, multi-year settlements and simplification of the local government funding landscape. My department is currently consulting on these proposals as part of Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation which runs from 20 June to 15 August. We will work together with local government to ensure that the funding available for adult social care supports delivery of priority adult social care outcomes. Further details on funding allocations and assurance arrangements will be provided at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. The provisional Settlement will be subject to consultation, as in previous years.

Communities and Local Government, when local authorities will receive the first instalment of social care funding announced in the Spending Review 2025: and whether this funding will be subject to (a) accountability measures, (b) ring-fencing and (c) monitoring.

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 additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the NHS’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with DHSC’s Spending Review settlement. Council tax levels and the resulting income for services are decided by local authorities each year. The government maintains a referendum threshold so that voters can have the final say over excessive increases. The Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain a 3% referendum threshold, with an additional 2% for the adult social care precept, continuing the policy of the previous government. This will be subject to the annual approval of the House of Commons. Local Authorities with responsibility for Adult Social Care will also benefit from wider reforms to better align funding with need, multi-year settlements and simplification of the local government funding landscape. My department is currently consulting on these proposals as part of Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation which runs from 20 June to 15 August. We will work together with local government to ensure that the funding available for adult social care supports delivery of priority adult social care outcomes. Further details on funding allocations and assurance arrangements will be provided at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. The provisional Settlement will be subject to consultation, as in previous years.