Written questions by McMurdock.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to support newly formed councils inheriting debts from councils due to be abolished in local government reorganisation.

In general, as with previous rounds of local government reorganisation, there is no proposal for council debt to be addressed centrally or written off as part of reorganisation. However, the government accepts that Woking Borough Council and Thurrock Council hold significant and exceptional unsupported debt, related to capital practices, that cannot be managed locally in their entirety. The government has committed to providing debt repayment support for both these councils. Any support will need to consider what further action these councils can take locally within their capacity to reduce debt, and value for money for the national and local taxpayer. We will continue to work with both these councils and Best Value Commissioners on the issue of their unmanageable debt and provide further details in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that newly created councils holding shadow elections in 2027 have newly drawn wards compliant with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England's criteria.

The government is committed to ending two-tier local government in England in this Parliament, and to move to new structures as soon as possible, including elections to new unitary councils in May 2027 in areas other than Surrey. The government has not yet made decisions on those elections. The first stage is for areas to prepare proposals for unitary councils. We received proposals from the six areas in the Devolution Priority Programme by 26 September and for the remaining 14 areas the deadline is 28 November. In the statutory invitations we asked councils to include councillor numbers in their proposals, and they may choose to include information about electoral arrangements. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (the Commission) have offered support with guidance and a series of webinars. Once Ministers have reached a decision on which proposal, if any, to implement, then electoral arrangements for the new councils will be included in the structural changes order that establishes any new councils. These will be built using a mixture of existing wards, divisions or, in some cases, parishes. The government expects to work closely with the relevant councils and the Commission to ensure these arrangements are fit for purpose for the first elections and have regard to the Commission’s criteria. The Commission then expects to carry out an electoral review of all newly established councils after their first elections and before their subsequent elections.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to issue guidance to newly created local councils who inherit areas at different stages of the local plan-making process and have not adopted a local plan.

The government expects local planning authorities to work towards the adoption of an up-to-date local plan as soon as possible. Local government reorganisation should not hinder this essential work.The legal status of local plans is not impacted by local government reorganisation. Where reorganisation occurs, new unitary authorities are expected to promptly prepare a local plan covering the whole of their area. Until that new plan is adopted, existing constituent local plans remain in force as part of the development plan for their area. New unitary authorities will have the discretion to progress emerging constituent local plans. A new legal framework for local-plan making will be introduced later this year. Significant financial assistance has already been provided to eligible authorities to support plan-making and authorities should make the most of other support available through the Local Government Association’s Planning Advisory Service.

Communities and Local Government, whether shadow council elections will operate on existing ward boundaries.

The government is committed to ending two-tier local government in England in this Parliament, and to move to new structures as soon as possible, including elections to new unitary councils in May 2027 in areas other than Surrey. The government has not yet made decisions on those elections. The first stage is for areas to prepare proposals for unitary councils. We received proposals from the six areas in the Devolution Priority Programme by 26 September and for the remaining 14 areas the deadline is 28 November. In the statutory invitations we asked councils to include councillor numbers in their proposals, and they may choose to include information about electoral arrangements. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (the Commission) have offered support with guidance and a series of webinars. Once Ministers have reached a decision on which proposal, if any, to implement, then electoral arrangements for the new councils will be included in the structural changes order that establishes any new councils. These will be built using a mixture of existing wards, divisions or, in some cases, parishes. The government expects to work closely with the relevant councils and the Commission to ensure these arrangements are fit for purpose for the first elections and have regard to the Commission’s criteria. The Commission then expects to carry out an electoral review of all newly established councils after their first elections and before their subsequent elections.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the impact of house price growth in the last year on home ownership rates among young people.

The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people, including key workers, are now locked out of homeownership. In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, the government is supporting people into home ownership, including through the shared ownership scheme and the Lifetime ISA. The government has also introduced a new, permanent Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, available to support and sustain availability of low deposit mortgage products for prospective buyers. First-time buyers in East England may also benefit from home ownership initiatives offered at the local level.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce targeted housing initiatives to support young people in high-cost areas.

The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people, including key workers, are now locked out of homeownership. In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, the government is supporting people into home ownership, including through the shared ownership scheme and the Lifetime ISA. The government has also introduced a new, permanent Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, available to support and sustain availability of low deposit mortgage products for prospective buyers. First-time buyers in East England may also benefit from home ownership initiatives offered at the local level.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the affordability of housing for young people in East England.

The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people, including key workers, are now locked out of homeownership. In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, the government is supporting people into home ownership, including through the shared ownership scheme and the Lifetime ISA. The government has also introduced a new, permanent Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, available to support and sustain availability of low deposit mortgage products for prospective buyers. First-time buyers in East England may also benefit from home ownership initiatives offered at the local level.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the average house price for first time buyers in East England.

The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people, including key workers, are now locked out of homeownership. In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, the government is supporting people into home ownership, including through the shared ownership scheme and the Lifetime ISA. The government has also introduced a new, permanent Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, available to support and sustain availability of low deposit mortgage products for prospective buyers. First-time buyers in East England may also benefit from home ownership initiatives offered at the local level.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that the National Planning Policy Framework supports charities.

The National Planning Policy Framework supports the facilities and services communities need. It makes clear that planning policies and decisions should plan positively for the provision and use of shared spaces, community facilities and other local services to enhance the sustainability of communities and residential environments. This can include facilities used by charities.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) integrated playgrounds, (b) play and (c) other inclusive community facilities on the health and wellbeing of (i) disabled children and (ii) their families in Basildon.

The government is committed to creating inclusive, accessible parks and play areas.We have made no assessment of the potential impact of integrated playgrounds, play and other inclusive community facilities in Basildon. local authorities are best placed to evaluate and meet the needs of their local area.The government is equipping them to do that by providing more funding – an 8% increase in government-funded spending power over the next four years – and the National Planning Policy Framework, which is clear that planning policies and decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places. Our National Model Design Code, provides a toolkit for planners to help them produce local design codes that include play areas which are accessible and inclusive for all.Local authorities must also consider their obligations under the Equalities Act of 2010 when providing public spaces, this includes ensuring that they are accessible and inclusive.The government’s Green Flag Award sets the national and international quality standard for parks and green spaces. The scheme encourages parks managers to ensure parks are welcoming and accessible to all users, including disabled people. I congratulate Basildon’s own Wat Tyler Country Park, a Green Flag Award recipient which includes an inclusive play area with features for wheelchair users and children of all abilities.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prioritise veterans presenting at local authorities as homeless for housing assistance.

This Government recognises the extraordinary contribution that veterans have given to their country through their service. That’s why we have since made changes to social housing allocations regulations to exempt all veterans from local connection and residency tests to facilitate their access to social housing. Veterans also receive a high level of support to plan and prepare for their discharge from the Armed Services and can access a number of existing support services, including housing support through Op Fortitude. You can find more details about this on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure service personnel are made aware of the social housing support available if they are at risk of homelessness.

This Government recognises the extraordinary contribution that veterans have given to their country through their service. That’s why we have since made changes to social housing allocations regulations to exempt all veterans from local connection and residency tests to facilitate their access to social housing. Veterans also receive a high level of support to plan and prepare for their discharge from the Armed Services and can access a number of existing support services, including housing support through Op Fortitude. You can find more details about this on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an estimate of savings to local authorities from providing funding to local charities.

The voluntary, community and social enterprise sector plays an important role in the delivery of services and running of facilities that support happier, healthier communities. Many local authorities deliver in partnership with their community organisations, and we encourage them to continue to do so.

Communities and Local Government, if she will consider the potential merits of requiring the provision of publicly accessible bleed control kits as part of local authority regeneration plans.

The department has no plans to require local authorities to provide publicly accessible bleed control kits. The department believes local councils are best placed to make decisions about the priorities for local community safety.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that fractional ownership schemes are adequately regulated to protect consumers.

Housing providers offering shared ownership properties that are grant-funded or delivered via Section 106 agreements must use model leases provided by Homes England or the Greater London Authority. These model leases contain a fundamental clause governing how shared ownership operates. Most shared ownership homes are also delivered by Registered Providers of Social Housing, regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing. However, private developers offering shared ownership outside of grant funding or Section 106 are not required to follow a model lease or be regulated by the Regulator. Consumers who encounter issues with their shared ownership arrangement may be able to seek support or redress through the Housing Ombudsman Service, where applicable. Other routes may be available depending on the provider and nature of the issue. The government is considering what more can be done to improve the experience of shared owners.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to take steps to introduce a statutory requirement for local fire and rescue services to be consulted during the planning process for BESS installations.

Planning Practice Guidance encourages developers who are promoting BESS and for local planning authorities to engage with local fire and rescue services and National Fire Chiefs Council guidance. I also refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 35249 on 12 March 2025 and Question UIN 5520 on 11 October 2024.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has plans to review leasehold arrangements to prevent charities leasing buildings from having to deal with the costs of failed (a) heat pumps and (b) other infrastructure.

No such assessment has been made. However, The Law Commission is conducting a review of business tenancies to ensure the commercial leasehold market is accessible and functions effectively. In addition, through High Street Rental Auctions, we are creating opportunities for these groups to secure property opportunities.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the merits of funding fire and rescue services in the same way as police and ambulance services in order to meet changes in employers' National Insurance.

As part of the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announced an additional £515 million to help councils manage the impact of employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) changes from the Autumn Budget. Payments to councils are un-ringfenced to give Local Authorities discretion over the use of funds in their area. This funding can be used to support councils to mitigate the additional costs of employer NICs within direct, commissioned, and externally provided local services, for example.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure fire and rescue services keep pace with (a) international best practice and (b) technological advancements.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) maintains a proactive approach to identifying international best practices through its established workstreams. These workstreams encompass areas such as technological innovation, operational tactics, and strategic response, providing valuable insights that can inform the continuous improvement of Fire and Rescue Services. Fire and Rescue Authorities are operationally independent from central government. Decisions on how resources are deployed—including the adoption of new technologies—are made locally. Each authority assesses its own risks and local circumstances to determine the most effective ways to protect its communities.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of being liable for the repair or replacement of heat pumps in leased premises on (a) charities and (b) non-profit organisations.

No such assessment has been made. However, The Law Commission is conducting a review of business tenancies to ensure the commercial leasehold market is accessible and functions effectively. In addition, through High Street Rental Auctions, we are creating opportunities for these groups to secure property opportunities.