Written questions by Kirkham.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to prevent long leases from becoming assured shorthold tenancies.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will abolish assured shorthold tenancies, so most private rented sector tenancies will be assured tenancies in future. The Bill will also exclude leases over 21 years in length from the assured tenancy regime. This will mean that long leases cannot be considered assured or assured shorthold tenancies once the Bill’s reforms have been brought into force. This will close the ‘Tenancy Trap’, a problem for some leasehold-homeowners where their properties can be repossessed via the assured tenancy possession ground for rent arrears.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to reconstitute the Islands Forum.

My department is continuing to work closely with other UK Government departments to determine the future of the forum, which we will communicate in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that memorandum of understanding agreements with councils for this year’s Shared Prosperity Funding are in place; and whether the deadline for spend will be extended.

Officials are working at pace to ensure that memorandum of understanding agreements for delivery of UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) in 2025-26 are distributed to lead local authorities as soon as possible and before the start of the next financial year.UKSPF funding for the 2022-25 period must be incurred on activity that takes place on or before 31 March 2025. There is no flexibility to extend this expenditure deadline. Any UKSPF, Multiply or Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) underspends at the end of 2024-25 must be repaid to MHCLG.

Communities and Local Government, whether there is any recourse to funding available to people wishing to buy a pub in their village in the context of the closure of the Community Ownership Fund.

Community groups seeking funding to preserve community assets, including community pubs, can continue to use the guidance and tools available through the Community Ownership Fund development support provider on the MyCommunity site. These tools have been designed to help any organisation seeking to save an asset that is important to them and their local community and will remain available beyond the programme. The development support provider may also be able to help to suggest alternative sources of funding that organisations could look to secure. This Government remains committed to the communities’ sector and to community empowerment. The Devolution White Paper, which was published on 16 December 2024, set out plans which demonstrate our commitment. There will be further announcements relating to communities this year, including on the community ownership of assets.

Communities and Local Government, if she will introduce the Future Homes and Building Standards as soon as possible.

The Future Homes and Buildings Standards consultation was published in December 2023 and closed in March 2024; a government response, including implementation plans, has not yet been issued.Government fully supports the need for low carbon homes and buildings, fit for a net zero future. We are reviewing proposals and feedback from the Future Homes and Buildings Standards consultation and will publish the government response in due course.

Communities and Local Government, if she will issue guidance to registered social housing providers which confirms that if a floor covering exists in a property when the tenancy changes over that the default will

There is currently no legislation that requires social housing landlords to provide floor coverings and landlords are not required to remove floor coverings when a home is let to new tenants.The government will consult on a new Decent Homes Standard next ...

Communities and Local Government, if she will update the Decent Homes Standard to include floor coverings in social rented properties.

There is currently no legislation that requires social housing landlords to provide floor coverings and landlords are not required to remove floor coverings when a home is let to new tenants.The government will consult on a new Decent Homes Standard next ...

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of employees who will be impacted by the closure of the Department’s office in Truro; and what assessment she has made of the potential i

As at the 30 November 2024 there were 15 MHCLG employees based in the Truro office. The Department are consulting staff and Trade Unions on the decision to close the Truro office. This consultation will consider the impact on the individuals affected with...

Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for a decision on the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology by local authorities as a parking enforcement tool to tackle non-complian

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology cannot be used by Councils to enforce parking contraventions once a vehicle has left the car park. A notice of a parking charge from a Council must be given by a civil enforcement officer affixing it to...

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to alter planning regulations to require permission for changes from residential use class to a new short term let use class.

I refer my Hon Friend to the answer I gave to Question UIN 426 on 26 July 2024.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to replace the Shared Prosperity Fund after it expires.

Decisions on funding post March 2025 are a matter for the Budget.We are working closely with local authorities and key stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition to future funding, so communities continue to benefit from this vital support. Officials rema...

Communities and Local Government, if she will extend the Shared Prosperity Fund spend deadline for 12 months until 31 March 2026.

Decisions on funding post March 2025 are a matter for the Budget.We are working closely with local authorities and key stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition to future funding, so communities continue to benefit from this vital support. Officials rema...

Communities and Local Government, if she will (a) remove the Affordable Housing Grant embargo placed on Cornwall Council and (b) take steps to (i) restore and (ii) backdate the grant.

After being served a regulatory notice for health and safety failings, the previous Government prohibited Cornwall Council from accessing new Affordable Homes Programme funding. While I very much welcome the steps that the authority has taken toward addre...

Communities and Local Government, if she will extend the Towns Deal Fund spend deadline for 12 months until 31 March 2027.

The Towns Fund is due to close in March 2026 with the expectation that all funding recipients will have invested the entirety of their allocation by this date. The Chancellor’s July ‘Public Spending: Inheritance’ speech set out the state of the UK’s spend...