Written questions by Shannon.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department holds information on the number of buildings that do not meet standards for safe cladding.

The department publishes monthly data on the number of 11m+ residential buildings identified with unsafe cladding and their remediation progress. This can be found here: Building Safety Remediation - GOV.UK. The latest release shows that as at 31st March 2025, there are 5,031 11m+ buildings identified with unsafe cladding, of which 1,637 (33%) have completed remediation works.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to ensure community cohesion within local planning departments.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is leading cross-government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion, working in partnership with communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues which local areas face.The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that planning policies and decisions should aim to promote healthy, inclusive and safe places which promote social interaction, including opportunities for meetings between people who might not otherwise come into contact with each other.Places should be safe and accessible, so that crime and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not undermine the quality of life or community cohesion.Local Planning Authorities 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, taking into account local strategies to improve health, social and cultural wellbeing for all sections of the community.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to expand tenants rights in relation to eviction notices.

The Renters’ Rights Bill delivers our manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including by ending Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions. The Bill will improve the current system for both the 11 million private renters and 2.3 million landlords in England. It will give renters much greater security and stability so they can stay in their homes for longer, build lives in their communities, and avoid the risk of homelessness.

Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of families on waiting lists for social housing.

The number of households on social housing registers (waiting lists) in England and for each local authority in England is available each year since 1987 in live table 600 on gov.uk here. My Department only collects data on housing registers for local authorities in England as social housing is a devolved matter. The number of households on the housing register (waiting list) is not the same as the number of households waiting. Local authorities periodically review their registers to remove households who no longer require housing, so the total number of households on housing registers may overstate the number of households who still require social housing at any one time. Housing register size may also be affected by other factors. For example, there is the potential for some households to be on the housing register of more than one local authority. The frequency of reviews varies between local authorities.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of homes that are uninhabitable due to excessive mould and damp.

The English Housing Survey (EHS) provides findings on housing quality and condition in England, including damp and mould. The EHS found that, in 2022-23, 4% of dwellings had a problem with damp. The EHS does not report on whether damp has made a property uninhabitable or not, but relevant government guidance clearly sets out the health risks associated with damp and mould in the home and how to reduce these risks. The guidance in question can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on the number of people on social housing registers.

Local authorities report on the number of households on social housing registers in England through the Local Authority Housing Statistics (LAHS) collection, which is publicly available in live table 600 here.The government is working in partnership with local authorities to tackle the housing crisis and I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 31737 on 27 February 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of (a) mould and (b) damp in the housing stock of housing associations.

The English Housing Survey sets out levels of overcrowding and the prevalence of damp and mould in people’s homes. Nationwide, 10% of private renters were found to be living with damp and mould, followed by 7% of local authority renters, and 4% of those in housing associations. The government is committed to working with social housing providers to ensure that homes are safe, decent, warm, and free from damp and mould. The Deputy Prime Minister made a Written Ministerial Statement on 6 February (HCWS423) confirming that the government will be bringing Awaab’s Law into force for damp and mould in October 2025. Awaab’s Law is vital legislation that will empower social housing tenants to hold their landlords to account using the full force of the law if they fail to investigate and fix hazards within their homes within set timescales. It will also allow tenants to access the Housing Ombudsman if their landlord does not adhere to strict timelines for action. The government is also committed to consulting on a new Decent Homes Standard and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards this year.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of trends in the levels of house prices in the last 12 months.

My Department continuously monitors the latest data on house prices.In the 12 months up to December 2024 (the most recent data from the ONS), average house prices in the UK rose from £256,000 to £268,000 a 4.6% increase.In England, the average house price rose from £279,000 to £291,000 a 4.3% increase. The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership. The government is committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme, to support first-time buyers who struggle to save for a large deposit, with lower mortgage costs.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the availability of housing stock.

Delivering the government’s ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament will increase the availability of housing stock.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the damage cause by Storm Eowyn to housing.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 sets out that the planning system should take full account of all climate impacts, including storm and flood risk. Planning should help to ensure that development minimises vulnerability and improves resilience to the effects of climate change. The Framework sets out overarching policy on flood risk from all sources. It states that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding, whether an existing or a potential future risk, should be avoided. Where no alternative sites are available, permission should only be granted where it can be demonstrated that it will be safe for its lifetime taking account of the vulnerability of its users, without increasing flood risk elsewhere, and, where possible, will reduce flood risk overall.

Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has spent on taxi expenses for homeless people in the last 12 months.

The Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG) is allocated to councils across England based on local homelessness pressures and is used to meet local needs.HPG funding allocations for the period 2023 through 2025 are available online and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-prevention-grant-2023-to-2025Local authorities can use their funding flexibly to support homeless households. MHCLG does not hold any data on the proportion of funding that was allocated to taxi expenses.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of under 25s who are renting privately.

The English Housing Survey (EHS) contains details of the demographic profile of households in England. In the most recent published figures (for 2023-24) there were 447,000 households renting privately where the Household Reference Person (HRP) was aged 16-24. This equates to 10% out of all households in the private rented sector. Around two-thirds (68%) of all households where the HRP was aged 16-24 were renting privately.More information on the EHS can be found on gov.uk here, and detailed information on the demographic profile of household can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the merits of deposits for private renters.

The government believes the current requirements for private rented sector (PRS) tenants to pay, and PRS landlords to protect, a tenancy deposit are reasonable.The Housing Act 2004 requires landlords to protect deposits taken in England and Wales for assured shorthold tenancies, on or after 6 April 2007, with a government-authorised Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDP) scheme. These schemes operate with no cost to the tenant.The Tenant Fees Act 2019 created legal limits to the amount of deposit that can be charged, and Trading Standards can fine landlords up to £5,000 for breaking the rules and up to £30,000 for multiple breaches.As part of the re-procurement process of these schemes we are reviewing the operation of the TDP system and identifying areas for improvement.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on funding to support small and medium-sized businesses starting up on high streets in Northern Ireland.

This government is committed to resetting relations with the Devolved Governments, to work collaboratively and deliver the best outcomes for people across the UK, including the people of Northern Ireland. To this end, the Deputy Prime Minister visited Northern Ireland and met with the First and Deputy First Ministers within days of taking office.This early engagement has been followed by further meetings between MHCLG Ministers and their NI Executive counterparts. I had the pleasure of visiting Northern Ireland in September of last year as part of the ongoing reset in relations, and over the course of the autumn had highly constructive introductory conversations with the NI Ministers for Finance, Communities and Economy. I continue to engage with NI Ministers on our shared priorities in relation to local growth.You will be aware that we recently confirmed the UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation for NI for 2025-26. As part of this, we are working with NI councils and the Department for the Economy on Go Succeed, which provides support for people across Northern Ireland to start and grow their business.The government will publish its Small Business Strategy later this year which will set out the government’s vision for supporting small businesses, across key policy areas such as creating thriving high streets and making it easier to access finance. We will be engaging closely with the Northern Ireland Executive and SMEs across the UK to support its development.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of service charges by housing associations.

The government recognise the considerable financial strain that rising services charges are placing on leaseholders and tenants of housing associations.The level of service charge that leaseholders pay depends on many factors, including the terms of a lease and the age and condition of a building.By law, variable service charges must be reasonable. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal.The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes measures designed to drive up the transparency of service charges to make them more easily challengeable if leaseholders consider them to be unreasonable.The government is committed to acting quickly to implement the provisions of the Act. Further detail can be found in the written ministerial statement published on Thursday 21 November (HCWS244).

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on tackling homelessness.

MHCLG Ministers and officials engage regularly with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss a range of issues, including tackling homelessness.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with the Department of Communities in Northern Ireland on tackling homelessness.

MHCLG Ministers and officials engage regularly with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss a range of issues, including tackling homelessness.

Communities and Local Government, if she will hold discussions with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive on women sleeping rough because of domestic abuse.

The Deputy Prime Minister has been clear about the importance of resetting this department’s relationship with devolved governments so that we are increasing collaboration on shared opportunities and challenges. UK Government ministers talk regularly to counterparts in Northern Ireland across the full range of government business.Domestic abuse is a societal issue which affects people, mostly women and girls, across the UK. This Government is committed to tackling this horrendous crime, in line with our manifesto commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.I recognise that the four nations of the UK face common challenges regarding domestic abuse and homelessness, which are devolved matters. In England, local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure support in safe accommodation is available to all victims of domestic abuse who need to flee their homes, and victims of domestic abuse have priority need for homelessness assistance meaning local authorities have a duty to secure suitable accommodation, including temporary accommodation, until settled accommodation is secured.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to increase cross-government collaboration with the devolved Administrations.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State made clear the importance of resetting her department’s relationship with devolved governments so that we are increasing collaboration on shared opportunities and challenges.The Deputy Prime Minister has held productive meetings with First Ministers and Deputy First Ministers across the UK, and look forward to continuing positive engagement in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.Ministers are also working actively with counterparts in the devolved governments, with recent meetings on housing and the Grenfell announcement.