Written questions by Hayes.

Communities and Local Government, what the total cost to the public purse was for the creation of the Greater Lincolnshire combined county authority.

The costs of establishing and running Mayoral Combined (County) Authorities are managed by its constituent councils and the Authority itself once established. Government provides support to help with these costs. For Greater Lincolnshire the government provided £500k Mayoral Capacity Funding in 2024-25. There are considerable benefits for Greater Lincolnshire from the devolution agreement, which include £24 million a year investment funding for 30 years, and the transport and adult skills budgets that were previously controlled from Whitehall.

Communities and Local Government, with reference the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025, whether her Department plans to amend its policy on the use of women only spaces in its buildings by transgender women.

We are reviewing our policies, including on toilets and single-sex spaces, in line with the Supreme Court ruling.We will follow external advice from relevant advisory bodies.We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.

Communities and Local Government, whether Homes England has offered apprenticeships in each year since 2018.

Homes England has made use of apprentices each year in its workforce since 2017.

Communities and Local Government, whether HM Land Registry has offered apprenticeships since 2010.

The Civil Service is committed to using apprenticeships to break down barriers to opportunity, support skills development and deliver more effective public services. HM Land Registry has offered 800 apprenticeships across England and Wales since 2014. Those apprenticeships have ranged from Level 2 to Level 7 to support personal development and increase organisational capability while also supporting apprentices to join Government Professions such as Digital, Data & Technology, Legal, HR and Finance.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the cost to the public purse of local government reorganisation in Lincolnshire.

The overall case for local government reorganisation is set out the English Devolution White Paper. A PWC 2020 report estimated that reorganisation of the then 25 two-tier areas to a single unitary would have a one-off cost of £400 million, with the potential to realise £2.9 billion over five years, with an annual post-implementation net recurring saving of £700 million, however as it is for local areas to submit proposals for government to consider, the savings could vary area by area and across England in the round. We are also keen to ensure the wider benefits are also promoted, specifically simplified and more efficient structures. Councils in Lincolnshire were invited on 5 February to develop proposals for reorganisation, which are due to be submitted to government by November 2025. It will be for the new councils to achieve the efficiencies identified in reorganisation proposals and subsequent detailed implementation and transformation plans while delivering high quality and sustainable public services to local residents and businesses.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help support young people to get onto the housing ladder in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership. This government is determined to change that, ensuring that young families and hardworking renters can buy a home of their own.Boosting the supply of homes of all tenures must be at the heart of any strategy to improve housing affordability which is why the government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament.In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, we are committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme, to support first-time buyers, including those in South Holland and the Deepings constituency and Lincolnshire, who struggle to save for a large deposit, with lower mortgage costs.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of taking embodied carbon into account when considering proposals to restore or replace older buildings.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 28035 on 18 February 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what proportion of food procured by her Department is sourced in the UK.

As tenants in our offices, the management and procurement of food supplies is overseen by the Government Property Agency or the Landlord.To date the Government has not held information on where publicly procured food is sourced from. This Government is reviewing the food currently bought in the public sector to determine the standards that it is meeting, where it is bought from and look to introduce monitoring for transparency and accountability within those supply chains to ultimately get the best food for the consumer. This work will be a significant first step to inform any future changes to public sector food procurement policies as we want to help make it an equal playing field for British producers to bid into the £5 billion spent each year on public sector catering contracts.

Communities and Local Government, for what purposes the Planning Inspectorate has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is key to delivering the outcomes set out in the blueprint for modern digital government published on 21 January 2025. The policy paper can be found on gov.uk here.The Planning Inspectorate has undertaken the following exploratory work in relation to AI in the past 12 months:· The Inspectorate issued guidance on use of artificial intelligence as part of any appeal, application or examination being dealt with by the Planning Inspectorate.· The Inspectorate established an Artificial Intelligence Governance Board as per the government’s Generative AI Framework.· The Inspectorate investigated the use of Artificial Intelligence tools to support in the redaction of the data and documents it publishes, as necessary.· The Inspectorate investigated the use of tools powered by artificial intelligence to create visualisations and extract insights from data about casework for internal staff use only.· The Inspectorate undertook the first phase of internal testing of Microsoft CoPilot tools for staff to establish their impact and ensure appropriate security measures are in place.The Planning Inspectorate can draw on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, to inform AI usage. For example, the Generative AI Framework, the Ethics, Transparency and Accountability Framework, the Data Ethics Framework, the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard.The Planning Inspectorate also has access to the Government Digital Service, part of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, for expert advice.

Communities and Local Government, for what purposes HM Land Registry has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

HM Land Registry is exploring the potential of Artificial Intelligence to deliver the outcomes set out in the blueprint for modern digital government published on 21 January 2025. The policy paper can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, for what purposes (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have used AI in the last 12 months.

Ministers and officials utilise AI for various purposes. This includes automating routine tasks (such as data entry and document processing), supporting research and development initiatives and analysing large datasets to identify trends and inform policy decisions.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to (a) protect and (b) enhance green spaces in (i) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (ii) Lincolnshire.

The designation of land as Local Green Space through local and neighbourhood plans allows communities to identify and protect green areas of particular importance to them. Designating land as Local Green Space should be consistent with the local planning of sustainable development and complement investment in sufficient homes, jobs, and other essential services.The National Planning Policy Framework includes strong protections to prevent development on existing open space, including playing fields and formal play spaces, in recognition of its important role in supporting the health and well-being of communities, its wider benefits for nature and efforts to address climate change.The government is committed to creating better access to parks and green spaces for everyone. The MHCLG-owned Green Flag Award scheme sets the national standard for parks and green spaces that are welcoming, safe, well-maintained and promote biodiversity and community participation, promoting best practice across the sector.  We have seen many green spaces across Lincolnshire afforded this prestigious accolade, including Boultham Park, Lincoln Arboretum, Queen Elizabeth Park and Central Park Scunthorpe.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to increase levels of investment in high streets in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

This Government is committed to supporting our high-street businesses and communities. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced that it is retaining and reforming the Long-Term Plan for Towns as part of a new regeneration programme. Spalding, Skegness and Boston, together with 75 towns, will each receive up to £20 million in additional funding and support for their communities.An additional £900 million UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) was also announced for financial year 2025/26, with the Greater Lincolnshire Combined Authority set to receive £14.7 million. This follows £2.6 million UKSPF funding that South Holland District Council received for 2022-2025. Under the UKSPF-delegated model, Greater Lincolnshire Combined Authority may choose to invest in high streets in their area. This allows local leaders to continue to invest in local priorities and deliver projects that drive growth and support regeneration.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the supply of adapted housing for (a) adults and (b) children with disabilities in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

The English Housing Survey includes data on adaptations within the home at a national level. Data is not held at constituency level.The right housing arrangements are crucial in supporting people to live independently and well. The National Planning Policy Framework outlines that it is for local planning authorities to assess the housing needed for different groups in their area, including disabled people, and reflect this in their local plan.Local housing authorities also have a statutory duty to provide Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) funding for home adaptations to disabled people of all ages and tenures subject to a means test, eligibility criteria and a needs assessment.Government provided funding of £842,476 to South Holland District Council and £1,063,807 to South Kesteven District Council for the DFG for 2024–2025. As announced by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on 3 January 2025, an in-year uplift to the DFG budget, totalling £86 million, will be paid to local authorities as soon as possible. South Holland District Council will receive £115,925 and South Kesteven District Council will receive £146,380 in additional funding.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the annual running costs of the New Towns Taskforce.

The New Towns Taskforce is an independent expert advisory panel established in September 2024 to support the government to deliver the next generation of new towns.The Taskforce consists of 10 sector experts in relevant fields such as planning, infrastructure delivery, architecture and urban regeneration. The estimated running costs of the Taskforce, including remuneration, is around £200,000.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the English Devolution White Paper on the delivery of public services in Lincolnshire.

Subject to the relevant Statutory Instrument being made, Greater Lincolnshire will elect a Mayor in May 2025. The Mayor and Combined County Authority will receive the additional funding and powers associated with the Mayoral Strategic Authority level of devolution as set out in the White Paper, including on adult education and employment support, transport, and planning. As previously agreed, they will also receive a mayoral investment fund of £24 million a year for 30 years. Transferring funding and powers from Westminster will give an elected local leader the tools they need to kick start the local economy and improve vital public services across Lincolnshire.The White Paper also announced a programme of local government reorganisation for two-tier areas. Unitarisation can lead to better outcomes for residents, and save significant money which can be reinvested in public services.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the funding gap for district councils in Lincolnshire in the next two years.

The provisional Settlement for 2025-26 makes available £69 billion for local government, which is a 3.5% real terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25. The final Settlement will increase further, to incorporate the £515 million of funding announced for National Insurance Contributions.The Department works closely with local government and other government departments to understand specific demand and cost pressures facing local government on an ongoing basis. This involves looking at a range of cost and demand data, as well as regular engagement with local authorities.Future funding for local government and the timings of the Local Government Finance Settlement are bound by the spending review cycle. The government has committed to a multi-year Spending Review in Spring 2025. We are committed to delivering the first multi-year Settlement in 10 years in 2026-27, which will distribute funding based on an updated assessment of need. We are fully consulting with the sector on our funding reform proposals.

Communities and Local Government, how many full-time equivalent diversity, equality and inclusion staff are employed by Homes England.

As of 19 December 2024, no staff within Homes England are employed in full-time equivalent diversity, equality and inclusion roles.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an estimate of the cost of creating a unitary authority in Lincolnshire.

There has not been such an estimate made for the cost of creating a unitary authority in Lincolnshire. That will be for councils to consider when developing their proposals for new unitary councils that are the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks.

Communities and Local Government, whether (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire will receive funding from the Recovery Grant, announced on 28 November 2024.

The newly announced £600 million Recovery Grant, part of the provisional 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement, is part of the careful balance this Government is making between meeting the current, acute pressures and taking meaningful steps towards a fundamental update of the system that will improve sector sustainability as a whole. The Recovery Grant will go to places where, weighted by population, deprivation outweighs council tax raising ability.The government is also clear that the outcomes of this grant will not reflect the final outcome of reform which will be based on a full, broader assessment of need and will not be based on deprivation alone.Both Lincolnshire County Council and South Kestevan District Council will not receive funding from the Recovery Grant. South Holland District Council will receive £0.2 million. Although not all councils will receive allocations from the Recovery Grant, it is only one part of the 2025-26 Settlement, which will be worth £69 billion and will ensure that no council will see a decrease in Core Spending Power.