Written questions by Badenoch.

Communities and Local Government, what underspends there are within (a) her Department and (b) each of her Department's arms length bodies in this (a) financial year and (b) spending review period.

As the Chancellor set out in her statement on July 29, the government’s spending audit has identified a forecast Resource DEL overspend of £21.9 billion against the plans set out for departments at Spring Budget 2024. This already factors in the Treasury’s assessment of a £7.1 billion fallaway over the course of the year, as set out in Table 1 of Fixing the foundations: public spending audit 2024-25.The government has announced £5.5 billion of savings in 2024-25, bringing the in-year pressures down to £16.4 billion. The department continually reviews it's in year spending against budgets and will report in the usual way.

When she plans to (a) increase stamp duty for non-UK residents and (b) recruit additional planning officers.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) changes are typically announced upon implementation at fiscal event. The Government recognises the need to recruit more planning officers and has committed to recruit 300 more over the course of the next five years. We are currently reviewing options for delivering this in a way that best supports housing delivery and growth. Parliament will be updated in the usual way.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to help those impacted by high insurance premiums in properties affected by (a) cladding and (b) remediation issues.

We will review how to better protect leaseholders from costs and take steps to accelerate the pace of remediation across the country. We will put a renewed focus on ensuring those responsible for the building safety crisis pay to put it right.

Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for publishing a response to her Department's consultation on reforms to social housing allocations, published on 30 January 2024.

The Government does not intend to enact the policy proposals set out in the consultation in question. A formal response will be issued in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to implement the conclusions of the London Plan review, published on 15 January 2024.

The Government is committed to working in partnership with the Mayor on how housing delivery and affordable housing provision can be increased in London. We will work with the Mayor and his team to ensure that the London Plan is ambitious but also deliverable.A consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, including in relation to brownfield development, began on Tuesday 30 July and closes on Tuesday 24 September.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the projected size of the greenbelt by the end of this Parliament.

The Government set out details of proposed reforms relating to brownfield, grey belt and the Green Belt in the consultation on our approach to revising the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system that began on Tuesday 30 July and closes on Tuesday 24 September.

Communities and Local Government, how she plans to permit the fast-tracking of brownfield land.

The Government set out details of proposed reforms relating to brownfield, grey belt and the Green Belt in the consultation on our approach to revising the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system that began on Tuesday 30 July and closes on Tuesday 24 September.

Communities and Local Government, whether funds allocated through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be delivered.

£1.9 billion has already been delivered, of an available £2.2 billion, to local authorities, with the remainder of allocations available to lead local authorities (LLAs) based on their actual spend at the end of the programme. We are working closely with LLAs to ensure we are able to maximise the benefits of UKSPF. Each local authority has an agreed plan to deliver locally important projects by March 2025 when the current funding period ends.

Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to support home ownership for first-time buyers.

The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership.In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, the Government has committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme and to giving first-time buyers the first chance to buy homes.

Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities she expects to have up-to-date local plans on (a) 4 July 2025, (b) 4 July 2026, (c) 4 July 2027, (d) 4 July 2028 and (e) at the end of this Parliament.

This Government has inherited a planning system in which only 31% of local planning authorities have up-to-date local plans.We are determined to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible, to progress towards our ambition of achieving universal plan coverage and ensure plans contribute positively to our ambition of delivering 1.5 million homes.Further details are set out in the consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system.

Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities do not have up-to-date local plans.

This Government has inherited a planning system in which only 31% of local planning authorities have up-to-date local plans.We are determined to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible, to progress towards our ambition of achieving universal plan coverage and ensure plans contribute positively to our ambition of delivering 1.5 million homes.Further details are set out in the consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system.

Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for introducing measures on nutrient neutrality.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 556 on 26 July 2024. We will provide further updates on timing in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to introduce legislation to allow housebuilding delayed by nutrient neutrality rules derived from European Union case law.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 556 on 26 July 2024. We will provide further updates on timing in due course.

Communities and Local Government, if she will publish her Department's submission on the legal challenge by Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate Change to the West Cumbria Mining planning permission.

As the decision remains subject to ongoing litigation, it would be inappropriate to comment.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to modernise planning committees.

The King’s Speech announced that the Government would introduce a Planning and Infrastructure Bill to accelerate housebuilding and infrastructure delivery. This will include measures to modernise planning committees in order to improve decision making. Work on the Bill is underway and we will provide more details in due course.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Policy statement on onshore wind, published on 8 July 2024, whether her Department has made an estimate of trends in the number of bird deaths caused by changes in the number of onshore wind farms; and what discussions she had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs before the publication of that statement.

The Government recognises that poorly sited wind farms can pose a threat to some wildlife, such as birds. That is why we retain important checks and balances in the planning system that require extensive up-front environmental surveying, and for decision makers to ensure statutory environmental and habitats impact assessments are conducted as part of the planning determination. Should significant adverse impacts on species or habitats be predicted, developers must put in place measures to avoid, reduce, mitigate or compensate for these impacts.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will include measures to reform the judicial review process to speed up planning decisions.

Work on the Bill is underway and we will provide more details in due course.

Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the environmental principles assessment for the Policy statement on onshore wind, published on 8 July 2024.

Environmental Principles assessments are not published routinely, but the potential environmental effects of changes to planning policy are considered in line with the requirements of the Environment Act 2021.

Communities and Local Government, what her target is for increasing net housing supply in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 586 on 22 July 2024.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the recommendations of the Mayor of London's London Climate Resilience Review to levy charges on households that pave their front gardens.

On 13 March 2024 the previous government published its response to the National Infrastructure Commission’s study into Reducing the risk of surface water flooding accepting four recommendations and partially accepting five. This included the recommendation to undertake a review of the effectiveness of all available options to manage unplanned increases in impermeable (or hard) surfaces, and their costs and benefits. Defra, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and other key stakeholders will be taking this review forward in due course. The Mayor of London's London Climate Resilience Review expanded on the impermeable surfaces review and recommended that “the government consider introducing stormwater charges for people who pave over gardens and incentives to remove paving”. We will consider whether to include this as part of the review during the scoping phase.