Written questions by Dillon.

Communities and Local Government, if his Department will take steps with local authorities to end the use of (a) hotels, (b) bed and breakfasts and (c) hostels for homeless (i) single adults and (ii) families.

Homelessness levels are far too high. The Government is looking at the issue carefully and is developing a new cross-Government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness. We have already taken the first steps to getting back on track to ending homelessness, including making a £1 billion investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year, a £233 million increase on the previous year and the largest-ever cash boost in homelessness prevention services. The 2025 Spending Review protected this level of investment until 2028/29 and provided £100 million additional funding, including from the Transformation Fund, to fund increased homelessness prevention activity. Where homelessness cannot be prevented, any temporary accommodation provided must be suitable for the needs of the household. The Homelessness Code of Guidance for local authorities sets out the factors to be taken into account when determining the suitability of accommodation.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) trends in the number of firefighters and (b) levels of funding for fire and rescue services on public safety.

On 3 February, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities, including Fire and Rescue Authorities. These allocations, which include the National Insurance Contribution Grant, will see standalone fire and rescue authorities receiving an increase in core spending power of £69.1 million in 2025/26. This is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25. In addition to settlement funding, the Government has provided Fire and Rescue Authorities with several grants intended for specific purposes, such as the Fire Pensions Grant and Protection Uplift Grant Decisions on how their resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each Fire and Rescue Authority. FRSs employed 30,769 full-time equivalent (FTE) firefighters on 31 March 2024. This is virtually unchanged compared with the previous year (30,723).

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of Approved Document M on Access to and Use of Buildings under the Building Regulations 2010, last updated on 1 October 2024, in meeting the needs of (a) disabled and (b) older residents.

The Building Safety Act 2022 requires the Building Safety Regulator to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review; Building Regulations or Approved Documents, including Approved Document M can then be updated as needed. Housing is one of this Government’s top priorities; everyone deserves to live in a decent home that is suitable for them and meets their needs. The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published on 12 December 2024, requires local planning authorities to assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those of older and disabled people, and to reflect this in planning policies. Where an identified need exists, plans are expected to help bring forward an adequate supply of accessible housing. The government will shortly set out its policies on accessible new build housing, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring everyone has access to a safe, suitable home.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to issue guidance to (a) charities and (b) the voluntary sector on local government reorganisation.

The Department has no plans to issue guidance to charities or the voluntary sector on local government reorganisation.

Communities and Local Government, how much and what proportion of the funding allocated for affordable housing in the Spending Review 2025 will be allocated to rural areas.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July 2025 (HCWS771).

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support (a) the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and (b) other local fire and rescue services to (i) manage risks from (A) wildfires, (B) flooding and (C) other major incidents, and (ii) collaborate with police and ambulance services.

Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) have duties under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) to prepare for emergencies, such as a wildfires, flooding, and other major incidents. Under the National Framework, FRAs are required to prepare Community Risk Management Plans, having regard to the views of other key local responders. These local plans identify and assess the full range of foreseeable fire and rescue-related risks, and make provision for prevention and protection activities, and appropriate response to incidents. We work with the National Fire Chiefs Council, FRAs and Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) to maintain, review and develop capabilities. This includes multi- agency working and use of the Joint Emergency Services Principles (JESIP) framework, that improves co-ordination and collaboration among blue light services and with other partners. The Government is providing funding of £17.9m in 2025/26 to FRAs who host national resilience capabilities, including Royal Berkshire FRS. These capabilities are widely used in day-to-day operations by FRSs and help to enhance both local responses, and responses to major and national scale incidents. Further, the Government provides funding of £15.1m in 2025/26 to the lead authority on national resilience (Merseyside) to assure the capabilities. Since 2024 the Government has also funded a national resilience wildfire advisor.

Communities and Local Government, what support is available to individuals who have been incorrectly charged a community infrastructure levy.

A person who considers a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charge to have been incorrectly calculated can seek a formal review of the calculation by the levy charging authority. They may also seek an independent assessment of the calculation through an appeal to the Valuation Office Agency if deemed necessary following review by the authority. There are also provisions in levy regulations enabling a person to seek an independent appeal via the Planning Inspectorate against any surcharges imposed by the levy charging authority. Separately, a person can escalate any concerns with how their local authority has handled a particular matter, including CIL, through the authority’s official complaints process. Concerns can be subsequently further escalated, if considered necessary and appropriate, to the Local Authority Ombudsman. The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions, including CIL, and we will provide further details in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to improve infrastructure levy charging arrangements in local authorities to avoid people being charged incorrectly.

A person who considers a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charge to have been incorrectly calculated can seek a formal review of the calculation by the levy charging authority. They may also seek an independent assessment of the calculation through an appeal to the Valuation Office Agency if deemed necessary following review by the authority. There are also provisions in levy regulations enabling a person to seek an independent appeal via the Planning Inspectorate against any surcharges imposed by the levy charging authority. Separately, a person can escalate any concerns with how their local authority has handled a particular matter, including CIL, through the authority’s official complaints process. Concerns can be subsequently further escalated, if considered necessary and appropriate, to the Local Authority Ombudsman. The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions, including CIL, and we will provide further details in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to reverse the 10 per cent commission charge on the sale of park homes.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 44299 on 16 April 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the health of chalk streams.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 45278 on 30 April 2025.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending voting rights to unenfranchised migrant residents.

The Government has no plans to extend voting rights to unenfranchised migrant residents. In common with most other democracies, voting rights are limited to citizens. In addition, in UK elections for which the UK Government and Parliament have responsibility (that is, not devolved elections in Scotland and Wales), Commonwealth and Irish citizens can vote in all reserved elections, while eligible EU citizens can vote in elections which use the local government register.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to update hon. Members on the progress of the implementation of the Section106 Affordable Housing Clearing Service.

The government will continue to monitor the implementation of the Section 106 Affordable Housing Clearing Service that was launched in December and will update parliament in the usual manner.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of preventing planning inspectors from overturning decisions made in line with neighbourhood plans.

Appeal decisions by planning inspectors must be taken in accordance with policies in the development plan for the area, including any neighbourhood plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The revised National Planning Policy Framework, which is a material consideration, continues to make clear that where a planning application conflicts with an up-to-date development plan (including any neighbourhood plans), permission should not usually be granted. Protections from speculative development for areas with a qualifying neighbourhood plan have also been retained in the revised Framework.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing measures to reduce the hope value of land.

The government recently brought into force regulations that provide for the removal of ‘hope value’ from the assessment of compensation in compulsory purchase cases, where there is justification in the public interest. Guidance and a fact sheet on the measures was published on 3 October 2024 and can be found here.We have made clear our intention to further reform the compulsory purchase process and land compensation rules to enable more effective land assembly that will speed-up and lower the costs of the delivery of housing and critical infrastructure in the public interest. The reforms will be subject to consultation which will be published shortly.

Communities and Local Government, what her Department's timescales are for bringing forward secondary legislation in relation to the Leasehold Act 2024.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to allow social landlords to access the (a) Building Safety Fund and (b) Cladding Safety Scheme.

Social landlords can already apply to the Cladding Safety Scheme and the Building Safety Fund (BSF) where the cost of remediating a building would threaten the financial viability of the landlord or to cover costs which - without the protections of the Building Safety Act - could have been passed on to leaseholders and shared owners.Under the BSF, the Government has committed £239 million to date to support social landlords to remove and replace unsafe cladding on buildings over 18 metres.The Cladding Safety Scheme for buildings between 11 and 18 metres is open to providers of social housing on the same basis as the BSF.The budget on 30 October 2024 committed to new investment to begin to speed up remediation of social housing. We will shortly publish a strategy to accelerate remediation in all buildings, including social housing.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that private homes are safe for elderly people.

The Government provides the Disabled Facilities Grant, a capital grant administered by local authorities that can help pay the cost of adapting eligible disabled and older people’s homes, regardless of tenure, to allow them to live safely and independently. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide adaptations for people who satisfy a needs assessment, eligibility criteria and a means test. An additional £86 million for the DFG for 2025-26 was announced in the Budget, bringing the total to £711 million.We are also taking action to improve standards within the private rented sector in England through the Renters’ Rights Bill, including through introducing the Decent Homes Standard to the sector for the first time. We are also applying ‘Awaab’s Law’ to the sector which will set clear legal expectations about the timeframes within which landlords in the private rented sector must make homes safe where they contain serious hazards. All elderly people should be able to live in a safe and decent home and these changes will have a positive impact on improving the health and wellbeing of older tenants.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the (a) quality and (b) safety of homes.

The Building Regulations set standards for the design and construction of new building work covering safety, security, accessibility, water and energy use. They are intended to protect people’s health and welfare and may apply when somebody is putting up a new building, making material changes to a building, extending an existing building or altering building services. The Regulations apply to new building work and are supported by guidance set out in Approved Documents. Recent significant updates to the Building Regulations and fire safety guidance in Approved Document B have included the ban on combustible materials in and on the external walls of new residential buildings higher than 18 metres; setting a threshold for provision of sprinklers in new blocks of flats taller than 11 metres; making provision for wayfinding signage for fire fighters in residential buildings above 11 metres; and providing additional guidance on evacuation alert systems in new residential buildings over 18 metres in height. An 18-metre threshold height for second staircases in new residential buildings has been introduced from March 2024. The Building Safety Act 2022 requires the safety and standard of buildings to be kept under review; Building Regulations can then be updated as needed. This mechanism offers Government a source of evidence if Regulations or guidance need amendment or to reflect advances in building safety knowledge and technologies.

Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of the homes her Department aims to build during this Parliament will be affordable; and what steps she plans to take to ensure that these homes meet the needs of communities.

The Government has committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and we will update Parliament on our progress. Our proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework aim to ensure that decisions about what to build and where are based on delivering the housing an area needs.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help improve voter turnout in national elections; and what assessment she has made of the impact of voter ID on the 2024 general election.

To encourage participation in our democracy, the Government will improve voter registration and address the inconsistencies in voter ID rules. We will be bringing forward firm proposals in due course.In September the Electoral Commission published its interim report on voter ID at the 2024 UK Parliamentary General Election. The Elections Act 2022 included a requirement for the Secretary of State to publish an evaluation of the implementation and impact of the voter ID policy on the next local and next two UK Parliamentary General Elections. Work has already begun on the evaluation of the July 2024 election, and we expect the report in the spring of 2025. Both of these reports will inform the wider work officials are doing to thoroughly review voter ID.