Written questions by Taylor.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to tackle youth homelessness.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, how many high-risk residential buildings in England with identified dangerous cladding have not yet commenced remediation works.

As of end January 2026 there are 916 residential buildings 18m metres and over in height, in England, with identified unsafe cladding that have not yet commenced remediation works. Of those 916 buildings, 15 have ACM cladding. These 18m+ buildings are known as higher-risk buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022. Higher-risk residential buildings also include buildings that have at least 7 storeys. Residential buildings which are 7 storeys tall but not 18 metres and over in height will not be included in the above figures.

Communities and Local Government, how many cladding remediation applications submitted to the Building Safety Regulator have exceeded the 12-week service level agreement for determination since November 2025.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has increased their regulatory capacity throughout 2025. There were 115 posts approved, with 83 members of staff already onboarded. The BSR’s monthly Building Control Approval data was released on 25th February 2026 for data between December 2025 and February 2026. The median wait time between submission and approval of Gateway 2 applications for cladding remediation works on Higher-Risk Buildings which include some older applications was 31 weeks. Newer applications (received in 2026) are currently being determined significantly quicker due to both improving quality of applications as well as more efficient BSR processes. The BSR is currently launching a plan that will further drive down application times and help unsafe buildings be remediated at pace. In relation to remediation applications, the statutory target for issuing a determination is eight weeks.The BSR confirms that, of the 117 Gateway 2 remediation applications received since November 2025, the current position is as follows: Status Number Timeframe Invalidated7Determined within the 8-week SLARejected5Determined after more than 12 weeksWithdrawn1Withdrawn after more than 12 weeksLive Case45Still within the 8-week SLALive Case26Exceeding 8 weeks but under 12 weeksLive Case30Exceeding 12 weeks

Communities and Local Government, what the current average time is between submission and approval of Gateway 2 applications for cladding remediation works on high-risk buildings.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has increased their regulatory capacity throughout 2025. There were 115 posts approved, with 83 members of staff already onboarded. The BSR’s monthly Building Control Approval data was released on 25th February 2026 for data between December 2025 and February 2026. The median wait time between submission and approval of Gateway 2 applications for cladding remediation works on Higher-Risk Buildings which include some older applications was 31 weeks. Newer applications (received in 2026) are currently being determined significantly quicker due to both improving quality of applications as well as more efficient BSR processes. The BSR is currently launching a plan that will further drive down application times and help unsafe buildings be remediated at pace. In relation to remediation applications, the statutory target for issuing a determination is eight weeks.The BSR confirms that, of the 117 Gateway 2 remediation applications received since November 2025, the current position is as follows: Status Number Timeframe Invalidated7Determined within the 8-week SLARejected5Determined after more than 12 weeksWithdrawn1Withdrawn after more than 12 weeksLive Case45Still within the 8-week SLALive Case26Exceeding 8 weeks but under 12 weeksLive Case30Exceeding 12 weeks

Communities and Local Government, how many additional staff were recruited to the Building Safety Regulator by the end of 2025; and whether the recruitment target set for that year was met.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has increased their regulatory capacity throughout 2025. There were 115 posts approved, with 83 members of staff already onboarded. The BSR’s monthly Building Control Approval data was released on 25th February 2026 for data between December 2025 and February 2026. The median wait time between submission and approval of Gateway 2 applications for cladding remediation works on Higher-Risk Buildings which include some older applications was 31 weeks. Newer applications (received in 2026) are currently being determined significantly quicker due to both improving quality of applications as well as more efficient BSR processes. The BSR is currently launching a plan that will further drive down application times and help unsafe buildings be remediated at pace. In relation to remediation applications, the statutory target for issuing a determination is eight weeks.The BSR confirms that, of the 117 Gateway 2 remediation applications received since November 2025, the current position is as follows: Status Number Timeframe Invalidated7Determined within the 8-week SLARejected5Determined after more than 12 weeksWithdrawn1Withdrawn after more than 12 weeksLive Case45Still within the 8-week SLALive Case26Exceeding 8 weeks but under 12 weeksLive Case30Exceeding 12 weeks

Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy for the National Planning Policy Framework to safeguard against the loss of a public house where they are there are no other such establishments in an area.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 105500 on 20 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has had recent discussions with Royal Mail on the timely delivery of postal votes for the May 2026 local elections.

Officials in the Ministry of Housing and Communities and Local Government meet regularly with the Royal Mail to discuss matters relating to elections including capacity, capability and contingency planning. As part of the usual engagement ahead of the significant electoral events, Ministers and senior government officials have met with the Chief Executive and other senior representatives from Royal Mail and it is intended to do so again ahead of the May elections.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has assessed the potential impact of preparing for scheduled elections that have been cancelled on costs and council officer time.

Spend on elections is a matter for local authorities. Where councils have asked for their elections to go ahead, those elections are going ahead. The Government has listened to councils, as we said we would. Postponement also avoids the cost of holding elections to councils that are proposed to be abolished.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the cancellation of some local election on (a) communities and (b) local authorities.

In reaching his decisions on 2026 elections, as set out to the House on 22 January 2026, the Secretary of State adopted a locally led approach and carefully considered all the representations made. He heard from councils across the country about the capacity challenges they face as they seek to deliver local government reorganisation and how postponement would release essential capacity. Postponement will enable those councils to focus work on reorganisation, and setting up new councils ready to deliver public services from day one. Where councils have asked for their elections to go ahead, those elections are going ahead. The vast majority of local elections will go ahead across England in May.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure social housing providers have the resources to keep residents (a) safe and (b) comfortable during extreme heat events.

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

Communities and Local Government, how much funding has been allocated to the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion since it was established.

The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion is not affiliated with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. As such, the department has not allocated any funding to the commission and does not hold information on its timelines.

Communities and Local Government, how many meetings the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion have had since it was established.

The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion is not affiliated with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. As such, the department has not allocated any funding to the commission and does not hold information on its timelines.

Communities and Local Government, when recommendations are expected to be published by the Independent Commission for Community and Inclusion.

The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion is not affiliated with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. As such, the department has not allocated any funding to the commission and does not hold information on its timelines.

Communities and Local Government, how much funding her Department has allocated to preventing Islamophobia.

In 2025/26, up to £650,000 of funding is available to the British Muslim Trust to monitor hate targeting Muslims and facilitate support for victims. The government will provide the police with funding of £80,000 for True Vision, an online hate crime reporting portal, designed so that victims of hate crime do not have to visit a police station to report.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to review selective licensing rules for private landlords.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 26845 on 5 February 2025, which sets out changes we made to selective licensing in December. We have no plans to make further changes at this time.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure Hong Kong culture is celebrated in the UK.

The Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Welcome Programme supports integration into the UK for BN(O) status holders and their families to help them successfully settle into their new communities. Hong Kong culture is celebrated through events such as Lunar New Year celebrations, which can be hosted or funded by our delivery partners, particularly the Strategic Migration Partnerships, which host the Welcome Hubs.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to support the celebration of Tamil culture.

Faith groups and diaspora communities, including the Tamil community, are a core part of our societal fabric in the UK. Their festivals bring vibrancy to our streets and their community spirit they foster brings joy and purpose to so many.The Prime Minister was delighted to host an event in January to celebrate the festival of Thai Pongal with members of Britain’s Tamil community where he praised British Tamils for their invaluable contribution to life in this country.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help protect Ahmadiyya Muslims from hate crimes.

All forms of hatred and intolerance are completely unacceptable, including that directed at Ahmadiyya Muslims. We are committed to protecting the rights of individuals to freely practice their religion and we will not tolerate Islamophobia in any form. The Government has established a working group to provide a definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, advising government and other bodies on how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims. Alongside drawing on their own expertise, members will engage widely to ensure the definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences of Muslim communities across the United Kingdom. This announcement builds on existing work with police and community partners to ensure effective monitoring of Islamophobia. The Government has worked with the police to fund True Vision, an online hate crime reporting portal, designed so that victims of hate crime do not have to visit a police station to report. We have also made up to £1 million of funding available this year to monitor Islamophobia and provide support to victims.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support small and medium sized high street businesses with (a) rising rents, (b) business rates and (c) rises in employer National Insurance contributions in Sutton and Cheam constituency.

The Government is fully committed to rejuvenating our high streets. We want to support the businesses and communities that make our town centres successful. To deliver our manifesto pledge on business rates, we intend to introduce permanently tax rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27. Ahead of these changes being made, we have extended the retail, hospitality and leisure rate relief for one year, at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and frozen the small business multiplier.The Government has protected the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all next year, more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package, and all eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the number of vacant shops on high streets in London.

The government is fully committed to tackling the issue of persistent vacancy in town centres and high streets.High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs) came into effect on 2 December 2024 and are a new permissive power for local authorities in England to auction the lease of commercial high street property that has been vacant for longer than 12 months in a 24-month period.Furthermore, through the English Devolution Bill, we will introduce a strong new ‘right to buy’ for valued community assets. This measure will empower local communities to reclaim and revitalise assets that are important to them such as empty shops, pubs, and community spaces, helping to improve our high streets and eliminate the blight of vacant premises.