Written questions by Pritchard.

Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to reform the conveyancing process for residential property in England.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, how the government will ensure rural counties are not disadvantaged in future allocations for economic growth and place-based investment.

Our flagship Pride in Place programme provides up to £5.8 billion over ten years to 284 neighbourhoods facing the greatest social and economic challenges, using a robust, published methodology that targets need wherever it occurs, including in rural areas. This methodology draws on established datasets such as the Index of Multiple Deprivation and the Community Needs Index, and has identified rural communities in areas including Wiltshire, East Lindsey and Somerset, amongst others. A constituency cap ensures geographic spread across all parts of the country. Beyond Pride in Place, all areas will benefit from the powers and opportunities included in our wider Pride in Place strategy.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he will take to avoid disruption to successful programmes previously supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

While the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) ended in March 2026, funding for 2025-26 can still be used to support investment in activities up to 30 September 2026, to allow local authorities and partners time to maximise spend of their existing allocations. The Government’s new approach emphasises more stable, longer-term funding and clearer planning horizons through the Local Government Finance Settlement, alongside targeted interventions that support growth and strengthen communities, including the Local Growth Fund and the Pride in Place Programme.

Communities and Local Government, if he will meet with the Chief Executive of (a) Shropshire Council and (b) Telford & Wrekin Council to review the continuing use of Royal Mail postal services for democratic services and for elections where postal votes are permitted.

Officials in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government meet regularly with Royal Mail to discuss matters relating to elections including capacity, capability and contingency planning.We are aware of current concerns about Royal Mail deliveries in national and local press, and have been in contact with Royal Mail about these ahead of the upcoming local elections in May.As part of the usual engagement ahead of 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 before of the May elections.

Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward regeneration funding for rural market towns.

In September 2025 we announced the Local Regeneration Fund, which brings together the Levelling Up Fund, Towns Deals and Pathfinder Pilots into a single, flexible capital pot, responding to Local Authority feedback for less bureaucratic oversight and more local autonomy. This partnership approach empowers local authorities to allocate resources based on their own priorities, which will help rural councils. Decisions on how to manage these allocations rest with each authority’s Section 151 Officer or equivalent. In the small number of cases where projects are no longer viable, we expect projects to rescope their plans and use the funding for other initiatives in the same area that originally stood to benefit. Earlier this month, the Prime Minister confirmed that 40 further places will join the Pride in Place Programme. That means that nearly 300 communities will benefit from this transformational programme. Funding for the Pride in Place programme is going to communities with the greatest need: places that have been overlooked and stand to benefit most, including market towns.

Communities and Local Government, if he will extend Community Right to Buy powers to include environmental assets such as peat bogs, heathland, meadows, woods and rivers.

The new community right to buy, which we are introducing through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, will give communities stronger powers to take ownership of assets that are important to them. Communities will already be able to nominate a range of environmental assets that further their social or economic wellbeing through the current provisions in this Bill. The list of such assets is extensive, from allotments and playing fields to woodlands and farms. Statutory guidance will be clear that local authorities must accept nominations for environmental assets that meet the criteria.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to publish an annual brownfield site audit for England.

Local planning authorities are required to maintain a register of brownfield sites that they have assessed as appropriate for residential development. My Department has no current plans to undertake an annual audit of such registers.

Communities and Local Government, whether Sport England will remain a statutory consultee for planning applications that affect playing fields.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510), the government plans to consult on the impact of removing statutory consultee status for planning applications from Sport England, The Theatres Trust, and The Gardens Trust.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps with the Fire Service college to implement a (a) national strategy and (b) protocols for local fire authorities when responding to battery storage fires.

It is the responsibility of fire and rescue authorities to ensure that firefighters receive the equipment and training they need to safely respond to incidents, and to do so considering their individual areas’ risk profiles and Community Risk Management Plans. Government works closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council to ensure that the fire and rescue sector has sufficient resource to keep the public safe.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to investigate the number of fires caused by self-installed solar panels on residential properties.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs). This data includes the cause of the fire and the source of ignition. This data is published in a variety of publications, available on gov.uk here.Data collected through the Incident Recording System (IRS) does not include data on whether fire incidents attended were caused by or involved solar panels, nor their installation method.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the change in the level of employers National Insurance contributions on the revenue budget of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.

On 3 February 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue.These allocations, which include the National Insurance Contribution Grant, will see standalone fire and rescue authorities including Shropshire receiving an increase in core spending power of £69 million in 2025/26. This is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25.In 2025/26, Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority will have core spending power of £29.4 million; an increase of 2.1 per cent on 2024/25.

Communities and Local Government, what regeneration funding she is making available for (a) Newport, (b) Shifnal and (c) other rural market towns.

This government confirmed its commitment to regeneration funding at the Autumn Budget securing millions of pounds to support economic growth across the UK – our number one mission. This included £3.5 million through the UKSPF to continue to support communities across Shropshire.The government will set out a refreshed approach to local growth funding at the multi-year Spending Review in the Spring. An approach that includes supporting rural businesses, improving infrastructure, and enhancing local economies, with a focus on areas most in need.

Communities and Local Government, if she will require housing developers to promptly complete remedial works required to new build properties after completion.

Most new build warranties cover damages caused by structural defects for a 10-year term. The developer is often held accountable for the first two years of this period. The terms of warranty should give more detail on what developers would be expected to cover in this timeframe, but generally this will cover most aspects of workmanship carried out by the developer.New build homeowners can also contact the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) (Homepage (nhqb.org.uk) if they are dissatisfied with the standards of conduct or quality of work in their new build homes. While the scheme is currently voluntary for developers, just over half of all developers have signed up. The full register of developers is held on the NHQB website.New build homeowners can also contact a consumer code scheme provider if their developer has signed up to one. There are several codes, the largest of which is the Consumer Code for Home Builders. The code the developer signs up to is determined by the warranty provider. The consumer code scheme provider will handle complaints about the conduct or workmanship of a developer, provided that the developer is a member of the relevant code.

Communities and Local Government, if she will undertake a review of the estate agency sector to assess the effectiveness of existing legislation on ensuring (a) transparency in pricing, (b) accurate descriptions of properties and (c) bans on rogue (i) lettings and (ii) sales agents.

The government is committed to ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents.Legislation is currently enforced by National Trading Standards’ Lettings and Estate Agency Team, who have the power to issue warnings and banning orders to rogue estate and letting agents.The previous government committed to regulate the property agent sector in 2018 and asked a working group chaired by Lord Richard Best to advise them on how best to do it.However, they failed to respond to the recommendations set out in the working group’s 2019 Regulation of Property Agents: working group report which can be found on gov.uk here.Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of multi-occupancy buildings and freehold estates, and their importance will only increase as we transition toward a commonhold future. As a result, we are looking again at the 2019 report.We will set out our full position on regulation of estate, letting and managing agents in due course.

Communities and Local Government, if she will reinstate the Rural Services Delivery Grant in the next local government financial settlement for Shropshire.

The government is absolutely committed to tackling the issues that matter to rural communities. However, the Rural Services Delivery Grant did not properly account for need and a large number of predominantly rural councils receive nothing from it – that’s clearly not right and a sign we need to allocate funding more effectively.The 25-26 Settlement will deliver on our commitment by ensuring that places with a significant rural population will on average receive around a 5% increase in their Core Spending Power next year, which is a real terms increase.The government is keen to hear from councils about how best to consider the impact of rurality on the costs of service delivery, and demand, as part of our longer term consultations on local authority funding reform.

Communities and Local Government, if she will reinstate the four percent funding floor for Core Spending Power growth for Shropshire.

The current fiscal environment means the government cannot continue the poor value for money 4% Funding Guarantee. The government assesses that it does not use every pound of taxpayers' money most efficiently and that is it targeted on a transparent basis.However, we will guarantee that no local authority sees a reduction in their Core Spending Power in 2025-26, after taking into account the increase in council tax levels, by applying a funding floor.This will provide the protections required for authorities to sustain their services between years, whilst recognising that we must begin the process of redirecting as much funding as possible towards the services and places that need it most.The government is making good on the promise to reform the local government funding system, and is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities from 2026-27. We are inviting views on our principles and objectives for funding reform through a consultation (18 December – 12 February).

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of allowing tenants in rented properties on working farms to have pets on (a) farm safety and (b) biosecurity.

The Renters' Rights Bill requires landlords not to unreasonably withhold consent when a tenant requests to have a pet in their home, with the tenant able to challenge a decision. The government will issue detailed guidance in due course to help landlords and tenants understand the new rules.