Written questions by Wheeler.

Communities and Local Government, how many households in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan were assessed as owed homelessness duty, broken down into (i) prevention duty, (ii) relief duty and (iii) main duty in each year since 2020.

The government collects data on the number of people in temporary accommodation as a quarterly snapshot. To compare the number of people in temporary accommodation in Salford and Wigan year-on-year, you can compare the latest data from 30 September 2025 here with the same day in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020. The government publishes annual data on the number of households owed a prevention and relief duty by local authority. You can find the data on gov.uk for 2024/25, 2023/24, 2022/23, 2021/22 and 2020/21. If homelessness is not successfully prevented or relieved and an applicant is unintentionally homeless, eligible for assistance and has priority need, the main duty is owed and the applicant will be placed in temporary accommodation. To compare the number of people owed a main duty in Salford and Wigan year-on-year, you can use the links to the published temporary accommodation data given above.

Communities and Local Government, how many households were living in temporary accommodation in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan in each year since 2020.

The government collects data on the number of people in temporary accommodation as a quarterly snapshot. To compare the number of people in temporary accommodation in Salford and Wigan year-on-year, you can compare the latest data from 30 September 2025 here with the same day in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020. The government publishes annual data on the number of households owed a prevention and relief duty by local authority. You can find the data on gov.uk for 2024/25, 2023/24, 2022/23, 2021/22 and 2020/21. If homelessness is not successfully prevented or relieved and an applicant is unintentionally homeless, eligible for assistance and has priority need, the main duty is owed and the applicant will be placed in temporary accommodation. To compare the number of people owed a main duty in Salford and Wigan year-on-year, you can use the links to the published temporary accommodation data given above.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of dwellings in the private rented sector in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan in each year since 2020.

The Office for National Statistics publishes annual estimates of private rented sector dwellings in each local authority. These estimates can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms his Department has put in place to ensure that communities are consulted on the use of Pride in Place funding in Worsley and Eccles constituency.

The community will decide how to invest £20m of Pride in Place Funding in Peel Green. A Neighbourhood Board led by an Independent Chair and made up of local people will come up with a plan for this investment and they must engage their wider community. We have brought forward £150,000 of funding for Peel Green, and all neighbourhoods in Phase Two of the programme, so they can kickstart this engagement now.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to encourage all social landlords to adopt the Best Practice Guide included in the Decent Homes Standard.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84054 on 3 November 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to encourage social landlords to adopt the furniture provision element of the Best Practice Guide included within the Decent Homes Standard.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84054 on 3 November 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the levels of furniture poverty in Worsley and Eccles constituency.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84054 on 3 November 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging social landlords to provide furnished tenancies to those (a) leaving homelessness and (b) fleeing domestic abuse.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84054 on 3 November 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure existing sports facilities are not detrimentally impacted by changes to the planning system.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields and formal play spaces, should not be built on unless there is clear evidence it is no longer required, equivalent or better provision is secured in a suitable location, or development of the site is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use. Planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space, sport and recreation facilities and opportunities for new provision, which plans should then seek to accommodate.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of replacing the competent person schemes model for domestic electrical installation.

The Government takes electrical safety very seriously and the Building Regulations require work to homes’ fixed electrical systems to be carried out safely to protect people from fire and injury. Government-backed schemes exist to ensure domestic electricians are qualified and registered and can self-certify their work. This is an essential part of safety protections and is one of several schemes – called the competent person schemes – that oversee the competence of tradespeople in many disciplines by considering their qualifications and experience as well as inspecting samples of their work. There are no plans to replace this model. Government does consider applications from new scheme providers periodically but there are no plans currently to invite new applications.