Every parliamentary written question tabled by Mike Reader this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–7 of 7 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Communities and Local Government, what his planned timeframe is for consulting on national planning policy related to decision-making, including policies on flood risk and sustainable drainage systems.
The government is currently consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here.
Communities and Local Government, what steps is his Department taking to improve the home conveyancing and residential property transaction process, in the context of the average length of time between a house sale being agreed and the exchange of contracts being more than four months.
On 6 October 2025, the government published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here. We are now analysing the responses to both consultations.
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to accept the recommendations of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce Report, published on 26 November 2024.
The government is committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market and we will continue to consider this issue as we develop our long-term housing strategy, which will be published later this year. As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), the government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report including in relation to specialist accommodation for older people.
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to update the guidance for Approved Document F of the Building Regulations to recognise smart ventilation systems as a compliant option for homes.
Revisions to Approved Document F of the Building Regulations were proposed as part of the Future Homes and Buildings Standards: 2023 consultation. Proposed updates to the minimum ventilation standards for homes were described in section 6.2 and proposed updates to the guidance for ventilation installations were described in section 8.3 of the consultation. We are carefully considering the feedback we received to the consultation. We intend to publish the Government response to the consultation, and the new Approved Document F, in autumn this year.We are mindful of the impact of increasing airtightness in our homes and workplaces. While this can have a significant impact on the energy efficiency of buildings, it also requires appropriate, controlled ventilation. We will continue to engage with developing ventilation technology and will update Approved Document F as required.
Communities and Local Government, which government funding streams have been available exclusively to Mayoral Combined Authorities since January 2024; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of this on areas without a devolution deal.
Most government funding streams delivered by Mayoral Combined (and Combined County) Authorities (MC(C)As) in England are devolved from national government. In areas where there is not yet a Combined Authority in place, national government continues to oversee these funds.Several ongoing funding streams are targeted only at MC(C)As in England, but in certain circumstances are paid to a broader range of recipients including in the Devolved Administrations or local authorities.Funds in England exclusive to MC(C)As include:Investment Funds (also known as ‘Gain Share’), which were agreed through Devolution Deals and support multiple themes including transport, infrastructure, skills, culture and enterprise & innovation within MC(C)As.City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (from 2022-2027; 8 MCAs were eligible). From 2027-2032 9 of the current 13 MCAs are eligible for its successor, the Transport for City Regions fund.The Department for Transport also provides a small number of grants to a subset of Mayoral Combined Authorities for the purposes of supporting transport networks specific to these areas; these grants generally pre-date current devolution arrangements.The government has not commissioned analysis on the impacts of devolved funding to those without devolution agreements in England.
Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate she has made of the cost to local authorities of implementing the Equality and Human Rights Commission's revised code of practice for services, public functions and associations.
We have not yet made an assessment of the cost and impact on local authorities of implementing the proposed updates to the Equality and Human Rights Commission Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations, which is still open for consultation.
Communities and Local Government, whether she has had made an assessment of the potential role of universities (a) within and (b) outside mayoral combined authorities in local growth programmes.
Local leadership is at the heart of our mission to deliver growth. Universities have an important role in driving growth across the country, working in partnership with other local stakeholders to deliver improved outcomes for their communities. In mayoral combined authorities and elsewhere in the UK, Investment Zones are leveraging the important role that universities and research institutions play, ensuring they collaborate with industry to promote growth. Local Growth Plans will also play an important role in delivering growth – locally owned and long-term strategic plans that will engage a range of stakeholders, including universities, to build on each region’s unique strengths and opportunities.