Every parliamentary written question tabled by Nadia Whittome this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–17 of 17 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing migrants with settled status to vote in general elections and referenda.
The Government has no plans to change the voting rights of foreign nationals. There are no set rules regarding who can vote in a UK-wide referendum. Instead, the franchise for each referendum is determined on a case-by-case basis by Parliament in the legislation providing for that referendum.
Communities and Local Government, what recent steps he has taken towards bringing the provisions in the Freehold Reform Act 2024 into force.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 103549 on 14 January 2026 and to the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278).
Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 on independent students who require accommodation between June and September.
My Department has made no such assessment. The Renters’ Rights Act introduces a new mandatory ground which will allow landlords renting HMOs to full-time students who occupy on either joint or individual tenancy agreements to seek possession ahead of each new academic year, facilitating the ongoing yearly cycle of short-term student tenancies. Students living in one or two bed (non-HMO) properties will have the same security of tenure as tenants in the wider private rented sector. As is the case now, we would encourage students who wish to remain in their accommodation over summer to discuss with their landlords.
Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to require housing developers to deliver homes for social rent as part of their developments.
The government is currently consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including proposals designed to further support the delivery of social housing. These include reforms to the viability system and specifying a minimum proportion of social rent housing that would be required of major development unless otherwise specified in development plans. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here.
Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to improve access to homelessness services for people sleeping rough.
The Government has increased funding for homelessness services by £316 million to a total of more than £1 billion in 2025/26. This includes £255.5 million through the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant for local authorities to tackle rough sleeping. We announced £69.9 million top-up funding for the grant in October 2025.
Communities and Local Government, if he will require local authorities to consider the needs of young people as a specific group in their local housing needs assessments.
The National Planning Policy Framework already makes clear that local authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community and plan accordingly. These groups should include, but are not limited to, those who require affordable housing, families with children, looked after children, students, and people who rent their homes.
Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to implement early identification models in schools to (a) identify and (b) help those at risk of homelessness.
This Government is committed to getting back on track to ending homelessness and is open to innovative solutions to do this. Preventing homelessness is critical to getting back on track to ending homelessness. Our upcoming cross-Government homelessness strategy will put prevention at its core and set a clear vision for tackling homelessness.
Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help improve the availability of free housing-related advice services in Nottingham.
Councils have a statutory duty to provide or secure the provision of advice and information about homelessness and the prevention of homelessness, free of charge. This should form part of each council’s strategy for preventing homelessness. You can read more about this in Chapter 3 of the homelessness code of guidance on gov.uk here.
Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prevent property owners providing false information when applying for Temporary Exemption Notices.
A Temporary Exemption Notice (TEN) may be served by a local authority where a person having control of or managing a licensable property (under HMO or selective licensing) notifies the local authority of their intention to take steps so that the property no longer requires a licence. It is for local authorities to determine if, on the basis of the information provided, they are satisfied that the applicant is taking genuine steps to ensure that the property no longer requires a licence before granting the notice.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of property owners (a) misusing and (b) providing false information to obtain Temporary Exemption Notices.
No assessment has been made of the prevalence of property owners misusing and/or providing false information to obtain Temporary Exemption Notices.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of capping (a) private parking charges and (b) penalty fees at a (i) fair and (ii) proportionate level.
This government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector. It has recently outlined, in a public consultation, its proposals to better protect and support motorists whilst balancing the legitimate needs of private parking operators. Specific views are being sought on the level of parking charge caps and on the appeals service. The consultation closed on 26th September.
Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the appeals system for private parking disputes is (a) independent, (b) fair and (c) transparent.
This government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector. It has recently outlined, in a public consultation, its proposals to better protect and support motorists whilst balancing the legitimate needs of private parking operators. Specific views are being sought on the level of parking charge caps and on the appeals service. The consultation closed on 26th September.
Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities have adequate resource capacity to enforce the Renters' Rights Bill.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 32068 on 5 March 2025.
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to issue guidance to local authorities on when they should accept that there is a housing duty after the abolition of Section 21 notices.
Following Royal Assent of the Renters’ Rights Bill, the government will make any necessary amendments to the Homelessness Code of Guidance.Ahead of these changes, we will engage closely with local authorities and other relevant stakeholders to help them prepare for the Bill’s implementation.
Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of assessing council tax value based on the number of bedrooms within a property.
The Valuation Office Agency considers a range of factors in determining a dwelling’s council tax band, including the size, layout, location and character of the dwelling. The government has no plans to change how dwellings are assessed for council tax.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's regional office closures on (a) staff who are unable to relocate and (b) all staff.
The department is consulting staff and Trade Unions on the decision to close six offices over the next two years. This consultation will consider the impact on the individuals affected with a view to putting in place measures to mitigate that impact and enable all staff affected to continue to perform their roles effectively.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring the installation and retrofitting of sprinklers in (a) all buildings regularly used by vulnerable people and (b) warehouses.
Building owners are required to ensure that existing care home buildings or warehouses have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. As part of this process, some owners may choose to retrofit sprinklers as part of their overall fire strategy, while others may opt for alternative measures. Recent changes to the Building Safety Act 2022 defined new roles and responsibilities all stakeholders involved in a construction project, including building owners. This ensures that safety is prioritized throughout the lifecycle of a building. Retrofitting sprinklers is not always the best option, and other fire safety measures might be more appropriate for specific buildings.