Written questions by Mishra.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of public toilet provision in Stockport constituency.

Local authorities best understand local needs and are therefore best placed to assess and manage toilet provision. However, we recognise the importance of clean, safe public toilet provision and have taken steps to support local leaders. At the 2025 Spending Review, we committed more than £5 billion in new grant funding over the next three years for essential local services such as toilets. In addition, we continue to provide 100% mandatory business rates relief for separately assessed public toilets, reducing ongoing costs for local authorities.

Communities and Local Government, what funding is available to leaseholders for cladding remediation works on buildings under 11 metres in height.

Funding is not currently available for buildings under 11 metres in height. However, the Department announced targeted funding for multi-occupied residential buildings under 11 metres in the Remediation Acceleration Plan update. This funding will be available in exceptional cases, where there are life-critical fire safety risks from cladding and no alternative route to funding. Additional details about funding for exceptional cladding remediation in buildings below 11 metres in England will be shared by the Department in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has had discussions with Stockport Council regarding the condition of Reddish Library.

My Department has held no specific discussions with Stockport Council regarding the condition of Reddish Library. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Communities and Local Government, (a) what steps his Department is taking to reduce the backlog in Gateway 2 applications at the Building Safety Regulator and (b) how many Gateway 2 applications are outstanding for buildings in Stockport constituency.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) publishes monthly data on Building Control Approval applications, including progress on the batching pilot launched in September 2025. Latest data, published in February 2026, showed average approval times for new cases of 18 weeks, representing an almost threefold improvement in processing times when compared to May-July 2025. More complex cases managed through Account Managers are taking around 25 weeks on average for approval. The BSR has also addressed the backlog of legacy Gateway 2 applications through a substantial expansion of operational capacity and the integration of specialist expertise. These measures have strengthened decision-making, sped up the processing of both new‑build and remediation cases, and supported more efficient partnership working with industry. In parallel, enhanced guidance, developed jointly with the Construction Leadership Council, is supporting applicants to submit clearer, higher‑quality applications that demonstrate compliance, helping to further reduce determination times. There are currently four live Gateway 2 applications within the Stockport constituency (SK1–SK5): two remediation cases and two Category A applications.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce the number of unoccupied properties in privately owned retirement blocks and (b) to support those facing high fees, including council tax, who have inherited a retirement property.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 95245 on 5 December 2025.

Communities and Local Government, if his Department will make an assessment of the affordability of ground rents in Stockport constituency.

I refer the hon. Member to answer given to Question UIN 102566 on 12 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that local authorities follow best practice in commissioning domestic abuse services, including recognising the potential role of specialist community-based organisations.

The government is committed to support victims of domestic abuse. This is part of the government’s wider mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade as set out in the Freedom from Violence and Abuse strategy published on 18 December.Since 2021, local authorities in England have a statutory duty to assess local need and commission safe accommodation-based support for victims and their children. To support delivery of this duty, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government provided local authorities in England £160 million in 2025/26, a £30 million uplift from the previous year, and £499 million funding will be allocated to local authorities over the next three years.Statutory guidance to local authorities is available on gov.uk here providing further details on how the duty should be delivered.MHCLG continues to work closely with local authorities, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and sector partners to promote best practice, support delivery and drive continuous improvement in the commissioning of safe accommodation services.Ensuring victims receive the right and timely support is also central to the Government’s mission. The Ministry of Justice will be investing £550 million in victim support services over the next three years, and together with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) has published guidance here to help local commissioners in their role of supporting victims of all crime, including domestic abuse, focusing on sharing best practice and effective collaboration.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 85334 on Private Rented Housing: Construction, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of Build to Let developments on housing affordability in areas with high rental demand.

I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer given to Question UIN 85334 on 4 November 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in levels of (a) Hinduphobia and (b) anti-Hindu sentiment.

There was a 3% increase in police recorded religious hate crime in the year ending March 2025. Of the total number of religiously motivated hate crimes, 2% targeted Hindus (a total of 182 hate crimes). We are committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion and we will not tolerate anti-Hindu hatred in any form. No one should ever be a victim of hatred because of their race or religion, and the Government continues to work with police and community partners to monitor and combat this. The Government also recognises that Hindus can experience anti-Muslim hate, and that the misidentification of Hindus as Muslims can compound the burden of religious hatred and discrimination faced by Hindus.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) housing providers, (b) housing associations and (c) arms-length management organisations with meeting the costs of regulatory standards for supported housing.

The Department consulted on a proposed licensing regime and standards for supported housing between 20 February 2025 and 15 May 2025. A government response to the consultation will be published as soon as possible. The Department is working closely with supported housing providers and stakeholders to ensure that standards and licensing are proportionate and that implementation is carefully planned, to avoid any unintended consequences. The Department will continue to work closely with supported housing providers and stakeholders as implementation of the measures set out in the Act proceeds.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Build to Let developments on housing affordability in areas with high rental demand.

My Department has made no such assessment. The government is committed to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures and to supporting the Build to Rent sector.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that build to let developments contribute to local affordable housing quotas.

The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. As part of this commitment, we are reviewing the planning practice guidance PPG on viability. That guidance currently recognises that the economics of Build to Rent (BtR) schemes differ from build for sale as they depend on a long-term income stream. As such, for build to rent it is expected that the normal form of affordable housing provision will be affordable private rent. Where plan makers wish to set affordable private rent proportions or discount levels at a level differing from national planning policy and guidance, this can be reviewed through a viability assessment at the plan-making stage. This approach ensures that local planning authorities continue to maximise contributions towards affordable housing and community infrastructure, while supporting the delivery of viable developments.

Communities and Local Government, what is his planned timetable is for commencing the remaining provisions in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244) and to the answer given to Questions UIN 68213 on 23 July 2025.