Written questions by Blake.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of building regulations in ensuring the quality, efficiency, and resilience of installed heat network systems.

The Building Regulations set performance requirements for buildings, including buildings connected to heat networks, but they are not responsible for regulating the detailed design or operation of heat network systems themselves. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is also consulting on mandatory technical standards for heat networks, that include proposals to ensure new and existing heat networks are designed, built, and operated to a standard, that will deliver good outcomes for consumers.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to review the statutory height threshold for a higher-risk building under the Building Safety Act 2022.

On 17 December 2025, the Department published the results of the Buildings Safety Regulator’s initial review of the definition of higher-risk buildings and its plans for an ongoing review. The initial review found that, at the time of publication, the current definition (including the height-threshold) appropriately reflects the available evidence on risks to individuals from the spread of fire and structural failure. Going forward, we have agreed that the Building Safety Regulator will, at least once a year, consider whether the definition of higher-risk buildings remains appropriate. The next review will take place in, or before, summer 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what consideration his Department has made of the potential impact of the Restoration and Renewal of Parliament on the proposed Holocaust Memorial Learning Centre.

The Memorial site is at the southern end of the Gardens and is compatible with the use of the gardens by the Restoration and Renewal Programme. The Holocaust Memorial project team and the Restoration and Renewal programme team meet regularly to share information, and co-ordinate plans to reduce potential impacts.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to regulate Let Only letting agency agreements where an agent markets a property after which the landlord takes over management.

The government has no current plans to introduce specific new regulations in relation to let only agency arrangements.Letting agents who operate on a ‘let only’ basis are already subject to existing regulation. Any agent carrying out letting agency work in England, including marketing a property and setting up a tenancy before the landlord takes over management, must belong to a government approved redress scheme.Compliance with these requirements is enforced by local authorities and by the National Trading Standards’ Lettings Agency Team, which has powers to take enforcement action against noncompliant agents.More broadly, the government’s recent home buying and selling reform consultation sought views on proposals to professionalise property agents, including introducing a code of practice setting out minimum standards for letting, estate and managing agents.The government also proposed a future consultation on mandatory qualifications for letting and estate agents and, depending on the outcome, potential legislation in respect of this issue. The home buying and selling reform consultation closed on 29 December and, subject to the outcomes of our analysis, we will publish a roadmap setting out further details later this year.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the value for money delivered through the 2003 - 2005 redevelopment of 2 Marsham Street.

The Department has not undertaken a dedicated, standalone assessment of the value for money delivered specifically through the 2003–2005 redevelopment of 2 Marsham Street. However, the National Audit Office reviewed the associated Private Finance Initiative arrangements for the new Home Office headquarters in 2003. The NAO concluded that the Home Office had secured a good price through a well‑run competition, with risks appropriately allocated and favourable financing obtained. The report indicated that the project was expected to deliver value for money, provided the remaining accommodation and property‑related risks were managed effectively. The Public Accounts Committee’s Eighteenth Report (2003–04) further found that commissioning a new building rather than refurbishing the three former Marsham Towers offered better value for money, avoided the business disruption and costs of temporary accommodation, and supported the consolidation of government estate functions. The Committee noted that the redevelopment contract, valued at £311 million (net present cost), was selected as the most cost‑effective option following full competition. These independent assessments confirmed that the redevelopment represented value for money for the taxpayer at the point the investment decision was taken. The Treasury has made no subsequent assessment that contradicts these findings.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help reduce delays to approvals from the Building Safety Regulator to applications to double glaze windows.

We are aware of challenges in the system and delays to approvals of building control applications, and work is underway to address this issue. On the 27 January, the BSR became a standalone organisation under MHCLG, marking a major step towards creating a single construction regulator. Under new leadership, enhanced operating models are delivering significant progress. BSR continues to make strong headway tackling new build cases already in the system with only the most complex cases remaining. The Innovation Unit has dramatically reduced processing time for new build applications, with the highest quality applications approved within the 12-week target. We must go further and build on the progress already made in operations and through the launch of the new body for the BSR. We are undertaking a programme of work to review the proportionality of the higher-risk building control regime, with a view to making targeted changes to the regime to improve proportionality whilst upholding safety aims. In particular, we are focusing on proposals to review the procedural requirements of the regime for high-volume, low complexity, routine works.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the proportionality of the requirement for planning permission to install double glazing.

My Department has not undertaken such an assessment, as in most cases the replacement of windows of similar appearance can be undertaken without the need for a planning application. However, there may be some local exceptions, and other consents such as listed building consent may be required.

Communities and Local Government, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of specialist modern slavery coordinators within local authorities.

The Government recognises the vital work done by Moden Slavery Coordinators working within local authorities. Local authorities are independent employers. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.

Communities and Local Government, what governance arrangements his Department has considered for the future Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens.

We are considering a range of operating models for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre and will ensure that there are robust governance arrangements in place which are appropriate to the chosen model.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to address leasehold issues arising from probate sales of properties which did not qualify for cladding remediation support under the Building Safety Act (2022).

There is a range of support in place for leaseholders, even those whose lease does not qualify for protection under Part 5 of the Building Safety Act 2022. All leaseholders are also protected from cladding remediation and benefit from qualifying status on their main home. All leaseholders are protected from paying towards safety defects associated with the developer or through the developer remediation contract.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is planning to take to ensure that local residents are (a) informed and (b) consulted during the Holocaust Memorial Learning Centre (Victoria Tower Gardens) planning approval process.

Decisions on the redetermination procedure for this application, and any necessary consultation and engagement with local residents, have not yet been taken.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of the tax revenue from ensuring compliance with rules on eligibility of short-term lets for business rates.

Before a short-term let can be assessed as a self-catering accommodation (short-term let) for business rates purposes it must have been available to let for at least 140 days in the past year and demonstrate at least 70 days of actual letting activity in the last year.It is for local authorities to bill and collect business rates. The government does not make an estimate of the number of short-term lets who choose not to be assessed for business rates or do not meet these criteria. However, the government does collect data on the number of short-term lets assessed for business rates. The latest available data from March 2025 shows that there are 65,380 short-term lets assessed for business rates in England.Where a property does not meet these criteria, it will usually be considered domestic, and liable for council tax in the same way as any other domestic property.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Pimlico District Heating Undertaking has been subject to departmental review.

The department has not conducted any such review.

Communities and Local Government, what her timetable is for consulting on mandatory qualifications for managing agents.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 41307 on 2 April 2025.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Statement of 21 November 2024 on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform, HCWS244, what her planned timeline is for (a) reforms of and (b) consultations on the leasehold system.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November (HCWS244).

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the merits of reforming linked estate charges.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November (HCWS244).

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the independent report entitled Regulation of Property Agents: working group report, published on 18 July 2019.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 41307 on 2 April 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued on the apportionment of cladding remediation costs between occupants of shared ownership properties and full owner occupiers where properties of both tenures exist within the same building.

The responsibility for undertaking cladding remediation and, in the majority of cases, paying for the works will rest with the landlord of the building. This is correct for both shared ownership and for owner occupiers. Where a responsible developer cannot be identified, traced, or held responsible, leaseholders can benefit from the funding available for cladding repairs on residential buildings over 11 metres in height in England. The Building Safety Fund still provides funding for some buildings over 18m in height in the Greater London Area.

Communities and Local Government, what support her Department is providing to occupants of shared ownership properties with cladding remediation costs.

The responsibility for undertaking cladding remediation and, in the majority of cases, paying for the works will rest with the landlord of the building. This is correct for both shared ownership and for owner occupiers. Where a responsible developer cannot be identified, traced, or held responsible, leaseholders can benefit from the funding available for cladding repairs on residential buildings over 11 metres in height in England. The Building Safety Fund still provides funding for some buildings over 18m in height in the Greater London Area.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an estimate of costs for housing associations related to the remediation of aluminium composite material cladding.

In 2018, government estimated that the cost of removing and replacing unsafe ACM cladding on 18m+ social residential buildings would be approximately £400 million. As of March 2025, 144 high rise buildings had entered the Social Sector ACM Fund. To date, government schemes approved allocation of c.£297 million towards remediating those buildings, including c.£101 million for buildings owned by Housing Associations.