Written questions by Quigley.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support local authorities in scaling up the provision of stepping stone homes for young people at risk of homelessness.

My Department continues to engage with stakeholders in the homelessness sector to support the development of schemes and policies to tackle homelessness, including stepping stone accommodation. The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that it is for local authorities to assess the size, types and tenure of housing needed for different groups, including those who require affordable housing, and reflect this in their planning policies.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that planning policy does not inhibit the creation of transitional self-contained stepping stone homes for young people who are ready to live independently but cannot afford the private rented sector.

My Department continues to engage with stakeholders in the homelessness sector to support the development of schemes and policies to tackle homelessness, including stepping stone accommodation. The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that it is for local authorities to assess the size, types and tenure of housing needed for different groups, including those who require affordable housing, and reflect this in their planning policies.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to enable registered providers to bid for section 106 housing on the Isle of Wight.

The government recognises the ongoing challenge posed by the reduced appetite of Registered Providers of social housing to buy affordable homes delivered under Section 106 agreements. We will continue to work with housebuilders, local authorities, and Registered Providers to tackle this problem. One of the causes of this ongoing challenge is a reduction in Registered Providers’ financial capacity over recent years. The government recognises that Registered Providers need support to build their capacity and increase their contribution to affordable housing supply. We have consulted on a 5-year social housing rent settlement, to give Registered Providers the certainty they need to invest in new housing. The consultation closed on 23 December; we are carefully considering the feedback we received and will respond in due course. We have also announced that councils will be allowed to keep 100% of the receipts generated by Right to Buy sales, so that they are better able to build and buy new homes. We have provided flexibility for councils to combine Right to Buy receipts with Section 106 contributions (this flexibility will be in place until the end of 2025-26 and then subject to review).

Communities and Local Government, whether the Isle of Wight will retain it’s own council as part of the Hampshire and Solent Mayoral authority under devolution.

The Devolution Priority Programme aims to see a new wave of mayors elected in May 2026, including for Hampshire and the Solent. This will see local authorities in the area join up with their neighbours to form a new Combined Authority over a sensible geography, and will include Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council and Isle of Wight Council as constituent members of the new proposed Combined Authority.Separately, all councils across Hampshire and the Solent have received an invitation to work together to develop new unitary proposals that are in the best interests of the whole area. All levels of local government have a part to play in bringing improved structures to their area through any necessary reorganisation. Government is open to hearing from councils their views on reorganisation.